Pucks and Pitchforks
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Andreas Johnsson’s Offensive Impact on New Jersey Devils

By Owen Egbert

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 02: Andreas Johnsson #18 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates his game winning shoot-out goal against Brian Elliott #37 of the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center on November 02, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Leafs defeated the Flyers 4-3 in the shoot-out. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 02: Andreas Johnsson #18 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates his game winning shoot-out goal against Brian Elliott #37 of the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center on November 02, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Leafs defeated the Flyers 4-3 in the shoot-out. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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As most fans of the New Jersey Devils already know, General Manager Tom Fitzgerald dealt up-and-comer Joey Anderson to the Toronto Maple Leafs for F Andreas Johnsson. This is a 1-for-1 trade, and an unexpected one at that. With Johnsson producing just under 0.5 points per game compared to Anderson’s 0.33, this trade is high value and a great move by the Devils.

What is most interesting is how Johnsson’s game will impact the Devils’ performance as a team. The value that Johnsson brings to the Devils goes beyond a simple equation of point production. He brings a style of play in the offensive zone that the Devils formerly lacked. That is net-front presence.

Throughout the 2019-2020 season, the New Jersey Devils had a tough time scoring goals, among many other things. This inability to put the puck in the net coincides with the fanbase’s recent call for drafting ‘shooters’ in the most recent NHL entry draft. NJ has plenty of playmakers and pass-first forwards, but finishers are more rare in the Garden State. This is where I think Johnsson makes an invaluable impact.

Before Johnsson, low slot offensive presence (both even strength and on the power play) was commanded mostly by Wayne Simmonds and Blake Coleman. Simmonds was the guy who could stand in front of the net on powerplays and wait for rebounds or tip-ins while out-muscling the opposing defensemen, and Coleman was a guy who put his head down and hustled his way into scoring position. With both of them gone, there is a gap in the Devils offense.

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Enter Andreas Johnsson.

If you watch his highlight reels, you’ll quickly notice the vast majority of his non-breakaway goals come as a result of him quickly finding his way into scoring areas as plays develop. He has offensive awareness and underestimated speed that allow him to get open on the rush, or get advantageous body position on the opposing defenders in tight to the net. His positioning is fluid and he can slither between defenders and the net, often setting himself up for quick shots or bumps on goal that prove challenging and equally surprising for opposing goaltenders.

This accounts for a lot of his point production with the Maple Leafs. As many experts vouch, if you get to the net, good things happen. Johnsson uses his speed and positioning to get to high danger scoring areas and racks up, as previously mentioned, about a half point per game.

Thinking forward to the start of the season, it’s possible we see Johnsson starting the season in the top 6 of the Devils forward corps. He will surely play a more impactful role than he did competing for ice-time against wingers in the Maple Leafs organization such as Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Zach Hyman, Ilya Mikheyev, and Kasperi Kapanen. This will enable him to play important minutes with a group of playmakers that can very effectively set up chances in front of the net from the outside. This talent on the Devils roster supporting someone who can get to the net will lead to more scoring chances in tight. Once Johnsson can get a chance on net, the defense will collapse, allowing sneaky forwards like Nikita Gusev, Jack Hughes, or Jesper Bratt to close in on the crease and jam the puck home – That is, if Johnsson hasn’t scored already.

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