ROCHESTER – Right now, Ryan Johnson, the defenseman who played 41 games for the Buffalo Sabres as a rookie last season, ranks eighth or ninth on their depth chart.
Last month, Johnson, 23, returned to Rochester, where he has quietly been gobbling up minutes alongside Jack Rathbone on the Americans’ top defense tandem.
If the Sabres lose another defenseman to injury – after beginning the season with eight, Mattias Samuelsson recently went down – the youngster could be recalled. So as he patiently waits for his next opportunity, Johnson has developed into a stronger prospect, improving his consistency and defending.
“His game has just grown so much and … he’s just knocking on the door,” said Amerks assistant coach Nathan Paetsch, who’s in charge of the defense.
Paetsch has coached him for the last two seasons in Rochester and visited him at the University of Minnesota for two years as a development coach. He knows him as well as anyone.
“It’s the best hockey I’ve ever seen him play,” Paetsch said following Tuesday’s practice in Blue Cross Arena. “I think he’s taken it like a true pro and got better. I mean, he’s been so consistent. I’ve never seen his game this consistent. He has been just outstanding.”
Paetsch said the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Johnson’s “defensive game has really taken a jump.”
“He has just been a stalwart for us defensively,” he said.
So Johnson, the 31st overall pick in 2019, and Rathbone, a free agent the Sabres signed during the offseason, are regularly awarded the difficult assignment of shutting down the opposition’s top line.
“He and Rathbone have been a true shutdown D pair, even using their athleticism and just compete,” Paetsch said.
Paetsch said their speed helps them reach pucks first. In 50-50 battles, they come in hard and often win.
“And it’s out of their zone,” he said. “They haven’t had to defend a lot, because either they’ve shut it down in the neutral zone or they’ve broken out pucks really fast out of the D-zone.”
As a first-round pick, Johnson receives more attention. But Rathbone, 25, possesses notable talent. He played 17 games for the Vancouver Canucks over his first three pro seasons after leaving Harvard following his sophomore campaign.
“He’s a really fun player to play with,” Johnson said. “I just love his game, love how explosive he is. It’s just very skilled and powerful.”
Johnson, of course, knew he would likely return to the AHL, where he started and finished last season. The Sabres, having traded for Bowen Byram last season, signed Dennis Gilbert and brought back Jacob Bryson, have a surfeit of defenders.
Kale Clague, who was also re-signed, accompanied the Sabres overseas to start the season before joining Rochester. He could be summoned ahead of Johnson.
“It’s going to be another challenge, for sure,” Johnson said in September of the defense depth. “It’s going to be another hard situation where there’s a lot of guys, amazing players ahead of me right now in the lineup, so I guess how can I make the most of each day?”
Paetsch believes Johnson has seized his opportunity with the Amerks and morphed into one of their “go-to guys.”
The only thing that might be missing from Johnson’s game is a goal. In 84 total pro appearances between Buffalo and Rochester, he hasn’t scored yet.
Johnson, who has registered 20 assists, including three in 16 outings this season, believes he can add more offense to his game.
“It’s definitely inside of me,” he said.
Paetsch said Johnson has put himself in perfect spots to score that elusive goal.
“It’s got to come,” he said. “I might jump on the ice and celebrate, because he deserves it. He’s had so many scoring chances every game, and one of those is just bound to go in. It’s inevitable.”
Love to see the kid get his chance up here in Buffalo. Who cares if he scores goals. He is doing his job