Article: Even On A Tryout, The Jack Johnson Signing Misses the Mark

[Tony Abbott]

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[MNCountryLife]

Hey Tony,  tell us what you really think..   LOL!!!  

[WIWild]

How can you complain about Johnson when CBJ liked him better than they liked Jiricek. We gave CBJ a haul for Jiricek and got Johnson for nothing. What could possibly go wrong?

 

 

 

 

[mnfaninnc]

How about we offer Johnson back to CBJ for Voronkov? 😉for Pewter

I really think that Lambos will beat him out. But what does this say about Peart? There was no doubt Peart wasn't close to ready. Or what about Kiersted? He's supposed to be better competition for Lambos. 

From Johnson's perspective, he wants to show others he's still got enough game to remain in the N. I see it as an extra TC body, and that he doesn't make the team.

Move on, nothing to see here.

[Citizen Strife]

You never know.  He might get Bogo's "Dead Cat Bounce" and actually play so well, he can be an emergency goalie.

[1Brotherbill]

I seriously doubt the Wild are thinking that Jack Johnson is here to play opening day.  They are thinking that this is competition.  Competition to push the other defenders not named Faber, Spurgeon, Brodin, Middleton to actually play in training camp.  You would assume that no mater how Buium plays in camp he will be on the opening day roster.  That leaves two solid spots, and a third with Brodin probably not starting the season, open for someone to step in.  Bogo will be on the roster weather he plays or not is up to Lambos, Jiricek, Spacek, Masters, etc. to step up and make the roster in St. Paul.

If nobody steps up in camp they could always fall back on Jack Johnson, and god forbid Jon Merrill .

[bisopher]

1 hour ago, 1Brotherbill said:

I seriously doubt the Wild are thinking that Jack Johnson is here to play opening day.

I hope you're right, but as Tony highlights. Billy G. appears to have a knack for signing "great teammates" that are terrible at actual hockey.  Even if he's only a "roadblock" for Buium / Jiricek / Lambos to clear, it's an awfully low one.

[MrCheatachu]

This is the article I've been waiting for.  I've disagreed with Tony on his assessments of Bogo and using the SPAR number to call him the absolute worst player in hockey.

As a good practitioner of stats, I would like to take this opportunity  to use those same stats to YELL from the rooftops, HOLY FLIPING COW POOP HIS SPAR IS FOUR TIMES WORSE THAN BOGO!?!?!

Just to be a playoff bubble team WITH JJ you'd have to start with a Presidents Cup contending team, then add him to your roster.

Maybe it's just softening the blow for me to say ridiculous things like 'Well, Ryan Suter is available, he sure looks like a great option compared to Jack Johnson'

[ArizonaWildFan]

2 hours ago, MrCheatachu said:

'Well, Ryan Suter is available, he sure looks like a great option compared to Jack Johnson'

I posted something similar a couple months ago. GMBG makes a call to the NHL and asks if Suter's buyout hit disappears if he is under contract with the Wild. If so, kiss and make up with Suter and problem solved for free. I would rather see Suter cross checking teams while wearing a Wild sweater than cross checking us in a different team's jersey.

Back to Jack Johnson. Read about this guy's financial problems and I think it is easy to understand Guerin's mindset. He's putting some cash into a guy's pocket to help him out. Not to sound cold-hearted but the Wild can't afford charity cases right now.

[Scalptrash]

20 hours ago, ArizonaWildFan said:

Back to Jack Johnson. Read about this guy's financial problems and I think it is easy to understand Guerin's mindset. He's putting some cash into a guy's pocket to help him out. Not to sound cold-hearted but the Wild can't afford charity cases right now.

I think you are probably right on this one. Billy has a lot of friends and he is very loyal to them. I think some of the moves he makes are just to help somebody out, to pay back a favor, or to gain a favor in the future. I still believe that a lot more goes on behind closed doors between the GM's, under the full purview of the NHL.

[IrritatedFan76]

You shouldn’t have faith in prospects. Prospects should prove their mettle on the ice, during camp. Johnson is the optimal insurance policy heading into camp to buttress the team against unproven prospects and increasingly fragile veterans (cough:Borodin and Spurgeon).  There’s no downside to Johnson as a PTO, unless you were planning on asking his folks for financial advice.

[Pewterschmidt]

23 minutes ago, IrritatedFan76 said:

unless you were planning on asking his folks for financial advice.