Ryan
Johnson
D · PIT · Defensive · Around average
- PAL
- 40
- WAR
- -0.1
- Value
- 49
- PTS
- 7
2023-24№ 235 / 316
Ryan Johnson (Pittsburgh Penguins) stats and profile: offensive production, ice time, advanced stats, WAR and PAL rating.
Ryan Johnson
HEIGHT : 185 cm · WEIGHT : 88 kg · SHOOTS : L
Born : July 23, 2001 · Newport Beach, United States
Drafted : 2019 · BUF · round 1, pick #31
Contract : $775,000 · 2025-26 → 2027-28 · Two-Way Contract · UFA (Group 6)
NHL record
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | Buffalo Sabres | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2024-25 | Buffalo Sabres | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2023-24 | Buffalo Sabres | 41 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 12 |
| NHL totals | 47 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 18 | |
Ryan Johnson: our analysis
2023-24 season: 41 GP, 0 G, 7 A, 7 PTS, +3 +/-, 13:52 TOI. WAR -0.1 (235th of 316) · PAL 40, around average.
In 2023-24, Ryan Johnson, 25, posts a PAL Rating of 40 out of 100 (around average), and his WAR of -0.1 ranks 235th among 316 regulars, in the bottom half.
His strengths: defense (69, above average). On the other hand, shooting (10, among the weakest in the league) and penalty kill (25, well below average) hold him back.
Breaking down his WAR (goals above average), his biggest contribution: EV defense (+0.7); his biggest cost: finishing (-1.5).
Contract-wise, his Value score of 49 (fair value) weighs his output against what he costs: 50 is what that salary should buy.
Ryan Johnson's story
Born in Irvine, California while his father was still playing in the NHL, Ryan Johnson came up in a hockey household. His father, Craig Johnson, was a 1990 draft pick of the St. Louis Blues and logged 557 NHL games across several clubs, a background that framed Ryan’s early exposure to the sport.
Johnson moved through the American development path, featuring for the Sioux Falls Stampede in the USHL before committing to the University of Minnesota in the Big Ten. His combination of skating and decision-making attracted NHL attention and led to him being taken 31st overall in the first round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres.
When his college tenure concluded, Johnson inked a two-year entry-level deal with Buffalo in May 2023. The organization assigned him to their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, at a time when Rochester was competing deep into the AHL Eastern Conference playoffs. Strong play there earned him a call-up and his NHL debut on November 4, 2023, against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
His career path shifted in October 2026: on October 12, 2026, the Sabres traded Johnson to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Caleb Jones and Daniel Laatsch. The trade represented a new chapter after his formative seasons in the Sabres’ system.
On the ice, Johnson is a defenseman who blends puck-moving ability with defensive responsibilities. His USHL and college experience helped shape a player comfortable managing transitions and contributing both in his own zone and as part of circulation at the offensive end.
Facts drawn from Wikipédia, told in our own words.
Advanced stats
- TOI/GP
- 9:00
- PP TOI/GP
- 0:00
- SH TOI/GP
- 0:16
- Pts/GP
- 0.00
- EV points
- 0
- Hits
- 2
- Blocks
- 3
- Takeaways
- 2
- Corsi % (SAT)
- 44.8 %
- Off. zone starts
- 15.8 %
Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
2026-27 projection
Projected points
1between 0 and 5 (80% range)
- Goals
- 0
- Assists
- 1
- Games
- 10
So far: 0 pts in 0 games. The team has played 17 of 84 games. Projected pace: 0.08 pts per game (last season: 0.00).
The projection follows last season's pace. Tested on 2,265 player seasons (2022-23 to 2025-26): average miss of 9 points over 82 games; for players at 0.9 points per game and up, it ran 5 points high on average.
This is only a projection. It knows nothing about injuries, trades or role changes; one player in five finishes outside the range.
Player ratings, 2023-24
All ratings →Fourteen ratings from 0 to 100 drawn from data, never by hand: 75 = established NHL player, 95+ = elite.
