Sabres Sign Defenseman Erik Johnson to One Year 3.25 Million Dollar Contract

[Brawndo]

 

[LGR4GM]

9 minutes ago, Curt said:

I’m not entirely sure how Johnson will fit into the D group.

He seems kinda washed, but maybe he will be ok on the 3rd pair.  Maybe they can strategically rest him and rotate the bottom pair a bit.  It’s good to have depth in the group.

Apart from his actual play, I love bringing in a guy who brings tons of playoff experience.  He joined Colorado as a 23 year old when they were not very good.  He went through lots of ups and down with a young team as they grew up over the years, culminating in a Stanley Cup win.  Johnson’s whole career has basically been Colorado’s journey to becoming Stanley Cup Champions.  I would imagine that through the type of career he has had, he’s learned a lot of lessons that directly apply to the current position that the Buffalo Sabres are in.  I feel like that might be almost as valuable as anything he will actually do on the ice.

Its a 1 year deal, so the salary just doesn’t matter.

He's here to be the Okposo of the defense. We needed some vet experience and we got it. Now Buffalo has options and Johnson can always chill in the press box when he's feeling tired. 

[Randall Flagg]

34 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Well we aren't a good team yet.  Especially on the blueline.   If he is better than Clague/Bryson/Stillman then we improved the group.   We don't have to rush Ryan Johnson into the lineup either.  

He is big and tough and he has a veteran presence that we could use back there. He deserves more respect than some of you guys are giving.  I hope he is not washed up and I actually trust Kevyn Adams to know this more about this than the experts on Sabresspace such as me and you.  

We are a good team when we choose to be lol. 

As for that last part, that's a good way to never have an interesting discussion about anything. My track record on this stuff has spent a decade being significantly more accurate than that of Sabres front offices. That's not to say I'm better or smarter than them. But credentialism worship is as stupid here as anywhere else. 

[Randall Flagg]

28 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

He's here to be the Okposo of the defense. We needed some vet experience and we got it. Now Buffalo has options and Johnson can always chill in the press box when he's feeling tired. 

Okposo was a good hockey player in 22-23, which cannot be said of Johnson. 

Johnson could fit in well here, and I'm not sweating it because of the Clifton acquisition and goalie trade (no news, just willing into existence)

But I won't also pretend that I didn't see this guy look like a complete sieve on a better team than we are, depth isn't inherently good because the warm body exists 

[Buffalonill]

1 minute ago, Randall Flagg said:

Okposo was a good hockey player in 22-23, which cannot be said of Johnson. 

Johnson could fit in well here, and I'm not sweating it because of the Clifton acquisition and goalie trade (no news, just willing into existence)

But I won't also pretend that I didn't see this guy look like a complete sieve on a better team than we are, depth isn't inherently good because the warm body exists 

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

We did overpay in terms of $ of Johnson’s service given what other older vets are getting paid. Not that it makes a difference given our cap space, but it raises the question of when we stop paying the bad team tax.

[Pimlach]

2 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

We are a good team when we choose to be lol. 

As for that last part, that's a good way to never have an interesting discussion about anything. My track record on this stuff has spent a decade being significantly more accurate than that of Sabres front offices. That's not to say I'm better or smarter than them. But credentialism worship is as stupid here as anywhere else. 

Really.  I bet you keep track of the times your wrong too huh? 

Adams is turning this thing around.  He is slow and deliberate, not every move will be perfect,  but he has them trending in the right direction.  I don't say that because I worship him or his credentials, I say it because is the proof can be seen and measured.  

[Randall Flagg]

10 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Really.  I bet you keep track of the times your wrong too huh? 

Adams is turning this thing around.  He is slow and deliberate, not every move will be perfect,  but he has them trending in the right direction.  I don't say that because I worship him or his credentials, I say it because is the proof can be seen and measured.  

