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

[Chainshot]

I dk if I buy his take.

He also seems to imply that no one on our current D core will change between now and 2023 opener, which is farfetched to me.

I can see a path to Johnson being in the NHL as of next camp.

 

[Ace]

I dk if I buy his take.

He also seems to imply that no one on our current D core will change between now and 2023 opener, which is farfetched to me.

Everyone is under contract for another year. Like everything else it’s a sign that points to this team not doing shit to the roster until after next year. That’s when decisions will be forced finally.

And even if there were changes to the D…it’s not going to help Johnson’s cause. It means they tried to get better…which makes his road harder. The biggest benefit they’ve laid out for him is that they punted on building the bottom half of the D and he can walk into it quickly. Maybe if he turns them down they’ll change something…but if he signs…they aren’t doing anything until they have to.

 

[Bendium]

I can see a path to Johnson being in the NHL as of next camp.

I agree. In principle I would prefer he play one full year at the AHL level on the top pair getting big minutes in all situations, and giving the coaches time to shift his game from NCAA to pro hockey. Then move up. However, with four full seasons in the NCAA at a decent level of play, I could see the Sabres bringing him straight in to the NHL and living with the adjustment time.

 

[Selanne00008]

The quotes make it seem like he will sign. They certainly don't hurt the case.
I'm hoping he signs. It would the make ROR trade look even better!

 

[Chainshot]

Everyone is under contract for another year. Like everything else it’s a sign that points to this team not doing shit to the roster until after next year. That’s when decisions will be forced finally.

And even if there were changes to the D…it’s not going to help Johnson’s cause. It means they tried to get better…which makes his road harder. The biggest benefit they’ve laid out for him is that they punted on building the bottom half of the D and he can walk into it quickly. Maybe if he turns them down they’ll change something…but if he signs…they aren’t doing anything until they have to.

The 7/8/9/10 guys are RFA (Clague, Davies) or UFA (Pilut, Priskie). They've gotten good results out of Clague in limited and sometimes sheltered roles but that is very much a spot they can look to improve. And we know they usually get to 8 or 9 on their depth chart.

 

[old kummelweck]

Solid quotes.

I'm too cheap to subscribe to TBN but these quotes do not move the needle on my confidence in him signing. That and the guy that actually interviewed him said his gut is telling him he's going elsewhere. I don't love Lance because he speculates way too much based on nothing, but in this case, he did talk to him.

I'm not sure how new Chad D's info is, or if he's any closer to direct sourcing than Lance was for this article.

 

[BritSabre]

He sent a 3rd round pick back to Vegas in the Eichel trade.

But maybe you're talking about other types of trades where he moves a 3rd for a middling role player that will get waived within a year.

I think you are referring to the Jason Botterill secondary scoring recruitment strategy.

 

[toddkaz]

Also odd to think that getting another 2nd round pick is something more valuable than the player when they already have three 2nds this coming year.

I would rather have a 5/6 defenseman than wait 3-4 years for that pick to play out. I agree odd.

Do you think Johnson will leverage his position to get onto the sabres roster this year or do is that poor sportsmanship? I remember it happening with Ruhwedel but perhaps that was a different situation?

 

[Gras]

I would rather have a 5/6 defenseman than wait 3-4 years for that pick to play out. I agree odd.

Do you think Johnson will leverage his position to get onto the sabres roster this year or do is that poor sportsmanship? I remember it happening with Ruhwedel but perhaps that was a different situation?

If his team plays in the final of the Frozen Four there would only be 4 Sabres games left for the reg season, I'm sure he could spell Bryson or Clague for at least 1 game to burn the year off the ELC.

 

[Zman5778]

I would rather have a 5/6 defenseman than wait 3-4 years for that pick to play out. I agree odd.

Do you think Johnson will leverage his position to get onto the sabres roster this year or do is that poor sportsmanship? I remember it happening with Ruhwedel but perhaps that was a different situation?

Ruhwedel was a college undrafted FA, so a bit of a different situation.

And will Johnson use his leverage? Of course he will. Don't expect him not to. Not poor sportsmanship at all to use the rules how they're written.

 

[Chainshot]

Edit

I would rather have a 5/6 defenseman than wait 3-4 years for that pick to play out. I agree odd.

Do you think Johnson will leverage his position to get onto the sabres roster this year or do is that poor sportsmanship? I remember it happening with Ruhwedel but perhaps that was a different situation?

Gras and Z both covered it. Nothing wrong with burning the year.

