When news broke that Andrei Vasilevskiy would start the year on the injured reserve, the outlook for the Tampa Bay Lightning season looked grim. Rumors started to swirl about Tampa Bay potentially picking up a goalie on waivers or even making a trade with their limited capital. In the end, though, it was Jonas Johansson who got the nod to start for the Lightning. Heading into the season, the goalie’s NHL resume was sparse, and one pundit had even called him the worst goalie in the league. So far, Johansson has silenced the doubters and then some. Not only has he been able to hold down the fort in Vasilevskiy’s absence, but it now appears that Tampa has a reliable backup for the first time in years.
Johansson’s Road to Tampa Has Not Been Easy
After starting his career in his native country of Sweden, Johansson made the trip across the Atlantic in 2016, where he spent the season with the Rochester Americans. The goalie bounced around between the American Hockey League (AHL) and ECHL for several seasons before finally getting called up to the NHL by the Buffalo Sabres. He failed to stick with Buffalo as his stat line was subpar, and he mustered a single win during the 13 starts he had over two years with the NHL franchise.
The Sabres traded Johansson to the Colorado Avalanche on March 20, 2021, and he generally performed well for the rest of the season. He earned five wins in eight starts while keeping his goals-against average down to 2.06 and his save percentage at .913, and only spent one game with the Colorado Eagles (the Avalanche AHL affiliate). In the 2021-22 season, his numbers were more in line with what they had been with Buffalo. Johansson found himself on waivers in December of 2021 and was picked up by the Florida Panthers. He failed to perform any better, so his time in South Florida was short-lived.
Johansson made one last stop before joining the Lightning, and it would be with none other than his former club, the Colorado Avalanche. He had only three starts at the NHL level in the 2022-23 season, but he did perform admirably, and his AHL stats were stellar. That was enough for the Lightning to give him a chance, and between his standout performances in the pre-season and Vasilevskiy’s injury, the Swede is a regular start in the NHL for the first time in his career.
So Far, Johansson Has Answered the Bell
On opening night, when the Lightning took on the Nashville Predators, Johansson would be between the pipes and got Tampa their first win of the season. There were some moments where the Bolts looked a bit rusty, but overall, it was a solid victory, and Johansson stopped 21 out of 23 shots at even strength and six out of seven shots while the Preds were on the power play. Tampa went on to lose the next three games, with Johansson making two starts over that stretch, but the goalie managed to largely pass the eye test in those games. It is easy to see a goalie give up nine goals over a two-game stretch and blame them for underperforming. The reality is that Johansson was making the saves that he should be expected to make, but the team in front of him was not doing their part. They were not back-checking or blocking shots, and there was plenty of sloppy passing.
Latest THW Headlines
After eking out a win over the Vancouver Canucks, the Bolts would take on the Toronto Maple Leafs in what has arguably been Johansson’s most important start so far. Throughout the game, Johansson faced 52 shots. He managed to save 48 of them and had a commanding presence throughout the battle against Toronto. Even though Tampa ended up losing in overtime, the game proved Johansson’s ability, and it forced Tampa to take a look in the mirror. Every club needs a sound defensive scheme because even the best goalie can only drag a team so far.
Related: Lightning’s Waltteri Merela’s Path From Undrafted to NHL Roster
In the next two games, the Lightning looked far more stable defensively. When Nikita Kucherov is playing a 200-foot game, then it is clear that it is all hands on deck. The players rallied around Johansson and were getting back to playing defense and blocking shots at a higher rate. The netminder rewarded the team’s effort with two straight shutouts. He made 32 saves against the Carolina Hurricanes and 23 saves against the San Jose Sharks while remaining calm and collected. Last night, Johansson gave up three goals in the first period before settling in, but the Bolts ended up losing in overtime to the Seattle Kraken by a score of four to three.
What’s next?
Johansson and the Lightning hope to start November strong with a road trip that will see them take on the Columbus Blue Jackets, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Montreal Canadiens. The Lightning will have back-to-back games on Nov. 6 and 7 against Toronto to Montreal, so expect Tomkins to get the start in one of those games. Other than that, Johansson should get the bulk of the starts until Vasilevskiy returns. Even after the Big Cat is back in net, Johansson has proved to be dependable, and Tampa will still need him to make the occasional start. Vasilevskiy has been spotted back on the ice and is expected to be back in December at the latest but potentially could be ready to go towards the end of November. Either way, Tampa is in good hands in the meantime, and when Vasilevskiy is back between the pipes, they’ll have a reliable backup ready on the bench.