OV · OverallConfidence 36 %
73
Established NHL
- SK
- Skating
- 74
- Confidence 40 %
- ST
- Strength
- 79
- Confidence 41 %
- EN
- Endurance
- 58
- Confidence 50 %
- DU
- Durability
- 63
- Confidence 40 %
- CK
- Checking
- 59
- Confidence 41 %
- FG
- Fighting
- 78
- Confidence 20 %
- DI
- Discipline
- 70
- Confidence 41 %
- FO
- Faceoffs
- —
- PA
- Passing
- 78
- Confidence 36 %
- SC
- Scoring
- 64
- Confidence 36 %
- DF
- Defense
- 79
- Confidence 32 %
- PS
- Penalty shot
- 76
- Confidence 0 %
- EX
- Experience
- 37
- Confidence 100 %
Why these ratings?Hide details
SK — Skating74
- Top speed (35 %)34.8 · 68
- Bursts > 20 mph /60 (30 %)1.807 · 76
- Distance /60 (20 %)14.1 · 79
- Speed consistency (15 %)34.4 · 73
ST — Strength79
- Contact absorbed /60 (50 %)6.429 · 87
- Body mass (50 %)-0.398 · 67
EN — Endurance58
- Ice time per game (45 %)16.3 · 59
- Total ice time (20 %)561 · 58
- Shift length (15 %)46.9 · 75
- Lowest recent ice time per game (15 %)15.9 · 61
- Special-teams time per game (5 %)1.4 · 55
DU — Durability63
- Share of games played (100 %)0.708 · 63
CK — Checking59
- Hits /60 (70 %)2.641 · 64
- Lowest seasonal rate (20 %)2.478 · 62
- Season volume (10 %)2.197 · 45
FG — Fighting78
- Fights per 82 games (100 %)0.962 · 78
DI — Discipline70
- Net penalty value /60 (50 %)-0.057 · 70
- Penalties taken /60 (30 %)0.655 · 75
- Penalties drawn /60 (20 %)0.319 · 67
PA — Passing78
- Primary assists /60 (40 %)0.421 · 79
- Secondary assists /60 (20 %)0.4 · 74
- Offensive creation (RAPM) (20 %)-0.013 · 75
- Power-play points /60 (10 %)4.334 · 79
- Assist consistency (10 %)0.375 · 80
SC — Scoring64
- Goals /60 (25 %)0.125 · 60
- Individual xG /60 (20 %)0.198 · 73
- Finishing (goals − xG per shot) (20 %)-0.211 · 65
- High-danger chances /60 (15 %)0.065 · 65
- xG per shot (10 %)0.035 · 72
- Shot attempts /60 (10 %)9.694 · 76
DF — Defense79
- RAPM defense /60 (35 %)0.045 · 77
- Relative xG against (20 %)-0.074 · 79
- On-ice xG against /60 (15 %)2.615 · 78
- Penalty kill /60 (10 %)-0.019 · 72
- Takeaways − giveaways /60 (10 %)-0.253 · 84
- Shot attempts against /60 (5 %)58.3 · 79
- Blocked shots /60 (5 %)4.632 · 71
PS — Penalty shot76
- Shootouts (60 %)31.9 · 76
- Penalty shots (40 %)30.9 · 76
EX — Experience37
- Career regular-season games (65 %)53
- Career playoff games (25 %)0
- NHL seasons (10 %)24
OV — Overall73
- DF · Defense (30 %)79
- PA · Passing (22 %)78
- SK · Skating (12 %)74
- SC · Scoring (12 %)64
- EN · Endurance (9 %)58
- ST · Strength (6 %)79
- DI · Discipline (5 %)70
- CK · Checking (4 %)59
The bars show confidence (sample size), not player quality. — : not enough data, not a zero. Engine version 1.0.
WAR and PAL ratings, 2023-24
How we rate →PAL Rating scores performance from 0 to 100 against players at the same position (50 = average player), starting from the player's strength, offensive or defensive. Value Rating compares that performance with what the player costs: 50 means paid what the play is worth.
PAL Rating
40/ 100
Performance · Around average
156 of 258 at the position
Value Rating
49/ 100
Fair value
0.93 M$ · expected PAL 42
ProfileDefensiveValue comes mostly from defense
- Offense
- 33
- Defense
- 58
See full detailsHide details
- Offense
- 30
- Creation
- 43
- Shooting
- 10
- Possession
- 60
- Defense
- 69
- Discipline
- 26
- Power play
- 48
- Penalty kill
- 25
From 0 to 100; 50 is the average player at the same position, adjusted for ice time.
Hockey IQ, 2023-24
Rankings and method →The quality of the player's decisions with and against the puck at 5-on-5, against regulars at the same position (50 = average). PAL measures output; IQ measures how the player plays.
Overall IQ
44/ 100
Average
better than 44% of defensemen, offense and defense combined
Offensive IQ
12/ 100
Low
passing, shots, puck
Defensive IQ
74/ 100
Very good
takeaways, discipline, own zone
Overall IQ isn't an average of the two scores: it's the player's rank with offense and defense combined, 130 of 234 defensemen.
See full detailsHide details
Offense
- Playmaking passes
- 78
- Shot selection
- 27
- Penalties drawn
- 13
- Puck management
- 19
Defense
- Takeaways
- 91
- Discipline
- 54
- Safe zone exits
- 37
Percentiles: 80 means better than 80% of regulars at the same position. Play without the puck (positioning, coverage) isn't measured: the NHL doesn't publish that data.
WAR, 2025-26
How it's calculated →Wins added to the team, compared with a replacement-level player called up from the AHL.
