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Credit: Andrew Wevers-Imagn Images\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit: Andrew Wevers-Imagn Images\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
The Minnesota Wild have had a relatively quiet offseason, especially given this was supposed to be the summer of major movement for president of hockey operations, Bill Guerin. But instead of spending the extra salary cap space left in the absence of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter\u2019s contract buyouts, the Wild are sitting on it.<\/p>\n
Not only have they chosen not to bring in any recognizable talent to supplement their 2024 playoff roster, outside of a flyer trade for Vladimir Tarasenko, but Guerin is yet to ink<\/a> Kirill Kaprizov to his long-awaited contract extension or decide whether to trade or sign<\/a> Marco Rossi to another deal.<\/p>\n Mostly, Minnesota has stuck to making moves that grab less headlines. First, they extending<\/a> Marcus Johansson (with a no-trade clause). Then, Guerin dumped Freddy Gaudreau\u2019s salary<\/a> on the Seattle Kraken, in exchange for a 4th round pick.<\/p>\n The Wild then followed up those moves by swapping out<\/a> former 1st round center<\/a> Brendan Gaunce for Columbus wing, Cameron Butler, before bringing back center Nico Sturm<\/a> to win some faceoffs. But one of the most important updates so far this offseason has come on the injury front.<\/p>\n Minnesota Wild sign Shattuck St. Mary\u2019s Jack Johnson to Professional Tryout<\/p>\n Back in late-June we found out that longtime top-four MN Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin had offseason lower-body surgery<\/a> that is expected to keep him out off the active roster through training camp and into the start of the 2025-26 regular season.<\/p>\n Without Brodin, Minnesota\u2019s depth on the blue line suddenly looks thin, especially when it comes to defensemen with significant NHL experience. Thus, Guerin and the front office made a move Monday to sign former Shattuck St. Mary\u2019s standout and grizzled 19-year NHL veteran<\/a>, Jack Johnson to a \u201cProfessional Tryout Opportunity\u201d (PTO) contract.<\/p>\n The Minnesota Wild have signed Jack Johnson to a PTO pic.twitter.com\/BHtna7QPrt<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 JFresh (@JFreshHockey) August 11, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n Related: MN Wild Teasing Massive Contract News on Local Sidewalks\u2026?<\/a><\/p>\n Johnson, 38, is from Indianapolis, Indiana. He transferred to Shattuck St. Mary\u2019s for his sophomore season of high school, back in 2002-2003, where he scored<\/a> 15 goals from the blue line, to go with 27 assists.<\/p>\n I\u2019d imagine many of those assists (and probably a couple of goals at least) probably happened in part thanks to a young Sydney Crosby, who played with Johnson at the famed U18 hockey factory<\/a>, which sits in the midsize town of Faribault, MN (24,000 people).<\/p>\n When he left Shattuck St. Mary\u2019s, following one successful season, Johnson went on to play two junior seasons with USA Hockey. There, he played 48 total games, potting 15 goals and assisting on 27 more.<\/p>\n Johnson trying out for 20th NHL season<\/p>\n After his final year with Team USA, Johnson \u2014 who was committed to Michigan \u2014 and was selected 3rd overall by Carolina in the 2005 NHL Draft. Two stellar years as a Wolverine later, and Jack Johnson made the NHL leap.<\/p>\n In 2006-2007<\/a>, at just 20-years-old, he made his NHL debut with the LA Kings, who had traded for him prior to the start of that season. And 1,200 National Hockey League games later, the rest is history.<\/p>\n I cut together this 2-minute highlight reel of Jack Johnson’s time as a Pittsburgh Penguin. pic.twitter.com\/mcnM5JxGmL<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Benstonium (@Benstonium) October 5, 2020<\/a> <\/p>\n Related: MN Wild TV Broadcast Ranked Embarrassingly Low<\/a><\/p>\n Prior to signing with the Minnesota Wild, Johnson has racked up over 1,200 games<\/a> of NHL experience with six different teams, including a Stanley Cup victory in 2021-2022 with the Colorado Avalanche. He\u2019s scored 77 goals from the blue line and assisted on 265 more.<\/p>\n For the first decade of his career, Johnson averaged<\/a> over 23 minutes of TOI. Last year, in 41 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets, the aging veteran averaged just 12:52 of ice time (0 goals, 6 assists).<\/p>\n Nonetheless, Michael Russo (The Athletic)<\/a> makes it clear that Guerin does not make this move if Johnson didn\u2019t have a legitimate chance of making the roster.<\/p>\n Guerin, who signed a PTO with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010 before being released and retiring two months later, typically doesn\u2019t believe in PTOs unless there\u2019s a clear shot for a veteran to make the team. He doesn\u2019t want to lead them astray if there\u2019s little chance.<\/p>\n But with Brodin hurt, Zeev Buium only 19 and fellow first-round pick Carson Lambos, 22, yet to make his NHL debut, Johnson will provide some depth on the left side of the blue line if needed by the end of camp.<\/p>\n Michael Russo \u2013 The Athletic<\/a> More About:Minnesota Wild<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMentioned in this article: Contract<\/a> Jack Johnson<\/a> <\/p>\n