Veteran defenseman excited to be a part of Buffalo team that's "knocking on the door"
BUFFALO -- Erik Johnson arrived in Buffalo about two and a half weeks ago and has quickly made an impact on his new teammates.
“He made me buy a sauna,” Rasmus Dahlin said.
How did he do that?
“He said it was good for recovery, so I was like, ‘Yeah, sure, I'll do it,’” he said. “Whatever he says.”
Johnson, of course, has experienced quite a bit over the course of his NHL career, which is entering its 17th season. The St. Louis Blues selected him with the No. 1 pick in the 2006 NHL Draft and he made his debut as a 19-year-old in 2007. He’s played on struggling teams and contenders and was a Stanley Cup champion with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022.
It was with the Blues that he learned of the benefits of saunas from Hockey Hall of Famer Paul Kariya, and one of the first things he did upon moving to Buffalo was find a company to build a sauna in his new home.
The knowledge, insight, and leadership he’s accumulated over his 920 NHL regular-season and 55 playoff games were key reasons why the Sabres targeted him as a free agent.
“I think to take the next step, sometimes you have to see things that you haven’t seen before, which I’ve seen a lot, and I think I can lend that experience,” Johnson said. “Part of that is off the ice and making sure you’re ready to go on a day to day basis physically, mentally, emotionally, all of that. I’m a sounding board for them and I’ve just been trying to practice what I preach, really.”
The Sabres were one of the youngest teams in the NHL last season, notably on defense with Rasmus Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson, each of whom turned 23 late in the season, Henri Jokiharju, 24, and Owen Power, 20. Ilya Lyubushkin, since traded, was the only defenseman over the age of 25.
“It’s been great. I really like those guys,” Johnson said. “They’ve been super eager to ask questions about some of my experiences. … I think when your younger players are comfortable and they can feel comfortable around your older players, everything is better in the dynamics. From that standpoint, I’ve tried to be an open book for those guys and do the things that I’ve always done and hopefully it can rub off on them.
“On the ice, they’re very talented players and it’s fun to watch them do what they do. I’m here to lend them a hand anyway I can on and off the ice and I’m happy to do so.”
Dahlin, the No. 1 pick in 2018, has already been soaking up as much as he can.
“The first thing is that he loves to be at the rink,” he said. “He loves to hang out with the guys in the locker room. He's such a great guy. I mean, his mood is always, always up. But the one thing I realized when he got here is he's so professional. … I think I can learn some stuff from him.”
Alex Tuch agreed.
“His presence, leadership and mentality each and every day and his drive and determination, I’ve seen just in a couple weeks of getting to know him,” he said. “But he’s also an easy guy to be around. Happy-go-lucky guy, awesome guy for the young guys to be around, too. I think we’re all going to learn a lot from him. I’m going to try to learn as much as I can from him.”
Johnson is learning from them as well. When he first got to Buffalo, he gave himself some time to get a feel for the group. What he discovered was just how “dialed in” and “hungry” they are, even for such a young team. He’s noticed they want to get better and are doing what they need to do that.
“When you just look at the talent up and down the lineup, this team is set up for success for many, many years,” he said. “So, it was exciting from my standpoint to become here and be part of it. I think it’s a team that’s knocking on the door, whether it’s this year or next year. I mean, the window for them to contend is open for a long time and hopefully I can be a part of it for as long as I can. I think the future is really bright and this is a team that is very close.”
Buffalo was at the top of Johnson’s list heading into free agency, but it didn’t hurt that captain Kyle Okposo is on the team. He and Okposo have known each other since they were kids, playing summer hockey together in Minnesota at eight years old and eventually becoming roommates at the University of Minnesota.
“It was definitely an appealing spot knowing that he was here, just that familiar face,” Johnson said. “And I didn't know very many guys, but he was one of them I really knew well. So I've been asking him probably a lot of questions -- the day in and day out. But he's a great guy and really helping me so far, and you can tell how much influence he has here on these younger guys.
“Hopefully we can be a good tandem for these guys. He's a great dude. I'm just happy to be able to play with him again. Hopefully it can come full circle and we can win a Cup together. That would be super cool. Definitely one of our goals.”
