BUFFALO – Defenseman Ryan Johnson’s time in the Sabres organization has ended.
The Sabres on Monday traded Johnson, the 31st overall pick in 2019, to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defensemen Caleb Jones and Daniel Laatsch.
Johnson, 25, recently cleared waivers and began the season with the Rochester Americans. He played 41 games with the Sabres as a rookie in 2023-24 but only made six appearance in the NHL after that.
Jones, 29, gives the Sabres depth. The left-shot defender has compiled 14 goals, 56 points and 90 penalty minutes in 255 career NHL games.
The 6-foot-1, 189-pound Texas native began his career with the Edmonton Oilers before joining the Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings and Penguins.
Jones served a 20-game suspension last season for violating terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program.
He began this season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate. He last played in the NHL last season, making seven appearances with Pittsburgh.
The Oilers drafted him in the fourth round, 117th overall in 2015.
The 6-foot-5, 193-pound Laatsch, 24, spent most of last season, his first as a pro, in the ECHL.
The Penguins drafted the left-shot Laatsch in the seventh round in 2021, 215th overall.
After Johnson cleared waivers late last month, he said he was happy to return to Rochester. He played the first four games with the Amerks this season.
“I really like this organization, and it would’ve felt pretty early to already have a departure,” he said Sept. 26 following a preseason game with the Amerks in LECOM Harborcenter.