Anaheim Ducks trade defenseman Brandon Montour to Buffalo Sabres

Feb. 24 (UPI) -- The Buffalo Sabres traded for Anaheim Ducks defenseman Brandon Montour, the team announced Sunday night.

Anaheim acquired defenseman Brendan Guhle and a first-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft in exchange for Montour.

The first-round selection the Ducks receive in the deal will come from either the San Jose Sharks or St. Louis Blues, which are both owned by Buffalo, based on the final draft order.

"Brandon is a young, offensive-minded defenseman who can play the up-tempo style we are looking to play," Sabres general manager Jason Botterill said. "He's a right-shot defenseman that brings additional playoff experience to our club."

The Ducks selected Montour in the second round of the 2014 NHL Draft. He led Anaheim defensemen with 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) in 62 games with the Ducks this season.

Montour has 63 points (16 goals, 47 assists) in 169 career regular-season contests and eight assists in 21 postseason games. He can become an unrestricted free agent after the 2019-20 season.

Guhle has five assists in 23 games with the Sabres and 27 points (five goals, 22 assists) in 50 games with the club's AHL affiliate, Rochester.

Buffalo trails the Carolina Hurricanes by six points for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Ducks are eight points behind the Colorado Avalanche for the final wild-card position in the Western Conference.