The Buffalo Sabers added to their impressive defensive squad by signing first-round pick Ryan Johnson on Saturday morning.
• Read also: The Canadian could use the same strategy as with RHP to sign prospect Jared Davidson
• Read also: Canada wakes up in third, advances to final
A 21-year-old American defender, Johnson completed his college career with the Minnesota Golden Gophers this season.
Having spent four seasons in the college ranks, the Californian could have emulated Adam Fox, Will Butcher and Jimmy Vesey, to name a few, in testing the free agent market.
6′, 173 lb left-hander Johnson instead decided to join Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power and the rest of Buffalo’s talented blue line.
Before making his debut in the Bettman circuit, however, he will have the chance to take the temperature of professional hockey with the Americans of Rochester, in the American League.
They face the Hershey Bears in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Johnson, selected with the 31st pick of the 2019 auction, has never scored more than 20 points in a season during his collegiate career. He collected 18 in 40 duels in 2022-2023, and his adventure with the Golden Gophers came to a heartbreaking end. They went down in overtime in the Frozen Four final against Quinnipiac University.