The Top 25 Under 25 is a collaboration by members of the Die By The Blade community. 92 readers ranked Buffalo Sabres players under the age of 25 as of August 1, 2026. Each participant used their own metric of current ability and production to rank each player.
Ryan Johnson
Drafted: 2019 – 1st Round (31st Overall)
Position: Defense
Born: July 24th, 2001 – 25 Years Old
2025-2026 Stats: GP 56 G 5 A 14 PTS 19 / Playoffs GP 2 G 1 A 1 PTS 2, AHL
2025 T25U25 Ranking: 11
I know what you might be thinking: “I thought you had to be under the age of 25 to be on this list.” Ryan Johnson tricked us by the way he asked “how do you do, fellow kids?” during eligibility evaluations. He was quite convincing!
The former first rounder spent the year almost exclusively in Rochester this past year. Even with the injuries sustained in Buffalo, Johnson was unable to get much time in the NHL. He managed only three games with the Sabres for the second straight season, and the only mark he made on the stat sheet was a minor penalty in 27 total minutes played.
While playing a major role in Rochester, he set career highs in goals, assists, and points. Offensive statistics have never been the focal point of his game, but you would expect more than .34 points a game at the AHL level for a mid-20’s former first round pick.
Johnson’s skating continues to be the best part of his game. Unfortunately, his development has stalled, and he’s fallen down the depth chart. His opportunities in Buffalo look about extinguished with their current mix and the incoming top prospects recently drafted. He is nearing “career AHLer” status as he enters his 4th professional season.
He is eligible for waivers this upcoming season. Assuming Buffalo carries 7 defensemen (highly likely given their commitment to the 3-goalie shuffle), Johnson would need to beat out one of Metsa, Crevier, or Timmins. Dennis Gilbert is also an option in Buffalo. Given those odds, he’s likely to be a waiver claim for a team dealing with injuries coming out of training camp.