Erik Johnson
Defenseman, 6-foot-4, 232 pounds
Johnson was the Avalanche’s lone selected All-Star in 2014-15 before missing the second half of that season with a knee injury. He still finished with a career-high 12 goals in just 47 games. This season, Johnson suffered an injury to the other knee Jan. 4 and returned Jan. 28, missing nine games. But he wasn’t as good. Despite playing 26 more games than in 2014-15, Johnson produced one fewer goal and just four more points in 2015-16. The most telling statistic was plus-minus; Johnson was a career-low minus-19 this season, compared to plus-2 the year before. That differential is somewhat perplexing given that Johnson said his 2015-16 D-partner was the best he’s ever had. Bottom line: Johnson, 28, wasn’t happy with his ninth NHL season and he needs a bounce-back year to prove he’s worthy of the seven-year, $42 million extension he signed in September.
Highlight: Johnson had two goals and three points after the Avs’ first two games. His goal and two-points Oct. 10 came in the Avs’ first win of the season — 6-2 over visiting Dallas.
Lowlight: Johnson, who is from Bloomington, Minn., was shotless and minus-3 in a 6-3 loss at Minnesota on March 1. In the March 26 game against the Wild in Denver, Johnson was minus-2 with just one shot in a 4-0 loss.
Future: Johnson’s seven-year contract extension at $6 million annually kicks in next season. He will be 35 at the end of the deal with 16 years of NHL service.
Mike Chambers: mchambers@denverpost.com or @mikechambers
