JACK JOHNSON
This season: 41 games, 6 goals, 5 assists, 46 penalty minutes, 20:17 average ice time.
The good: When Johnson returned from his shoulder surgery, his first 10 or 12 games were dynamic, and they helped contribute to some of the best hockey the Kings played in 2008-09. Johnson was aggressive, played with an edge and gave every indication that he was ready to fulfill his long-presumed potential and be a two-way force.
The bad: Well, after those first 10-12 games, Johnson seemed to regress. A pairing with Drew Doughty, which seemed to have great potential at first, fizzled, and while Doughty “graduated,” and earned enough trust to move into a No. 1 pairing with fellow rookie Davis Drewiske, Johnson inherited Sean O’Donnell, seemingly a sign that the Kings needed to protect him a bit by pairing him with the stable veteran O’Donnell.
Going forward: One of the most interesting storylines of the summer will be Johnson’s contract negotiations. He doesn’t have arbitration rights, so there will have to be an agreement reached. Johnson’s new agent doesn’t have any other hockey clients, but he’s big in motorsports circles. Johnson didn’t tip his hand at the end of the season when asked about whether he would seek a long-term or short-term contract. Will these talks be easy (Brown, Kopitar) or difficult (Cammalleri, O’Sullivan)? The answer could determine whether or not Johnson will be a King in the long term.