Kent Johnson To Miss Time With An Upper-Body Injury
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson (upper body) is expected to be out for a while. Blue Jackets head coach Dean Evason told reporters on Saturday morning that Johnson's injury is not short-term. Johnson was hurt versus Buffalo on Thursday and will miss his first game of the season on Saturday when the Blue Jackets host Minnesota. Before getting injured, the 22-year-old was off to an excellent start to the season, notching five points (two goals, three assists) in four games. Johnson's absence will give Zach Aston-Reese an opportunity to impress in a top-six role on Saturday. He collected his first point of the season with the game-winning goal in Thursday's 6-4 victory over Buffalo.
Kent Johnson Faces Spell On Sidelines With An Upper-Body Injury
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson sustained an upper-body injury in Thursday's matchup against Buffalo and could be out for a while. He was involved in a collision with teammate James van Riemsdyk and appeared to have hurt his left arm/hand. Blue Jackets head coach Dave Evason said after the game Johnson's injury "didn't look good." The 22-year-old is set to undergo further evaluation on Friday. The Blue Jackets have already lost defenseman Erik Gudbranson (upper body) in a similar incident this week. Johnson has had a great start to the campaign with five points (two goals, three assists) in four games and joined the top-six for Thursday's action. His injury will allow Kevin Labanc to draw back into the lineup. Labanc collected assists in back-to-back games before being scratched on Thursday in favor of Justin Danforth, who made his season debut.
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson has fully recovered from shoulder surgery ahead of training camp. "It's great," Johnson told Blue Jackets beat writer Jeff Svoboda of his rehab. "I got cleared 100 percent like almost a month and a half ago, like five weeks. I think I was pretty lucky. I had great people with the staff helping me. It was a really fast recovery and a good recovery, I think." A torn labrum in his left shoulder ended Johnson's season early in 2023-24, as the 21-year-old was limited to only 42 appearances. He registered six goals and 10 assists. Johnson recently signed a three-year, $5.4 million contract extension with the Blue Jackets and is expected to fill a top-six role in the upcoming campaign.
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson has signed a three-year, $5.4 million contract extension with the team. The 21-year-old, who was a restricted free agent, will carry a $1.8 million cap hit with the deal. Despite his tender age, Johnson already has 130 NHL games under his belt. He boasts 22 goals and 59 points. Johnson registered 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in 42 appearances in 2023-24 before his campaign was ruined by a shoulder injury. Blue Jackets Don Waddell expects Johnson to be "a very important part" of the club going forward. He is projected to start next season on the second line.
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson is set to have season-ending shoulder surgery, the team announced on Sunday. The news comes after Johnson suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder in a game against the Rangers earlier in the week. The 21-year-old, who was the fifth pick in the 2021 NHL draft, ends his sophomore campaign with six goals and 16 points in 42 games. Alexandre Texier has replaced Johnson on Columbus' third line.
Kent Johnson Out Indefinitely With Upper-Body Injury
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson will be sidelined indefinitely due to an upper-body injury. He managed to get through Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the New York Rangers but was injured at some point during the contest. The 2021 fifth-overall pick has notched six goals and 16 points across 42 games, a little bit of a disappointing season considering he registered 16 goals and 40 points in 79 games as a rookie last season. Johnson was demoted to the American Hockey League earlier in the season where he recorded a healthy five goals and 15 points across just 10 games for the Cleveland Monsters. The University of Michigan product will be replaced in the lineup by Alexandre Texier on Thursday versus the Carolina Hurricanes.
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson had his best performance of the season in Thursday's 6-5 overtime victory against the Maple Leafs. The 21-year-old added an assist and scored two goals, including the game-winning goal in overtime to finish with a season-high of three points in the contest. Johnson has improved his play since being recalled from the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL, as the fifth overall pick from the 2021 NHL Draft has totaled six points and a plus-five rating over the previous four games.
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson has been recalled from Cleveland of the American Hockey League on Thursday. The 2021 fifth-overall pick cracked the Blue Jackets' roster out of camp but struggled with just one goal and three points in eight games while registering just 11 shots on goal. Johnson fared far better in Cleveland, however, as he recorded five goals and 15 points in 10 games alongside a plus-five rating with the Monsters. The 21-year-old tallied a solid 16 goals and 40 points in 79 games as a 20-year-old rookie last season and will look to get his game back on track at the NHL level moving forward. Johnson takes the roster spot of defenseman Damon Severson, who was placed on injured reserve on Thursday.
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