Jack Johnson's days in Columbus are, for all intents and purposes, finished.
It's a bittersweet farewell. Johnson arrived in Columbus during a turbulent time and made no bones about it: he wanted to help turn the franchise around. He enjoyed a solid run with the Blue Jackets, their most successful in team history, but GM Jarmo Kekalainen has gradually been re-making his defense.
That's not to say Johnson is a bad player. He's got brutal possession metrics and doesn't fare well defending decent competition, but he can still chip in offensively and has some puck skills.
A free agent to-be on July 1, Johnson is likely moving on. He fell down the depth chart this season and asked to be traded, then reportedly was close to signing an extension, and then it was quiet again. Take it to the bank: Johnson is moving on.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman mentioned Johnson in this week's 31 Thoughts column, and listed the Montreal Canadiens as a possible landing spot:
I do think Montreal is a stealth destination for unrestricted free-agent-to-be Jack Johnson.
The next NHL club would technically be Johnson's fourth (and third playing); he was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2005, then traded to Los Angeles and again dealt to Columbus in 2012.
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