Next up on my list is now-former Bruins forward Marcus Johannson! Johannson appeared in ten games for the Bruins last season, in which he produced one goal and two assists. He was traded to the team at the deadline from the New Jersey Devils, for whom he had played in 48 games and tallied 12 goals and 15 assists. He then appeared in 22 playoff games for the Bruins on their run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, through which he recorded four goals and seven assists. Drafted 24th overall of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals, Johannson has played in 588 career NHL games, over which he has produced 120 goals and 214 assists. The 28-year-old center and wing has played for three different organizations over his nine-season NHL and North American professional career. He signed a two-year, $9 million ($4.5 million AAV) with the Buffalo Sabres in free agency this summer.
Johannson was a relatively unheralded deadline acquisition at first, but after struggling at first with the team and then getting injured, he went on to be one of their best and most consistent players on their playoff run. He’s a skilled playmaker who can also score, and he has a high hockey IQ and compete level. He also has soft hands and reads plays very well while also being a good team player. He’s a fast skater and while he is not really a physical player, he doesn’t shy away from the dirty areas or when it gets rough. Once he got settled with the team and was healthy, Johannson went on to stabilize the Bruins’ third line and he developed great chemistry with Charlie Coyle. They went on to be two of the Bruins’ best and most consistent players during the playoffs, as they combined for some big goals and plays. Along with Danton Heinen, they managed to turn the Bruins’ black hole of a third line into a secondary scoring threat that at the very least brought a lot of energy to the lineup every night, but normally chipped in offensively as well. It was sad to see him walk in free agency, as it would’ve been nice to have him back for a full season, but it was inevitable given the Bruins’ cap situation and his demands.
Obviously, the Bruins can’t expect anything from Johannson this season except that they will play against him no more than four times, but here’s what Sabres fans can look forward to. He’s struggled with injuries, particularly concussions, over the past few seasons, but if he can stay healthy, Buffalo should be getting a good playmaking forward who will be at his best if they put him with a goal scorer. He could potentially put up 50 points if he plays a full season, but should at least contribute 40. He’ll be a good depth scorer for a team that sorely needs one, and he’s a good locker room guy with significant playoff experience. That’s also something the team needs as they have a lot of young guys and have missed the playoffs in each of the past eight seasons. He should bring at least decent value to the team and is on a relatively low-risk contract even considering his injury history due to the fact that it is only for two seasons. He wasn’t snapped up during the free agency frenzy and lowered his asks after waiting around for a while. He looks to have been a smart pick-up for the team that checks a lot of boxes, but Sabres’ fans will have to wait and see what happens over the course of the season before they will know for sure whether or not this was a smart move.
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