3 contenders who must talk to the Sabres about Erik Johnson

Johnson may rediscover his game with the New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils are currently the sixth-youngest team in hockey and one that needs to make up ground in the Eastern Conference to snag back-to-back playoff berths. That said, they are a perfect team for Johnson to come in and help captains Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, and Ondrej Palat take charge of the team’s current situation, which sees them a few points outside of a wild card. 

Johnson would also add yet another layer of physicality to the Devils and perhaps he would even revert into the player he was during his last season with the Colorado Avalanche if he joined such a high-scoring team. 

During his final year with the Avs, Johnson was helping steer the puck out of the defensive zone at even strength and 5-on-5, something we haven’t seen much of in Buffalo. Given the inconsistent goaltending in New Jersey amidst their high-octane offense, Newark could be a perfect fit for the veteran. 

Devils fans would love to see their team land a big name that can stick around for a while, like Noah Hanifin, but Hanifin would also demand a significant increase in salary when a team looks to re-sign him, so that could be off the table thanks to Jersey’s current cap space. Therefore, Johnson makes for an incredible stopgap as far as the remainder of this season goes.