The Blue Jackets ' game of NHL roster musical chairs has l eft Kent Johnson without a seat while bringing Yegor Chinakhov back to Columbus.
Chinakhov, who missed training camp plus the start of the season with a back strain, was recalled Friday from the Cleveland Monsters. Johnson is headed in the other direction after he was benched Thursday in the final 14:03 of the Jackets' 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning at Nationwide Arena.
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Johnson, 21, practiced with the Blue Jackets on Friday before the decision was announced.
"He's a tremendous player," coach Pascal Vincent said. "I think he's going to be an elite player in the NHL, the way he keeps progressing over time, but he needs to play minutes. He needs to be put in positions to be successful and we're going to try to find a way to build his confidence up."
Vincent said the Blue Jackets have crafted a specific development plan for Johnson, who was selected fifth overall in 2021 and played all of last season in Columbus. The plan includes dietary requirements, individualized training in the weight room and now a stint in the AHL where he can play top minutes for the Monsters.
"It's a matter of, physically, we have a plan for him to get stronger and more strength in the 1-on-1 battles," Vincent said. "That's going to take time, but he's a guy that takes it very seriously. So, we have big plans for 'KJ.' I think he's going to be a hell of a player."
Chinakhov, 22, has a high ceiling of potential too .
He missed 52 games last season with a severe ankle injury before missing this season's camp plus all eight preseason games and the start of the season with a back strain. It took only three games in AHL Cleveland to earn his way back to the NHL with three goals, one assist and four points in three games.
Chinakhov's role with the Monsters will now likely go to Johnson, as he continues to focus on adding strength, bulk and confidence for a successful return to Columbus in the future.
"It's hard, don't get me wrong," Vincent said. "It's hard. It's going to take extra effort. It's a special (development) program. We will see a difference in the long-term, meaning this year if we're pushing him and he's pushing himself, but … we want to see a difference when he's 23, 24, 25, when he's at his prime, so that's the goal. That's the long-term vision … we think he can be a guy that can not only help us make the playoffs but be a force in the playoffs, and be a playoff kind of guy. It's as long-term vision."
After scoring his first goal of the season into an empty net to seal the Jackets' win against Tampa Bay, Johnny Gaudreau missed a practice held for personal reasons prior to the team's flight departing for Washington, D.C.
Gaudreau is expected to meet the team in Washington in time to face the Washington Capitals on Saturday at Capital One Arena.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets assign Kent Johnson to AHL, recall Yegor Chinakhov
