Johansson joins the Sabres 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 Feb. 25 and had 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 22 Stanley Cup Playoff games. Johansson has played in the postseason in eight of his nine NHL seasons, including the past four straight.
Buffalo hasn't qualified for the playoffs since 2011, the longest active drought in the NHL. In a quest to end that trend this season, the Sabres have added postseason experience to the roster, including Johansson and defensemen Brandon Montour and Colin Miller.
"You've got 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've got to be able to make mistakes and move forward and not dwell too much on things that go 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 you learn from it. Move on, especially with a young group like this, that's very important."
He's looking forward to bringing his experience to the Sabres, especially after a conversation with new coach Ralph Krueger, who was hired to replace Phil Housley on May 15.