Ryan Johnson reconnected with fellow Sabres prospects, learned from coaches, sat through the informational meetings and, finally, met with management at his first development camp in Buffalo since 2019.
In the end, Johnson’s weeklong trip to Buffalo in July wasn’t enough to change his mind. The 21-year-old defenseman still intends to return to the University of Minnesota for his senior season, rather than join the Sabres at training camp next month, a source told The Buffalo News on Thursday.
A first-round draft choice of the Sabres in 2019, Johnson can become a free agent next summer if he doesn’t sign an entry-level contract with Buffalo. And if Johnson opts to join another club, Sabres General Manager Kevyn Adams will recoup a second-round compensatory draft choice for losing a player who was selected 31st overall.
In Minnesota, Johnson will play a prominent role on a national title contender and can use the additional season to further develop his game on the blue line. After reaching the Frozen Four in April, the Golden Gophers are expected to add Logan Cooley, whom the Arizona Coyotes drafted third overall last month.
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“I had a great time," Johnson told reporters at development camp when asked about his junior season. “I love the team in Minnesota, and I thought we had a good run. It was just a lot of fun being around the same guys. You play a lot less games, but every day, you just try to bring your best. I just love the guys at Minnesota.”
The Sabres have known since scouting Johnson leading up to the draft that he would need ample development time in Minnesota. He was only 17 years old when former general manager Jason Botterill selected Johnson with the draft pick acquired from St. Louis in the Ryan O’Reilly trade.
Gradually, Johnson has added layers to his game, evolving into an effective playmaker from the left side of the blue line. Always defensively sound, Johnson needed time and experience to learn how to use his skating and skills to contribute offensively. He hasn’t been an elite point-producer, but the output has increased in each of his three seasons at Minnesota.
Johnson has totaled five goals and 41 points in 103 games at Minnesota. He won a gold medal as a member of Team USA at the IIHF World Junior Championship in January 2021. Last season, he helped Minnesota win the Big Ten regular-season title and advance to the NCAA Frozen Four for the first time since 2014, ranking second among all its defenseman in scoring.
While speaking to reporters at development camp last month, Johnson spoke highly of the Sabres and praised the talent that gathered in Buffalo that week. When asked if returning to school would close the door on eventually signing with the Sabres, Johnson said: “No, I love the organization. It doesn’t close the door. Yeah, just have to see what the future holds.”
Johnson didn’t detail his reasons for leaning toward returning to school but noted that the Sabres’ depth chart on defense can’t be a prominent factor because competition is inevitable in the NHL. But it became clear at the start of free agency that the club was prepared for Johnson to go back to school.
The Sabres signed defensemen Lawrence Pilut, Chase Priskie, Kale Clague and Jeremy Davies to two-way contracts, providing depth behind a talented defense corps in Buffalo that includes Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson, Henri Jokiharju, Ilya Lyubushkin, Jacob Bryson and Casey Fitzgerald.
Immigration update
An immigration delay that prevented Aleksadr Kisakov from attending Sabres development camp has been resolved and he’s clear to join the team at training camp in September, a source told The News.
Kisakov, a Russian winger, signed an entry-level contract with the Sabres this spring and is expected to play in Rochester this season. Drafted in the second round in 2021, Kisakov attended the draft in Montreal last month while awaiting word on his availability for development camp, but his work visa wasn’t approved in time.
The Sabres got Kisakov under contract following a season in which he didn’t receive much of an opportunity in the Russia-based Kontinental Hockey League. Instead, Kisakov dominated the country’s top junior league again. He totaled 64 goals and 149 points in 151 regular-season games during his two years with MHK Dynamo Moskva.
