Washington Capitals prospect Lucas Johansen has had an up-and-down career, one that he hopes to rectify as he heads into his seventh season as a professional. The 2016 first-round pick has been plagued by significant injuries that have hindered his development greatly.
However, when the Port Moody, British Columbia native has been healthy, he has also been prone to inconsistency. At times he has struggled in his own zone, with puck control and difficulty carrying the biscuit into the offensive zone being among the more notable of his weaknesses. It was, at one stage, difficult to pinpoint what the now-25-year-old’s career would look like.
Johansen made his professional debut during the 2017-18 season with the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears. The 6’2″ rearguard had a decent offensive showing in his rookie year with 27 points (six goals, 21 assists) in 74 games played.
The following year was when the dreaded injury bug hit; “LuJo” played 45 games in the 2018-19 season, struggling when healthy: he racked up 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) and a minus-14 rating.
Things started to go from bad to worse for Johansen as he fought different ailments to return to the lineup, which resulted in the younger brother of established NHLer Ryan Johansen playing just 14 games over the course of the 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns.
After finally returning to the Bears’ lineup, Johansen rebounded by posting career-highs across the board with 28 points (eight goals, 20 assists) in 62 games played; during this time he made his NHL debut, recording one point in the single game he played with the Caps.
During the Capitals’ 2023 Development Camp, President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Brian MacLellan put his confidence behind the lefthanded defenseman.
“He brings an element that the other guys don’t. I think you need more than six defensemen to go into the year. You need eight or nine I would count on using. I like what Lucas has done in Hershey,” MacLellan said.
Although Johansen took a step back offensively with Hershey last season, tallying seven points (one goal, six assists) in 40 games, he managed to stay healthy and was doing lots of the “little things”, right, showing positional awareness in his own end and having fewer turnovers; he also played an additional two games in D.C.
Johansen’s productivity truly came when it mattered most for the Chocolate and White, showing up in the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs, particularly in Game 4 of the Calder Cup Finals.
Though he did not tally on the scoresheet, Johansen had two game-saving shot blocks which eventually led to Hershey tying the series at two apiece. He ended up with six points (two goals, four assists) in 20 playoff games. His plus-6 rating was tied for the team lead during the championship run.
Chocolate-smothered block by JoJo! 🍫 pic.twitter.com/DmOOP2Au1P
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) June 16, 2023
As NoVa Caps noted in our prospect tier piece, Johansen’s time to be an NHLer might be coming to an end making the 2023-24 season a big year for the 2016 first-rounder, as he will be playing the final season of his two-year contract extension signed in 2022. With the Caps looking to inject youth into their lineup this season, Johansen’s opportunity to prove himself may be bigger than ever before.
By Jacob Cheris
Read More on Lucas Johansen:
Lucas Johansen Is (Finally) Finding His Game
Lucas Johansen: 2023 Annual Review And Forecast
Lucas Johansen: 2022 Annual Review And Forecast