Per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, Johnson will not require surgery on his left shoulder, general manager Don Waddell said Friday.
Johnson was injured Oct. 17 versus the Sabres. The Blue Jackets' medical staff thinks that the injury can be treated with rehab but that Johnson will be out indefinitely. Johnson was off to a hot start with two goals and five points in four games, showing why he was selected fifth overall in the 2021 Draft.
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Blue Jackets' Kent Johnson: Not a short-term injury
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Per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, Johnson (upper body) will not be out "short term," according to coach Dean Evason.
After an injury-shortened 2023-24 in which the 21-year-old forward had six goals and 10 assists in 42 regular-season appearances, Johnson started the 2024-25 campaign with a bang, scoring twice and adding three assists in four games. Johnson's absence will sting because the Columbus lineup has already been depleted by injuries this season.
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Blue Jackets' Kent Johnson: Outlook not good
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Johnson's upper-body injury looks like it will cost him time, but the Blue Jackets will know more on the 21-year-old's status Friday, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports.
Head coach Dean Evason had a similar reaction to Johnson's injury as the one Erik Gudbranson (upper body) suffered earlier in the week, which landed the defenseman on injured reserve. Johnson was off to a great start with five points in four appearances this season, but it looks like his potential breakout campaign will be paused. Kevin Labanc would likely draw back into the lineup if Johnson is officially ruled out for Saturday's game versus the Wild.
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Blue Jackets' Kent Johnson: Exits game due to upper-body injury
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Johnson left Thursday's game against Buffalo due to an upper-body injury and won't return.
Johnson registered an assist in 6:26 of ice time before exiting the contest. The Blue Jackets' next game is Saturday against Minnesota. If Johnson isn't available for that clash, then Kevin Labanc might draw into the lineup.
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Blue Jackets' Kent Johnson: Tallies in consecutive games
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Johnson scored a goal on two shots in Saturday's 6-4 win over the Avalanche.
Johnson stretched the Blue Jackets' lead to 2-0 in the first period. The 21-year-old has two goals, one assist and six shots on net over the first two games of the year. More impressively, he led all Columbus forwards with 21:30 of ice time despite beginning the game in a third-line role. He's poised for a breakout campaign after being limited to 16 points in 42 contests in 2023-24. He had a 40-point rookie year in 2022-23, and if he finds his way into a top-six role, he'll have a good chance of pushing past that mark.
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Blue Jackets' Kent Johnson: Scores, assists in loss to Wild
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Johnson notched a goal and a power-play assist in Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Wild.
Johnson was the Blue Jackets' best player in this game and was directly involved in the team's two goals, slotting a wrist shot past Filip Gustavsson in the early stages of the second period and then setting up Zach Werenski's power-play goal in the third. Johnson notched 16 points in 42 contests during the 2023-24 campaign, and it wouldn't be surprising to see the 21-year-old forward surpass that tally in 2024-25 as long as he remains healthy.
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Blue Jackets' Kent Johnson: Bags goal in Friday loss
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Johnson scored an unassisted goal on three shots in Friday's 7-3 preseason loss to the Penguins
Johnson's goal in the second period halted a red-hot Pittsburgh offense that had scored five unanswered goals, erasing a strong start from the Blue Jackets. Johnson has looked healthy in the preseason after undergoing shoulder surgery in March. The 21-year-old forward will likely see plenty of ice time in the top six and power play in 2024-25. He notched 16 points in 42 contests during the 2023-24 campaign before the shoulder injury ended his year prematurely.
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Blue Jackets' Kent Johnson: Good to go ahead of 2024-25
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Johnson is fully healthy after undergoing shoulder surgery in March, per Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site
Johnson will be ready for the start of training camp after recovering from shoulder surgery. The fifth overall selection of the 2021 NHL Draft looks to be a fixture in the top-six forward group for Columbus going forward. The 21-year-old notched 16 points in 42 contests before incurring his shoulder injury last season. Overall in his three-year NHL career, Johnson has 59 points in 130 games.
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Blue Jackets' Kent Johnson: Inks three-year deal
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Johnson (shoulder) signed a three-year, $5.4 million contract with the Blue Jackets on Saturday.
Johnson was a restricted free agent this summer after finishing his entry-level contract. He had six goals and 16 points in 42 appearances with Columbus in 2023-24. Johnson didn't play past Feb. 28 due to a torn labrum that resulted in surgery. His initial recovery timetable of six months should make him available for the start of training camp, assuming there are no setbacks.
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Blue Jackets' Kent Johnson: Done for the year
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Johnson will undergo surgery for a torn labrum and miss the rest of the 2023-24 season, Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site reports.
Johnson tallied just six goals and 16 points through 42 NHL games this season. He also racked up 15 points during a 10-game stint with AHL Cleveland. The 21-year-old will spend the offseason recovering and an update on his status for training camp should be available later in the summer.
