Johansson brings playoff experience and consistency to Sabers

Johansson joins the Sabers after playing in the Stanley Cup Final with the Boston Bruins, who lost to the St. Louis Blues in seven games. He was traded to the Bruins by the New Jersey Devils on February 25 and had 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 22 Stanley Cup Playoff games. Johansson has made the playoffs in eight of his nine NHL seasons, including the last four in a row.
Buffalo hasn’t qualified for the playoffs since 2011, the longest active drought in the NHL. In an effort to end that trend this season, the Sabers added some playoff experience to their roster, including Johansson and defensemen Brandon Montour and Colin Miller.
“You have to make sure everyone is comfortable,” Johansson said. “You have to make sure everyone is open about things. It has to be a positive vibe. You have to want to move forward together. It’s a game of mistakes and you have to be able to make mistakes and move forward and not dwell too much on the things that are wrong.
“It’s such a long season. If you get everyone on the same page and work together, and if there are mistakes, you work on them together and learn from them. Moving on , especially with a young group like this, it’s very important.”
He’s eager to bring his experience to the Sabres, especially after a conversation with new coach Ralph Krueger, who was hired to replace Phil Housley on May 15.