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  • Does Marcus Johansson Have A Future In Minnesota?


    Image courtesy of Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
    Phillip Garrett

    Since the Minnesota Wild traded for Marcus Johansson again in 2023, I have been optimistic about his potential. Even though Johansson has been in the league since 2010-11 (I was only seven when he entered), watching the 32-year-old winger score six goals and 18 points in 20 games caught my attention.

    A year later, the Wild extended Johansson for two more years, and all the hype around him bringing offensive upside has subsided. Johansson finished that season with 11 goals and 30 points through 78 games.

    Johansson will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. Does that mean his time in Minnesota is over?

    Screenshot 2025-04-04 at 5.48.30 PM.png

    Nobody expected Johansson to be a point-per-game player for the Wild, but there was a chance that his second stint with Minnesota could help his confidence. After he had a 58-point breakout season with the Washington Capitals in the 2016-17 season, Johansson has changed teams seven times throughout his career. Since scoring 58 points in 2016-17, Johansson has failed to score more than 30 points for a team – until this season.

    Johansson has scored nine goals and 30 points with only six games left in the season. He’s on the cusp of scoring more points for the Wild than he ever has, and it will be the most he’s scored for a single team since 2016-17.

    So, should the Wild extend him?

    By the time you read this, the Wild will have already played the New York Islanders, giving Johansson his chance to break 30 points for the first time in almost a decade. Also, consider that Johansson is coming off a game where he scored a goal and three points against the New York Rangers. There’s a good chance we will see Johansson playing with confidence.

    Therefore, the Wild may feel justified in extending him.

    Breaking 30 points doesn’t make one a star. Still, it may be just what Johansson needed to prove he can still play a middle-six role. Johansson’s scoring has also come at an opportune time. The Wild have struggled to score goals all year, so they may seek offense from anywhere they can get it.  

    Johansson has scored four goals and 14 points in his last 19 games. Since late February, Johansson has played at almost a point a game. He isn’t scoring at the rate of Matt Boldy or Marco Rossi, but he is becoming an essential part of the offense. Johansson’s speed and playmaking ability are good enough to change the game's pace in a second. 

    He had one of the best (shorthanded) goals I’ve seen from the Wild this season midway through their last game against the Rangers. Retaining that kind of talent at a team-friendly cost may be worth it, even if Johansson only offers sporadic offense.

    Johansson is in a contract year. While the Wild are far from guaranteed a playoff spot, if Johansson can prove reliable in the offseason, I would love to see him on the bench next year. However, the Wild lost five of their last six games. There’s a good chance they will miss the playoffs for the second year, and Johansson may want to finish his career with a bona fide contender.

    The Wild are sitting in the second wild card spot in the West with 89 points in 76 games. The Calgary Flames are behind them with 84 points in 75 games. Right now, the Wild are trying to survive as long as possible until they can get Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek back. That means other players must step up, and Johansson has done his part.

    I don’t know what is going through Bill Guerin’s mind. However, Johansson has proven worthy of an extension, especially if he plays well at the end of the season.

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    Ugh... I thought I was reading a pun article. I kept expecting the joke.. Where is the "just kidding" ... BG will deserve to be fired if he brings Nojo back.  Some say he has value at only $2M/AAV.  He doesn't.... 

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    14 minutes ago, MNCountryLife said:

    Some say he has value at only $2M/AAV.  He doesn't.... 

    He does have value at $2m. However, we can get far more value out of ELC players. I vote a strong no here.

     

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    Good news for the Wild in today's game. Dallas is on the last of a 3/4, had a hard game with a crushing loss yesterday and had to fly in. They should be exhausted and a bit pissed off. Oettinger today.

    I would suggest the Wild drink plenty of Red Bull for today's game and outskate, out hustle, and out work this Dallas team. TNT game, so I'm blocked.

