Johnson: `This was kind of a (bad) year.'

Guess who's on the trading block next... O'Sulllivan anyone? :-)

Yeah talk about fans going ballistic if that happens...

Haha! Nope, I seriously doubt and hope - not. I think it's just a matter of such high expectations wrt JJ that anytime he has a defensive lapse it comes under more scrutiny. But hey, he carried the Goat on his back Saturday, so he can definitely get it done in the defensive end when necessary.

A full, healthy season next year will allow him to raise his game to the next level, imo.

I guess the good news is that he has no reason to hold out after this year so maybe they can get a deal done soon and we can move forward with our young guys all locked up for years to come....oh and Frolov, but I think DL will re-sign him, he knows he's a fan favorite and deserves a good contract for his play this year.

It's funny because he's reached his career high in goals, while only playing 24 games? DL needs to re-sign this kid, he's a part of the future and is one of the core players, along with drew doughty, anze kopitar, dustin brown, jonathan bernier, alexander frolov and patrick o'sullivan.. OOPS, forget Patty O'Sullivan..

Let's just pray that the contract negotiations with JMFJ won't go until next year and have him hold out, because we all know what happened between O'Sullivan and Dean.. Let's get the deal done ASAP, pleaseeeeeee.. He's going to be a very good defenseman soon, and we can't just deal him away..

Jack Johnson-Drew Doughty
Kyle Quincey-Matt Greene
Peter Harrold-Viatcheslav Voynov
Colten Teubert-Thomas Hickey
Alec Martinez-Andrew Campbell

Coming off his "bad year" I wonder what that translate in terms of numbers for his contract. I don't think he is going to get much now all things considered. Would be nice to lock him up for about 4 years in the 12-13 million dollar range. Something that pays 2.5 for the first two years, 3.5 in the third and 4 in the fourth. At this stage he isn't worth more than Brown.

Yeah, just youtube search for JMFJ. His agent should show DL these videos during contract negotiations, might get him some extra cash!! HAHA, JMFJ should be staying put. He will be great at this level too.

Gotta think Jack's agent winced at him saying publicly that "he had a bad year". Even if its obvious, for Jack to say it gives Dean ammo in negotiations. I didn't know he was -15 in 24 games, thats pretty atrocious.

Having Jack "looking forward to next year" and basically write off this year while the Kings are still in the playoff race is not a good sign at all. Add to that the contract situation... These are the type of people that Dean Lombardi has shipped out to other teams on a regular basis. Jack is a really good defenseman on the verge of becoming great. I hope that Kings management doesn't give up on him too soon.

It's good to see JJ admit that this year was a wash for him. He needs to improve his basic defensive game. Then hopefully he can move on to be that dominating player that he was projected to be. But one thing he I don't think can be is a Dion Phaneuf kind of player in this league. At best he can be a poor man's version.

Roger

Now guys, don't throw out the baby with the bathwater. DL knows JJ is a good player and I think his threshold for discarding him should be relatively high.

In terms of who JJ "could be", he still has room to improve. I think that depends on his attitude. By the comments he made above, it sounds like he is down on himself. As a player, he'll need to wrok through this. A few strong games at the end of this season should help.

If he does grow, I think the money will come, hopefully from the LAK. Just my $.02

I definitely get that he's discouraged with his season and maybe even a little miffed about the recent cutback in ice time, but Drunken is right, there is no way he should be talking about this season in the fricking past tense!!!!!! That reeks of the team coming second to the individual. How better to establish himself than to carry this team into the playoffs and win a round.

Defensemen take longer to grow. DL and TM do know this. Drew is an amazing oddity. Jack will be fine and will not be on the block.

I was a little dissapointed initially after reading his comments, but then I read them again and see it differently. Nothing inflammatory. Rich specifically asked him how he would look over the season when it is over, hence the past tense. Jack also summed that up saying, "I'm just trying to make the best out of the cards I've been dealt and play the best I can the rest of the year.'' And that's all you can ask from the kid.

Hey, he missed half the season in what has turned out to be a somewhat milestone year for the Kings. Of course that's a bit of a bad year for him personally! What if he'd been here all along? He's just now going through the proving it stage to Murry while the rest of the team has had all season for that.

If JJ and DL have a contrct dispute, JJ will suffer the wrath of the hockey genius.
He'll trade JJ to the Quebec Nordiques.

Drunken and Goon Squad...I was thinking the same thing after reading it.
I read a lot of "I" and not a lot of team.
Is it a bad year? How about answering...not if we make the playoffs.
I'll just have to wait till next year to establish myself? How about establishing yourself the rest of the year and playoffs. I get the impression of a guy playing for the contract.
I hope I'm wrong because he's an incredible talent...but if he becomes a "me" guy, he won't be here very long. He'll also be moving around the NHL a lot. Kind of a Cammy guy.

It could easily be that he's immature...lets hope.
Who was it that mentioned him as a possible "A" for this season? Now I can see why not.

Rich would have a much better perspective on it as far as how he really came across....Trying to read between the lines is like looking at a players body language...