 

[sabremike]

Don't ever forget if Botts wasn't fired he would've continued the idiotic "development" of Tage and his career would've been destroyed. No, I'm not angry we may see this guy walk while the guy I was begging him to take scored against us a few days ago. Not at all.

 

[Chainshot]

I've hinted at this in the past and now? Now I'm going to put it in words:

If you have an opinion about this signing one way or the other, it's been expressed already. Some think he will, some think he won't. Most of this thread has been taken up with the conversation about that rather than anything about the player himself. So... any more about it prior to his season ending will be removed from the thread.

 

[BuffaloGooner]

He’s a clear upgrade on Bryson. A guy they can ACTUALLY f***ing defend.

 

[toddkaz]

Edit

Gras and Z both covered it. Nothing wrong with burning the year.

I think I was misunderstood. Will Johnson use playing on the sabres this year as a signing tactic. To say I am not going to sign unless I am with the sabres from this year. If I remember correctly Ruhwedel signed and they promised him NHL games.

Is that something that will happen with Johnson? Johnson use his leverage to say if I sign with the sabres it will be with the big club not the Amerks

 

[Zman5778]

I think I was misunderstood. Will Johnson use playing on the sabres this year as a signing tactic. To say I am not going to sign unless I am with the sabres from this year. If I remember correctly Ruhwedel signed and they promised him NHL games.

Is that something that will happen with Johnson? Johnson use his leverage to say if I sign with the sabres it will be with the big club not the Amerks

It's absolutely a tactic that Johnson could (and should) use. It gets him a year closer to his 2nd contract than if he were not to sign with us.

And yes, they did lure Ruhwedel with burning a year off of his ELC. I imagine we'll use that same tactic again with one (or more) of the upcoming college UDFA crop.

 

[Chainshot]

I think I was misunderstood. Will Johnson use playing on the sabres this year as a signing tactic. To say I am not going to sign unless I am with the sabres from this year. If I remember correctly Ruhwedel signed and they promised him NHL games.

Is that something that will happen with Johnson? Johnson use his leverage to say if I sign with the sabres it will be with the big club not the Amerks

He might. It's often something that team's do to get their players signed sooner. Ruhwedel was a UDFA who signed after his season ended and part of getting UDFA sometimes is also getting them games to tick a year off their ELC. And they might be willing to use that. They have before as a team, though not really this front office since they haven't been on the job that long.

 

[Chainshot]

Hey, he knows "the spot".

 

[Gras]

I think I was misunderstood. Will Johnson use playing on the sabres this year as a signing tactic. To say I am not going to sign unless I am with the sabres from this year. If I remember correctly Ruhwedel signed and they promised him NHL games.

Is that something that will happen with Johnson? Johnson use his leverage to say if I sign with the sabres it will be with the big club not the Amerks

I think hed be able to get some signing bonus too for the year right.

 

[Chainshot]

I think hed be able to get some signing bonus too for the year right.

Yep. That's what Power did last year too.

 

[Push Dr Tracksuit]

Also odd to think that getting another 2nd round pick is something more valuable than the player when they already have three 2nds this coming year.

i dont even want the seconds we have yet alone trading a player with years of dev for another 1

 

[The Blunder Years]

He sent a 3rd round pick back to Vegas in the Eichel trade.

But maybe you're talking about other types of trades where he moves a 3rd for a middling role player that will get waived within a year.

*Wayne Simmonds, Michael Frolik, Colin Miller, and Jimmy Vesey have entered the chat*

 

[Gabrielor]

*Wayne Simmonds, Michael Frolik, Colin Miller, and Jimmy Vesey have entered the chat*

You forgot the king.

Scotty Wilson.

 

[Push Dr Tracksuit]

I think I was misunderstood. Will Johnson use playing on the sabres this year as a signing tactic. To say I am not going to sign unless I am with the sabres from this year. If I remember correctly Ruhwedel signed and they promised him NHL games.

Is that something that will happen with Johnson? Johnson use his leverage to say if I sign with the sabres it will be with the big club not the Amerks

of course you will, you'd be a bad agent if you did anything else, the question is how hard

but I'd guess given the Sabres roster and his FA status, the sabres aren't going to fight the point that hard

 

[Dingo44]

Corey Pronman is hearing Ryan Johnson will probably sign with Buffalo.

Pronman: Top college, CHL and European free agents for NHL teams

Could any of these players become the next Andrei Kuzmenko, Ilya Mikheyev or Danny DeKeyser?

theathletic.com

I’ve heard Ryan Johnson will probably sign with Buffalo too.

Also hears that Portillo will probably NOT sign but thats nothing new.