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    If the Wild didnt need to bring in some youth- Ohgren , Yurov , Zeev and some tenacity  " a little bit more fight "    I would say sure but the rosters are so small  " dont understand that "  probably a $$ issue  as always is , theres just no room unless you traded a Trenin etc . And im sure were going FA hunting aswell . 

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    1 hour ago, mnfaninnc said:

    He does have value at $2m. However, we can get far more value out of ELC players. I vote a strong no here.

     

    NoJo has earned his AAV with production on paper. It's his overall we don't appreciate. It's his style of play. It's his compete and urgency. His soft turnovers, lazy coasting, bump'd off the puckness, and general lack of toughness. He's a one-faceted player who hurts the team by being inconsistent and unreliable. 

    It's just time to give the role to someone new. NoJo might have had a good game against NYR only to disappear for the Isles. Perfect example of what he's been for MN. Not leading or carrying his line each night at all. 

    In my opinion just holding a spot MN doesn't have a better player for. That's why I'm hopeful Guerin doesn't extend NoJo. He's the wrong type of guy for the future Wild. Washington or STL is an example right now of what you want. Mostly NA guys, big and hard-nosed. Not finesse, smooth strides, and aversion to contact. 

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    In all seriousness- his spot should be given to yurov. Or at least vacated so that yurov can win it in camp - let the youth finally have a shot to claim a spot.  You don’t need MJ not Nyquist and definitely not Braz. 

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    1 hour ago, OldDutchChip said:

    In all seriousness- his spot should be given to yurov. Or at least vacated so that yurov can win it in camp - let the youth finally have a shot to claim a spot.  You don’t need MJ not Nyquist and definitely not Braz. 

    He's gonna playing this year if the russki's terminate his contract. I'm sure Billy is working his ass off to make it happen.

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    5 hours ago, OldDutchChip said:

    In all seriousness- his spot should be given to yurov. Or at least vacated so that yurov can win it in camp - let the youth finally have a shot to claim a spot.  You don’t need MJ not Nyquist and definitely not Braz. 

    image.gif.1bf9207db923c3f6ab0748a3ad0ec14f.gif

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    NoJo scores every 10-12 games, sometimes a few points but randomly. This proves he's just getting some breaks or super grade A chances. 

    There's lots of games he gets chances from Boldy or has open space but doesn't convert his chances. Most of the time however he's doing nothing. Like yesterday, NoJo tries to finesse and can't play physically so he's useless against strong teams. Then he takes a penalty while MN is leading and comes out of the box only to blow his coverage and Dallas ties the game. 

    He is a career minus player who still puck-watches and doesn't defend well after all these years in the NHL. He definitely does not make MN harder to play against. Guerin and Hynes blow a ton of credibility with NoJo getting 15-20mins TOI. Yes, the roster is not too deep but I really hope they don't keep him around. He sucks as an overall player. Euro-league is where he belongs. 

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    19 hours ago, Protec said:

    In my opinion just holding a spot MN doesn't have a better player for. That's why I'm hopeful Guerin doesn't extend NoJo. He's the wrong type of guy for the future Wild. Washington or STL is an example right now of what you want. Mostly NA guys, big and hard-nosed. Not finesse, smooth strides, and aversion to contact.

    Preaching to the choir here. What is the expectation of a $2m player? A guy who has flaws but can put up 30 points on the wing is probably the definition of that. IMO, we can get a better player and better production from an ELC player. 

    The problem with a Johansson is that he is not a good player in the bottom 6, but doesn't put up enough points or expected points in the top 6. So, for this team on the rise, I would expect an ELC player to come in and put up 30 points + be harder to play against in the bottom 6. 

    The one thing we would miss from Johansson is his speed and ability to carry pucks into the zone. What we wouldn't miss is the often immediate turnover that happens when he skates himself into the boards where he's trapped. 

    Conclusion: Let Johansson ride off into the sunset and take his game to the Swedish Spritzer League in '25. He bought us 2 years, that is enough. Let Bankier or Haight compete for that roster spot.

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