Wild sign 19-year veteran defenseman to tryout deal as Brodin insurance

This move gives the Wild some additional blue-line depth and training camp competition with Jonas Brodin set to possibly miss some time at the start of the regular season. It's not a contract commitment, but it'll allow Bill Guerin and the Wild to bring in Johnson and evaluate if they want to sign him for the season. If they feel satisfied with their internal options at the position, they can move on without penalty.

Johnson, 38, has played in nearly 1,300 NHL games (including playoffs) since making his debut back in 2007. An Indianapolis native, he was the third overall pick by Carolina in 2005. After his freshman season at the University of Michigan, his rights were traded to the LA Kings.

Johnson was with the Kings until he was traded to the Blue Jackets in 2012. He had a lengthy stint in Columbus. Johnson has also played for the Penguins, Rangers, Avalanche (where he won the Stanley Cup in 2022), and Blackhawks. He spent last season back with CBJ. Across 1,228 regular season games, he's scored 77 goals and 342 total points. The 6'2", 225-pound left-shot defenseman has over 25,000 career minutes, over 1,900 blocks, and over 1,800 hits. 

The Wild's current D depth chart features Brodin, Brock Faber, Jared Spurgeon, Jake Middleton, Zeev Buium, David Jiricek, and Zach Bogosian. Other young players hoping to make the roster include Carson Lambos, David Spacek, and Jack Peart.