The Buffalo Sabres needed a blueliner with an edgy style that could also bring leadership to the team, and Erik Johnson fills the void.
Mattias Samuelsson is a physically imposing stay-at-home blueliner, but he was the only one the Buffalo Sabres had given Rasmus Dahlin’s and Owen Power’s respective two-way games. That changed on the first day of free agency this offseason when Buffalo signed 35-year-old Erik Johnson.
The former first overall pick is no longer a dynamic player, but when you look at his numbers, the seasoned veteran can still produce at a respectable level.