Just to be clear, Jack Johnson is definitely the most skilled defensive defensemen on Michigan and their #1 go-to guy in spots where they need to hold 1 goal leads or kill key penalties. And Michigan's roster of blue liners includes 2 other first round draft picks, and a senior captain who is a Bruins draft pick.
I would agree Parent is the more defensively responsible player, but Jack Johnson is very good defensively. And the offensive comparison isn't close. And I think someone said Parent was a much better skater. That is silly. Jack is an incredible skater. And an incredible skater with the puck. I feel no need to declare who is better in that attribute, but whoever is, the gap is quite small. Both are plus skaters.
Johnson is one of the 3 best defensive prospects of all teams. Some people rank Parent as only the #3 defensive prospect in the Nashville organization, behind both Klien and Franson.
Oh, and btw, to that guy who said he'd rather have JJ right now than Phaneuf....whoa, dude. I'm a BIG JJ fan, but that's just crazy. Phaneuf is an excellent walking, talking example of Jack Johnson's upside. But there's no guarantee he'll completely maximize his potential. Phaneuf is a stud who already has shown that he is maximizing his potential in the NHL.