Once a hated rival, veteran Tyler Johnson looking to make an impact with Bruins
"I think I'm a good player. I just want to show that."
Tyler Johnson once recoiled at the sight of a black-and-gold sweater.
A dependable playmaking pivot on the Lightning for nine seasons, Johnson found himself at the forefront of several memorable bouts and playoff battles with the Bruins over the years.
Now, the 34-year-old forward is looking to earn a spot on an NHL roster with a familiar foe in Boston.
“Played a lot of meaningful hockey against this team and a couple of good playoff series and a lot of regular season games,” Johnson said Thursday. “So I used to hate Boston, but it’s going to be fun playing in front of the home crowds instead.”
Currently skating in Boston on a professional tryout (POT) contract, regular reps are far from a guarantee for Johnson this season.
A natural centerman who can also skate on the wing, Johnson will likely compete with Boston’s next wave of young talent in Matthew Poitras, Fabian Lysell, and Georgii Merkulov for a starting role.
Johnson’s frame (5-foot-8, 185 pounds) may not coincide with the rest of Boston’s heftier offseason additions, but Don Sweeney believes that the veteran’s pedigree as a winner (116 playoff games, two Stanley Cups in Tampa) will offer plenty of value to his team.
“Versatility, experience, winning, pedigree, production. Skating component is still there,” Sweeney said. “So we identified early on — and wasn’t trying to be disrespectful to Tyler and his representatives in the fact that we weren’t in a position to offer a contract, but we would be excited to have him as part of our group. And we just felt that the opportunity was there in a bonafide manner and how it was presented, and we’re excited to have him.”
The Bruins have had success in the past with PTO signings, headlined by Danton Heinen scoring 17 goals and 36 points last season on a league-minimum contract.
Johnson may be several years removed from his career year with the Bolts in 2014-15 (29 goals, 72 points over 77 games), but the forward has recorded 63 points over his last two seasons (123 total games) in Chicago — including 17 tallies over 67 games in 2023-24.
Granted, some of Johnson’s production might have been a byproduct of regular power-play minutes (2:39 of power-play TOI per game) on a rebuilding roster. But count Jim Montgomery among those who thinks Johnson still has plenty to offer this team.
“He makes a lot of little subtle support plays, which has been the strength of his whole career … Just his hockey sense of being able to assimilate quickly,” Montgomery said. “That’s why he’s played so long, and that’s why, in the course of the last couple of years, guys like [James van Riemsdyk], [Nick] Foligno, become invaluable.”
The Bruins seem intent on seeing what Johnson can offer right out of the gate, with the veteran primarily skating with Charlie Coyle and Fabian Lysell through the first two days of training camp. His high motor and versatility could come in handy for a Bruins team currently banking on younger talent assimilating into the lineup.
For Johnson, Boston stood as an appealing option this offseason — even if his current roster spot is not guaranteed.
He acknowledged that several teams expressed interest this summer, and the case can be made that Johnson’s odds of earning steady minutes would be higher on a team with more holes up front (and special-teams reps up for grabs).
But Johnson stressed that Boston’s reputation in league circles made him eager to try and join this grouping full-time.
“Just the culture. You talk to guys around the league about different teams and stuff, and you continually hear about the guys in Boston, the culture, the way that they play, the way that they come to the rink, get involved with everybody,” Johnson said. “And a lot of times it’s just talk.
“But so far, as soon as I got here, it has been very welcoming. All the guys are super nice. It’s all black and white. Everyone knows we’re doing structurally, just even the first day of practice was just top notch. So it’s been pretty great.”
The Bruins have two more weeks of camp and seven preseason games to determine whether or not Johnson has a place on this roster. The veteran may not be on steady ground with his current contract status, but he’s not lacking in confidence.
“I think I’m a good player. I just want to show that,” Johnson said. “I want to show that I can help this team. … At every point in my life, it’s just — you always have to keep competing. I mean, the moment that you stop, other people take your job. For me, it’s just doing the best I can and letting things happen.”
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