Sabres add scoring mojo, signal Johansson to two-year, $9-million deal

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The Buffalo Sabres have been quiet since July 1, however they’ve bolstered their second line by inking Marcus Johansson, who might be an influence participant if he can stay wholesome.Marcus Johansson|Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty ImagesThe Buffalo Sabres have been quite quiet because the starting of free company, making just a few minor additions, however GM Jason Botterill made his largest splash of the summer season Saturday morning, signing winger Marcus Johansson to a two-year, $9-million contract, with an AAV of $four.5 million.
Johansson has two 20-goal seasons beneath his belt and his 30-point marketing campaign final season, which he cut up between the New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins, was extra spectacular than meets the attention given he missed appreciable time with a lung contusion, skating in solely 58 video games throughout the 2018-19 marketing campaign. It took him time to get again to full velocity and he struggled at occasions with Boston close to the top of the common season, however he took his recreation to a different degree within the playoffs. His 11 factors in 22 video games have been the very best of his post-season profession because the Bruins fell one win wanting hoisting the Stanley Cup.
Johansson will immediately step into the highest six in Buffalo, the place he’ll be requested to supply scoring. A powerful possession participant, Johansson has all the time been a strong playmaker – he has two 30-plus help campaigns to his credit score – however he has missed quite a lot of time over the previous few seasons, seemingly the explanation the Sabres went brief time period as an alternative of inking the 28-year-old to one thing longer. His final full 82-game marketing campaign, 2016-17, noticed Johansson register 58 factors, the best complete of his profession, and the Sabres are definitely hoping he might be graced with the identical good well being throughout his time in Buffalo.
Touchdown a secondary scorer needed to be a precedence for the Sabres, who scored 226 targets final season, the second-fewest within the Japanese Convention. Johansson suits the invoice. And if he can discover chemistry alongside Casey Mittelstadt, for whom Buffalo has second-line heart hopes, Johansson will assist the Sabres have a top-six that may depend on output from greater than Jack Eichel and Jeff Skinner.
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Tags: buffalo sabres, nhlConnect: In regards to the AuthorSteven EllisSteven Ellis is a Digital Content material Producer for The Hockey Information. He spends his free time listening to music you would not like and watches obnoxiously-long motor races.