Sabres send Okposo to Panthers for Sjalin, pick

The Buffalo Sabres traded captain Kyle Okposo to the Florida Panthers in exchange for defenseman Calle Sjalin and a conditional 2024 seventh-round selection, the teams announced Friday.

The pick will turn into a 2024 fifth-rounder if Florida wins the Stanley Cup.

Okposo has spent the last eight seasons with the Sabres and has donned the "C" since 2022. He totaled 103 goals and 245 points in 516 games in Buffalo.

The 35-year-old chipped in with 12 goals and 22 points in 61 games with the Sabres this campaign. He can become an unrestricted free agent once his one-year, $2.5-million deal expires this summer.

Okposo last appeared in the playoffs in 2016 as a member of the New York Islanders. The veteran forward has amassed 15 points in 24 postseason outings.

The New York Rangers selected Sjalin in the fifth round of the 2017 NHL Draft. He's appeared in 22 games with the AHL's Charlotte Checkers this season and put up three assists.