With a need for goal-scoring, pace, a right-handed shot, and playoff experience, the Boston Bruins went shopping, signing forward to a professional tryout contract, the team said.
In 738 career games, Johnson has 431 points and 193 goals. The Spokane, WA native also has a lengthy playoff record, having collected 65 points and 32 goals in 116 career postseason games.
Johnson, who stands five-foot-eight and weighs 185 pounds, deviates from the pattern set by the Bruins’ other offseason arrivals. After focusing on height and physicality earlier this summer, Johnson adds a taste of ability and agility to the roster.
However, Johnson’s status on the Bruins’ roster is not guaranteed while on PTO. Instead, he will have to battle with some of the team’s rising stars for one during training camp.
Johnson, who can play both center and wing, has several potential roles in Boston’s lineup.
The Bruins presently have a hole on the right side of their middle six, which top prospect Fabian Lysell, along with other new offseason additions Max Jones and Riley Tufte, will compete for.
Johnson might also make the opening night roster as the third-line pivot if he can beat out Matthew Poitras, who had an injury-shortened season last year.
Bruins training camp officially begins on September 18, with the team’s rookie camp beginning the week before, on September 11.
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