Johnson, 27, was originally signed by the Blue Jackets as a free agent on January 9, 2021 and served on the club's taxi squad during the majority of the 2021-22 campaign. He also posted a 6-1-0 record with a 1.77 goals-against average, .941 save percentage and two shutouts in seven games with the Eastern Conference Hockey League's Florida Everblades last season.
The Troy, Michigan native has registered a 23-11-2 record with a 2.28 GAA, .926 SV% and five shutouts in 38 career ECHL contests with the Everblades and Adirondack Thunder from 2018-21. He has also gone 11-16-5 with a 3.80 GAA, .873 SV% and one shutout in 32 career AHL games with the Binghamton Devils from 2017-19. In 2018-19, he went 11-15-3 with a 3.79 GAA, .872 SV% and one shutout in an AHL career-high 29 games with the New Jersey Devils' AHL affiliate.
The 6-1, 205-pound netminder played four seasons at the University of North Dakota from 2014-18, compiling a 56-26-12 record, 2.10 GAA, .914 SV% and 12 shutouts in 102 career outings. In 2015-16, he went 24-4-2 with a 1.66 GAA, .935 SV% and five SO in 34 games to lead the Fighting Hawks to the NCAA championship. He earned NCAA West Second Team All-American honors and was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team that year.
