It's been another solid season in Ann Arbor for Kent Johnson.
The Columbus Blue Jackets' top prospect received honorable mention from the Big Ten Conference this season in their annual men's hockey postseason awards.
The 19-year-old forward from Port Moody, B.C. was selected by Columbus at No. 5 overall in the 2021 NHL Draft. While he has not officially signed with the Blue Jackets organization yet, it's believed he will make the jump to professional hockey once Michigan's season comes to an end.
Michigan, though, figures to have plenty of track left to cover before then. The Wolverines snuck past Notre Dame to advance to the Big Ten tournament championship on Mar. 19, where they'll take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Mel Pearson's team figures to have an at-large bid secured regardless of their tournament results, but a top seed for this team would be an even bigger asset as they chase down a national title.
In 28 games this season for the high-powered Wolverines, Johnson scored seven goals and 27 assists. During the 2020-21 campaign, he scored nine goals and added 18 assists in 26 games–more than a point-per-game pace.
Johnson was a member of Canada's U20 World Junior Championship team prior to the tournament being shut down due to COVID-19 outbreaks, and was named as an alternate for Team Canada at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing where he "exceeded expectations" as one of the team's youngest players.
From Steven Ellis of The Hockey News:
Some scouts believe Johnson could jump to the NHL as soon as next year. Others want him to spend another year in the NCAA without the disruptions an international hockey tournament could bring. For as good as he is, COVID-19, the Olympics and World Junior Championship has limited his actual NCAA playing time to just 49 games over two years. He's been excellent, but Michigan - a team with enough first-round talent to form its own all-star squad - should factor into NCAA championship discussion over the next few years and Johnson will be a big piece of that.
Blue Jackets fans have to be thrilled with what they've seen with Johnson so far. He's fun, skilled and making a real impact on a gold-medal contender.
Johnson's development–and potentially imminent arrival in Columbus–will be a significant part of the Blue Jackets' organizational reset in 2022 and beyond.
