Former Chicago Blackhawks forward Tyler Johnson signed a professional tryout agreement (PTO) with the Boston Bruins on Aug. 31 after drifting as an unrestricted free agent (UFA) for two months.
When the Blackhawks acquired Johnson in a trade in 2021 from the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Blackhawks seemed more excited about the transaction than the veteran was. Johnson went from back-to-back Stanley Cup wins in Tampa Bay to a team diving into a rebuild.
He played out the final three seasons of a seven-year contract in Chicago. Signed with the Lightning in Summer 2017, the deal arguably overpaid Johnson with a $5 million AAV for a total of $35 million. The 5-foot-8, 34-year-old native of Spokane, Washington has only once produced more than 50 points in a season.
Johnson didn’t slack off or complain about the trade. After missing 56 games and also struggling in his first season with Chicago (2021-22), he bounced back and gave the Blackhawks two solid seasons as a middle-six player and leader.
Johnson appeared in 67 games with the Blackhawks during the 2023-24 season, recording 17 goals and 14 assists for 31 points. The forward has skated in 738 career NHL games with Chicago and Tampa Bay, totaling 193 goals and 238 assists for 431 points with a plus-20 rating. Johnson has also played 116 career playoff games, tallying 32 goals and 33 assists for 65 points.
Johnson’s intentions were always to get back to the playoffs sooner than later. After Chicago finished 31st in the league last season and Johnson became a UFA, his sights were set on a contender immediately. Johnson announced his decision to not return to Chicago in April, then the Blackhawks signed eight UFAs on July 1 to improve and make a jump towards the playoffs in 2024-25.
Johnson apparently was banking on more interest early on in free agency, and nothing seemed to come out of it. He went unsigned until the Bruins picked him up on a PTO.
This isn’t a contract for this season, but it’s a chance on a team that has been very good for a long time. After greatly exceeding expectations in each of the past two seasons, Boston looks more well-rounded and should easily qualify for the postseason.
Once in the playoffs, there is no telling how far the Bruins could go. They are a strong team that is built for the playoffs and this newer group has gone through the challenges early on in the first and second rounds to now be able to learn and overcome them. Johnson, assuming he at least gets a contract with the Bruins, should be a part of that and get what he wants again.
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Johnson might still be a productive player that can help out at both ends of the ice. He has received Selke Trophy votes early on in his career, scored 29 goals and recorded 63 points in 123 games over the past two seasons, and proved in the past he can be a playoff performer. There is certainly space in the Bruins’ bottom-6 for a 0.5 points-per-game player to contribute.
At first glance, both the Blackhawks and Johnson have gotten what they wanted out of the offseason as long as Johnson earns a contract in training camp and gets to play playoff hockey this season with the Bruins.
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