Blue Jackets fans can breathe a (small) sigh of relief.
When Kent Johnson tripped over a sliding James van Riemsdyk and landed awkwardly on his shoulder nearly two weeks ago, there was palpable tension inside Nationwide Arena as Johnson gingerly skated off the ice.
A promising young player – seemingly on the verge of breaking out and establishing himself as a budding star in the NHL – was sidelined again by another shoulder injury. Two days after Erik Gudbranson suffered a serious injury colliding with Sean Monahan, it felt as if the Blue Jackets needed some sort of dark magic to assuage the early-season injury barrage.
But Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reporting encouraging news on Johnson, who apparently will not need surgery on his shoulder. He is still expected to miss "significant time."
The Blue Jackets have instituted a new club policy limiting information on injuries, including the nature of injuries and anticipated recovery times.
#CBJ Kent Johnson will not need surgery on his left shoulder, GM Don Waddell confirms.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) October 25, 2024
Johnson still will miss significant time (no specifics provided), but doctors believe injury can be treated with rehabilitation.
Johnson, 22, had five points (two goals and three assists) in not even four complete games before sustaining the injury in a win over the Buffalo Sabres.
The Port Moody, B.C. native had shoulder surgery earlier this year and had made a complete recovery in time for the 2024-25 season.
This story will be updated.
