Jack Johnson

[loadie]

Uh buddy, I think you have the wrong Jack Johnson.

Here is the profile on the real Jack Johnson...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Johnson

Wow, and he can toss em too. This guy is the complete package for sure.

 

[Captain Conservative]

how does he compare to Phaneuf. Everything I'm hearing about Johnson sounds quite similar to the scouting report on Phaneuf. So are these two similar players?

I think Phaneuf is stronger and Johnson is faster with more acumen in the attacking zone. Other than that, I get the impression that they are very similar.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

I think Phaneuf is stronger and Johnson is faster with more acumen in the attacking zone. Other than that, I get the impression that they are very similar.

Yeah, Phaneuf of course is more physically mature, but IMO Johnson has an edge in most facets of the game. He's that good.

 

[Old Hickory]

I watched both Johnson and Crosby play at the Kings prospect camp.

Newsguyone's analysis was right on. Any team that ends up with him is going to be very happy for years to come.

 

[Postman]

how does he compare to Phaneuf. Everything I'm hearing about Johnson sounds quite similar to the scouting report on Phaneuf. So are these two similar players?

I think Johnson is on another level offensively, and is a better skater. Otherwise, they are very comparable.

 

[X-SHARKIE]

I could be wrong, but he seems to have more offensive talent than Hannan. To me, he seems like a young Scott Stevens. I know that comparison gets thrown around a lot, but it seems to fit Johnsons Style.

Hey I never said Offensively talented as Scott Hannan, he is much more talented then Scott. I just meant defensively. If you watched Scott Hannan work Peter Forsberg, you get an idea of what i'm talking about.

 

[Joe d]

Johnson is playing for the U-18 team because he is still in high school and being a top hockey player doesn't change the fact that you have to finish high school before playing in college. the alternative was to play junior hockey in canada making himself ineligible for college, but he is committed to michigan next year and decided to go the college route...it is the same exact route Ryan Suter took and it didn't hurt him...

and the notion that johnson is avoiding older, bigger, better competition is absolutely laughable considering that the U-18 team plays 17 (SEVENTEEN) games against NCAA D-1 schools...they have already faced Clarkson, St. Lawrence, Northern Michigan, Michigan Tech, Robert Morris, Harvard, and Brown and will face Notre Dame, New Hampshire, Dartmouth, Maine, Boston University, Michigan State (twice), Minnesota, Minnesota State, and Michigan

so he opted against playing junior hockey where he would face 16-20 year olds and instead is facing 18-22 year old college players and you call that 'avoiding' bigger & older competition?? he would have avoided it more by going to juniors...and of those 17 games, 8 of the teams are on michigan's schedule. so he is facing many of the same teams he would have faced if he was at michigan this year (michigan plays each team more times), but if he was a freshmen at michigan he would be buried on the depth charts and most likely wouldn't get key minutes. with the U-18 team, he is the #1 guy and has to face the other teams top line...so he is not only facing the SAME competent but he is doing it in a bigger role with a lesser supporting cast making it TOUGHER competition...

and then on top of those games, they just played the 4 nations against against the top under 18 players from sweden, finland, and switzerland. later in the year will play in the 5 nations against the top under 18 players from russia, czech republic, sweden and finland. Johnson could play for the US at the WJC, and then in april could join the rest of the U-18 team at the World U-18 Championships...

so the notion that he isn't facing quality competition is absolutely ridiculous and untrue...

and on top of that the idea that you facing lesser competition helps your draft position is complete bs too...facing lesser competition HURTS your draft position because you are considered less proven. the knock against blake wheeler before this years draft was that he only played against high school kids so you don't know what he could do against college players. that won't be the same for johnson since he will face college players, but the fact remains that johnson would have helped his draft position by heading to juniors not hurt it.

Oh , by the way, He'll be getting an education from one of the top schools in the country....

