The Buffalo Sabres announced Thursday afternoon that they have acquired defenseman Henri Jokiharju from the Chicago Blackhawks, in exchange for forward Alexander Nylander.
The Buffalo Sabres today announced the team has acquired defenseman Henri Jokiharju (joh-kee-HARH-yoo) from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for forward Alexander Nylander. https://t.co/rkHedukPOQ
— Sabres PR (@SabresPR) July 9, 2019
Jokiharju, 20 years old, was drafted in the first round (29th overall) of the 2017 NHL Entry Level Draft.
Jokiharju split last season between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League.
With Chicago, Jokiharju tallied 12 points (zero goals, 12 assists) in 38 games.
With Rockford, Jokiharju tallied 17 points (two goals, 15 assists) in 30 games.
During the season, Jokiharju also was loaned to the Finnish National Team for the 2019 World Junior Championships. In seven games with Finland, he tallied five points (two goals, three assists) and helped lead Finland to a gold medal.
In the press release from the Buffalo Sabres, Jason Botterill raved about Jokiharju’s ability.
“Henri is a young, mobile defenseman who has shown he can compete at the NHL level. His international success last season only furthered his development and we are excited to add him to our current group of defensemen.”