Andreas Johnsson started the season as one of the best stories in the New Jersey Devils locker room. After a terrible first season with the team after he was traded from the Toronto Maple Leafs, he started this season on fire. He had 18 points over the first two months of the season. He had just under a point per game in October and November. It looked like the Devils were rolling thanks to Johnsson finding his stride. Then, Lindy Ruff separated him from Dawson Mercer. The rest of the team started falling apart, and Johnsson is no longer a constant scoring option.
Johnsson has one point in December. It came in a loss to the Nashville Predators when he got an assist on a goal from Yegor Sharangovich with a minute left in the game and down by two. It’s not exactly a crucial point on the season.
What’s happening? The entire team is down in the dumps, so it’s not just Johnsson who is having a bad stretch. Over the first 20 games of the season, Johnsson had a 53.9 CF% (basically showing he had 54% of the chances when he was on the ice), and only Jesper Bratt had a better high-danger chance percentage on the team. The Devils were getting great chances when Johnsson, Bratt, and Mercer were on the ice, and the other team was not able to match their speed and tenacity.
Can Andreas Johnsson bounce back this season for the New Jersey Devils?
In December, those numbers have tanked. Johnsson’s CF% is down to around 48.2%. His high-danger chance percentage is now 11th on the team at even strength according to Natural Stat Trick. He’s also seen six high-danger goals go in the net while he’s on the ice in December. Only Dougie Hamilton has been on the ice for more.
Is this something that Johnsson can bounce back from, or was the first two months of the season all a mirage?
Looking back at his best season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, his stats went through ebbs and flows. He had one point in October, but he bounced back with five goals and seven points in November. His January was not good, with just five points and two goals, but he then had a ridiculous 14-point February. He then had 7 points for the rest of the season before scoring four points in a series loss to the Boston Bruins.
Johnsson is inconsistent by nature. This is just something he has to work through. He still looks like himself on the ice. He’s frustrated, but so is every player on the Devils. If he can continue his offensive play, and if Ruff puts him back together with Jesper Bratt and Dawson Mercer, Johnsson might be key in the Devils turning this season around.