It may be difficult for many in Central Ohio to hear this, but it's been a great week for University of Michigan sophomore Kent Johnson.
Johnson, who was picked #5 overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2021 NHL Draft and is widely considered the organization's top prospect, became the fastest player to register 50 career points (13-37-50 in 42 games) at Michigan since Winnipeg Jets star Kyle Connor did so in 2015-16.
Kent Johnson became the quickest Wolverine to reach 50 career points since Kyle Connor in 15-16@19kjohnson | @BlueJacketsNHL@KyleConnor18 | @NHLJets#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/aB3mkKS8ib
— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) November 30, 2021
The electric forward tallied a pair of assists (here and here) in two wins over Niagara University to reach the plateau. That wasn't the only bit of good news for Johnson. On Wednesday, the sophomore was named to Hockey Canada's final camp roster in advance of the 2022 World Junior Championship.
A big honor for Blue Jackets prospect Kent Johnson, who has a great chance to represent Canada on the world's stage later this month. #CBJ https://t.co/DnXcTq7t8l
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 1, 2021
While it was expected that Johnson would make the camp (and eventually the team), it's still newsworthy, as there was at least one major surprise omission from the preliminary roster. The roster release impacted the Blue Jackets, beyond Johnson, as well. Cole Sillinger was left off the camp roster, but that's because he's playing a key role on the NHL club. Corson Ceulemans, the third of the Blue Jackets' three first-round picks from 2021, was also not selected for the final camp, despite participating in the summer showcase.
Not only is Johnson expected to make the team, but several insiders have voiced their opinions that Johnson could be among the most important players on the roster. TSN's Craig Button compared him to Trevor Zegras, who starred for Team USA last year in route to winning a Gold Medal. Zegras took home tournament MVP.
Craig Button: "I think Kent Johnson can have a similar impact for Team Canada that Trevor Zegras had (at last year's World Juniors) for Team USA"
— SpecmenceCBJ (@SpecmenceCBJ) December 1, 2021
Zegras led the USA to the gold medal and was named MVP after scoring a tournament-leading 18 points in 7 games #CBJ #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/qxiw7BTlIs
Bob McKenzie called him a 'lock' to make the roster, alongside Mason McTavish (3rd overall, 2021) and Cole Perfetti (10th overall, 2020).
#WorldJuniors COUNTDOWN: @TSNBobMcKenzie & @CraigJButton with a look at the forward frontrunners and locks for Team Canada - https://t.co/a1SXrBfpUi#TSNHockey pic.twitter.com/WXBLuxg4Gr
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) November 30, 2021
Assuming he's right, we'll be watching closely to see how he fares at the tournament, which is set to begin on Dec. 26 in Edmonton & Red Deer, AB.
