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Sabres acquire Gavin Bayreuther from Hurricanes for Viktor Neuchev

Originally posted on Daily Faceoff | By Mike Gould | Last updated Jan 24, 2026 4:53 PM ET

The Buffalo Sabres have acquired defenseman Gavin Bayreuther from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for forward prospect Viktor Neuchev, the club announced Saturday afternoon.

Bayreuther, 31, has spent the entirety of the 2025-26 season to date with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, collecting four goals and 13 points in 33 games. The 6’2″ left-shot defender is under contract through the end of the season at a $775,000 NHL cap hit.

Neuchev, 22, has yet to make his NHL debut after being taken in the third round (No. 74 overall) by the Sabres in the 2022 NHL Draft. The 5’11” left wing has six goals and 16 points in 34 games with the AHL’s Rochester Americans this season and is in the final year of his entry-level contract.

The Buffalo Sabres have acquired defenseman Gavin Bayreuther from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for forward Viktor Neuchev and assigned Bayreuther to the Rochester Americans (AHL). pic.twitter.com/Y9bJVBKgmB
— Buffalo Sabres PR (@SabresPR) January 24, 2026

The Sabres are one of the hottest teams in the entire National Hockey League, having continued on their winning path with a 5-0 victory over the New York Islanders on Saturday morning, but injuries to Conor Timmins and Jacob Bryson — and the inevitability of further injuries with a compressed schedule and a possible playoff run — necessitated that they add more depth on defense.

An undrafted player, Bayreuther made his pro debut with the AHL’s Texas Stars in 2017 upon the conclusion of a successful four-year tenure at St. Lawrence University. The Canaan, New Hampshire product eventually appeared in his first 19 NHL games with the Dallas Stars in the 2018-19 season.

As an unrestricted free agent from the Stars in 2020, Bayreuther signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets, then overseen by current Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen. Bayreuther ultimately skated in 103 games over parts of three seasons in Columbus, collecting three goals and 23 points.

Neuchev is nearly a full decade younger than Bayreuther but has no NHL experience. The Chelyabinsk, Russia product has amassed 24 goals and 66 points in 130 games over three seasons with AHL Rochester, but has been unable to crack a Sabres roster already replete with young forwards.

For now, both players in the deal remain in the AHL, with Neuchev heading to Chicago and Bayreuther destined for Rochester.

This article first appeared on Daily Faceoff and was syndicated with permission.

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