Yes, I laugh at myself for the stuff I get wrong here. I reference my takes on Tage and Josh Allen regularly, for example 

It wasn't a high bar to be dissatisfied with Sabres offseasons from 2015-present, people who felt that way each year were more correct than the front office on what the results would be. In preseason predictions threads I know I had a string of being within like 3 points of the final outcome several years in a row, just based on roster analysis, while everyone else was predicting 95 point wild card births and calling me miserable

 

You didn't say anything about Adams I disagree with lol, but I'm not going to ignore what I saw from Erik Johnson because of that. The credentialism thing was about the "really, YOU think YOU'RE smarter than the EXPERTS????" 

Edited July 1, 2023 by Randall Flagg

[matter2003]

2 hours ago, sabresparaavida said:

I don’t dislike it, but I hope there is another add. 

Like Clifton?

[Happy Days]

Great signing. Former 1st overall pick, long time veteran presence for Dahlin, Power and the rest of the D core. Probably a bottom pairing d or a 7th d who could fill in for a pinch in case of an injury at this point of his career. 

[matter2003]

14 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

We did overpay in terms of $ of Johnson’s service given what other older vets are getting paid. Not that it makes a difference given our cap space, but it raises the question of when we stop paying the bad team tax.

I mean, considering Adams has locked up our stars for pennies on the dollar in comparison to what other teams are paying theirs, I think we can afford an extra 800K or whatever on this deal. 

[Randall Flagg]

Just now, Happy Days said:

Great signing. Former 1st overall pick, long time veteran presence for Dahlin, Power and the rest of the D core. Probably a bottom pairing d or a 7th d who could fill in for a pinch in case of an injury at this point of his career. 

This bit of information really isn't worth the caloric expenditure required to type it

He is generally laughed at as one of the worst first overall picks in living memory

[bob_sauve28]

1 minute ago, Randall Flagg said:

This bit of information really isn't worth the caloric expenditure required to type it

He is generally laughed at as one of the worst first overall picks in living memory

What, like you hear laughing in another room and go in to see what all the merriment is about and are told, "Johnson was the first pick in the draft! Ha ha" And you join in? 

 

Sorry, just being goofy

[kas23]

19 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

We did overpay in terms of $ of Johnson’s service given what other older vets are getting paid. Not that it makes a difference given our cap space, but it raises the question of when we stop paying the bad team tax.

We’re paying a bad team tax during FA, but we are keeping our own at significant discounts. I think the bad team tax will end after this coming season. 

[Randall Flagg]

I'm gonna back off on him from this point forward anyway, He's accomplished a lot and will be a good guy for the kids to talk to, and Donny tends to make players their best selves. He's a Sabre so he's my guy 

[JohnC]

3 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

That would be ideal.

Don't count on it. Granato is more enamored with the player and his upside than the audience here. This audience previously scorned Mitts. That perception has changed. The same alteration in perception will change for Joki. I'm confident that with a little more patience your current dim view will become brighter. 

[DarthEbriate]

This is fine. Would I rather have had a Schenn? Sure. But not necessarily for 3 years.

This pickup is about mentoring and off-ice preparation, preparing the d-corps for playoffs, etc. This is about Johnson's work with Colorado's young studs (Makar, Girard, Graves, Byram) the last few seasons.

On ice, early in the season, sure, he might be paired with Power a bit. But unless you move Joker (which I don't think you need to do, because defensive depth is critical for playoff teams) by midseason he'll be on the 7/8 pairing named Johnson & Johnson. That's what the overpay is for -- transitioning Johnson from a leadership piece to next season when he's signing somewhere on the $800k Giordano-style deal.

[GASabresIUFAN]

4 minutes ago, JohnC said:

Don't count on it. Granato is more enamored with the player and his upside than the audience here. This audience previously scorned Mitts. That perception has changed. The same alteration in perception will change for Joki. I'm confident that with a little more patience your current dim view will become brighter. 

What are you talking about?  We were discussing Johnson being 3rd pairing depth and KA getting a top 4 D, which he did minutes later when he signed Clifton.

Moving on from Joki is a logical suggestion to remove the now logjam on D as he has the most trade value.  Waiving Bryson also is a distinct possibility.  We aren’t going to carry 3 goalies and  9 D.

