Sabres acquire forward trio, two draft picks from Blues
The Buffalo Sabres on Sunday night announced the team acquired forwards Tage Thompson, Patrik Berglund and Vladimir Sobotka, as well as a first-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for forward Ryan O'Reilly.
Thompson (age 20, 6'5", 201 pounds) was St. Louis' first-round pick (26th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut for the Blues in 2017-18, recording nine points (3 goals, 6 assists) in 41 games. In 46 career AHL games for the Chicago Wolves and San Antonio Rampage, the forward has recorded 20 points (9/11) and added three points (2/1) in 10 AHL playoff contests.
Internationally, Thompson captured a gold medal with Team USA at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship, where he scored a goal and added four assists in seven games. He also won bronze with the United States at the 2018 IIHF World Championship.
A 10-year NHL veteran, Berglund (age 30, 6'4", 219 pounds) has recorded 322 points (168/154) in 694 NHL games, all with the Blues. The Västerås, Sweden, native has amassed 10 or more goals in each of his 10 seasons and has reached the 20-goal mark three times. During his career, Berglund has also added 26 points (10/16) in 60 career playoff games.
Sobotka (age 21, 5'10", 184 pounds) joins the Sabres after recording a career-high 11 goals last season, after finishing his campaign with 31 points (11/20) in 81 games. The nine-year NHL veteran has tallied 155 points (47/108) in 463 career regular-season games. He also has 18 points (5/13) in 51 career playoff contests, including a playoff career-high six points (2/4) in 11 games during the 2016-17 playoffs.
