Though he's soaked up all he can from his father over the years and has been around NHL players his whole life, Johnson learned something at his first Sabres development camp.
"Just seeing how these older guys take care of their body, take care of themselves, their pro kind of lifestyle. It's kind of cool to see and try to learn from them," said Johnson, who turns 18 on July 24 and was the youngest player at camp.
He learned a lot in Sioux Falls, where he had 25 points (six goals, 19 assists) in 54 regular-season games before contributing eight points (two goals, six assists) in 12 playoff games that led to a Clark Cup championship. He found his comfort level playing in a tougher league, breeding confidence and ultimately helping him earn a spot on the USHL All-Rookie Team.
His next step will take him to the University of Minnesota, his father's alma mater. Johnson (6-foot, 170 pounds) wants to add muscle and felt it would be best to develop under the guidance of coach Bob Motzko.
"I call him a new-age defenseman," Sabres director of amateur scouting Ryan Jankowski said. "He skates extremely well, he moves the puck extremely well, he defends with his brain. ... So, I like the well-roundedness of him. From an offensive standpoint, we think that can still come. But even if it doesn't, we know we've got a new-age defenseman that can move the puck and skate."
---
Listen: New episode of NHL Draft Class presented by adidas