Blues win the Stanley Cup! Expect that to be the headline come next May. The Blues and 2006 first overall draft pick have agreed to terms that will put Erik Johnson on the Bluenote opening day roster for the opening of the 2007/2008 season. On Wednesday, Johnson and the Blues were busy sealing the deal on a three-year entry-level contract that will give Johnson a $765,000 base salary and an $85,000 signing bonus. It's possible he could earn $3.7 million in 2007-08 if he were to meet all of his incentives, which include being named MVP of the Stanley Cup finals and being named to the NHL All-Star game.
Neither of those are all that unreasonable???
However, there are other incentives for Johnson to increase his bank account, although the details are fuzzy. It is said that he will earn bonus cash for his amount of ice time and point production that could bring a payday around $2 million in 2007-08.
Whether it's the sport of hockey, or it's simply Erik Johnson, he made a rare decision last year to forgo the instant money and attend school at the University of Minnesota for one more year, displeasing many Blues fans. However, at 19, he thinks he'll be more prepared to play in the pro's this coming season.
"I just think it's going to be fun stepping in next year and having an impact ... compared to coming in this year and having growing pains."
In late 2006, the International Ice Hockey Federation named Johnson the best defenseman at the World Junior Championship in Sweden, making him only the second U.S. player in tournament history to receive the honor. Johnson finished as the top scorer for his country with four goals, six assists and 10 points in seven games. He had at least a point in his last six games.
Johnson will fill in nicely on a young Blues team, helping to solidify an already exciting defense. If Eric Brewer continues to skate at the high level he was near the end of the season and Jay McKee comes back from a series of nagging hockey injuries, Johnson could contribute to one of the most highly toted defenses in the league next season. Manny Legace will be back in net for the Blues.
Johnson is another piece of the rebuilding puzzle in St. Louis, he adds to the youth of promising forwards Lee Stempniak and Brad Boyes. If the Blues upper management can find a way to add a big time veteran goal scorer in the offseason to help Stempy and Boyes up front, then it would certainly be safe to get excited about Blues hockey again. The signing of Johnson, who will be the sixth defensemen on the squad, brings about interesting trade possibilities as well, as the Blues look to add a veteran or another young talent. Add a stud or two in the offseason, similar to the moves President John Davidson made last offseason, to the plethora of young talent the Blues have already and you could get an extremely exciting and energetic hockey squad.
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