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

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I could see him being wary about a roster spot. I agree we are weak at D, but lets go with what we all want to happen in the summer, we sign a 4D to play with power. Then we have bush, stillman, and joki all for only 2 spots. Johnson could be worried about that.
 
Sorry for channelling my inner McD or Beane but. Don't the Bills preach competition at EVERY position? Bring in more talent, let the chips fall.

We shouldn't be granting roster spots to a NCAA player anyways. IF he were actually concerned about it or has/had doubts about playing here, then Adams should have traded him at the deadline.. That's a lot of if's and speculation though..
 
Husko said:
Ok let's not act like a first round pick that developed right on schedule walking for the last pick in the second round is fine or even good. It's a blow, no arguing otherwise.
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There’s a vast difference between something being fine and something stressing you out. I’m not letting it stress me out but I’d rather see him sign than not.
 
Husko said:
Ok let's not act like a first round pick that developed right on schedule walking for the last pick in the second round is fine or even good. It's a blow, no arguing otherwise.
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I’d somewhat question the “right on schedule” part. He was outperformed by other defenseman on his team every year. He was the third best defenseman on the team this year.
 
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Sucks to loose organizational depth but oh well. If he doesn't want to be here the hell with him.
 
My not particularly informed opinion is that he has not stood out enough that we should be overly sad at not signing someone who does not want to come to Buffalo. It is bit of a blow to my pride in Buffalo if he chooses to opt out if a contract has been offered but the team will only thrive with guys that buy into wanting to play for each other in Buffalo.
 
Willgamesh said:
Yeah it sucks, just years of wasted time.
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no more or less than any other development related reasons

it sucks that a 1st round pick is still such an unknown value

there's paper value and real value, on paper its bad value to take a late first and turn it into a late second, in the real world turning a bottom pair defenseman into an asset thats valued at about a bottom pair defenseman is pretty negligible

I guess I'd phrase it would it matter at all if the trade was VO + ryan johnson for "insert dman" or VO + a late 2nd for "insert dman"? I dont think it changes the value much, it may even be better value than Johnson on the market as a player

but to be clear I'd rather sign johnson than make a late 2nd rnd pick and id rather have a roster player than ryan johnson

but its really easy to spin losing johnson as a positive if they lose him for a better piece, if they lose him to make pick 65 or whatever... f that with a koho torpedo
 
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I want them to sign him , he can skate and can get the puck out of our own end and can bring the puck up Ice .

You don’t always need the defenseman who can score that big goal . He can help us on the back end
 
Looking at things from Johnson's perspective, there are three different ways this can play out:
1) he signs an ELC with Buffalo that starts this season, with him in the NHL getting into the last game.
2) he signs an ELC with Buffalo that starts next season, and finished the year in Rochester on an ATO.
3) he doesn't sign an ELC with Buffalo and becomes a free agent in August.

Since he has been in negotiations with Buffalo, we can probably rule out his having decided already on option 3. Also, from what we know, he wants option 1, whereas the Sabres want option 2. Let us assume for a moment that he had already decided that he is going to sign with the Sabres, regardless of whether it's an ELC that starts this year or one that starts next year. Even under such a scenario, it makes sense for him to not sign yet, provided that the Sabres are still not offering him the chance to finish out the season in the NHL. Since option 1 is the one that expires first, and it is also the one that Johnson seems to prefer, it makes little sense for him to cave in while it's still on the table. Not only does agreeing to option 2 preclude option 1, the threat of free agency is the only real leverage he has to try to burn that ELC year.

So even if he is 100% committed to becoming a Sabre, it doesn't really make sense for him to sign yet, if the team does not give him what he wants, especially as option 2 will still be available after option 1 is no longer possible. After all, there's no particularly good reason for the Sabres to refuse to sign him if he holds out as long as possible for option 1.

That's not to say that things couldn't backfire on the Sabres. It's possible that negotiations going south could make Johnson decide that he's rather take the free agent route. It's also possible that he has already decided that unless he gets that ELC starting this year that he'll test free agency.

Regardless of how things end up playing out, though, I would be very surprised to see him sign his ELC before the end of the season, unless it's an ELC that starts this season. That said, if he has not signed his ELC by the time the Amerks start their first playoff series, then I would expect him to test free agency.
 
