When the Buffalo Sabres brought in Erik Johnson, he was that over-30 defenseman Kevyn Adams was wise to sign for the upcoming season.
Any time you sign a 35-year-old veteran to your team, there will be pushback. And let’s be honest: Erik Johnson is not the player he was at one point in his career, but he’s still beyond valuable.
Something I’ve been urging lately is that the NHL, in reality, is not an EA Sports video game. Therefore, a few attributes a video game can never accurately emulate are mainly what Johnson brings to the table in Buffalo.
No, he’s not going to score for this team, and I’d be surprised if he generated even 10 points offensively. And no, he’s playing no more than 16 minutes a night on average. But he also brings more than his fair share of attributes and knowledge to the table. Let’s explore them.
How Erik Johnson helps the Buffalo Sabres
1 – Playoff Experience
The Buffalo Sabres will likely make the playoffs this season and no, I’m not trying to be bold here. This team has the talent to be one of the top eight seeds in the Eastern Conference.
The problem, however, is that they lack playoff experience as a group. And while I’m sure they’re aware playoff hockey is a different game than regular season hockey, the overall experience is something they haven’t seen live. That would be problematic without someone who’s seen the highs and lows of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Not only would Johnson be a big help when the Sabres reach the postseason, but when the playoff race heats up, he will be one of the most valuable voices in the locker room. And that’s a voice the Sabres will need.
2 – Leadership
One major reason I wanted to see Adams sign an over-30 blueliner to the team is because of their leadership ability. Sure, a player in their 20s can do the same, but Johnson is entering his 17th season in the league and he’s someone who has seen just about everything the league can throw at you.
Buffalo had this last season with guys like Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons. But the defensive rotation didn’t have a true mentor for the Sabres young talent at the position. That changes this year with Johnson joining the lineup.
3 – Preventing Goals
When your team’s on-ice save percentage sat at 93.8% at 5-on-5 and even strength, respectively, it means you’re probably doing something right. And that was the case with Johnson in Colorado last season.
While the Buffalo Sabres have a good showstopper in Mattias Samuelsson, they needed more, and Johnson will help give them that on the (presumably) bottom pairing. It may only be for one season, but at that point, Ryan Johnson and/or Nikita Novikov could be ready to take over.
Source: Inside the NHL: Erik Johnson signing is as much a culture move for Sabres as it is about the defense by Mike Harrington, BuffaloNews.com