Buffalo adds Thompson, Berglund, Sobotka and a 1st and 2nd draft pick from St. Louis.
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 (20, 6-foot-5, 201 lbs.) 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 9 points (3+6) 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 3 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 4 assists in 7 games. He also won bronze with the United States at the 2018 IIHF World Championship.
A 10-year NHL veteran, Berglund (30, 6-4, 219 lbs.) 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 also added 26 points (10+16) in 60 career playoff games.
Sobotka (30, 5-10, 184 lbs.) 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 9-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 6 points (2+4) in 11 games during the 2016-17 playoffs.