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If we get the pick its for next years draft not this year. Yikes.

I never thought about it but it makes sense since Aug 15th he is a free agent.
 
Can't imagine what the benefit would be for KA to not burn that year if he walks instead?
of course it would be better for team control if he just signs the ATO, but losing a needed prospect over that?
If he doesn't sign today or tomorrow its probably good bye, cause his best option slipped away.
 
debaser66 said:
Can't imagine what the benefit would be for KA to not burn that year if he walks instead?
of course it would be better for team control if he just signs the ATO, but losing a needed prospect over that?
If he doesn't sign today or tomorrow its probably good bye, cause his best option slipped away.
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I wonder if he doesn't want to sign here? It would be a bit shocking since he never gave that impression. At least Portillo made it clear. We certainly getting a lot of smoke blown up our asses over this.

It will be interesting to see how the process played out if he doesn't sign.
 
dotcommunism said:
Looking at things from Johnson's perspective, there are three different ways this can play out:
1) he signs an ELC with Buffalo that starts this season, with him in the NHL getting into the last game.
2) he signs an ELC with Buffalo that starts next season, and finished the year in Rochester on an ATO.
3) he doesn't sign an ELC with Buffalo and becomes a free agent in August.

(and well-reasoned details that follow)
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Wholly agree with full post.

Moreover, since you are this boards resident CBA guru, assuming the Sabres prefer option #2, the only carrot I assume they can offer is bonus structure for the ELC, which they could perhaps low-ball on option #1 as a pseudo-stick.

So, perhaps more explicitly the options are as above, with these additions:
1) [burn a year] but get a reduced or bare-minimum bonus structure for years 2 & 3.
2) [take the ATO, don't burn a year] but with a richer / richest possible bonus structure for your 1st (3) NHL years.
3) [bonuses N/A with BUF]

I don't know that we have precedent for BUF being that strong-armed in negotiations, but I have to believe it's a possibility.
 
toddkaz said:
I wonder if he doesn't want to sign here? It would be a bit shocking since he never gave that impression. At least Portillo made it clear. We certainly getting a lot of smoke blown up our asses over this.

It will be interesting to see how the process played out if he doesn't sign.
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Perhaps he made it look like he would sign so his rights would not get traded at the deadline, if he does not sign he can pick his organization. That's why that "Sabre's might be happy with the pick" thing put out there by a few people was odd If KA got played.
 
Gabrielor said:
Adams on WGR now.

They talked.

Johnson is thinking.

Adams says real positive meetings.
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I've been positive on him signing but eesh. I think it may be a worse decision by him to walk than it will be for us to lose him, though.

Sabres have a wide open door for you and have proven they're excellent at bringing young players along that you can be a part of.
 
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MOGlLNY said:
I've been positive on him signing but eesh. I think it may be a worse decision by him to walk than it will be for us to lose him though.
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We at least get a 2nd round pick, even if it is next year.

He loses the ability to burn a year off his ELC, but gains the ability to choose where he plays.

He probably sees it as a wash, I'm assuming.
 
Johnson is likely nothing more than a depth defensman on the third pair, possibly after a year in the AHL adjusting to pro hockey. He doesn't have the size and PK ability I want in my bottom pair, so I am honestly just not that excited about him. I have to believe we can stock the cupboards with guys like him through some smart pipeline trades if we needed. If he doesn't want to sign the AHL PTO and his ELC for next year, willing to work his way and earn his spot, then hes not what we are looking for. His family involvement feels to overhanded, like Eichel or Nylander. Might be best to step back from the table and look for a better player thru other paths.
 

Johnson stuff is at 12:13:50 in that clip.

The meeting was 2 days ago (the zoom call that was talked about by various Tweets).
- Talked about where they see his game.
- He talked about where he sees his game.
- A lot of it was them wanting to know how Ryan felt - Adams said RJ still sounds "devastated" by the National Championship loss.
- Marty asked about Dreger and Adams made a joke about needing to listen to the show more but acknowledged he's (Dreger's) more than likely right about things in a jocular manner. Also named Lebrun.

(The first link I put in had that time stamp, not sure where it is now in the podcast format of it.)
 
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