New Jersey Devils Likely End Andreas Johnsson Experiement
By Nick Villano
The New Jersey Devils made the bold move of placing Andreas Johnsson on waivers on Friday. After what looked like a decent trade, the Devils finally took the L.
Almost two years to the day of the trade that sent Andreas Johnsson to the New Jersey Devils, GM Tom Fitzgerald placed him on waivers. At the time of this writing, we’re not too sure what comes next. The Devils announced Brian Pinho, the other player placed on waivers on Friday, would be going to the AHL if he clears. The Devils did not announce what comes next for Johnsson.
Last year, it looked like Johnsson finally figured out his role with the Devils. He needed to be a speedster who could score. That was when he was at his best with the Toronto Maple Leafs. That was what the Devils hoped they were getting when they traded for him in 2020. The Maple Leafs had cap issues, and the Devils thought they could take advantage of the situation. Instead, the Devils got one mediocre year and one terrible year out of Johnsson.
Johnsson looked great for a spell with Jesper Bratt and Dawson Mercer. He scored 18 points in his first 20 games. He had 17 points over the next 51 games. He never found his scoring stroke again, and Lindy Ruff couldn’t find a good place to put him in the lineup. Johnsson never found his stride again, and he didn’t exactly impress this preseason.
He had one point in three games and he only took three shots on goal. The Devils needed him to impress. There is a ton of competition for roster spots this year. Fabian Zetterlund and Jesper Boqvist are no longer waiver exempt. So, the Devils don’t have an easy decision. That’s especially true if Alex Holtz makes the roster.
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There were high hopes for Johnsson when he first came to the Devils. Now, those hopes are gone. The fanbase doesn’t believe anything will come from the Johnsson acquisition, and it seems like the Devils feel the same way. Will another team claim Johnsson and get the Devils out of a cap crunch? It seems very unlikely. For now, the Devils will have to figure out whether it’s worthwhile to send Johnsson to the AHL, or what else they can do with him.