Player Discussion: Kent Johnson - Winger or Center?

[EspenK]

I am having a hard time seeing him as a 1C becasue he hasn't played C much. if at all. here and at Michigan. Maybe it is a pipe dream but I see him as a potential Patrick Kane or Bread type .

 

[Monstershockey]

I am having a hard time seeing him as a 1C becasue he hasn't played C much. if at all. here and at Michigan. Maybe it is a pipe dream but I see him as a potential Patrick Kane or Bread type .

If he ends up a Panarin type winger, that would be totally fine with me.

 

[CBJx614]

I am having a hard time seeing him as a 1C becasue he hasn't played C much. if at all. here and at Michigan. Maybe it is a pipe dream but I see him as a potential Patrick Kane or Bread type .

Remember how our current #1 center broke into the league?!

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

Even though he was drafted as a center, I think he’s a wing. He wasn’t playing center at Michigan before he turned pro.

 

[VT]

Remember how our current #1 center broke into the league?!

Ehmm... and who is our #1C?

 

[ThisIsMyAlibi]

He wilts to physicality. Whatever his ceiling is, it won’t be reached unless he resolves that.

 

[Aaaarrgghh]

I'd say there's about a 59.8 % chance of him being a 2C and a 40.2 % chance of him being a 1C. It depends on what the Blue Jackets get in the draft. With his playmaking abilities and potential for being an allround fantastic player, I frankly think he'd be wasted on the wing.

 

[koteka]

I think it is too early to know what he is and dangerous to bank on him being a center. He is an immensely talented player and I am very happy he is a Blue Jacket. He could be a center or he could be a highly effective puck moving wing. He was on a team with too many center options at Michigan so he hasn’t played center for a few years. And that could have been a blessing in disguise - maybe he is destined to be a Panarin type guy. Or maybe it will force him to take a longer path to becoming a center because he needs to learn the little nuances of being a position he hasnt played at a high level.

 

[majormajor]

I don't worry about center nuance with Kent. He picks up the little things quickly. It's just strength and faceoffs where he'll lag behind.

 

[thebus88]

The center or wing question should be there for Sillinger just as much as it is for Johnson.

 

[Xoggz22]

I suspect this debate/discussion is one of the underlying points that impacted Larson's firing. In a year like this, I wonder (Suspect?) if the expectation was that KJ would be more time at center. Just a theory. He's got time to add weight and strength so I think he does end up at C with his skill set, however, I think he's going to battle it out with Bedard or Fantilli for 1C and if Carlsson is drafted, I think KJ may push for the 1C and Carlsson the 2C or 1C(b). Would be nice to add more to the depth chart.

 

[EspenK]

I just re-read the title and see that it was for the next 2 years. I think it depends on the draft and any moves Jarmo makes vis-a-vis the center position. Lots of variables but:

Assumption: We draft Bedard. I think KJ stays at wing to start and gets some exposure at C with Bedard starting at 2C and Jenner staying on top line

Assumption: We draft Fantilli or Carlson - same as above.

Assumption: We draft 4th. I think KJ gets a shot at 2C

Assumption: Laine gets a full time tryout at C. KJ stays on the wing.

Obviously all of the above are pure speculation. A lot will depend on how the season goes. Start strong and whatever lineup is in place stays. Start poorly and all bets are off except for the start of Tank Thread-2023-24 edition and 2024 Draft thread.

 

[JacketsDavid]

I hope he becomes a 1C, but for now pencil him in on 2nd line. Not sure if he starts at wing or center, but starts on 2nd line and let him play his way to the middle and hopefiully top line.

 

[EspenK]

I hope he becomes a 1C, but for now pencil him in on 2nd line. Not sure if he starts at wing or center, but starts on 2nd line and let him play his way to the middle and hopefiully top line.

Marchenko-Jenner-Gaudreau top line to start unless Laine blows it up during camp.

 

[VT]

Marchenko-Jenner-Gaudreau top line to start unless Laine blows it up during camp.

I rather don't understand why Laine would play with Gaudreau when he has great chemistry with Johnson and Chinakhov. Is that some kind of mantra? Jenner at first forward is not a good idea. It's not so much about quality, if he complements them why not, but Boone's back, he can't stay healthy all season.

