Clifton, Johnson believe Sabres are ready to take next step

Erik Johnson garnered interest from five or six teams once he hit unrestricted free agency on Saturday. The Buffalo Sabres were at the top of his list.

That Buffalo was aggressive in its pursuit of Johnson was one factor. His nearly lifelong relationship with captain Kyle Okposo was another. But Johnson - a Stanley Cup champion with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022 - already had a belief in the direction the Sabres are headed.

"There's nothing like winning and winning the Cup was the best experience, the most fun I've ever had," Johnson said. "Once you get a taste of it, you want it again. Buffalo's a spot that is knocking on the door and we're going to be really close. It's a team that's on the rise for years to come."

Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams prioritized depth on defense entering the offseason and targeted Johnson and fellow right-shot defenseman Connor Clifton to that end. That the Sabres were able to sign both on the opening day of free agency was evidence of the respect the club has started to earn around the league.

"I think everyone feels it," Clifton, who signed a three-year deal worth $10 million, said. "They've been building something special the past couple of years, and I'm excited to be part of it."

Clifton has seen the Sabres plenty, having spent the first five years of his career with the Atlantic Division rival Boston Bruins. He recalled being on the ice for one of Tage Thompson's highlight-reel goals on New Year's Eve, a game the Sabres eventually won in overtime.

Clifton also pointed to the Sabres' 91-point finish, one shy of the Florida Panthers, as reason for excitement. The Bruins lost to the Panthers in the first round of the playoffs and watched Florida make a run to the Stanley Cup Final.

"That could have easily been the Sabres and they could have made a run like that," Clifton said.

The hope within the Sabres is that Clifton and Johnson will help them make the leap. The Sabres finished third in the NHL in scoring but allowed the seventh-most goals against. Mattias Samuelsson, Henri Jokiharju, and Ilya Lyubushkin all missed extended periods with injuries.

Adams, after discussions with coach Don Granato, had the goal of creating a defense corps that could be mixed and matched as situations demanded and would have the depth to survive injuries.

"We now have a group that, in my opinion, when the games start, the six players can play with anyone," he said.

The Sabres saw a fit on multiple levels in the 28-year-old Clifton, who set career highs in goals (5), points (23), and games played (78) with the Bruins last season. He rounded out his competitive, physical game with confidence on offense under coach Jim Montgomery. He'll have similar support from Granato, his former coach with the U.S. National Team Development Program.

Clifton should also see time on the penalty kill, having played a regular role on Boston's NHL-best unit last season. The Bruins allowed 2.34 power-play goals per 60 minutes with Clifton on the ice, the best mark of any defenseman in the league with at least 60 shorthanded minutes played.

Johnson, too, has been a regular on the penalty kill throughout his career. But his addition, Adams believes, will transcend his on-ice contributions. The 35-year-old will be the only player on an otherwise young roster with a Stanley Cup on his resume.

Adams spoke with Johnson Saturday and was impressed with how the defenseman articulated what it took for the Avalanche to progress from last place in 2016-17 to a championship five years later. Johnson spoke about top-of-the-lineup players prioritizing defense and bottom-of-the-lineup players buying into their roles, lessons that should carry weight coming from a fellow player.

Johnson believes the Sabres are ready to make a similar leap.

"Playing against them the last few years, they remind me of Colorado a few years prior when we were building it," he said. "They have a great nucleus of young talent and I think they're knocking at the door. It was a real appealing spot to me to go there and help in any way I can."

Here are more takeaways from the start of free agency.

1. The Sabres have nine defensemen on one-way contracts following the additions of Clifton and Johnson. Adams said he is comfortable entering training camp with all nine, meaning the Sabres would either have depth in case of injuries or internal competition for roster spots.

"Would we be open, to doing something, especially in the back end? For sure," he said. "But the league is well aware of who we have, and what we will listen to and not listen to. So, we'll see how it goes. But ultimately if you're asking will we go into camp with nine? Absolutely. I'm totally comfortable with that."

2.Adams also reiterated that while he will continue to entertain ways to improve the roster, he is comfortable entering training camp with Devon Levi, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, and Eric Comrie under contract in goal.

"I really think we're in a position of strength there and I like what we have," he said. "And now it's also (important) in terms of how we improve our team, it's to clean up some of the ways to help our goaltenders out, whether it's certain areas of our defensive game and our penalty kill."

3. The Sabres opened the on-ice portion of their annual summer development camp with a one-hour practice inside LECOM Harborcenter on Sunday. Find the full schedule for the camp, which is free and open to the public, Video: CONNOR CLIFTON.