Player Discussion: Kent Johnson - Winger or Center?

[cbjthrowaway]

This team is screwing up KJ’s development. No surprise, the Jackets are masters at it.

this board loves to complain about the jackets rushing guys, but then there's this.

Playing in the AHL might have been the right call but a call that should have been made last year. Instead they play him in the NHL all year where he ends up 5th in rookie scoring. No wonder he thought he was an established NHLer and surprised when sent down.

he looked better in the NHL last year than he did this year. last year, he looked like he belonged, as much as a young player with his type of game can look the part. this year he looked like his confidence was shot.

Theres more to development than just the physical, on ice stuff. There’s also the mental and relationship element, components where Jarmo consistently fails. Hopefully KJ hasn’t lost trust in the organization that comes back to do future damage.

sending him to the AHL was the correct decision for his development. it also gives him an opportunity to play center, play on the top power play, and play big minutes every night. none of those things were happening in the NHL.

confidence is part of the 'mental' component of development. the relationship between the player and org is a different thing entirely – and that's where the AHL thing gets a bit hairy with KJ – but it was still the best thing for him on the ice.

imo it will all end up being water under the bridge if he stays at center (and in a top six role) when they bring him back up. by all accounts he already understands the team's plan – seeing it to fruition may create more trust in the end.

 

[EDM]

Major, you and I can go back & forth. But the fact is he was in the Press Box on Opening Night. And that certainly suggests things were not copasetic between Pascal and KJ. I tend to think that tips toward my perspective rather than yours..

 

[VT]

Major, you and I can go back & forth. But the fact is he was in the Press Box on Opening Night. And that certainly suggests things were not copasetic between Pascal and KJ. I tend to think that tips toward my perspective rather than yours..

In one game, both Severson and Gaudreau did not play most of the third period. Marchenko was healthy scratch two games, Laine even in the two-plus was a healthy scratch. And I'm not mentioning Boqvist. And you're surprised Kent didn't play? He played bad in the preseason so was in the Press Box.

 

[DEF]

KJ recalled.

 

[NotWendell]

Hmmm. Who sits?

 

[EspenK]

KJ recalled.

Kid figured out his game real quick and now ready to really help the Jackets in their playoff drive.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Hmmm. Who sits?

Lines in practice suggest it’s Robinson

 

[Doggy]

Did not see the game, how did KJ look on Friday?

As for him down in AHL, was hoping he would buddy up with Malatesta and he'd become a workout fiend to bold some strength.

 

[Aaaarrgghh]

Very good game from Johnson against Toronto. Hopefully he keeps it up and all the apocalyptic talk about how Columbus are ruining him can end once and for all.

 

[Cowumbus]

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Seems like winger. For now at least.

The question that is out there is "by when do you really need to decide/does there come a point ever at which you need to decide"?

 

[stevo61]

Seems like winger. For now at least.

The question that is out there is "by when do you really need to decide/does there come a point ever at which you need to decide"?

Probably before he retires is a good time

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Probably before he retires is a good time

I will take this under advisement.

 

[CBJx614]

Seems like winger. For now at least.

The question that is out there is "by when do you really need to decide/does there come a point ever at which you need to decide"?

@majormajor and I talked about this awhile ago, Jenner didn't move over to center full time until sometime between 2017-2019. Granted he was taking significantly more draws than Johnson has been, but it's possible that Johnson plays wings for the entirety of his ELC and bridge and starts playing center sometime during/after

 

[BB88]

Seems like winger. For now at least.

The question that is out there is "by when do you really need to decide/does there come a point ever at which you need to decide"?

Good thing they have Voronkov and another top5/10 pick coming up so the 2C position doesn’t seem as desperate

For the question by early next season, if he’s not a C coming from that camp I’ll never believe he will be

 

[stevo61]

I will take this under advisement.

Sounds like a smart ass answer but I think its true. I dont think there has to be a "center by this stage of the career or not at all". He had a lot of things to improve on like strength and just the NHL game in general so I can see why you dont overload him with learning all of the center duties.

There are guys like Giroux, Aho, Zetterberg, etc drafted as wingers that converted to center but I dont know hoe long that took for any of them to be full time centers.

