Todd Cordell: Columbus Blue Jackets: On Johnson, Wisniewski, and No. 1 Defensemen

I'm a Wiz fan, but if he's your #1 defenseman, you don't have a #1 defenseman. He's a #4 on a good team.

Jarmo has some more work to do, but he'll get there.

I'm a Wiz fan, but if he's your #1 defenseman, you don't have a #1 defenseman. He's a #4 on a good team.

Jarmo has some more work to do, but he'll get there.
- John Jaeckel

I would say #2 on alot of teams.

I would say #2 on alot of teams.
- Alexzanki

Notice he is a Blackhawks fan and thus his perception of D is complete messed up. Not every team has multiple All-Star D men. I agree with you. He would make a good #2.

Notice he is a Blackhawks fan and thus his perception of D is complete messed up. Not every team has multiple All-Star D men. I agree with you. He would make a good #2.
- coffee junkie

I wanted to say that he would be playing behind Keith-Seabrook -Hajalmersson

I'm a Wiz fan, but if he's your #1 defenseman, you don't have a #1 defenseman. He's a #4 on a good team.

Jarmo has some more work to do, but he'll get there.
- John Jaeckel

When Wiz came over to Columbus he was considered the #1 defenseman on the team and failed as badly as Jack Johnson supposedly does.

However, last year Johnson had a great second half of the season and playoff series against Pittsburgh, while Wiz's ugly series was pointed out by everyone with eyes to see the games. Mr. Jaeckel is right, and that is why many fans in Columbus are irritated that Wiz is collecting #1 d-man money in a long-term contract while being a 2nd pair d-man #overpay.

Johnson's stats this year are bad, just like everyone but Nick Foligno's are. If a healthy Ryan Murray was on the #1 pair with him, or even Tuten was paired up with him all year I wager he would have much better numbers, and so would the whole defensive corps. The CBJ back end is talented but young, and losing a third of your team every night isn't a great way to look good in the stats page.

And frankly, there is one other matter involved here. While he is a professional player with all the privileges it entails, being exposed in the national media as having to file for bankruptcy because his parents screwed him over and took him for literally everything he's worth has obviously affect his play on the ice. If you don't consider that fact when looking at the numbers you are missing a big part of the picture of his efforts this year.

Should that matter, no. But it does, and I for one am willing to cut him slack because of it. It will be interesting to see how much these numbers improve over the second half of the season, I bet they will be much better even with the new injury to Bob that keeps him out at least a month.

When Wiz came over to Columbus he was considered the #1 defenseman on the team and failed as badly as Jack Johnson supposedly does.

However, last year Johnson had a great second half of the season and playoff series against Pittsburgh, while Wiz's ugly series was pointed out by everyone with eyes to see the games. Mr. Jaeckel is right, and that is why many fans in Columbus are irritated that Wiz is collecting #1 d-man money in a long-term contract while being a 2nd pair d-man #overpay.

Johnson's stats this year are bad, just like everyone but Nick Foligno's are. If a healthy Ryan Murray was on the #1 pair with him, or even Tuten was paired up with him all year I wager he would have much better numbers, and so would the whole defensive corps. The CBJ back end is talented but young, and losing a third of your team every night isn't a great way to look good in the stats page.

And frankly, there is one other matter involved here. While he is a professional player with all the privileges it entails, being exposed in the national media as having to file for bankruptcy because his parents screwed him over and took him for literally everything he's worth has obviously affect his play on the ice. If you don't consider that fact when looking at the numbers you are missing a big part of the picture of his efforts this year.

Should that matter, no. But it does, and I for one am willing to cut him slack because of it. It will be interesting to see how much these numbers improve over the second half of the season, I bet they will be much better even with the new injury to Bob that keeps him out at least a month.
- jkumpire

Niskanen and Orpik are making more money then Wiz and they are playing number 3 and 4 minutes, same with Subban who I believe is nowhere close to Weber or Suter money for example.

I think with the money being handed out to some doubtful players , Wiz seems like a good deal given he has a booming shot on the PP and his defensive game last year and this year has improved.

I wanted to say that he would be playing behind Keith-Seabrook -Hajalmersson
- Alexzanki

Who the fck is Hajalmersson?

http://www.si.com/nhl/201...son-most-overrated-player


by the eye he seems to do a bunch of things fairly well. hits, decent skater, not completely inept at moving the puck etc. etc

but I dunno, I think his reputation seems to be way exaggerated

I think if you actually only watch Johnson he's much better than he gets credit for. His positioning around the net is tremendous. I like Wiz, but wiz gets beat a lot around the net. My biggest issue with Johnson is that he's having to play with Savard. Savard is a third pairing Dman in this league right now. A good third pairing guy, but still just a third pairing. I'd love to see Murray healthy and eating up top line minutes with Tyutin and Wiz as your second pairing. That's solid. Then a Savard/x third pairing makes a lot of sense. Then you can feel comfortable matching your top 2 pairings against anybody.