Kent Johnson has signed a three-year contract worth $5.4 million with the Columbus Blue Jackets, the team announced on Saturday.
The 21-year-old forward’s deal will carry an AAV $1.8 million, said new club president of hockey operations and GM Don Waddell in a statement.
“Kent Johnson is an exciting young player with tremendous upside, and we are happy that he will continue to grow and develop as a Blue Jacket,” said Waddell. “He is just beginning to scratch the surface of what he can be as a player, and we believe he will be a very important part of our hockey club moving forward.”
Johnson was the team’s top pick, taken fifth overall, in the 2021 draft from the University of Michigan in the NCAA. The native of Port Moody, B.C., has 22 goals and 37 assists in 130 NHL games and was coming off his three-year, entry-level contract, making him a restricted free agent.