4:30 PM: The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Ryan Johnson from the AHL, proving that these moves were merely paper transactions.
10:00 AM: The Sabres activated center Tage Thompson on Friday after a very short stint on the non-roster list, according to a team release. With no existing room on the 23-man roster to execute the move, the team assigned rookie defenseman Ryan Johnson to AHL Rochester to accommodate Thompson’s return.
Thompson was a late scratch for Buffalo’s last contest, a 4-1 loss against the Bruins on Wednesday, for personal reasons. After exceeding the 23-player limit on the active roster over the course of the holiday freeze, the Sabres moved Thompson to the non-roster list before 11:59 p.m. that night to be compliant when the freeze lifted Thursday morning.
The transaction suggests Thompson will be available for Saturday’s game against the Blue Jackets. Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams will need to make an additional roster move to activate Sabres mainstay Zemgus Girgensons from injured reserve, as he’s expected to return from a lower-body injury that’s kept him out since late November. That will likely be assigning center Tyson Jost to Rochester this afternoon, assuming he clears waivers.
Thompson, 26, had four points in his last five games, including a three-point effort in the Sabres’ 9-3 drubbing of the Maple Leafs last week. In ten games since returning from a wrist injury that cost him nearly three weeks, Thompson has struggled with three goals and seven points and a -5 rating.
Johnson, the Sabres’ 31st overall pick in 2019, returns to Rochester to continue his development. The University of Minnesota product had a strong training camp and has looked good in 20 games of NHL action this year. He hasn’t provided much in the way of offense with two assists, and he’s received zero usage on special teams, but he’s graded out well possession-wise in his even strength minutes with a 51.7% Corsi share and an expected plus-minus rating of +0.1. Only Rasmus Dahlin has controlled more shot attempts at even strength than Johnson.
In fact, Johnson has graded out so well defensively that there’s some warranted speculation that the Sabres will make an additional roster move in order to bring him back up to the NHL. Given his waiver-exempt status, though, assigning him to the minors is the most convenient way to make room for both Girgensons and Thompson to suit up tomorrow.
The Sabres would need to make an additional waiver placement or trade to create room to recall Johnson again. The team’s other waiver-exempt talents – Zach Benson, Devon Levi, John-Jason Peterka, Owen Power, and Jack Quinn – have solidified full-time roles, and sending any of them down would be extremely detrimental to a team that needs a major winning streak to get back into the playoff conversation.
In his first nine games with Rochester, the 22-year-old had four assists and a +2 rating. He has not played an AHL contest since being recalled to Buffalo in early November.
At this point Ryan Johnson is more important to have around than Eric Comrie.
I agree, waiving him to keep Johnson around would be the logical choice
Waive Pegula, fire Donnie, Hire Roy.
Cup in 3 years.
Roy? Patrick? The season rests on GMKA. He needs to make a coaching change now. There is a few veteran coaches who are available.
I still believe the Sabres need to make a trade. Anaheim wants to much to acquire Gibson. Calgary makes the best fit in opinion. Because of Gibson’s declining stats him & Markstrom’s career stats are very close. Making a Markstrom/Hanifan trade makes a lot of sense for the Sabres.
It all depends on what the Sabres want to give up.
If Calgary would take back Eric Johnson then the Sabres would have to give up another prospect or high draft pick. The Sabres will have to make a Hanifan extension as part of the main point in a potential deal.
My framework is open for discussion of course. If EJ is part of the return then a 2024 1st along prospects. The prospects not named Ryan Johnson, J. Kulich or Zach Benson has to be made available. If the Sabres included Matthew Savoie then no 1st should be included. Markstrom has only 2 years left on his deal & would give the Sabres a much needed veteran goalie & Hanifan would help the Sabres out on the power play & defensively while filling in the top 4 spots on the depth chart long term.
This process was flawed from the get go with Granato at the helm. And now Adams has made major mistakes with this roster as he’s inexperienced and doing what he can to save face by not moving on from granato before this season. This team is in shambles.