Wild Sign Stanley Cup Champion Defenseman to PTO

The Minnesota Wild are taking a chance on a veteran blue-liner.

Jun 26, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Jack Johnson (3) celebrates with the Stanley Cup after the Avalanche game against the Tampa Bay Lightning in game six of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Now well over a month into the offseason, the amount of players signing professional tryouts (PTOs) is sure to skyrocket in the near future, and the Minnesota Wild have struck first.

On Monday, the Wild announced the signing of veteran defenseman Jack Johnson to a PTO. Johnson, 38, has 19 NHL seasons under his belt, and appeared in 41 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets last season.

The Indianapolis native boasts impressive size at 6-foot-1 and 227 pounds, and he's put it to good use throughout his career. In 1,229 NHL games, Johnson has racked up 1,931 hits, 1,831 blocked shots and 639 penalty minutes. On the offensive end, he's scored 77 goals and 342 points with a minus-127 rating.

Apr 6, 2025; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson (3) skates with the puck in the first period against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images / Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

Johnson was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2005 NHL Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes, though he never played for them as they traded his signing rights to the Los Angeles Kings in 2006. Throughout his career, he's played with the Kings (2007-12), Blue Jackets (2012-18, 2024-25), Pittsburgh Penguins (2018-20), New York Rangers (2020-21), Colorado Avalanche (2021-23, 2023-24) and Chicago Blackhawks (2023-24). He won the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2022, appearing in 13 games and recording 39 hits.

Prior to making the jump to the NHL, Johnson was a star at the University of Michigan, racking up 26 goals and 71 points over two seasons. He set the school record for goals by a sophomore defenseman in 2006-07 (16) and was named the CCHA Offensive Defenseman of the Year.

Johnson has also represented the U.S. at multiple international events, most notably helping the team win silver at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He recorded three assists and eight penalty minutes in six games during the tournament.

The Wild had a good amount of cap space to work with this offseason after finally being freed from the buyouts of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, but they've been relatively quiet. Their big addition of the offseason was Vladimir Tarasenko via a trade with the Detroit Red Wings, but that was more of a cap dump than anything. Aside from that, their biggest free agent signing was center Nico Sturm, but even he signed for just two years and $2 million per. Their other free agency additions all signed for less than $1 million per year.

Regardless, Johnson could still find his way into games for the Wild in his 20th NHL season, if he manages to stick around.

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