Sabres acquire Dmitri Kulikov from Panthers
Leafs nab Rychel from Blue Jackets
The Buffalo Sabres have opened the second round of the NHL draft with a splash by acquiring defenceman Dmitri Kulikov in a trade with the Florida Panthers.
The deal was announced three picks into the second round of the draft on Saturday. Besides swapping second-round picks, with Buffalo moving up to No. 33 from No. 38, the Panthers acquired defenceman Mark Pysyk and the Sabres' third-round pick, 89th overall.
Kulikov is the left-shot defenceman Sabres general manager Tim Murray said he was hoping to add to his roster this off-season. Kulikov has one year left on his contract and is set to make $4.5 million US next season.
He became expendable in Florida after the Panthers signed veteran free agent Keith Yandle to a six-year contract last week.
Leafs acquire Rychel from Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired defenceman Scott Harrington and a conditional pick in the 2017 draft from the Toronto Maple Leafs for left wing Kerby Rychel.
Harrington, 23, has played 25 NHL games for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Maple Leafs and registered one assist. Toronto acquired him from Pittsburgh a year ago in the trade that sent Phil Kessel to the eventual Stanley Cup champions.
Columbus general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said the team was excited to add a defenceman with NHL experience who previously was the captain of the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights. The 21-year-old Rychel had two goals and seven assists in 32 games last season for Columbus. In 37 career games, the 2013 first-round pick has two goals and 10 assists.
Bennett traded to Devils
The New Jersey Devils added a forward on the draft's second day, trading away their third-round pick (No. 77 overall) to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for forward Beau Bennett.
Devils general manager Ray Shero drafted Bennett in the first round of the 2010 NHL draft when he was the GM of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Penguins used the 77th pick to take Connor Hall, a defenceman out of Kitchener, Ont., who also played for the Rangers in the OHL.
with files from Associated Press