BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres confirmed that they have traded left wing Marcus Johansson to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for center Eric Staal.
Darren Dreger of TSN was the first to report the trade, tweeting Wednesday evening that a deal had been made with "details being worked on."
Johansson, 29, played just one season in Buffalo, recording nine goals and 21 assists in 60 games. He had previously played seven seasons with the Washington Capitals, two with the New Jersey Devils, and one with the Boston Bruins.
Staal, 35, played the last four seasons in Minnesota. Last season he finished with 19 goals and 28 assists in 66 games. Staal's first 12 seasons were spent with the Carolina Hurricanes. He then spent one season with the New York Rangers before his four-year run in Minnesota.
In 16 seasons and 1,240 games, Staal is expected to bring leadership to the Sabres' locker room. He ranks in the top 10 among active NHL players in career regular-season games played (seventh), goals (sixth) and points (eighth).
