3 Sabres prospects who must be on the big club now that the season is all but over
Ryan Johnson didn’t need to be in Rochester long
Ryan Johnson will be a full-time member of the Sabres next season unless Kevyn Adams makes another dynamic trade for a blueliner. That likely won’t happen, given the successful (for now, at least) acquisition of Bowen Byram and the fact Mattias Samuelsson will be back in the fold come October.
While it’s true the Amerks are now vying for a potential top seed in the Calder Cup Playoffs, Johnson didn’t need to be there long to have playoff eligibility, so call him back up to the big club and let him play out the rest of the season.
Johnson’s average time on ice sits at just 13:52 this season, but he averaged nearly a block per game, logged 13 takeaways, and he moved the puck efficiently during his 41-game stint. He also helped Buffalo’s goaltenders at 5-on-5, achieving an on-ice save percentage of 92.8.
Johnson was also on the ice at 5-on-5 for 22 of the Sabres goals and just 17 against, and he also logged a Corsi in the same situation of 52.9 percent. Johnson may not have wowed with his scoring this season, but he more than showed he belonged in the NHL.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference and theAHL.com)