STEPHEN JOHNS - Defenseman - 27 - $2.35MM Cap Hit - UFA in 2021-2022
LAST UPDATED 8/17/19
While he didn't break into the NHL as a regular until he was 24 years old, Stephen Johns has been a very valuable defensive defenseman for the Dallas Stars. He's not an elite skater and lacks the overall offensive tools to be anything more than a marginal contributor, but his value does not come from his offense, and he plays a very stay-at-home playstyle. He's a liability as an offensive play driver, but that's okay, because he shouldn't be touching the puck and he's adept at keeping the puck as far away from him, and by extension, his net, as possible. Johns stands four inches over six feet tall, and as a result has a very valuable defensive tool: size. Johns is a force to be reckoned with in front of the net, and he's a crease-clearer through and through. He's an elite defender in front of the net and protects his goalie against a high volume of scoring threats in the crease. His isolated impact metrics say as much, and they're very high on his net-front skill as well as overall defensive ability. That being said, his lack of transitional value thanks to his below-average skating limits his overall defensive value, as zone exits are a crucial part of a defenseman's defensive responsibility. That being said, in the right role Johns can be a massive stabilizing force on a defensive pairing, and can help anchor a penalty kill as well as cover up for an offensively focused partner. He's a legitimate top-4 defenseman looking at his defensive value only, but factoring in his overall lack of offensive value he's more of a #4/5 than a true meat-and-potatoes #3 defenseman.
While he didn't break into the NHL as a regular until he was 24 years old, Stephen Johns has been a very valuable defensive defenseman for the Dallas Stars. He's not an elite skater and lacks the overall offensive tools to be anything more than a marginal contributor, but his value does not come from his offense, and he plays a very stay-at-home playstyle. He's a liability as an offensive play driver, but that's okay, because he shouldn't be touching the puck and he's adept at keeping the puck as far away from him, and by extension, his net, as possible. Johns stands four inches over six feet tall, and as a result has a very valuable defensive tool: size. Johns is a force to be reckoned with in front of the net, and he's a crease-clearer through and through. He's an elite defender in front of the net and protects his goalie against a high volume of scoring threats in the crease. His isolated impact metrics say as much, and they're very high on his net-front skill as well as overall defensive ability. That being said, his lack of transitional value thanks to his below-average skating limits his overall defensive value, as zone exits are a crucial part of a defenseman's defensive responsibility. That being said, in the right role Johns can be a massive stabilizing force on a defensive pairing, and can help anchor a penalty kill as well as cover up for an offensively focused partner. He's a legitimate top-4 defenseman looking at his defensive value only, but factoring in his overall lack of offensive value he's more of a #4/5 than a true meat-and-potatoes #3 defenseman.
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