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

[oldgoalie]

Which would make him an ideal fit on the Sabres since we need defensemen who actually play defense and not make brain-dead aggressive pinches all the time. (please note that the previous statement is a half-joke)

can he cover the back door pass? then sign his ass.

 

[Bendium]

Which would make him an ideal fit on the Sabres since we need defensemen who actually play defense and not make brain-dead aggressive pinches all the time. (please note that the previous statement is a half-joke)

Don't get me wrong. I am not against signing him, but from what I saw I am not so fast to be gifting him NHL time and burning a year. Do I do it anyways to get the asset into our dry witches womb of a defensive pipeline? Probably, but I spend a few days trying to play hardball and get a Rochester tryout first. Its by far best for the Sabres. Doubt Johnson does it though.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

Stop seeing it all as negativity. There are a ton of things going well with the Sabres. There are also alot of things NOT going well. Thats why they are not yet a playoff team, and haven't been for 12 years. A good portion of what you call negativity is coming from the people that love the Sabres the most! The most diehard fans, that want a CUP someday. To get there, you can't just focus on the good and ignore the bad. You have to identify what is holding you back and make changes to improve. People are just identifying issues and problems holding our team back, and care enough to try to suggest changes to improve.

It is crazy how much our society has demonized critical thinking. People think your a mean hateful bastard if you say anything negative about someone. So we tell people they are doing a good job when they are not. Tell them its OK when its not. We cater to the lowest common denominator so no ones feelings get hurt. Well..... in the words of Leigh Guest - "F*ck your feelings! Look it up on youtube. Awesome song. NOT DIRECTED AT ANY PARTICULAR POSTER. JUST FOR FUN!

Yeah, no none of this is at all rooted in what people are reading here.

This isn’t the case of critical thinking being taken poorly or out of context. It’s years of browbeating against -whatever- has been done recently.

Go back and read the early takes from Johnson’s draft. At that point it was overwhelming negativity from some people about how could buffalo waste a 1st on yet another defensemen.

f*** the feelings of people who can’t be bothered to use enough critical thinking to at least be logically consistent.

 

[Zman5778]

LaCombe signs his ELC with the Ducks.

It's time, Ryan.

 

[debaser66]

But that's his game. He's not the flashy guy who's going to get the attention. He's a defensive defenseman, which means when you don't hear his name that's a good thing. It means he's not messing up defensively.

that means if I don't hear from Joker anymore, he is either gone or good.
win-win ;-)

 

[Chainshot]

My wife and I discussed this after the title game, where we were not impressed by what we saw. I wonder if the Sabres want him to sign a AHL tryout and play with the Amerks to see what he can do in a pro environment, and then sign the ECL after the playoffs if he shows he has a pro game. If Johnson wants to be here and believes in himself then he does it. If not, then he goes to UFA and the Sabres get the pick.

Johnson understandably would want to sign the ECL and burn a year this week. Stalemate.

It'll be interesting to see where they slot him for signing purposes. One thing with the Amerks is that they already have a slew of smaller PMD's in Pilut, Davies, Prow (RD) and the recently signed Jandric and I don't know if they would think he displaces either of Pilut or Davies as they push for a playoff spot. (Jandric is depth at the moment and is playing because Pilut has some sort of flu bug that is hitting the Amerks at the moment.) They may not be of a mind strongly one way or the other heading toward the AHL playoffs since he doesn't offer them the dynamic transition/PP play of the three listed guys.

It's also sometimes harder to get a read on a single player on the basis of a single viewing.

 

[debaser66]

This all day.

I get that people are down on Joker. The organization likely is not as down on him as the fanbase. It's possible Dahlin, Power and Joker all get long-term extensions in the next 14 months and we have our top 4 locked in for the next 6-7 years, with a current avg age of 22 years 7 months. Our D prospect pool may be thin, but it doesn't need to be deep.

I hope they don't. he is the biggest liability, because he is just not talented enough for top4; in bottom pairing I rather have solid, physical types. give him a fresh start somewhere else.

 

[Zman5778]

I hope they don't. he is the biggest liability, because he is just not talented enough for top4; in bottom pairing I rather have solid, physical types. give him a fresh start somewhere else.

Joker is, without question, physically talented enough to be a top-4 defenseman. His issue is his brain/IQ/etc. When he engages his brain, he's an absolute legit minute-munching top 4 guy. We've seen it.

But too often his brain just shuts down and yeah.........

 

[debaser66]

if he doesn't sign, he definitely doesn't want to be here. he wont get a better opportunity to play right away anywhere else. if he favors a team/location he really must want it cause its gonna cost him in $ and probably how quickly he can play in the NHL.

 

[debaser66]

Joker is, without question, physically talented enough to be a top-4 defenseman. His issue is his brain/IQ/etc. When he engages his brain, he's an absolute legit minute-munching top 4 guy. We've seen it.

