Penguins sign D Jack Johnson: 5 yrs, $16.25 mil ($3.25 AAV)
Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2018 1:04 pm
No surprise, but it deserves a thread.
My previously posted scouting report on him...tough to swallow the notion of Letang, JMFJ and Oleksiak on the same blueline...
Jack Johnson (LD/RD) - A power forward playing defense, Johnson is an adventurous player even as a veteran. Very mobile in all directions with great agility, terrific lateral skating and cross-overs. He looks like a top-end athlete on the ice. He has good size and plays the game with physicality, sometimes even bullying players near his net. Generally, he is set up in a lower, crouched position and is ready to explode in any direction - whether that be quick-transition skating or to make a big hit up near the blueline. Johnson always supports the rush by widening out to the weak side usually even or ahead of the puck plane. He does this whether it is the proper time for it or not, with little regard to the other potential passing lanes in his area. Off of retrievals, Johnson snaps hard outlet passes routinely. He may have one of the snappiest breakout passes in the league in fact. Though sometimes that backfires - where he cuts it a little too fine up the middle and it leads to a turnover, or he ices it or he takes so long to find space for himself to unleash the pass that he runs himself right into trouble. He will throw his body into anything, anywhere, at any time. This leads to some questionable pinches to keep offensive plays alive, but with his first step quickness, he's a good bet to win a lot of 50/50 pucks. Johnson can hammer it from distance, but he's more of a threat to score from joining the rush or coming late down the middle with a wrist shot. He has the hands to be a factor in terms of carrying the puck but he is an over-handler in the NZ and when crossing the attack line, which creates turnovers. From a fundamental perspective, his defense is abysmal. He may be one of the worst defensive players in terms of regular rearguards in the whole league. Off the rush, he gets sucked out wide a ton and gives up the dot line, gives up the interior of the rink, sometimes he gets sucked out so high that he's the last man back into the play. When he is near the proper lane to defend, he over-extends his stick to the limits of his reach - not only painting a clear picture of his zone of control for his opponent but also leaving him out of position in most cases. Against sustained attacks he either gets pushed back way too deep and screens his goalie (if not bumps him) or he just starts chasing pucks around with no regard for positional integrity. He has no qualms going behind the net if another d-man is back there, he will go in the corner and stay there and get beat back to his net...he changes sides without any communication with his partner and is sometimes right on top of him as a result until his partner adjusts...it is tough to find a more aloof defenseman in the league on the ice as much as him. These are the same flaws he had at 17, with such limited hockey sense, there was little hope for growth in this area. Just a fundamental trainwreck and it's way too late to fix it. Tough player to judge because his physical traits and offensive skill set (minus his brain) are very much top-four caliber, his defensive play could not be reasonably construed as NHL capable.
Role: Mobile offensive defenseman who requires the “rhythm” of playing a lot of minutes but one who is tough to shelter for too long…tough to slot.
My previously posted scouting report on him...tough to swallow the notion of Letang, JMFJ and Oleksiak on the same blueline...
Jack Johnson (LD/RD) - A power forward playing defense, Johnson is an adventurous player even as a veteran. Very mobile in all directions with great agility, terrific lateral skating and cross-overs. He looks like a top-end athlete on the ice. He has good size and plays the game with physicality, sometimes even bullying players near his net. Generally, he is set up in a lower, crouched position and is ready to explode in any direction - whether that be quick-transition skating or to make a big hit up near the blueline. Johnson always supports the rush by widening out to the weak side usually even or ahead of the puck plane. He does this whether it is the proper time for it or not, with little regard to the other potential passing lanes in his area. Off of retrievals, Johnson snaps hard outlet passes routinely. He may have one of the snappiest breakout passes in the league in fact. Though sometimes that backfires - where he cuts it a little too fine up the middle and it leads to a turnover, or he ices it or he takes so long to find space for himself to unleash the pass that he runs himself right into trouble. He will throw his body into anything, anywhere, at any time. This leads to some questionable pinches to keep offensive plays alive, but with his first step quickness, he's a good bet to win a lot of 50/50 pucks. Johnson can hammer it from distance, but he's more of a threat to score from joining the rush or coming late down the middle with a wrist shot. He has the hands to be a factor in terms of carrying the puck but he is an over-handler in the NZ and when crossing the attack line, which creates turnovers. From a fundamental perspective, his defense is abysmal. He may be one of the worst defensive players in terms of regular rearguards in the whole league. Off the rush, he gets sucked out wide a ton and gives up the dot line, gives up the interior of the rink, sometimes he gets sucked out so high that he's the last man back into the play. When he is near the proper lane to defend, he over-extends his stick to the limits of his reach - not only painting a clear picture of his zone of control for his opponent but also leaving him out of position in most cases. Against sustained attacks he either gets pushed back way too deep and screens his goalie (if not bumps him) or he just starts chasing pucks around with no regard for positional integrity. He has no qualms going behind the net if another d-man is back there, he will go in the corner and stay there and get beat back to his net...he changes sides without any communication with his partner and is sometimes right on top of him as a result until his partner adjusts...it is tough to find a more aloof defenseman in the league on the ice as much as him. These are the same flaws he had at 17, with such limited hockey sense, there was little hope for growth in this area. Just a fundamental trainwreck and it's way too late to fix it. Tough player to judge because his physical traits and offensive skill set (minus his brain) are very much top-four caliber, his defensive play could not be reasonably construed as NHL capable.
Role: Mobile offensive defenseman who requires the “rhythm” of playing a lot of minutes but one who is tough to shelter for too long…tough to slot.
Torts will have November 24 circled on his calendar.