Buffalo Sabres Top 25 Under 25: #18 Ryan Johnson
Johnson, 18 years old, makes his “Top 25 Under 25” debut after being drafted this summer.
The Top 25 Under 25 is a collaboration by members of the Die By The Blade community. It was a combination of six staff writers and over 500 readers that ranked players under the age of 25 by September 1st, 2019. Each participant used their own metric of current ability and production to rank each player.
Ryan Johnson is one of the newest members of the Buffalo Sabres organization.
Drafted with the 31st overall pick in the most recent NHL Entry Level Draft, Johnson joins the organization with high expectations.
Elite Prospects scouted Johnson as a “very skilled skater with good hockey sense and compete-level. Not a physical player, Johnson relies on his way of reading the game.”
Johnson showed his worth last season with the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL, where he put up 25 points (six goals, 19 assists) in 54 games.
The development appears to be rapidly continuing as well, which was evident at the recent World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, Michigan.
Buffalo draft pick Ryan Johnson shows some good recovery speed, separating Aiden Dudas from the puck before driving him in to the boards. #WJSS #Sabres #LAKings pic.twitter.com/hxKL51Snis
— Stars n’ Stripes Hockey (@StarsStripesHKY) July 30, 2019
The Athletic’s Corey Pronman picked Johnson as one of the top players of the showcase.
“Johnson stood out to me consistently through the camp,” Pronman said. “Even as a 2001 in the 2000 age group, he looks like a strong candidate for the World Junior team this winter. His skating and hockey sense looked very good.”
Johnson will continue his development next season at the illustrious University of Minnesota.
Projections still have Johnson at least two years away from making an impact at the professional level but if his development continues at a rapid pace, there is no doubt he will rise to the top of this list in the future.