Anaheim Ducks Rumor Rundown: Free Agent Jack Johnson

For 29 NHL teams, the off-season has already started. It’s a time of year ripe with speculation. This week we take a look at some of the juicier rumors floating around the Anaheim Ducks.

One of the things you have to love about Anaheim Ducks General Manager Bob Murray is his ability to keep quiet. 99% of the time, fans don’t know a deal is happening until it goes through. That’s why it’s always best to take Ducks trade and free agent chatter with a grain of salt. That said, I thought it might be fun to break down some of the rumors about the Ducks floating around cyberspace.

Yesterday we started with Joe Thornton. Today we move on to another familiar face, Jack Johnson. Rumor has it that Anaheim Ducks General Manager Bob Murray has been interested in Johnson since last season’s trade deadline. Now he’s a free agent.

Going Downhill

Jack Johnson isn’t the same player now as he was when terrorizing the Anaheim Ducks as a member of Los Angeles a decade ago. He scored a combined 78 points, including 41 on the power play, during the 2009-10, and 2010-11 seasons. In 2010 he was a member of the United States’ silver medal team at the Vancouver Olympics. Since then, the third overall pick in the 2005 NHL entry draft has fallen on more difficult times.

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First came the snub. He wasn’t on Team USA’s roster for the 2014 Sochi Olympics, after a poor start to the 2013-14 season. That fall, there was the revelation that his parents cheated Johnson out of his earnings which forced him to declare bankruptcy. Finally, a few weeks before Thanksgiving, Sports Illustrated put out an article calling Johnson the most overrated defenseman in the NHL.

He had a brief resurgence during the 2014-15 season when he scored 40 points in 79 games for Columbus. Since then he’s been headed down the wrong side of the slope. Johnson finally bottomed out in 2017-18. He scored only 11 points, the lowest total since his rookie season.

JJ was so frustrated by his lack of playing time he put in a trade request to management. Unfortunately for him, Columbus couldn’t find an acceptable deal for the Indianapolis native before the trade deadline. Maybe the biggest slap in the face came during the Jackets first-round playoff series against Washington. Johnson didn’t play at all during their six-game defeat.

Veteran D-Man Needed

At this point, one big question comes to mind. Why would Murray want to add Johnson to the Anaheim Ducks when the defenseman is in such a deep decline?

The answer has two parts. First, Johnson’s reported demise may be a little early. He’s only 31 years old, which is still in his prime. In 2016-17, Johnson was a career-high +23 and averaged just under 22 minutes per game. There is still some gas left in the tank.

The second part goes back to an article Ciara Durant wrote earlier in the week about free-agent defensemen the Anaheim Ducks should consider. Johnson wasn’t on her list, but Ian Cole was. For many of the same reasons she included Cole, she could have included Johnson.

Next: 5 first round draft pick options for the Anaheim Ducks

At this point in his career, Jack Johnson won’t be asking for an unreasonable sum for his next contract. Something like two years, $2.5M is a good deal for a blueliner who has played in 77 games or more in four of the past five seasons. Additionally, he would be a strong veteran presence on a very young corps of defensemen.