 

[sunb]

He sounds a lot like a younger Ed Jovanovski. But depending on the team that drafts Jack Johnson, he can range anywhere from a Jovanovski to a Ohlund in terms of his NHL game.

Both a team like Atlanta were to draft him, he could possibly make the NHL and scored 40+ points while committing a couple of defensive lapses per game. If a team like New Jersey were to draft him, he could possibly score 20+ points a game but play a mean, physical and defensive game.

 

[Postman]

Hey I never said Offensively talented as Scott Hannan, he is much more talented then Scott. I just meant defensively. If you watched Scott Hannan work Peter Forsberg, you get an idea of what i'm talking about.

I know where you're coming from re: the Hannan comparison. He looks very similar to him on the ice with the way he moves and how he handles his own end.

 

[Captain Conservative]

Hey I never said Offensively talented as Scott Hannan, he is much more talented then Scott. I just meant defensively. If you watched Scott Hannan work Peter Forsberg, you get an idea of what i'm talking about.

You're right, I didn't catch that on the first read of your post. My bad.

 

[Colt.45Orr]

Uh buddy, I think you have the wrong Jack Johnson.

Here is the profile on the real Jack Johnson...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Johnson

Nice... you outdid me

 

[EroCaps]

Why not Jack Johnson= Rob Blake - a couple "s.

 

[NYR469]

I could be wrong, but he seems to have more offensive talent than Hannan. To me, he seems like a young Scott Stevens. I know that comparison gets thrown around a lot, but it seems to fit Johnsons Style.

i think of a young chris chelios too...i like the stevens/chelios comparisions alot better then blake, pronger, jovocop, etc simply because stevens & chelios are much closer to johnson's size

but it should also be noted that the scott stevens of recent years isn't the same scott stevens that entered the league as an 18 year old 20 years ago...sometimes these comparisions can be misleading because people expect to see the current nhlers. phaneuf was called the 'next stevens' and i think some people took that to mean that he'd step in as the flames #1 dman, ignoring the fact that scott stevens went thru a progression and learning curve to get to where he is...(same goes for the valabik/chara comparision)

 

[HabLover]

Playing against college players while playing alongside fellow 17 year olds, it is not bad at all, but 12 games is tough to evaluate anyone on. 6 points in 4 games at the recent U-18 tourney for a tie for 2nd in scoring certainly suggests he has some offence. I wouldn't compare him to Leetch's offensive talents quite yet, although it sounds like Johnson throws more big hits in a game than Leetch did in his career.

I wouldn't consider his 6pts at the 4 Nations anything exceptional as 4pts came in one game against an inferior Finland team and same can be said for Sweden and obviously the Swiss. The 4 Nations really means nothing as there is really no talent there besides some of the players on the USA. I didn't see Canada, Russia, the Czechs, etc. at this tourney and you never will because the best from those countries are in the CHL or their own junior or senior leagues back home. It will be interesting to see if Johnson gets any consideration for the USA WJ Team for this year. He would probably be fine as the 7th D-man or so.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

I wouldn't consider his 6pts at the 4 Nations anything exceptional as 4pts came in one game against an inferior Finland team and same can be said for Sweden and obviously the Swiss. The 4 Nations really means nothing as there is really no talent there besides some of the players on the USA. I didn't see Canada, Russia, the Czechs, etc. at this tourney and you never will because the best from those countries are in the CHL or their own junior or senior leagues back home. It will be interesting to see if Johnson gets any consideration for the USA WJ Team for this year. He would probably be fine as the 7th D-man or so.

You're right, his performance was meaningless..... Anyway, IMO Johnson will be named to the U.S. squad, and he'll contribute more then as a 7th defenseman. He'll have a development arc similar to Ryan Suter I think.

 

[NYRangers]

Jack Johnson is like Leetch, size and offensive p;lay wise. He just hits like a train too. Or so I've heard.