 

[majormajor]

The fact that our Kent Johnson thread is titled "winger or center?" is funny to me because it is not nearly that important of a question. The way he plays, he'll do his thing at any position. As far as the timing of switching over, it doesn't matter either! There is no clock that runs out on that possibility.

 

[majormajor]

These folks have no context. When he started the year, his analytic rating would have been closer to zero. He didn't have that confidence. He got his confidence back in the AHL. Why do people think it's bad that a player gets time in the AHL?

 

[Marioesque]

Seems like winger. For now at least.

The question that is out there is "by when do you really need to decide/does there come a point ever at which you need to decide"?

For him I'd look at a Sebastian Aho route. Both smallish players, took Aho couple of seasons of wing in the NHL to get back to C again but he's stayed as C since. Should probably be a C now and let him grow into it.

 

[Cowumbus]

These folks have no context. When he started the year, his analytic rating would have been closer to zero. He didn't have that confidence.

Yeah, this is after 17 GP though.

He got his confidence back in the AHL. Why do people think it's bad that a player gets time in the AHL?

I don’t know if that is their point, but I don’t think it is. Seems like they are saying he should not go back down due to his play at this point in the year.

 

[BB88]

These folks have no context. When he started the year, his analytic rating would have been closer to zero. He didn't have that confidence. He got his confidence back in the AHL. Why do people think it's bad that a player gets time in the AHL?

Because it’s Columbus, they do everything wrong

If they take time to develop their younger players ”nobody” understands why the are doing it because they are losing and if they play the kids on a losing team they are rushing them to win now

 

[koteka]

So, after the road trip, what is the argument against giving Kent Johnson 10 or more games in a row at center?

Trying to win? Ok, but that is a very short term outlook.

Doesn‘t play well enough as a wing? Wasn’t PLD’s dad’s advice to Torts to play PLD at center because it forced him to stay more involved in the game. Maybe KJ needs something similar.

He is more valuable as a trade piece if people don’t know whether he can play center or not than if he plays center and fails? Man, that is even more cynical than something I’d say about this team.

We have plenty of better centers?

It is time to see what this kid could do as a center.

 

[stevo61]

So, after the road trip, what is the argument against giving Kent Johnson 10 or more games in a row at center?

Trying to win? Ok, but that is a very short term outlook.

Doesn‘t play well enough as a wing? Wasn’t PLD’s dad’s advice to Torts to play PLD at center because it forced him to stay more involved in the game. Maybe KJ needs something similar.

He is more valuable as a trade piece if people don’t know whether he can play center or not than if he plays center and fails? Man, that is even more cynical than something I’d say about this team.

We have plenty of better centers?

It is time to see what this kid could do as a center.

Id be happy to see them try anything really. The trying to win thing isnt going so well so maybe start putting young guys in better positions. Hell Id be happy with him on the wing just as long as its off a line we know doesnt work.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

So, after the road trip, what is the argument against giving Kent Johnson 10 or more games in a row at center?

Trying to win? Ok, but that is a very short term outlook.

Doesn‘t play well enough as a wing? Wasn’t PLD’s dad’s advice to Torts to play PLD at center because it forced him to stay more involved in the game. Maybe KJ needs something similar.

He is more valuable as a trade piece if people don’t know whether he can play center or not than if he plays center and fails? Man, that is even more cynical than something I’d say about this team.

We have plenty of better centers?

It is time to see what this kid could do as a center.

Hard to fight against anything here. Especially with Fantilli out. There’s an open opportunity at center in the short term, and if he sticks there you could be set down the middle for a while

Jenner
Fantilli
Johnson
Sillinger/Voronkov

We already know Kuraly can play 4C. And if Kj is overwhelmed at center you can park him back on the wing for a game or so.

What’s the worst that can happen? He struggles and loses confidence? Isn’t he doing that right now anyway?

 

[DoingItCoolKiwi]

Trying to win? Ok, but that is a very short term outlook.

Short-term outlook is the only one there is when no one knows how the new GM will run things. Naturally everybody wants to keep their jobs, and the safest way to do that is to show improvement by winning.