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Prospect Info: Ryan Johnson, D, 2019 #31 overall: Signed, Rochester (AHL), Recalled 12/5/24

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Jim Bob said:
Just like Portillo, he has not signed an ELC and appears to be headed back to college for the last season prior to him becoming a UFA.

So, in the absence of an indication that he wants to sign, there is a reasonable amount of concern that he will walk.

I would not say it is 100% that Johnson walks as a UFA. But, I also think it is overly optimistic to expect him to sign with Buffalo, as well.

Fans are not privy to the conversations between Johnson, his family advisor, and the Sabres. So, we are left to guess as to what will happen.

And the Cal Petersen walking thing does make some people overreact. But, the Sabres have signed the vast majority of college draftees over the past decade or so:

2021 1st Round - Owen Power - SIGNED
2020 5th Round - Matteo Costantini - Still at North Dakota
2019 1st Round - Ryan Johnson - Still at Minnesota
2019 3rd Round - Erik Portillo - Still at Michigan
2019 4th Round - Aaron Huglen - Still at Minnesota
2018 2nd Round - Mattia Samuelsson - SIGNED
2017 1st Round - Casey Mittelstadt - SIGNED
2017 4th Round - Jacob Bryson - SIGNED
2017 1st Round - Linus Weissbach - SIGNED
2016 3rd Round - Casey Fitzgerald - SIGNED
2016 4th Round - Brett Murray - SIGNED
2015 1st Round - Jack Eichel - SIGNED
2015 4th Round - Will Borgen - SIGNED
2015 7th Round - Ivan Chukarov - Unsigned
2014 5th Round - Max Willman - Unsigned
2014 6th Round - Christopher Brown - Unsigned
2013 2nd Round - JT Compher - Traded and signed by Colorado
2013 2nd Round - Connor Hurley - Unsigned
2013 5th Round - Cal Petersen - Unsigned
2013 5th Round - Anthony Florentino - SIGNED
2013 6th Round - Sean Malone - SIGNED
2012 2nd Round - Jake McCabe - SIGNED
2012 7th Round - Judd Peterson - SIGNED

Petersen and Willman are the only players that the Sabres did not sign that have played in NHL games as of today.
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Holy shit max willlman played 41 games this past year!!!
 
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Only was able to watch him play once against Canada in the WJC. The U.S. put on a defensive clinic and he looked really impressive. It's a shame that things aren't looking good on us retaining him.
 
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joshjull said:
It’s kind of crazy there is still no official word on his decision yet. He must be really struggling with it.
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Maybe.

But It also makes me wonder if he’s waiting on a trade? Maybe he’s willing to leave school this year but not for Buffalo and the Sabres told him they’d try to trade him before next season starts.

Not saying this is the case. It’s just a thought I had.
 
WeDislikeEich said:
Maybe.

But It also makes me wonder if he’s waiting on a trade? Maybe he’s willing to leave school this year but not for Buffalo and the Sabres told him they’d try to trade him before next season starts.

Not saying this is the case. It’s just a thought I had.
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Interesting idea. Its certainly possible.

One positive is Adams seems to be in continual positive communication with both the Johnson and Portillo camps. It would help make things clear about either players intentions. So if they definitely want to move on Adams would know and could act on it.
 
We have five more pages of comments about this guy and we have absolutely no new news.

He's either going to sign with us before next year, sign with us after Minnesota's season is over, or go to free agency.
We may trade him before then.
We'll see if he shows up at Development Camp.
Unless something comes out from Adams or a legit reporter, I'd say let's give it a rest until Development Camp. Not much more to say about the situation.
 
Jacob582 said:
I think they will try to trade him at the draft.
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Do you think they could get more in a trade than the compensatory pick we’d get if he left via free agency?

Or are you thinking his rights are included as a sweetener in a bigger deal. Like Fox’s rights were in the Canes/Flames deal involving Lindholm/Hanifin for Ferland/Hamilton/Fox’s rights.


If it happens the 2nd options seems more likely. But I’m not sure what value his rights have so I couldn’t rule out the first option.
Dingo44 said:
We have five more pages of comments about this guy and we have absolutely no new news.

He's either going to sign with us before next year, sign with us after Minnesota's season is over, or go to free agency.
We may trade him before then.
We'll see if he shows up at Development Camp.
Unless something comes out from Adams or a legit reporter, I'd say let's give it a rest until Development Camp. Not much more to say about the situation.
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Its the dog days of the offseason without much to talk about. This will change not long after the Finals end.

It is what it is.


EDIT: the software update merging consecutive posts has made us all @brian_griffin now. Or at least mini-Brians. :laugh:
 
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Dingo44 said:
We have five more pages of comments about this guy and we have absolutely no new news.

He's either going to sign with us before next year, sign with us after Minnesota's season is over, or go to free agency.
We may trade him before then.
We'll see if he shows up at Development Camp.
Unless something comes out from Adams or a legit reporter, I'd say let's give it a rest until Development Camp. Not much more to say about the situation.
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Five more pages incoming!

;)
 
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Dingo44 said:
We have five more pages of comments about this guy and we have absolutely no new news.