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Blue Jackets' Kent Johnson: Sidelined indefinitely
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Johnson will be out indefinitely with an upper-body injury, the Blue Jackets announced Thursday.
The club didn't provide a significant update on Johnson's timeline but the fact that it used the term indefinitely certainly doesn't suggest he's facing a short-term absence. The 21-year-old center is currently mired in a 19-game goal drought during which he's managed just three assists and 29 shots while averaging 13:35 of ice time. Unless Alexandre Texier (illness) is ready to play, the Jackets will presumably need to recall a forward from AHL Cleveland ahead of Thursday's clash with Carolina.
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Blue Jackets' Kent Johnson: Notches helper in loss
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Johnson posted an assist in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Oilers.
Johnson has two goals and two assists over his last 10 contests. The 21-year-old remains in a third-line role, which is a spot that isn't likely to lead to sustained offense. Johnson has six goals, nine helpers, 45 shots on net and a plus-2 rating through 30 appearances this season.
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Blue Jackets' Kent Johnson: Scoring surge continues
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Johnson scored his sixth goal of the season in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Bruins.
The young sniper supplied Columbus' only offense on the night, beating Linus Ullmark just under his glove on a wicked shot from the slot early in the second period. Johnson has come on strong since being called back up from AHL Cleveland at the start of December -- over the last 12 games he's delivered five goals and 10 points.
Blue Jackets' Kent Johnson: Two points against Sabres
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Johnson picked up a goal and an assist in Tuesday's 9-4 win over Buffalo.
The 21-year-old put the finishing touches on the rout in the third period, helping to set up Cole Sillinger for Columbus' eighth tally before wiring home the team's ninth on a quick one-timer from the slot. Johnson took a few games to get going after his return from AHL Cleveland, but he's produced three multi-point performances in the last six contests, racking up three goals and eight points over that stretch.
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Blue Jackets' Kent Johnson: First career three-point game
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Johnson scored twice and added an assist in a 6-5 overtime win over the Maple Leafs on Thursday.
He ended his first career three-point game with a sizzling top-shelf snipe from the right dot in overtime to seal the win. Johnson has turned the page on his early-season struggles and demotion. In seven games since his recall, he has six points (two goals, four assists), all of which have come in his last four contests. Remarkably, Johnson also finished plus-4 Thursday, even with the Jackets' complete collapse in the third period where they allowed five unanswered goals. Johnson has just five shots in those four games and clearly needs to shoot more, especially with the kind of world-class release he showed against the Leafs.
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Blue Jackets' Kent Johnson: Earns helper Friday
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Johnson managed an assist in Friday's 5-2 win over the Blues.
Johnson has three assists over five games since he was recalled from AHL Cleveland. All of those points have come over the last two contests. The 21-year-old forward is up to one goal, five assists, 16 shots on net, 10 blocked shots and a minus-1 rating through 13 outings overall. He's still a player to hold onto in dynasty formats, but Johnson's bottom-six role currently doesn't offer much hope for him returning value in redraft formats.
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Blue Jackets' Kent Johnson: Practices on top line
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Johnson practiced on the top line during Thursday's practice, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports.
Johnson was called up Thursday after Wednesday's disappointing loss in Montreal. Blue Jackets head coach Pascal Vincent put his lines in a blender and came up with Johnson in a top-six role upon his return to Columbus following an impressive five goals and 15 points in 10 games at AHL Cleveland. Columbus desperately needs offense, and Johnson could deliver. Vincent added that the team doesn't want Johnson yo-yoing between the NHL and AHL, indicating he's here to stay.
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Blue Jackets' Kent Johnson: Ascends to top level
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Johnson was recalled from AHL Cleveland on Thursday.
Johnson seemed lost when he was sent to the minors Nov. 4, as he had only a goal and two assists in eight games. It seems the trip to the minors did wonders for the fifth overall pick in the 2021 Draft, as Johnson had five goals and 15 points in 10 games with the Monsters. The Blue Jackets are in dire need of scoring as they sit 24th in NHL scoring. Look for Johnson to get a top-nine role at this time and expect to see him as a top-six forward in the near future.
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Blue Jackets' Kent Johnson: Continues to thrive in AHL
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Johnson has registered five goals and 15 points in 10 games since being reassigned to AHL Cleveland, but there's still no clear timeline for his return to the Blue Jackets, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports.
"It's [about] getting stronger physically, and it's not his fault. He's doing everything right," Columbus coach Pascal Vincent said Friday. "He's just built that way, and now we've created [an off-ice] program for him to improve his ability to win those one-on-one battles. This is great that he's scoring goals, but it's more than points." Johnson is still only 21 and scored 40 points in 79 games as a rookie last season, so the Blue Jackets still view him as a key part of their future. It might take an injury or trade to open up a spot for him in the NHL in the short term, however.
