BUFFALO – Right now, the Sabres possess so much notable depth that a strong argument can be made for keeping every bubble player left in training camp.
On Tuesday, the Buffalo Sabres announced the team has re-signed defenseman Ryan Johnson to a three-year contract. The deal is a two-way contract for next season, and a one-way for the remaining two years.
Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic: Bluntly, Brad Marchand and the Boston Bruins face an uncertain future. At least one executive believes “all bets are off” when it comes to the winger.
NHL head coaches have to hire good assistants. They have to set an overarching philosophy, juggle lineup configurations, and do the kind of “man management” that is impossible to track statistically.
BUFFALO – Instead of easing Ryan Johnson into the lineup, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff tossed the defenseman headfirst into the fray, skating him nearly 21 minutes in his NHL season debut.
Right now, Ryan Johnson, the defenseman who played 41 games for the Buffalo Sabres as a rookie last season, ranks eighth or ninth on their depth chart.
When Rasmus Dahlin was injured on the first day of training camp, the Buffalo Sabres promoted Ryan Johnson to the NHL group in practice. The second-year defenseman getting the first call was telling, as other candidates with NHL experience could’ve been promoted instead.
The Buffalo Sabres stuck with the same structure at training camp Thursday, rolling out the presumed NHL roster in the first skate of the morning. Rasmus Dahlin was absent from the group, which saw a new face join in his place on the backend.
The Buffalo Sabres have been stockpiling draft picks and high-end prospects for the better part of 15 years as they have been through multiple rebuilds and a 13-year playoff drought.
Since the 2024 trade deadline, the Buffalo Sabres have done a lot to improve their defense, including trading for Bowen Byram and adding Dennis Gilbert as depth.
The NHL debut season from Ryan Johnson slots him in at number 20 in the Sabres Grades countdown. The rookie defenseman took less than a month to earn his first NHL promotion and immediately showed the calm and poise necessary to carve out a spot in the blueline rotation.
BUFFALO – A confident Ryan Johnson recently returned to the Rochester Americans following an unexpected 41-game stay with the Sabres. As a first-round pick who played four seasons of college hockey at Minnesota, it’s hardly surprising that Johnson, 22, cracked the NHL as a rookie.
BUFFALO – Ryan Johnson figured his first trip to the NHL would be brief. Having lost defenseman Mattias Samuelsson to injury, the Sabres summoned the rookie on Nov.