Penguins Reassign Ryan Johnson

According to a team announcement, the Pittsburgh Penguins have reassigned defenseman Ryan Johnson to the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The roster move opens the door for Pittsburgh to return Samuel Girard and Trevor van Riemsdyk to the lineup tomorrow against the Utah Mammoth.

The Penguins recently acquired Johnson from the Buffalo Sabres on October 12th. That’s the same day Pittsburgh placed van Riemsdyk on the injured reserve with a lower-body injury. Girard was injured in Pittsburgh’s recent contest against the Vegas Golden Knights, though it was never considered overly serious.

Despite being on the Penguins’ roster since they acquired him, Johnson served only as an extra defenseman if needed. The former first-round pick will continue the 2026-27 season having only played in the AHL. He went scoreless in four games with the AHL’s Rochester Americans to begin the campaign.

Once considered a quality defensive prospect for the Sabres, Johnson’s career hasn’t played out as hoped. Since turning pro in the 2023-24 campaign, Johnson has scored seven goals and 41 points in 153 AHL contests with a +8 rating. In the NHL, Johnson has registered seven assists in 47 games, averaging 13:48 of ice time per game.

Regardless of Johnson’s demotion, the Penguins will essentially return to a fully healthy defensive corps tomorrow evening. Veteran Ryan Graves is expected to return from his lower-body injury within the next week, though Pittsburgh isn’t expected to keep him on the roster long. Even at a $4.5MM salary, Graves’ contract is bloated for what he offers, and he’ll easily pass through waivers, as he did last season.