Last October, the start of Henri Jokiharju’s NHL career couldn’t have gone better.

The Blackhawks defenseman looked comfortable playing nearly 20 minutes each of his first two games and picked up a couple of assists for good measure, but most striking was the high praise he earned from a coach not known for throwing around compliments.

“All aspects of his game — his gap, his presence in the puck area, his decision-making offensively and defensively, supporting the attack,” then-Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. “Looked like he has played the game for a long, long time at this level.”

Jokiharju, the No. 29 pick in the 2017 draft, may end up having a long NHL career, but it won’t continue with the Hawks, who unclogged their crowded group of defensive prospects Tuesday when they dealt their former first-round pick to the Sabres for forward Alex Nylander, the No. 8 pick in the 2016 draft.

Nylander, 21, has three goals and three assists in 19 NHL games, including a pair of goals and two assists in 12 games last season. In 165 games with Rochester, the Sabres’ AHL affiliate, Nylander had 86 points (30 goals, 56 assists).

Not long after Quenneville was replaced by Jeremy Colliton, Jokiharju was a healthy scratch for the first time all season and in mid-December was loaned to Team Finland for the World Juniors. After helping Finland to a gold medal, Jokiharju briefly rejoined the Hawks before getting sent to Rockford before the All-Star break.

He played one more game with the Hawks the rest of the season and finished with no goals and 12 assists.