Is Kent Johnson back?
If early returns are any indication, he just may be.
The Columbus Blue Jackets won their first preseason game with a 3-0 win at home over the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday at Nationwide Arena.
Johnson had a two-point night, sealing the victory with an empty-net goal at 19:20 of the third period, and he also had an assist on Denton Mateychuk's first-period goal at 18:59.
Wednesday's contest was Johnson's first game after a torn labrum ended his season back in February. Having had surgery in March, the injury typically comes with a six-month recovery, which originally pitted him for being able to resume play right around now.
By all accounts, he looked better than ever.
I know this is only preseason game No. 2, but this is a new and improved Kent Johnson for the #CBJ ... he is all over it, has boosted his skating explosiveness (small area quickness etc) and is playing with all kinds of confidence. Fun to watch.
— Brian Hedger (@BrianHedger) September 26, 2024
.@BobbyMacSports on the air tonight said that Kent Johnson entering the zone with the puck reminded him of the way Johnny Gaudreau entered the zone.
— Mark Scheig (@mark_scheig) September 26, 2024
Couldn't have thought of a better comparison there. #CBJ
In addition to a two-point night, he was plus-two with five shots on net, the latter of which tied Yegor Chinakhov for the team lead.
Ed Francis recapped the Blue Jackets' 3-0 win and provided the following on Johnson:
Kent Johnson has made Marathon-esque strides from last season. He was the best player on the ice Wednesday night — on either team. There was confidence, there was smart decision-making, and there was a sense that he was in control of the ice with and without the puck. He had the primary assist on Denton Mateychuk's first-period goal (more on him in a moment), and the empty-net goal to seal the game was well-deserved. His condition was evident, too: 18:34 of ice time was the most he'd seen since the 2022-23 season. As teammate Sean Kuraly put it: "You guys saw it for the first time with all the lights tonight. We've been seeing that for a couple weeks." This could be a breakout season for Johnson.
"I heard prior to coming here what a rink rat he was," Evason said about Johnson following Wednesday's win.
"What we really liked about him this camp is the pace that he's playing the game at. He's got tremendous stick skills obviously. He's playing the game at a fast pace. And that's not only offensively.
"That speed is very intimidating to defenseman but it's also a benefit when you're playing through the neutral zone and you're playing in the (defensive) zone so that's the type of game that we want to play as a group: Energy, aggressive, fast-paced, and he's doing it in all three zones."
The Blue Jackets continue their preseason leg in D.C. to take on the Washington Capitals on Friday night from Capital One Arena at 7:00 p.m. ET.