He's either going to sign with us before next year, sign with us after Minnesota's season is over, or go to free agency.
We may trade him before then.
We'll see if he shows up at Development Camp.
Unless something comes out from Adams or a legit reporter, I'd say let's give it a rest until Development Camp. Not much more to say about the situation.
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Yeah, I keep seeing more pages being added with people making definitive statements about this guy's future and assuming something changed. Nope.
 
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joshjull said:
Do you think they could get more in a trade than the compensatory pick we’d get if he left via free agency?

Or are you thinking his rights are included as a sweetener in a bigger deal. Like Fox’s rights were in the Canes/Flames deal involving Lindholm/Hanifin for Ferland/Hamilton/Fox’s rights.
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No, we wouldn't get more than the approx. valule of the compensatory pick (a mid to low 2nd rounder) if a team trades for his rights. And a team would either only do that if they felt fairly confident he would sign.

And to your second question: even if Johnson was part of a bigger trade package, his value-inclusion in that package would still be the equivalent of a second rounder, so it wouldn't add any more or less value to a team acquiring him in a package versus trading for him standalone.

And the Sabres won't consider trading him at all unless they're pretty confident he's going to UFA.
 
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jmelm said:
No, I think you’re understanding it correctly and summed it up well.

Another idea I’ve had for a while is this one: Don’t want to rob kids of their “rights”? Don’t want to force them to play for the team that drafted them, even if said team offers them a competitive and fair contract? Ok….we’ll then how about this….

Instead of making the date in August that the kid can sign with another team and doesn’t need to miss a single game or even training camp, make them sit out until Jan. 1st.

There should be a date by which the team has to submit an offer (a fair contract/could be prescribed based on which round they were selected in), akin to a qualifying offer for an RFA. If the team doesnt submit it by that date (let’s say it’s June 1st or 15th), the player becomes a UFA and can sign with any team from July 1st just like all other UFAs.

However, if the team DOES submit the offer (aka to retain their rights), then it’s up to the kid and the team to arrive at an agreement or not.

If a kid SO badly doesn’t want to play and go to UFA, they cannot sign until January 1st (or Feb. 1st).

That way they aren’t being “forced” or they’re not “slaves” or whatever some may say. But they also face some penalty or loss — in this case missing training camp and the first few months of pay that will put them behind the 8 ball for that season, as well as impacting the team that signs them (we all know how RFAs who hold out and miss camp often have a fought start or season). That would also encourage an interested team to give up an asset for that player rather than just wait till August when they can sign them for nothing.

Established NHL players who’ve busted their ass and perhaps performed at a high level have to wait until either 27 years old or 7 years in the league in order to achieve UFA status. But a college kid who’s 22 or 23 could just choose not to sign and become a UFA without any consequences to that player or the team that signs them? I think that’s bullshit IMO.
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post of the year.
 
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jmelm said:
No, we wouldn't get more than the approx. valule of the compensatory pick (a mid to low 2nd rounder) if a team trades for his rights. And a team would either only do that if they felt fairly confident he would sign.

And to your second question: even if Johnson was part of a bigger trade package, his value-inclusion in that package would still be the equivalent of a second rounder, so it wouldn't add any more or less value to a team acquiring him in a package versus trading for him standalone.

And the Sabres won't consider trading him at all unless they're pretty confident he's going to UFA.
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Yeah I don't get the mentality of some that want to trade him because worry that we would lose him for nothing. In trade he's not worth much if any amount more than the compensatory pick we'd receive if he leaves us as a free agent. We would get compensated either way.

I hope he signs with us but there shouldn't be any rush to trade him in fear that he won't.
 
Fly Boy said:
Can I just say how ridiculous it is that this many years later people are still parroting the "f*** dem kids," line and attitude. Close the loophole, this player is our property, this isn't fair to my team, etc. These kids have rights.
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they knew what they were signing up for when attempting to play pro hockey. One of the consequences may be going to a team/area you don't prefer but ELC's guarantee you'll be compensated just the same as you deserve. What "rights" are you referring to?
 
Ehran said:
Wasn't GMKA supposed to meet with his people today? No updates or rumors slipped out from that meeting?
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Perhaps (and hopefully) in the absence of a meeting or specific updates, perhaps we can infer that because they didn't draft a Dman in the first round, maybe that means they think they're going to sign Johnson.....?

That's my wish anyway :)
 
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jmelm said:
Perhaps (and hopefully) in the absence of a meeting or specific updates, perhaps we can infer that because they didn't draft a Dman in the first round, maybe that means they think they're going to sign Johnson.....?

That's my wish anyway :)
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They've drafted 3 dman in their last 19 picks. It's their MO.
 
Ehran said:
Wasn't GMKA supposed to meet with his people today? No updates or rumors slipped out from that meeting?
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Nothing mentioned. Not like the Buffalo news hounds are up to much to get at that information, but no, nothing.

jmelm said:
Perhaps (and hopefully) in the absence of a meeting or specific updates, perhaps we can infer that because they didn't draft a Dman in the first round, maybe that means they think they're going to sign Johnson.....?

That's my wish anyway :)
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They still have a need to get defensemen into the starter end of the pipeline vs. just getting one part way through to sign. Signing him shouldn't have any bearing on who they drafted today.
 
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