The Sabres will be without captain Rasmus Dahlin for their game tonight against Boston as he remains back home in Sweden with his fiancée who continues to recover from a heart transplant over the summer. As a result, the team has recalled defenseman Ryan Johnson from AHL Rochester, per Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald.
To make room for Johnson on the active roster, Dahlin has been designated as a non-roster player as they did when he took a leave of absence earlier this season. While he won’t play tonight, it’s expected that he’ll be back to accompany the team on their upcoming road trip.
As for Johnson, this is his first recall of the season. He actually broke camp with Buffalo and played in three games in the opening week but averaged just nine minutes per game of playing time. As a result, he was quickly sent down to play a bigger role with the Americans.
The 24-year-old, who is in the first season of a three-year deal, has played in 25 games with Rochester so far this season, picking up 11 points. That’s just two points shy of his personal best, set last season in 66 games. With six other defensemen already up with the big club, it’s quite possible that Johnson will serve in a reserve role for the time being until Dahlin returns.