There had been some question as to whether Ryan Johnson would sign with Buffalo or test free agency later this summer. In the end, he opted to stay with the team that drafted him as the team announced that they’ve signed the defenseman to a two-year, entry-level contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The 21-year-old was a first-round pick by Buffalo back in 2019 (31st overall) out of Sioux Falls of the USHL. Johnson then went to college at the University of Minnesota but didn’t exactly light it up, scoring just twice in his first two seasons. However, he showed considerable improvement in his junior year and carried that over to 2022-23 where he picked up 18 points in 40 games for the Golden Gophers.
Had Buffalo not signed Johnson or if he decided that he wanted to test free agency, the Sabres would have received a compensatory second-round selection. Instead, they’ll get an opportunity to add another young defender to their system, joining Nikita Novikov and Vsevolod Komarov who both signed recently as well.
While Johnson hasn’t played since the end of his college campaign, he has been assigned to AHL Rochester with the Americans still playing in the playoffs. Given how long he has been out, it would be surprising to see him suit up right away but if the Amerks move on to the Calder Cup Final, Johnson might get a chance to make his pro debut this season.
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