Stephen Johns Going Back To College
Defenseman Stephen Johns informed Chicago media on Monday that he will return to Notre Dame for his senior season.
Johns, one of the top blue line prospects in the Hawks organization, had been rumored to be considering his options.
Tab, …Would he be on a fast track to play in the league or is he 3 years away from that?
He definalty has the frame to make the jump 6’3” 230ish…
But i would think he would probably go to Rockford for a year until Oduya’s and Rosey’s deals are up in 2 years, but that is just pure speculation.
He’s officially listed at 6-4 220 on the roster for prospect camp. Plays big and physically is probably ready but the speed of the pro game will be an adjustment that Rockford would help him with.
Definitely Rockford will help him…Johns has to work on his speed and transition game and that’s a good place to do it…also, he needs to learn to pick and choose his battles…again, Rockford will help.
Right now Stanton and Clendening are the #7 and #8 DMen in this franchise and they will fight for full time spots over the next 2 years…in a worst case scenario, in 2 years time, if we can’t afford to keep a combination of Hammer, Leddy and Oduya…then Stanton and Clendening will nicely fill those voids…there is NO RUSH for Johns at all…Klas Dahlbeck in Rockford is another Hammer like DMan who will be ready in 2 years, plus Shawn LaLonde really improved his game this past season and really looked like an NHL DMan…he will likely be ready next year…and of course former 1st round selection Dylan Olsen should be ready in at least 2 years time, if at all.
Johns likely will get a pro contract after this coming season with Notre Dame is finished and will spend the latter part of the year at Rockford…meaning that in 2 years time he will have finished a full year in Rockford and ready for the NHL…but he must get better at his transition.
How does this impact the worry about Johns going the Justin Schultz UFA route? Was all of that just based on him not going to last year’s prospect camp or was there more than just that? Was that loophole closed in the new CBA? Is Johns even eligible to do that
Anyone that felt Johns missing last year’s prospect camp (because of a prior engagement) was cause to worry that he would walk like Justin Schultz needs to relax. Johns has always been committed to Notre Dame, so nothing about him going back for a senior year should be a big surprise.
Schultz left Anaheim as a free agent because they failed to sign him within the window of time in which they needed to under the CBA.
Doesn’t Hawks control of Johns end in a year. If he is finishing at ND this coming year, why would he NOT exercise his right to play the free agent market like Schultz?
I think part of the answer is that he can’t increase his pay (I don’t think Schultz was able to get different financial terms). But he can choose his favorite team and the one that will promise or have opportunity for quickest path to NHL.