And with the Blue Jackets boasting only 12 available forwards on the roster, Johnson seems ticketed to make his debut Wednesday against Montreal, though head coach Brad Larsen didn't confirm yet that that would be the case.
Larsen is no stranger to Johnson's game, though, as he did what he could to watch Johnson -- as well as fellow CBJ signee Nick Blankenburg, U-M's captain -- this past year when he was in maize and blue. Johnson returned to Michigan to chase a national championship ring and keep on developing this past year with the Wolverines, and considering just how highly he was drafted, he remained on Larsen's radar despite just how busy the head coach has been with his own squad.
"I got some reports and I checked in on him and I texted with him throughout the year to see how his season was going and wish him good luck and all those things," Larsen said. "But I didn't want to bother him too much. I watched some of the games at the end there, especially the (Frozen Four semifinal) and the game before that because those are the important games. It's playoffs for them and as the magnitude gets higher, you want to see how they're gonna react."
So far, Johnson's season has been marked by some incredible experiences, but also disappointments. A Michigan team loaded with high NHL draft picks was the top overall seed in the NCAA tournament but fell just short of a national title, losing a semifinal last Thursday to Denver in overtime.
Johnson also wore the maple leaf sweater of Team Canada twice, first at the World Juniors in December and then at the 2022 Beijing Olympics in February, but the Under-20 competition was canceled halfway through because of COVID-19 concerns, then Canada fell short of a medal with a quarterfinal loss at the Olympics.
Through it all, though, the skill and flash that made Johnson such a high draft pick has been obvious. He was one of the top scorers in NCAA hockey this season, posting an 8-29-37 line in 32 games with the Wolverines, and also had a 1-4-5 line to post a point per game at the Olympics.
"You can see during games, his deception with the puck is unbelievable, the way that he makes guys think he's going one way and then he'll just be going a complete other way," said Blankenburg, a defenseman who seen plenty of Johnson's game the past two years in Ann Arbor. "I think that's his biggest thing is his deception in his skating and his shot and his ability to shake guys.
"He's pretty strong on the puck, which for a guy who is 5-11, 165 or 170 pounds, he's pretty hard to knock off the puck, which is pretty special. I'm excited to watch him play at the next level and happy I get to do it with him."
Johnson admitted the last few days have been hectic, and that can probably be extended the past few weeks and months given all the places the British Columbia native has played hockey all across the world.
But he's also used his varying experiences in the hockey world playing against some of the best his age group and in the world to prepare himself for the opportunity that now presents itself.
"I've put too much work in the last year to be the same player (I was before)," he said. "I definitely feel a lot better. I think I've learned something, just little things from different guys. I think a big one is just confidence -- having confidence and believing in yourself is gonna be huge."
Johnson was drafted as a center, and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has said he views the forward as a pivot down the road, but he played mostly on the wing the past two years with the Wolverines. That's the main reason why Larsen said Johnson will begin his career on the left wing, and he skated in Monday's practice on a line with center Justin Danforth and right wing Oliver Bjorkstrand.
Expectations are high down the road for someone who is viewed as a unique talent, one who is more a playmaker with unmatched creativity rather than a pure goal scorer. Johnson sees the game develop in a way that he's able to make unexpected offensive plays happen at the highest speed, and scouting serves as well as his new GM have raved about Johnson's ability to make the sublime look easy.
At the start, though, Johnson just wants to get his feet wet and see what awaits in his first foray at the game's highest level.
"It's just really exciting," he said. "Every time I'm off the ice, I want it to be tomorrow's practice already. It's definitely just really fun and exciting.
"I just want to help the team win any way I can, see what role I'm given in a game and do what I can with it."
