Penguins A to Z: Jack Johnson has a place in Pittsburgh, for now
While the NHL is on hold due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 55 individuals under NHL contract with the organization, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to high-profile trade acquisition Jason Zucker.
Player: Jack Johnson
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Left
Age: 33
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 227 pounds
2019-20 NHL statistics: 67 games, 11 points (three goals, seven assists)
Contract: Second year of a five-year contract with a salary cap hit of $3.25 million. Pending unrestricted free agent in 2023
Acquired: Unrestricted free-agent signing, July 1, 2018
This season: Johnson isn’t nearly as bad as his most ardent detractors will have you believe. But he is not nearly as good as the Penguins would have hoped when they signed him to a long contract nearly two years ago.
An adequate skater when the NHL was slower a decade ago, his speed hasn’t kept up with the hypersonic trajectory the league has taken on in the ensuing years.
If he can be sheltered on a third pairing, as the Penguins have tried to do, he can be a low-risk player.
But if he has to play a prominent role on the top pairing, as the Penguins have been forced to do because of injuries, that’s where trouble can happen.
By the time the season came to a halt in mid-March, the Penguins defense had a full complement of players, and Johnson was back on the third pairing.
Before that, throughout December, January and February, Johnson was elevated to the top pairing alongside Kris Letang because of a long-term injury to defenseman Brian Dumoulin. During the early stages of that deployment, Johnson appeared to be capable of fulfilling that role but began to struggle in several games before Dumoulin’s return.
(Video courtesy NHL)
One area where Johnson is steadily entrenched is the penalty kill as he and Letang lead the team’s defensemen with an average of 2 minutes, 12 seconds of short-handed ice time per game. Oftentimes, Johnson is the first over the boards to defend opposing five-on-three power-play opportunities.
The future: For better or worse, the Penguins are all in on Johnson in the immediate sense. His spot in the lineup is secure if the NHL resumes the 2019-20 campaign.
As far as beyond this season, Johnson’s status will always be in question as long as the Penguins still have his contract. They tried to trade him at least once last offseason. A would-be deal involving Johnson and former forward Phil Kessel to the Minnesota Wild was nixed because of a clause in Kessel’s deal.
And considering the NHL’s salary cap will — at best — remain stagnant because of the hiatus, the Penguins face a considerable crunch with restricted free agents such as goaltenders Tristan Jarry, Matt Murray and forward Jared McCann. Johnson’s contract could be one they look to shed.
Long term, the Penguins could consider something along the lines of a buyout or find a trade partner willing to take on the final years of his deal, similar to how the Washington Capitals traded defenseman Brooks Orpik to the Colorado Avalanche during the 2018 offseason as he entered the final year of a five-year deal. The Avalanche almost immediately bought out Orpik, who then re-signed with the Capitals on a one-year contract.
Many times, teams will offer a lengthy contract — such as Johnson’s — with the prospect of that player not fulfilling the terms as being a probability.
Even under ideal circumstances, Johnson was always a candidate for that fate.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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