Bruins Sign Aaron Johnson

[Captain Crunch28]

BOSTON, MA – Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced today, July 18, that the club has signed defenseman Aaron Johnson to a one-year, two-way contract through the 2012-13 season. Johnson’s contract is worth $650,000 at the NHL level and $105,000 at the AHL level.

Johnson, a 6’1”, 204-pound defenseman, skated in 56 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2011-12, registering three goals and setting NHL career highs with 13 assists and 16 points, while collecting 16 penalty minutes.

In 2010-11, the 29-year-old played in 72 games with the American Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals after signing as an unrestricted free agent with the Nashville Predators. He recorded AHL career highs in goals with nine, assists with 26 and points with 35, while recording a plus-10 rating and adding 70 penalty minutes. The 2009-10 season saw Johnson split time between the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers, where he recorded a combined four goals, six assists and 35 penalty minutes in 41 games.

For his career, Johnson has played in 281 NHL games with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks and New York Islanders, tallying 17 goals and 45 assists for 62 total points, with 217 penalty minutes.

The Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia native was selected by Columbus in the third round (85th overall) of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. In two separate stints with the Blue Jackets from 2003-07 and 2011-12, he skated in a combined 172 NHL games for Columbus, recording 10 goals and 32 assists for 42 points, along with 119 penalty minutes.

In the AHL, the defenseman has registered 26-83=109 totals and 419 penalty minutes in 251 career games with the Milwaukee Admirals, Rockford IceHogs, Bridgeport Sound Tigers and Syracuse Crunch.

[Boston Garden]

Up next: Rick Nash.

[farcyde21]

Interesting signing but very likely ends up the 7th d-man or down in Providence.

[blackngold]

Looks like the 7th dman spot will come down between Johnson and Exelby and I have no problem with either in a very limited role.

[fcm]

Originally Posted by blackngold

Looks like the 7th dman spot will come down between Johnson and Exelby and I have no problem with either in a very limited role.

I don't think Exelby will get ice-time at all in the NHL. Aaron Johnson is most likely going to be the 7th guy.

[chilly666]

Originally Posted by blackngold

Looks like the 7th dman spot will come down between Johnson and Exelby and I have no problem with either in a very limited role.

you don't want exelby in boston at all even in a very limited role. he has no lateral movement and is slow as hell. if he's used right in providence (ala not out against top lines) he can be useful. but if he's needed to log big minutes against the top scorers, providence will be in trouble too.

[fcm]

Originally Posted by chilly666

you don't want exelby in boston at all even in a very limited role. he has no lateral movement and is slow as hell. if he's used right in providence (ala not out against top lines) he can be useful. but if he's needed to log big minutes against the top scorers, providence will be in trouble too.

Seriously? WTF happened, then? He did play 400 games in the NHL... if he has troubles playing in the AHL something wrong happened.

Or it's just the fact that he played in Atlanta and Toronto.

[HordiBrusk29]

Originally Posted by fcm

Seriously? WTF happened, then? He did play 400 games in the NHL... if he has troubles playing in the AHL something wrong happened.

It's called the new NHL.