Johnson was taken 5th overall in the 2021 draft by Columbus.
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson would probably tell you he didn't have his best year, and just about everyone would agree.
Rick Bowness revealed that Johnson lost 10-12 pounds coming into this season. At the start of the 2024-25 season, the talk was that he had gained 10 pounds coming into camp. Bowness mentioned they had to figure out how Johnson can keep the weight on. Is this the reason he didn't have a good year? Possibly.
Johnson had just 22 points this past season, and you could see the anguish on his face. Under Rick Bowness, his pace of play seemed to be a lot better, and he was noticeable on the ice, he just wasn't scoring.
Johnson had just 5 goals from December 1st to the end of the year.
Despite all that, Don Waddell said at the exit interviews that they weren't going to give up on any 23-year-old forward with so much potential, and he'd be 1000% right to not give up on Johnson.
You can see the skill oozing from Johnson, and trading him could be a terrible mistake. He has 100-points written all over him. Trading him could come back to haunt this team for 10 years, and that's something they can't afford to do.
Sooner or later he is going to put it together and take off, and hopefully it's with the CBJ. Many point to his size and needing to get stronger, which is fair, but there's only so much weight he can put on his frame before it slows him down, which would hamper his game even more.
The Blue Jackets would be smart to NOT trade Kent Johnson anytime soon.
Contract Status - Going into year 3 of a 3-year deal that pays him $1,800,000 per season. He'll be RFA in 2027.
Games Played - 76 - The 2nd most games of his career. In his rookie year, he played 79 games.
Goals - 7 - Down 24 from the previous season, and one more than his sophomore year when he only scored 6. He had one power play goal.
Assists - 15 - Down from 33 the previous season and the third most in his five seasons.
Points - 22 - Down from 57 in 2024-25.
Shots - 114 - Down from 123 the previous season.
Shooting % - 6.1% - The lowest of his career, and 13% lower than last season.
Time On Ice - 13:14 - The lowest of his career and 4 minutes less than last year.
Game Winning Goals - 0 - He had 4 in 24-25.
Plus/Minus - Minus-8 - The Second worst +/- of his career.
Hits - 15 - Tied for the most of his career.
Giveaways - 49 - The second most of his career. In 24-25, he had 64 giveaways.
Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft Lottery on May 5, 2025, where the CBJ will most likely pick 14 or 15.
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