Before the puck had even reached Kent Johnson's stick, the shot that gave the Blue Jackets a gritty 1-0 win over the New York Rangers had already started.
Johnson, who'd just stepped onto the ice, spotted a play developing late in overtime Oct. 17 at Nationwide Arena. Skating to an open spot in the high slot above the circles, he readied for a setup pass from Zach Werenski. Timing it perfectly, Johnson stepped into a shot that zipped past Rangers defenseman Sean Durzi and beat goalie Dylan Garand over the glove.
Johnson, who hadn't scored a winning goal since Feb. 27, 2025 against the Detroit Red Wings, pointed at Werenski before tilting his head back and pointing skyward.
The celebration was more relief than exuberance, after he'd scored the only goal in a nail-biter that lasted 63:25 without one, but Johnson's steadiness in that moment was undeniable.
“[He's] a far more confident kid, and the confidence comes from ... he’s a lot stronger," Blue Jackets coach Rick Bowness said. "We asked him to put the weight back on and get stronger this summer, and it shows that he put the time in over the summer. He worked really hard."
Johnson, 24, is listed at 6 foot, 175 pounds. That's five pounds heavier than he finished last season, but his biggest gains in a productive offseason were adding strength to his wiry frame and restoring his unflappable confidence after finishing last season with just seven goals, 15 assists and 22 points in 76 games.
Johnson already has five points in six games on four goals and one assist, and can push his scoring even higher when the Blue Jackets (3-3-0) go for a back-to-back sweep Oct. 18 at the Minnesota Wild (6 p.m. ET). He's more than halfway to his goal total from last season.
“It’s night and day," Johnson said. "Any player, you know, you want to help your team win. So, it definitely feels good and I’m grateful for the opportunity here."
The Blue Jackets are just happy to see another glimpse of the player Johnson was two years ago, when he helped them compensate offensively after losing star left wing Johnny Gaudreau to an offseason tragedy. Despite an early shoulder injury that cost him two weeks, Johnson put together an impressive breakout season in 2024-25 with a career-high 24-33-57 scoring line in 68 games.
It looked like he was developing into a high-scoring winger in the mold of Mitch Marner, the former Toronto Maple Leafs star who's now with the Vegas Golden Knights. Instead, the bottom fell out in the second installment of a three-year contract that costs the Blue Jackets just $1.8 million toward the NHL's salary cap and runs out after this season.
"He’s another one of the kids I talked to at the end of [last season]," Bowness said. "[I said], ‘You’re going to be given a chance to move up and play an important role on this team. You’re a big part of where we’re going, a big part of the future, and [if] you want more responsibility ... you’re going to get it,’ and he’s taken full advantage of it."
It started in the spring, when Johnson realized that his body was more damaged than he'd realized from last season. Allowing himself to fully recover before diving into a stringent training plan, Johnson excelled in the gym and carried it onto the ice.
"Just physically, compared to two years ago, I feel better," Johnson said. "I felt great then, when I had that [breakout] season, but I feel better now, and I feel like what I’m doing is more sustainable. My body’s in the best place it’s ever been.”
DispatchBlue Jackets/Crew reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Kent Johnson is dangerous again for Columbus Blue Jackets
