Blue Jackets’ Kent Johnson Made Most of Offseason With Quick Recovery

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It was a freak faceoff play at the end of an already decided hockey game. But it was enough to end Kent Johnson’s 2023-24 season.

Johnson suffered a torn labrum on the play with about 10 seconds left in the New York Rangers 4-1 win over the Blue Jackets. He was seen in discomfort heading to the bench as the final seconds were winding down.

The next day, the Blue Jackets announced that Johnson would be out indefinitely due to an upper-body injury. Then three days later, the news came down that he suffered a torn labrum and would have surgery.

At that point, it was fair to wonder what kind of an impact this injury would have on 2024-25 and beyond. Depending on the severity of the tear among other things, recovery times vary.

In some cases, it can take up to a full year to be fully recovered from a torn labrum in the shoulder. Factors such as the way the body recovers and the type of activity someone does afterwards can influence the timeline.

For Johnson, he went right to work to make sure he would be fully ready for the 2024-25 season. He stopped by on Saturday to discuss his offseason and more.

Johnson Feels Great

“(I feel) great,” Johnson said. “Unreal. My body is the best it’s ever felt. It was just a long summer for me. It was a really long offseason with a new trainer and a new training program. It felt like it’s been a lot better for me. So I’m excited.”

While recovering from this kind of injury, Johnson was able to do some strength exercises. A lot of emphasis was placed on the lower body while the shoulder got better.

Perhaps the biggest news for Johnson was how his recovery went. He was able to crush the timeline to be fully cleared and recovered.

“The recovery was three and a half months I got cleared,” Johnson said. “I was really blessed with it. It was really quick and I had a lot of great people helping me out. I’m really thankful for the staff and everyone and my own people back home too. It was awesome.”

Kent Johnson Columbus Blue Jackets
Kent Johnson only needed 3.5 months to fully recover and be cleared from a torn labrum. (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Johnson then detailed what his training looked like while dealing with the recovery.

“At first, it was a lot of figuring out how to get the shoulder and upper body healthy. While I was getting the shoulder healthy, I could hammer the legs. I gained a lot of leg strength early on which I think was beneficial. Then once I got healthy, a lot of speed work. It was the transition stuff I focused more on this year and my speed. I think it’s all been really helpful. Having so much time to do strength early in the summer and then transition to speed later in the summer. That was great for me.”

Johnson looks visibly bigger and stronger. He knows it too. He’s very excited to see all of his hard work translate on the ice once the new season gets going.

“My numbers are up and my weight is up and then most importantly, my speed numbers are up,” Johnson said. “That was something we tracked and did a much better job focusing on this summer. The speed is huge for my game and I’m really excited to see where it goes.”

Thoughts on New Management

Johnson returns to a Blue Jackets’ locker room that is now under the guidance of GM Don Waddell and head coach Dean Evason. It’s a fresh start for everybody.

Johnson’s early career has been up and down in part due to so many coaching changes. He will already have his third on-ice NHL head coach (Brad Larsen, Pascal Vincent, Evason.)

Johnson sees the excitement in the new staff from his point of view.

“I think everyone’s really enjoying it right now,” Johnson said. “It’s been a great first couple of days of camp. I think everyone’s really excited about the new staff and I’m excited to get it going.”

Johnson is now in position to potentially have his best season yet with new contract in hand. When the contract was signed, Waddell specifically mentioned Johnson as an important part of the Blue Jackets’ future.

For Johnson though, he knows and understands the work is far from finished. Even with the new contract, there is a lot he needs to do.

“I have to go do my thing and earn it every night and every time in camp, earn my role,” Johnson said. “It doesn’t feel like a contract where I’ve made it or anything. But yes, I feel lucky and grateful to have this (new) contract.”

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Given the speed and skill Johnson possesses, it feels like he’s on the verge of finally realizing his breakout. He’s confident it’s coming too. What gives him that confidence?

“I have a lot of great people helping me out,” Johnson said. “I think just the work I’ve been able to put in and how I feel about my body and my game. I’ve always been a pretty confident guy. Sometimes, it might not be on your timeline but I haven’t lost belief in myself. I feel like I had a great summer. My body is in a great spot. I definitely feel confident (about 2024-25.)”

Johnson in camp has been skating on the right with Cole Sillinger in the middle and Dmitri Voronkov on the left. Whether this sticks longer term remains to be seen. Johnson was seen working on both special teams units within the first few days of camp. He and Sillinger were on the PK together.

Johnson was able to make a very quick recovery on a tricky injury. He has used the extended offseason to his full advantage. He’s fully recovered and ready to show everyone that 2024-25 could be the start of something special for him.