-0.0
wins above replacement
-0.1 to 0.0 — 90% interval
228 of 325 defensemen
-0.1 goals above replacement
Full leaderboard →See full detailsHide details
- EV offense
- 0.0
- EV defense
- +0.0
- Power play
- 0.0
- Penalty kill
- 0.0
- Shooting
- -0.0
- Penalties
- -0.2
- Average → replacement
- +0.1
In goals.
| Season | Team | GP | WAR | 90% interval | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | BUF | 3 | -0.0 | -0.1 to 0.0 | 228/325 |
| 2024-25 | BUF | 3 | -0.1 | -0.3 to 0.0 | 249/314 |
| 2023-24 | BUF | 41 | -0.1 | -0.4 to 0.2 | 235/316 |
Player tracking (NHL EDGE)
League EDGE leaderboards →Speed, shot power, distance covered, time by zone: measured by chips in the puck and shoulder pads. 90th percentile = better than 90% of players.
- Hardest shot
- 127.0 km/h13th percentileleague avg. 143.1 km/h
- Top skating speed
- 33.1 km/h17th percentileleague avg. 34.7 km/h
- Bursts over 20 mph, season
- 18th percentileleague avg. 31
- Offensive zone time
- 38.4 %5th percentileleague avg. 42.3 %
See full detailsHide details
- Total distance, season
- 6.5 km6th percentileleague avg. 214.3 km
- Distance, single-game high
- 2.78 km2nd percentileleague avg. 5.23 km
- Offensive zone at 5v5
- 38.8 %0th percentileleague avg. 42.1 %
- Neutral zone time
- 17.9 %52nd percentileleague avg. 16.8 %
- Defensive zone time
- 43.7 %8th percentileleague avg. 40.9 %
Shooting
| Shots on goal | Goals | Shooting % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 00th percentile | 00th percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
| High danger | 00th percentile | 00th percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
| Mid range | 00th percentile | 00th percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
| Long range | 00th percentile | 00th percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
Shots on goal by zone
2025-2026 regular season. Measured by puck and player tracking chips; the percentile ranks the player within the league.
Game log, 2025-26
OTT
COL
NYRRyan Johnson: frequently asked questions
How many goals does Ryan Johnson have in 2025-26?
Ryan Johnson has 0 goals and 0 points (0 assists) in 3 games in 2025-26.
How old is Ryan Johnson?
Ryan Johnson is 25 years old: he was born on July 24, 2001.
How tall is Ryan Johnson, and how much does he weigh?
Ryan Johnson is 6'1" (185 cm) and weighs 194 lb (88 kg).
Where is Ryan Johnson from?
United States: Ryan Johnson was born in Newport Beach, California, United States.
What team does Ryan Johnson play for?
Ryan Johnson plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL, at D, wearing number 3.
Is Ryan Johnson injured?
No: Ryan Johnson is not on the latest NHL injury report. This answer is updated throughout the season.
How good is Ryan Johnson?
Ryan Johnson produced -0.0 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2025-26, 228th of 325 players at his position in the NHL.
How much does Ryan Johnson make?
Ryan Johnson carries a cap hit of $775K per season, on a contract worth $2.5M in total over 3 years.
When does Ryan Johnson's contract end?
Ryan Johnson's contract runs through the 2027-28 season; he will then be an unrestricted free agent.
Is Ryan Johnson a top-10 player at his position?
No: by WAR, he ranks 228th of 325 players at his position in the NHL in 2025-26. Our comparison tool puts him side by side with any other player.
How has Ryan Johnson played lately?
Over his last 3 games, Ryan Johnson has 0 points (0 goals, 0 assists).
What are Ryan Johnson's career stats?
Over his NHL career, Ryan Johnson has 47 games, 0 goals, 7 assists and 7 points. His best season: 2023-24, with 7 points in 41 games.
Where was Ryan Johnson drafted?
Ryan Johnson was drafted 31st overall (round 1) by Buffalo Sabres in 2019.
How does Ryan Johnson perform in the playoffs?
Ryan Johnson has not played in the NHL playoffs yet.
Is Ryan Johnson a good fantasy pick?
Probably not, except in deep leagues: our projection has him at 1 points in 2026-27, or 0.10 points per game.
Is Ryan Johnson related to anyone famous?
Yes: Craig Johnson (father, former NHL forward, drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 1990; played 557 NHL games for the Blues, Kings, Maple Leafs, Capitals and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim).
What is Ryan Johnson's nationality?
Ryan Johnson is American.
Where did Ryan Johnson play before turning pro?
Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL); University of Minnesota (Big Ten).
How many points is Ryan Johnson projected to score in 2026-27?
Our projection has him at 1 points in 10 games in 2026-27 (0 to 5 points, 80% interval), based on his recent seasons, age and role.
See also: his Pittsburgh Penguins teammates
Full roster →
NHL.com ↗ · Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)