 

[Sammy*]

Hey I never said Offensively talented as Scott Hannan, he is much more talented then Scott. I just meant defensively. If you watched Scott Hannan work Peter Forsberg, you get an idea of what i'm talking about.

With respect, I kinda chuckle when I see guys who are pretty big scorers as kids be compared to accomplished NHR's with the caveat that the young guy is better offensivly. Virtually every NHL player when he was in junior/college was very offensivly talented , but the difference between junior/college & the NHL is so enormous that very few can translate that gap into scoring at the NHL level. Hence even big scoring guy's in junior often become pluggers with hands of stone in the NHL.
The point of all this was that Hannan was offensivly gifted as a junior (in his last 3 years, 164g, 42g, 86a) & I am positive that guys on this board at that timewould have been comparing him to Mike Rathje, but saying Scott had way more offensive talent & where the same argument would apply.

 

[Postman]

Johnson with a goal tonight against Notre Dame.

Also, Kessel in his first game back from injury had a goal and an assist. It seems his wrist is just fine... although maybe not, as he only got one goal (heh).

EDIT: Gametracker just changed it to two goals and an assist for Kessel. So I guess he IS alright.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Johnson with a goal tonight against Notre Dame.

Also, Kessel in his first game back from injury had a goal and an assist. It seems his wrist is just fine... although maybe not, as he only got one goal (heh).

EDIT: Gametracker just changed it to two goals and an assist for Kessel. So I guess he IS alright.

This is great news. I fully expect both to be named to the U.S. WJC team.

 

[NYR469]

This is great news. I fully expect both to be named to the U.S. WJC team.

i hope so...i want to see him play

 

[NYR469]

interesting note on jack johnson being commited to michigan...he was the first 1987 player to commit to a school when he commited to michigan back in 2002 when he was only 14. at the time he wasn't even old enough to be recruited, ncaa teams can't contact a kid till their junior year but johnson called them

 

[X-SHARKIE]

With respect, I kinda chuckle when I see guys who are pretty big scorers as kids be compared to accomplished NHR's with the caveat that the young guy is better offensivly. Virtually every NHL player when he was in junior/college was very offensivly talented , but the difference between junior/college & the NHL is so enormous that very few can translate that gap into scoring at the NHL level. Hence even big scoring guy's in junior often become pluggers with hands of stone in the NHL.
The point of all this was that Hannan was offensivly gifted as a junior (in his last 3 years, 164g, 42g, 86a) & I am positive that guys on this board at that timewould have been comparing him to Mike Rathje, but saying Scott had way more offensive talent & where the same argument would apply.

Very valid point, at the point of the in 1997 Scott Hannan was a two way defenseman who competed hard defensively but had some holes on that side of the ice, which alot of young defenseman have. But his game devoloped into a very unexpected shut down defenseman role IMO. I was just comparing his defensive game to Scott Hannan of today, not 1997-1998 ect. That's why I said he's no Brian Leetch but Johnson is one skilled pup.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Johnson with a goal tonight against Notre Dame.

Also, Kessel in his first game back from injury had a goal and an assist. It seems his wrist is just fine... although maybe not, as he only got one goal (heh).

EDIT: Gametracker just changed it to two goals and an assist for Kessel. So I guess he IS alright.

Here are the details: http://www.uscho.com/recaps/20042005/m/11/19/other-nd.php


It sounds like Kessel played a very strong game (as did the team as a whole).

 

[Postman]

It sounds like Kessel played a very strong game (as did the team as a whole).

Yep. Can't wait to see him, along with the man in your new avatar at the WJC.

BTW, is that full-size pic from McKeen's? Because I only see the smaller ones on usahockey.com.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Yep. Can't wait to see him, along with the man in your new avatar at the WJC.

BTW, is that full-size pic from McKeen's? Because I only see the smaller ones on usahockey.com.

Yeah, the pic is from McKeen's. I ran it through some avatar resizing program to get it to spec. I haven't been this excited about an American born defensive prospect since Bryan Berard!!!