Sabres ship Hagg to Panthers for 6th-round pick

The Florida Panthers have acquired defenseman Robert Hagg from the Buffalo Sabres for a 2022 sixth-round draft pick, the team announced Sunday.

Florida previously obtained the draft choice from the Calgary Flames.

Hagg joins a Panthers team that sits six points ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning for first in the Atlantic Division. The move bolsters Florida's blue line after the team lost Aaron Ekblad to a lower-body injury Friday night.

Hagg has averaged 17 minutes of ice time per game with the Sabres this season, leading the team in hits and blocked shots while tallying a goal and seven assists over 48 appearances. The 27-year-old was in his first season with Buffalo after beginning his NHL career with the Philadelphia Flyers.

"Robert is a tireless competitor and a physical defenseman who will add depth to our blue line," Panthers general manager Bill Zito said.

The deal marks the Panthers' second trade in as many days after they acquired Claude Giroux from the Flyers in a Saturday blockbuster.

Buffalo currently has 10 picks in the 2022 NHL Draft, including three first-round selections.

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