Kent Johnson has started to resemble the player that brought all the hype.
While he might not win the Calder Memorial Trophy for being the league's top rookie, Johnson has most definitely been among Columbus' few bright spots to point to.
And think about this: Among all rookies, Johnson is fifth among points (26), tied for fifth in goals (11)—Johnson has the same number of goals as Anaheim Ducks' Mason McTavish in three fewer games—and ninth in assists (15). Seattle Kraken's Matty Beniers, and Johnson's University of Michigan teammate, has the Calder to lose, especially since he's helping propel the Kraken to their first playoff berth in his first year.
What's helped close the gap between Beniers and his fellow rookie class is Beniers is in the midst of a career-long pointless drought (nine games) to this point. He also missed a few games with an upper-body injury before the All-Star Break including the win against Columbus on Jan. 28.
But seeing that Johnson is only 10 points and six goals off Beniers' pace in both, and nine assists off Minnesota Wilds' Calen Addisons' pace, gives you a pretty good idea of the kind of first full season Johnson is having.
KJ scores his 11th GOAL OF THE SEASON pic.twitter.com/lt8CdjQm9i
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) February 12, 2023
While he probably won't take home the Calder hardware, he could end up a finalist perhaps. And his teammate Kirill Marchenko might be stealing some votes from him, which is not a bad problem to have, since it means the Blue Jackets look to have a future dynamic duo on their hands.
Last week, we discussed whether Johnson might hit the seemingly inevitable rookie wall and thus far, he's been able to stay fairly consistent.
Sure, struggles will happen, but being able to rise above them more often than not has been in Johnson's favor. He hasn't gone longer than five games without a point this season and that happened between Dec. 23 and Jan. 5. Otherwise, he hasn't gone more than three games without a point.
Kent Johnson, Evolving-Hockey
To add a little more perspective per 5v5 metrics on Natural Stat Trick, Johnson's GF/60 is 2.67. Among all Blue Jackets players to play at least 500 minutes, the top four in that metric are Gaudreau (2.97), Boone Jenner (2.75), Johnson, and Patrik Laine (2.64).
Gaudreau has not missed a game this season and has accumulated 808:48 ice time (5v5). Johnson (585:10) has played three fewer games and is sixth among all forwards on the team in ice time. Jenner and Laine have of course missed significant time with injury. Johnson also averages 11:42 per game at 5v5 with is more than three minutes off the pace of Laine (14:55), Gaudreau (15:15), and Jenner (15:33) in similar situations.
In terms of players on the team with at least 500 minutes played this season at 5v5, and in addition to being third in GF/60, Johnson is second in GA/60 (2.77) and xGA/60 (2.65). On an individual level, among goals/60, Johnson ranks toward the top of the team (0.72) and is just behind Gaudreau (0.74). He ranks among the top in total assists/60 (1.13), first assists/60 (0.92), and total points/60 (1.85).
As the Blue Jackets take on the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, Johnson enters action fifth on the team in points and goals and fourth in assists.
