@boosbuzzsabres
In this series we build the 2019-20 Buffalo Sabres roster one by one leading up to the season opener on October 3.
RW--Marcus Johansson
28 yrs. old
6'1" 205 lbs.
2009, 24th-overall, NSH
Career stats: 588 games | 120 goals | 214 assists | 334 points | -5
Landing Marcus Johansson was a bit of a coup for the Buffalo Sabres as, along with his skills, he brings tons of experience, including 94 games of playoff experience, to the club. But even more important for Sabres general manager Jason Botterill was getting Johansson on a short, two-year deal at a reasonable $4.5 million cap hit. Johansson was an unrestricted free agent and was coming off of an excellent playoff run with the Boston Bruins who came just short of winning the Stanley Cup and it was expected he'd be signing for a longer-term deal.
After a slow start with the B's, who acquired him from the New Jersey Devils at the trade deadline, Johansson was lauded for his 2019 playoff performance. "A bit of an incomplete at the end of the regular season turned into a great postseason performance," wrote Adam Denhard for SB Nations, Stanley Cup of Chowder. "Johansson more than earned his keep on the Bruins long post season run [and although] 11 points in 22 post season games might not sound like a torrential outpouring of points, his patience and vision with the puck made for lots of free space around him as he seemed to draw an extra defender's attention when driving play."
What's that worth financially to a team looking to sign him? Apparently what Buffalo got him for. What's it worth to the Sabres? Plenty.
In this build the versatile winger is slated for the two-hole on the right side. Johansson could very well end up at right wing on the top line or left wing on the second line but regardless of where he is, he'll bring his skating ability, versatility, deft zone-entry work, set-up skills and 5v5 scoring (only 29 of his 120 goals have come on the powerplay) to a team in need of all those traits.
Would he be a fit on the first line next to Jack Eichel? Sure. Who wouldn't? However it might be best for Johansson to be on Casey Mittelstadt's wing as the 21 yr. old, second-year center will need a little help and guidance. Johansson's zone-entries could help take the pressure off Mittelstadt in that regard as the young center struggled with it last season. Get Mittelstadt into the zone on the offensive and he knows how to work, fight and finagle his way to the puck. He also knows what to do with it when he finds that open ice as well. However Mittelstadt struggled too many times trying to drive his line and was bottled up a little too easily causing way too many turnovers.
As for Johansson, he doesn't really care where he plays in the lineup and didn't really discuss his role when he and new head coach Ralph Krueger introduced themselves to each other. "I think wherever I can help and play, I'm here for it and whatever they need me to do," he said on conference call after his signing. "I've played both (wings.) I've mostly played left wing over the last however many years, but whatever they need me to do, I'm up for it."
Not surprisingly, Johansson's most successful seasons came at left wing in a top-nine role on a Caps team that was loaded with talent up front. However, he found nice chemistry in a similar role for the Bruins in the playoffs on the right side of a line centered Charlie Coyle. In Buffalo he'll need to kick it up a notch in a full-time top-six role with some probable second-unit powerplay time.
And there's the rub. Where this blogger sees a 2yr./$9 million contract for Johansson as very reasonable, others think the Sabres overpaid. "At first glance, Sabres fans have every right to ask, what is general manager Jason Botterill thinking," wrote Jeremy Freeborn of The Sports Daily before pointing out that Botterill would have been better off using that money to upgrade the defense. Freeborn uses Johansson's 2018-19 numbers (13 goals, 17 assists and a minus-16 in 58 games,) to get to a number of $1.5-$3 million/per season for the free agent and even throws in the Jeff Skinner 8 yr./$72 million deal as Buffalo overpaying two more forwards.
Regardless what one might think about the price Botterill paid, the fact that it's only a two-year deal gives him an easy out as early as next off season.
However, I don't think either side is looking at this negatively. Johansson sees Buffalo as a "young and exciting" team and said "with all the talent the have, it's going to go well." The Sabres need his skating, his 5v5 scoring, his zone-entries, his set-up work, and his versatility.
What's not to like?
Building the 2019-20 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Jeff Skinner /
C, Jack Eichel/
RW, Sam Reinhart
LW, Jimmy Vesey /
C, Casey Mittelstadt /
RW, Marcus Johansson
LHD, Rasmus Dahlin /
RHD, Brandon Montour
G, Carter Hutton
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