Between now and the start of the season we will finish our Top 25 Under 25 countdown. Thanks to the 74 readers who submitted ballots in this year’s ranking of Columbus Blue Jackets players and prospects under the age of 25.
#6 Kent Johnson
Voting
6th out of 42 eligible players
Writer Rank: 9th
Reader Rank: 4th
Highest Placement: 2nd (1 vote)
Most Common Placement: 5th (15 votes)
2023 Rank: 2nd (-4)
Biography
Birthdate: October 18th, 2002
Birthplace: Port Moody, British Columbia
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 175 lbs
Position: C/LW
Shoots: Left
Acquired: Drafted in the 1st Round (5th Overall) in 2021
2023-24 Season
After a 40-point rookie season, Kent Johnson disappointed in training camp and found himself in Cleveland to start the season. He earned a brief stint in late October, in which he got a goal and two assists in eight games, before returning to Cleveland. He returned in December and put up a 5-8-13 statline before being injured for the season in February. In total: 42 games, 16 points, bad vibes all around. Except for the cleanest Michigan in NHL history.
2024-25 Outlook
New GM/PHOP Don Waddell made it very obvious that he thought the team needed two more “NHL forwards” to have a complete roster. Doing some back of the napkin math, that likely means Kent Johnson is on the outside looking in to start camp. He has a chance to make it on as a third line wing, able to pop up to the Top 6 in a pinch, and I hope he does, but don’t be shocked if he starts the season in Cleveland.