Penguins look to be in lead for D Johnson

weeks of chasing this story, are five ways Johnson could wind up being a great addition:

1. Those who know Johnson say he’s motivated to put whatever it was that transpired last year behind him.

Think about that for a second, too: Say you’ve been really good at your job for a decade-plus, then all of a sudden you have a bad year. You don’t see eye-to-eye with your boss. You’re given projects you’re not all that good at. Then people everywhere — who might have seen you do 2 or 3 percent of your job — say you stink. Wouldn’t you be fired up? Now, plenty of accountants and car mechanics are motivated, too. That doesn’t make them good at professional hockey. But the next few points could and should make a redemption tour possible.

2. It’s probably not smart to doubt Sergei Gonchar at this point, not after what he’s done with Justin Schultz, Ian Cole, Jamie Oleksiak, Chad Ruhwedel and others.

Gonchar coaches the Penguins defensemen. He specializes in one-on-one work, usually accompanied by video and drill-down sessions before and after practice.

Not only is Gonchar smart and one of the best offensive defensemen to ever play the game, but his style works. He’s soft-spoken and likable, a father and dedicated family man.

Gonchar loves to pore over video and reinforce what a player does well before slowly identifying and correcting subtle flaws in his game.

One of the things Gonchar noticed about Oleksiak was his stick positioning in the corner. There’s literally no detail too small for Gonchar. He delivers the message in a way these guys respect.

Thinking he could do the same with Johnson is hardly crazy.

3. Johnson’s deployment will be drastically different with the Penguins.

After spending the bulk of last season with either David Savard or Markus Nutivaara, Johnson will see much different minutes in Pittsburgh.

Ideally, the Penguins want Johnson in their top four. They want to keep their No. 1 pair of Brian Dumoulin and Kris Letang intact, as they should, so Johnson and Justin Schultz would make themost sense.

It’s entirely possible that playing with Savard or Nutivaara required Johnson to do things outside of his skill set. With Schultz, that won’t be the case. Here, Johnson needs to be steady and simple.

Adding offense is something Schultz does better than any Penguins defenseman this side of Letang. Johnson could end up being a terrific straight man, someone who can maintain good gaps, hit a little bit and block shots.

4. The situation off the ice will be night and day, and that’s some of where Sidney Crosby has been involved.

The Penguins captain is one of the few who has remained in Johnson’s innercircle since their days at Shattuck-St.Mary’s.

Crosby has never been shy about describing Pittsburgh as a first-class organization, and Johnson likely will be blown away by how the Penguins treat their players.

That’s not hyperbole, either.

Whether it’s food on the plane, treatment on the road or what the Penguins do for players’ families, it’s routine to hear about the extra steps the organization takes to make players feel comfortable.

It also doesn’t hurt that Johnson’s wife, Kelly, is from Columbus, and they’ll get to remain close to family.

5. Cole went to Columbus and found an immediate fit because it’s likely his personality meshes better with that of Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella than it did with Mike Sullivan.

Johnson and Cole are polar opposites, and that could really work to Johnson’s benefit, especially as it pertains to Sullivan.

Sullivan refuses to speak negatively about his players in public. He wants them to think less, play a quick and instinctive game, and typically does well with quieter types.

Tortorella is a terrific coach, too, but there tends to be more conflict and mind games.

Tortorella’s way of doing things wore on Johnson, and the player likely drove the coach nuts, as well. A stark contrast in coaching styles could very well be a good thing.

Overtime: Hammer Johnson all you want for his performance last season. It definitely wasn’t good.

But it’s tough to criticize what he’s historically done in the playoffs, even though his team has never made it out of the first round.

In 23 games, Johnson has five goals and 21 points. That will be a welcome addition for a Penguins team trying to win a third Stanley Cup in four years.