Jack Johnson Inks One-Year Deal With The Colorado Avalanche

Jack Johnson is back for another season in the NHL.

After joining the Colorado Avalanche in training camp on a professional tryout, the veteran defender has inked a one-year deal with the team worth $750,000.

The former No. 3 overall pick from the 2005 NHL Draft has played in 950 NHL games over the course of 15 seasons, mostly with the Los Angeles Kings and Columbus Blue Jackets.

In 2018, Johnson inked a five-year deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins in free agency but he was bought out after just two seasons. He signed a one-year deal with the New York Rangers last offseason and scored one goal over 13 games.

Johnson, now 34 years old, has had some of the worst underlying numbers in the league over the past few seasons. Between his two seasons with the Penguins and last year with the Rangers, he ranks 186th in expected goals for percentage out of 219 defenders who have logged at least 1000 minutes of ice time at even strength.

Avs general manager Joe Sakic said that Johnson will provide the team with a steady presence on their blue line.

“Jack is a veteran defenseman that we brought into camp to help shore up our depth on the back end,” Sakic said “He provides a steady presence and brings a lot of NHL experience to our team. We like what he has added to our blue line over the past few weeks and we’re pleased to have him on the club as we head into the start of the season.”

Colorado won the Presidents’ Trophy for the league’s best record in 2021 but lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Vegas Golden Knights.