Fansided

25 top NHL free agents teams will be dying to sign in 2018

By David Rouben

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 30: James van Riemsdyk #25 of the Toronto Maple Leafs and John Tavares #91 of the New York Islanders battle for the puck during their game at the Barclays Center on October 30, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 30: James van Riemsdyk #25 of the Toronto Maple Leafs and John Tavares #91 of the New York Islanders battle for the puck during their game at the Barclays Center on October 30, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
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COLUMBUS, OH – APRIL 5: Jack Johnson #7 of the Columbus Blue Jackets skates against the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 5, 2018 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jack Johnson
COLUMBUS, OH – APRIL 5: Jack Johnson #7 of the Columbus Blue Jackets skates against the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 5, 2018 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jack Johnson /

21. Jack Johnson

When the Columbus Blue Jackets put Jack Johnson on the trading block in the hopes that they wouldn’t lose him for nothing, most teams around the league scoffed at him. Then, come the playoffs, Johnson sat in the press box for the entire first round.

So, if no one took a chance on Johnson before, why should teams come around on him in free agency? It’s simple: once the offseason starts, teams get dumber. Bloated contracts get tossed around like Halloween candy, and depth defensemen get paid like second-pairing guys. At 31 years old, Johnson is hoping to still make a name for himself as an experienced voice in the locker room.

Why he’s in demand: Johnson’s relationship with the Blue Jackets has been veering toward the ugly breakup stage. Once he steps onto the open market, he’ll be eager to prove that he’s a worthy contributor. Part of the reason why he had such an ineffective season was because he averaged the least minutes of his career. But he was still second on his team in blocked shots and logged big minutes on the penalty kill.

Teams with the best chance to sign him: The Detroit Red Wings should take a good, hard look at Johnson. With Mike Green hitting the open market and Nicklas Kronwall likely to leave after next season, he’d be a good fit. Plus, he’s from Ann Arbor. Another team with an emotional connection would be the Pittsburgh Penguins, since that would reunite him with the GM that drafted him.

But it’ll be hilarious when he eventually signs with the Leafs and Babcock plays him more than Timothy Liljegren.

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