[JohnC]

24 minutes ago, kas23 said:

We’re paying a bad team tax during FA, but we are keeping our own at significant discounts. I think the bad team tax will end after this coming season. 

I understand your view but respectfully disagree with. The so called "bad team tax" for the most part has recently been dispelled. At least so far, the reason that some good players haven't been added to the roster is KA's determination not to overspend on players, even players he would like to bring on. KA and the organization is very data driven. He's looking for value. He's very disciplined when considering talent relative to cost. KA has openly stated that he is ready to deal to fill needs. He's choosy and tight fisted on this issue. I'm confident that shortly there will be additional deals to upgrade the blueline. 

[JohnC]

2 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

What are you talking about?  We were discussing Johnson being 3rd pairing depth and KA getting a top 4 D, which he did minutes later when he signed Clifton.

Moving on from Joki is a logical suggestion to remove the now logjam on D as he has the most trade value.  Waiving Bryson also is a distinct possibility.  We aren’t going to carry 3 goalies and  9 D.

Moving Joki is a logical suggestion. But I'm stating a different opinion in that I believe that this staff values Joki much more than the audience here. I don't see a logjam here. What I see is the unit from top to bottom getting stronger. That's a good thing and not something to lament. 

[Eleven]

40 minutes ago, kas23 said:

We’re paying a bad team tax during FA, but we are keeping our own at significant discounts. I think the bad team tax will end after this coming season. 

 

8 minutes ago, JohnC said:

I understand your view but respectfully disagree with. The so called "bad team tax" for the most part has recently been dispelled. At least so far, the reason that some good players haven't been added to the roster is KA's determination not to overspend on players, even players he would like to bring on. KA and the organization is very data driven. He's looking for value. He's very disciplined when considering talent relative to cost. KA has openly stated that he is ready to deal to fill needs. He's choosy and tight fisted on this issue. I'm confident that shortly there will be additional deals to upgrade the blueline. 

I think there's no such thing as a bad team tax when it comes to free agents.  This team, as bad as it has been, has managed to sign "hot" free agents numerous times in the last ten years.  There was no bigger name than Okposo on the FA market in 2016, for example, and Hall in 2020 was surpassed only by Pietrangelo.  Gionta too--remember, he dared to snub Toronto to come here.

Edited July 1, 2023 by Eleven

[JohnC]

Just now, Eleven said:

 

I think there's no such thing as a bad team tax when it comes to free agents.  This team, as bad as it has been, has managed to sign "hot" free agents numerous times in the last ten years.  There was no bigger name than Okposo on the FA market in 2016, for example, and Hall in 2020 was surpassed only by Pietrangelo.  Gionta and Ehrhoff were pretty big acquisitions, too.

When you overpay for players such as Ehrhoff the franchise stench becomes more tolerable to take. Overpriced contracts are more likely to happen to troubled franchises in order to attract players. That's not going to happen under KA. 

[Eleven]

Just now, JohnC said:

When you overpay for players such as Ehrhoff the franchise stench becomes more tolerable to take. Overpriced contracts are more likely to happen to troubled franchises in order to attract players. That's not going to happen under KA. 

I actually deleted him because I don't think he was within the last ten.  The Sabres certainly weren't seen as an abyss when they signed him.

[thewookie1]

 

[DarthEbriate]

20 minutes ago, Eleven said:

I actually deleted him because I don't think he was within the last ten.  The Sabres certainly weren't seen as an abyss when they signed him.

And Ehrhoff's cap hit wasn't bad.

It was the term and structure (one-year $10M) that caused the kerfluffle [and that the league made deals like his punishable immediately thereafter rather than just grandfathering it in]. While he was here he was far and away the Sabres' best d-man with fantastic Corsi Relative. Was he a #1? Heck no. But he was a good player who was overextended and with little-to-no help from the rest of the roster. Then he was bought out to go into full tank mode.

Edited July 1, 2023 by DarthEbriate