Sabres Need to Decide What to Do With Ryan Johnson

The Buffalo Sabres have gone through a lot of prospects over recent years. Some of them graduated to the NHL for being fairly good at what they do, while others were moved to new teams since they either grew out of the Sabres system or there was no longer room for them. One prospect in particular stands out among the rest of the group, as his advanced age and limited NHL experience have put him in a unique position, but the Sabres have still kept him around. That player is defenseman Ryan Johnson.

What Does Johnson Bring To The Table?

Johnson is a defense-first kind of defender that really thrives on zone play and making sound decisions in his own end. While he may not be a huge physical presence by any means, standing at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, he is a positionally sound player who excels at breakout passes, shutting down rushes, and making smart plays. His gameplay is not flashy or offensive by any real means, but he plays his role very well.

Johnson is not going to “wow” anyone with his scoresheet numbers. As a matter of fact, in his 47 total NHL games, he has a mere seven points, all of which are assists, and in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Rochester Americans, he has seven goals and 41 points in 149 games. He skates like he is moving on butter, and with how well he handles the puck, he has the capability of being a third-pair NHL defender. The only issue right now is that there isn’t any room for him on the Sabres.

Sabres Are Out of Room for Johnson

As things currently sit, the Sabres have a solid blue line at the NHL level that includes Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson, Louis Crevier, Olen Zellweger, and Conor Timmins, with Zach Metsa and Dennis Gilbert on standby as the seventh and eighth options. After them, the depth chart would have either one of their top defensive prospects in Radim Mrtka as one of the first call-ups or Johnson. As he sits somewhere in the 9th or 10th spot on the defensive depth chart currently, he would be waiting for a pretty significant injury or issue on the Sabres blue line before he finally got another real NHL shot.

Johnson is a 25-year-old defensive prospect, and while his path was delayed by his commitment to his college career, he still showed multiple times that he is ready to play in the NHL. Just because he does not have a real spot on the Sabres does not mean that he could not have one somewhere else. He has the tools, and he has enough pro experience. If the Sabres aren’t going to use him, they need to explore other options.

What Should They Do With Johnson?

The Sabres ultimately need to choose if they are going to have Johnson as a long-term depth option, and if he is willing to be that for them or if they can get some value for him elsewhere. He is a first-round pick from the 2019 Draft, and with how he has shown he can play in the past, some team is bound to have space for him to play. Realistically, trading him will not net them a massive or even significant return, but for the sake of the player and his career, it may be the best option.

Johnson has been nothing but professional and even-tempered since his arrival in Buffalo. A class-act player who has been patient and made the most of his limited opportunities; he is a model for what it means to be a loyal prospect. He deserves the respect from this organization of doing what is best for his career. Either play him or trade him. He has earned it.