The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired defenseman Ryan Johnson from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for defensemen Caleb Jones and Daniel Laatsch, Penguins President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas announced Oct. 12.
Johnson, 25, is signed through the end of the 2027-28 season at an average annual value of $875,000, according to NHL.com. The move sends two depth defensemen to Buffalo while Pittsburgh brings in a former first-round pick with a multiyear deal already in place.
Terms Of The Ryan Johnson Trade
Pittsburgh receives Johnson, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound blueliner under contract through 2027-28 at $875,000 per season. Buffalo receives Jones and Laatsch, both defensemen, though specific statistical profiles for the pair were not detailed in the trade announcement.
The deal is a straight defenseman-for-defensemen swap, with the Penguins sending out two players to land one with term and a modest cap hit already locked in.
What The Trade Means For Pittsburgh And Buffalo
For Pittsburgh, adding Johnson brings a 25-year-old blueliner with NHL, AHL and major junior-college pedigree onto a deal that runs through 2027-28 at a low cap number. Trading away Jones and Laatsch thins the organization’s defensive depth chart by two bodies in exchange for one player the Penguins now control for two more seasons.
For Buffalo, moving Johnson clears a roster spot after he had already been assigned to the Rochester Americans to begin 2026-27. The Sabres instead add Jones and Laatsch to their defensive pool as they reshuffle depth behind the NHL roster.
Ryan Johnson’s Career Background
Buffalo selected Johnson 31st overall in the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft. He has appeared in 47 career NHL games, all with the Sabres, with seven assists, all of them coming during his rookie season in 2023-24 when he played 41 games.
Johnson opened 2026-27 with four games for the Rochester Americans, Buffalo’s AHL affiliate, posting a plus-2 rating before the trade. Across 153 career AHL games, he has seven goals, 34 assists and 41 points, adding four points on a goal and three assists in 15 AHL playoff games.
Before turning pro, Johnson spent four seasons at the University of Minnesota, totaling nine goals and 50 assists for 59 points in 143 collegiate games. He also played one season in the United States Hockey League with the Sioux Falls Stampede, recording six goals, 19 assists and 25 points in 54 games.
A native of Irvine, California, Johnson represented Team USA at the 2021 World Junior Championship, where he posted four points on a goal and three assists in seven games as the Americans won gold.
What’s Next
Johnson is expected to join Pittsburgh’s organization immediately following the trade, though the Penguins have not announced whether he will report to the NHL roster or be assigned to the AHL. Jones and Laatsch now join Buffalo’s organizational depth chart on the back end.
Johnson will report to Pittsburgh’s organization as the Penguins continue their 2026-27 schedule. It remains unclear whether he will debut in the NHL lineup or spend time in the AHL.
For more on this story, see Total Apex Sports’ Buffalo Sabres coverage.
Additional reporting via NHL.com.
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