The Buffalo Sabres, parent club of the AHL’s Rochester Americans, have announced that they have acquired center Cody Hodgson and defenseman Alexander Sulzer from the Vancouver Canucks, parent club of the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, in exchange for forward Zack Kassian and defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani.
Kassian, 21, has 15 goals and 11 assists for 26 points in 30 AHL games with Rochester this season, as well as three goals and four assists in 27 NHL games with Buffalo.
Kassian, who represented the Americans at the 2012 AHL All-Star Classic last month, was a first-round pick (13th overall) by Buffalo in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
Gragnani, the Eddie Shore Award winner as the AHL’s outstanding defenseman in 2010-11, recorded 60 points (12g, 48a) and a plus-22 rating in 63 games with Portland last season. He had tallied a goal and 11 assists for 12 points in 44 games with Buffalo this season. He
Hodgson, 22, had 33 points (16g, 17a) in 63 games for Vancouver this season. He made his professional debut with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose during the 2009 postseason, helping the club to the Calder Cup Finals.
Sulzer, who spent three seasons in the AHL with Milwaukee (2007-10), had one assist in 12 games with the Canucks this season.
