Blue Jackets ink Johnson to 3-year, $5.4M contract
The Columbus Blue Jackets signed forward Kent Johnson to a three-year contract with a $1.8-million cap hit, the team announced Saturday.
Johnson, 21, tallied six goals and 16 points in 42 games last season. He was sent down to the AHL's Cleveland Monsters in November and registered 15 points in 10 contests.
Columbus drafted Johnson fifth overall in 2021 out of the University of Michigan.
"Kent Johnson is an exciting young player with tremendous upside, and we are happy that he will continue to grow and develop as a Blue Jacket," president and general manager Don Waddell said in a statement. "He is just beginning to scratch the surface of what he can be as a player, and we believe he will be a very important part of our hockey club moving forward."
Johnson's last campaign ended early when he sustained a torn shoulder labrum on Feb. 29 against the New York Rangers.
As a rookie in 2022-23, Johnson tallied 16 goals and 40 points in 79 games. He's totaled 22 goals and 59 points in 130 contests with the Blue Jackets.
Internationally, Johnson featured for Canada at the Olympics, World Championship, and world junior, where he netted the gold-medal-winning goal against Finland.
The Blue Jackets have $15.3 million of cap space after the signing, according to PuckPedia.