Sabres re-sign Ryan Johnson to three-year contract

Johnson has been a member of the Sabres organization since the team took him in the first round, 31st overall, of the 2019 NHL Draft. After finishing up a fruitful college career at the University of Minnesota, the Irvine, California native made his NHL debut in November of the 2023-24 season.

He ended up playing 41 games with the Sabres that season, registering seven assists with a plus/minus of +3, while averaging close to 14 minutes of ice time. Johnson spent a good chunk of time with Buffalo’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Rochester Americans, posting nine assists in 27 games.

The 23-year-old played the majority of the 2024-25 season with the Americans, scoring two goals and 11 assists for 13 points in 66 games, posting a +13 rating. He also notched an assist in eight games during the Calder Cup Playoffs. Johnson played just three games for the Sabres, last seeing his name in an NHL lineup on Dec. 14.

In 44 career games with the Sabres, Johnson has notched seven assists and a career rating of +1. In 93 appearances in the AHL, he has scored two goals and 20 assists for 22 points, including two assists in 13 postseason games.

According to PuckPedia, the Sabres are projected to have over $22.8 million in projected cap space for the 2025-26 campaign. The team has yet to sign notable restricted free agents Ryan McLeod, Devon Levi and Bowen Byram. Though there are rumors that Buffalo is open to trading Byram.