 

[CBJx614]

Marchenko-Jenner-Gaudreau top line to start unless Laine blows it up during camp.

I rather don't understand why Laine would play with Gaudreau when he has great chemistry with Johnson and Chinakhov. Is that some kind of mantra? Jenner at first forward is not a good idea. It's not so much about quality, if he complements them why not, but Boone's back, he can't stay healthy all season.

I'm with VT here I think we need to separate Laine and Gaudreau and see if we can't get two legitimate scoring lines. Johnny dishing Marchenko and Johnson dishing Laine + whoever.

 

[SteelCityCannon]

I think he’d have to put on some serious muscle to be a center currently. I don’t think him panning out at center is out of the question but winger is more likely long term. That said, we have the pick this year, KJ, wildcard Laine, Jenner, and Sillinger. I feel like we have potential to have a real nice 1-2-3 at some point.

 

[KJ Dangler]

Marchenko-Jenner-Gaudreau top line to start unless Laine blows it up during camp.

Yeah , I don’t see this .. they are going to move Boone to wing . Porty said it was almost criminal how they overused Boone, whose back was bothering him. If you remember last year , Larsen said BOONE came to him with tears in his eyes because he wanted to go for his team, but the pain became unbearable . Playing center has additional responsibilities including faceoffs , and practicing faceoffs . My guess is he’s on the wing next year

 

[alphafox]

I expect Johnson to become a 2C, but I do think his lineup spot is contingent on a lot of things beyond just his development. Such as,

Do we draft a C in the top 3 this year? If we end up with Michkov Johnson is probably going to end up our 1C regardless as we don't have any better options.

Does the Laine at Center experiment succeed or fail and is Laine able to develop chemistry with either the new draft pick or Gadreau?

Do we even keep Laine as we might be better served using him as an asset to trade for D help in the next two years?

Can any of our other young potential actually develop into a top-six player on a cup-contending team? Sillinger? Texier? Foudy? Chinakhov? Marchenko? Dumais? Beluz? Those are a lot of lottery tickets but none of them look close to paying off the way we need them to.

 

[Ice9]

2C until 1C can be earned
Train my boy, train hard

 

[We Want Ten]

I voted 2C since that seems like the CBJ way.

 

[MoeBartoli]

I voted 2C, I am choosing to believe with land one of the top 3 in this draft who passes him and we end up with a Crosby/Malkin-type situation.

That’d be great. It’s worked well for the Pens

 

[Fred Glover]

Start him as the 2c
he was drafted as a center, so put him at center
yes he may have to learn the intricacies of defense but let him learn
we have suffered watching our defense learn on the job, I’d much rather KJ learn on the job than to watch some of our defense players fail at their positions

 

[MoeBartoli]

As the pol nears its closing there’s a split on whether KJ is more likely a 1C or 2C. But there is a strong consensus that KJ is a C.

 

[thebus88]

He’s a better option at center than Sillinger, Roslovic, and Laine.

Down the line when he adds significant weight/strength I think he could be looked at and used as a center, but, I really think he should be looked at like a Panarin/Gaudreau type, where they are “better” (aka more productive point-wise), or can be just as impactful on the wing. That’s to say, I do believe he has more center qualities than both those guys.

With where the CBJ center position is at we might end up “rushing” or “forcing” him at center before he’s absolutely ready, but, I don’t think it will hurt anything in the long run regarding his development, and even if I would prefer 2 other centers(along with Jenner) instead of KJ to fill the “top 9”.

If anything, this past year as a “wasted”/“development”/“tank” year, we should have given KJ all the time at center that Sillinger was given.

I think Sillinger is LESS of a center than Johnson. Sillinger would be better as a shooting/goal scoring/energy winger. The fact that we had Sillinger and Roslovic on the PK is asinine. But, what other options did Larsen have??

I’d have Johnson on the 1st line as a winger next year, with looks at center. He’s seemingly very skinny, we could see a huge physical “transformation” or growth spurt/“man strength” kick in, in the next 2 summers where he comes into camp with a completely different physique and it shows on the ice, like we just saw with Chinakhov. I think then, the move to center might be best for the team and him.