This much we know: Kent Johnson will be playing the upcoming season with either the Columbus Blue Jackets or the Cleveland Monsters.
Beyond that, there are plenty of questions about the former University of Michigan standout, who scored the Golden Goal for Team Canada to win the Gold Medal at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship. The biggest questions: which city will Johnson play in to start the season, and where in the lineup will he slot?
Although Johnson was drafted as a winger/center, the reality is that Johnson hasn't played center in a meaningful capacity in years. He played sparingly at center in this tournament but was primarily a winger, the same as he was at Michigan for the past two years. I bring this up because, while there are questions about his place in the lineup, it may be unrealistic to think that he will play center in the upcoming season, at least, to start.
Johnson is one of the organization's prized prospects, and his development is paramount to the franchise's long-term success. So where is he better off playing? Let's talk about the pros and cons of each situation.
Columbus In An Elevated Role
Barring injury, there may not be a clear path to a top-six role for Johnson. Johnny Gaudreau, Patrik Laine, Jakub Voracek, and Gustav Nyquist probably have those spots on lockdown, though one could argue that Nyquist could bump down to the third line. Others, like Alexandre Texier and Kirill Marchenko, are vying for the same spot(s).
Perfection: Johnson shows off the skill and patience with the pass, and Voracek scores his sixth. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/e7kd0cam0P
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) April 28, 2022
The benefit to playing higher in the lineup is clear: better linemates, more ice time, and more opportunities to showcase his offensive abilities. The opposite side of that coin is stauncher competition and elevated expectations.
Columbus In A Limited Role
Playing lower in the lineup would allow Johnson a chance to work his way into a groove, playing less minutes with less burden to produce offensively. But the downsides are significant. Playing in a bottom-six role would mean less talented teammates, less ice time, and more defensive-minded responsibility.
While most would agree that this seems like the least appealing place for him to start, this is the traditional path for many NHLers. Recall that Pierre-Luc Dubois started his career as the fourth-line wing before being promoted to the first-line center later in the same season. These players have completely different profiles, but consider that even last year, he only eclipsed 15:00 TOI in one of his nine NHL games.
Cleveland In An Elevated Role
Starting Johnson in Cleveland has some real appeal. For starters, the Blue Jackets roster has a surplus of forwards, and Johnson is one of the few players that is waivers exempt, meaning the organization can stash him in the minors with no risk of losing the player. Secondly, while he had a successful offseason with Team Canada, he didn't exactly torch the NHL in his nine-game stint last season, and a little additional seasoning in a very good league is hardly a criticism.
Playing in the AHL would also give Johnson a chance to be a heavily relied-upon player. He'd likely play in the top-six, on the power play, and would almost certainly skate more minutes than he would in an NHL role.
On the other hand, if Johnson continues his strong momentum at the club's training camp, and shows that he deserves to contend for a role with the NHL team, sending him to the AHL would send the wrong message to both the player and the team, who comes into the 2022-23 season with an optimism that hasn't been present in a couple of years.
There are certainly compelling reasons for each of the three options laid out above, but ultimately, Johnson will dictate his role, as well as his destination.
If history has shown us anything, it's that the most likely outcome is for the rookie to start out in a lower role at the NHL level, then his performance will either lead him to a promotion to an elevated spot with the Blue Jackets or a demotion to an elevated spot with the Monsters. Either way, the organization will need to ensure that Johnson is developing optimally.
