It’s amazing that Kent Johnson managed to play 79 games this season with how injury prone the rest of the club was. It was quite the rookie season for him too. He played for the second worst team in the league, saw fourth line minutes some nights, and played on the top line other nights. He became the third highest scoring rookie in Blue Jackets history – beating out Rick Nash by one point. But most importantly, the hockey world got a glimpse of how special this kid is.
I would love to see his meal plan for the summer. He skipped out on Worlds to focus on his off-season training – gaining weight and strength, specifically. I imagine he doesn’t stop eating and won’t anytime soon. His strength didn’t keep him from contributing this season, but adding more should boost his confidence going into his sophomore season.
2022-23 Stats
Games: 79
Goals: 16
Assists: 24
Plus/Minus: -19
PIM: 14
5v5 CF%: 44.55
5v5 FF%: 43.37
oZS%: 68.99
Contract Status
Johnson is signed through next season at $925,000. He will be a non-offer sheet eligible RFA in the summer of 2024. He will be able to sign an extensi0n as soon as July 1st, so it will be interesting to see if the club pushes for an early extension.
High Point
How could this not be the Michigan goal? On March 24 in Columbus, KJ pulled off the prettiest NHL “Michigan” goal to date. He lifted the stick of an Islander to gain possession, danced around a defender with an in-between the legs toe drag, and then tucked the puck into the corner of the net without missing a stride. Nasty.
Low Point
KJ had a rough end to the season. He had only two points in the last ten games and was scoreless in the last five.
Report Card
B+
Could Kent Johnson’s season have been better? Sure. But given the fact that the team was bad, he was yanked all over the lineup, and he’s undersized and not strong enough, he had a pretty successful rookie campaign. Perhaps his most underrated stat was his 14 total penalty minutes on the year. Yes, 7 minor penalties in 79 games. The skill and hockey sense are evident and 40 points is a good start.
I still have doubts that he will play center in the future, though his short stint at center this season wasn’t a disaster. I would have liked to see him get a few more reps but also get the argument that wing is the best place for him to learn how to play and contribute in the NHL. Either way, I remain excited to see how KJ’s career will unfold.