But too often his brain just shuts down and yeah.........

I think you misread my post; I meant if he got relegated to the bottom pair I rather have physically imposing types on the bottom pair; I didn't mention anywhere that he cant handle physicality.

 

[CaliSabresfan24]

Paul who keeps saying "Take the 2nd round pick" over signing Johnson all over WGR is the most annoying thing to listen too

 

[old kummelweck]

Paul who keeps saying "Take the 2nd round pick" over signing Johnson all over WGR is the most annoying thing to listen too

I'm shocked that PH is the most annoying thing you hear on WGR.

 

[RefsIdeas]

Paul who keeps saying "Take the 2nd round pick" over signing Johnson all over WGR is the most annoying thing to listen too

Only scenario I can think of where that makes sense, is if you believe you already have a trade ironed out for a better defenseman than Johnson that you’ll use that 2nd on. Otherwise a bottom of the 2nd round draft pick has roughly a 25% chance of being an NHL player. Which I do think Johnson will be, even if it’s Ruhwedel (to steal an example from another poster).

 

[old kummelweck]

Joker is, without question, physically talented enough to be a top-4 defenseman. His issue is his brain/IQ/etc. When he engages his brain, he's an absolute legit minute-munching top 4 guy. We've seen it.

But too often his brain just shuts down and yeah.........

Maybe not the right thread for this, but Joker is still wearing the tinted visor that he started using when he came back from his concussion. I am curious whether he still has mild symptoms like light sensitivity, or say, processing things ever-so-slightly slower than pre-concussion.

 

[CaliSabresfan24]

I'm shocked that PH is the most annoying thing you hear on WGR.

He's definitely not the only annoying person. There isn't much I do enjoy on WRG now that I think about it...

 

[TehDoak]

I'm shocked that PH is the most annoying thing you hear on WGR.

I've never lived in the WNY area (grew up in the Southern Tier/CNY), so I rarely listen to WGR. So, my observation of P-Ham is almost entirely based on his online presence. He's almost like a glorified intern. His reports are essentially lineup and injury updates, his questions in pressers rarely elicit any good responses from the players, and his observations in opinion pieces/twitter are from a very elementary and un-nuanced understanding of the game.

 

[toddkaz]

Is Pysyk a good comparison to Johnson? If not who does he compare to?

 

[RefsIdeas]

Is Pysyk a good comparison to Johnson? If not who does he compare to?

As far as play-style goes I would think it's a fairly close comparison. I have doubts whether or not Johnson would even reach Pysyk-levels but it might a realistic ceiling for him.

 

[Zman5778]

Is Pysyk a good comparison to Johnson? If not who does he compare to?

As far as play-style goes I would think it's a fairly close comparison. I have doubts whether or not Johnson would even reach Pysyk-levels but it might a realistic ceiling for him.

If you go back to page 1 of this thread, when Johnson was drafted I immediately made the stylistic comparison to Pysyk. Smooth-skating, defense-first, solid-positionally, limited-offensively-even-though-he-shouldn't-be.

Personally, I see Pysyk as Johnson's realistic floor while his ceiling is like Gryzelck from Boston.

 

[hizzoner]

If you go back to page 1 of this thread, when Johnson was drafted I immediately made the stylistic comparison to Pysyk. Smooth-skating, defense-first, solid-positionally, limited-offensively-even-though-he-shouldn't-be.

Personally, I see Pysyk as Johnson's realistic floor while his ceiling is like Gryzelck from Boston.

Well I would be on him like white on rice then. I always thought Pysyk was undervalued and not properly used.

 

[Chainshot]

Paul who keeps saying "Take the 2nd round pick" over signing Johnson all over WGR is the most annoying thing to listen too

Maybe Johnson reminds him too much of his one true love - Brendan Guhle.

 

[Zman5778]

Maybe Johnson reminds him too much of his one true love - Brendan Guhle.

I had forgotten Guhle retired until I just did a Google search for him.

 

[Husko]

Paul is the most annoying thing to listen too

Fixed it for you.


The biggest problem with the second round pick narrative is that so many people don't have a proper understanding of what the last pick in the second round is. This isn't the NFL where that pick is likely a starter within a year. That pick has maybe a 33% chance of being a real NHL player. To trade a ready-made capable prospect for nothing more than a dart throw would be ludicrous.

 

[Gras]

Is Pysyk a good comparison to Johnson? If not who does he compare to?

How good is Johnson at playing RW?

 

[old kummelweck]

I've never lived in the WNY area (grew up in the Southern Tier/CNY), so I rarely listen to WGR. So, my observation of P-Ham is almost entirely based on his online presence. He's almost like a glorified intern. His reports are essentially lineup and injury updates, his questions in pressers rarely elicit any good responses from the players, and his observations in opinion pieces/twitter are from a very elementary and un-nuanced understanding of the game.

WGR is either cheap or loyal or both.