Johnson eager to get started with Pens

For the last several years, Jack Johnson has lived year-round in Ohio. He was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2012, and with his wife being from nearby Dublin, it made sense to stay there during the offseason.

But this summer, Johnson and his family are embracing the experience of moving to Pittsburgh and starting the next chapter of his career. The defenseman, his wife and their two children got into town about a week ago so his daughter could start school and they could move into their new home.
"This was new to all of us, so we were anxious to get here and get settled and get comfortable before things really get going and get hectic," Johnson said Wednesday after an informal practice with Jake Guentzel and Chad Ruhwedel at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
It's been nice for Johnson to not only get familiarized with the area and the facility, but spend some time with members of the staff and some of his teammates, including Sidney Crosby.
"He was in last Tuesday, so we got to work out together and skate together, catch up a little bit," Johnson said. "It's been a long time. It'll be nice to play with him. I've played against him Olympics, World Cup, playoffs, so it'll be a lot nicer playing with him than against him."
When Johnson was first traded to Columbus, he didn't know anyone. But he already knows a few guys on the Pens roster, including Crosby, Derick Brassard, Kris Letang and Phil Kessel, who he's known since high school.
"He's a phenomenal talent," Johnson said of Kessel. "He's another guy I'm excited to play with in the NHL again. That guy scores goals. You can't teach what he does. He's just got a knack for putting the puck in the net."
The Pens announced on the first day of free agency that Johnson, 31, had signed a five-year deal with an annual average value of $3.25 million. General manager Jim Rutherford said that Johnson will bring more balance to the blue line with his skating and puck-moving ability.
But apart from that, Johnson isn't focusing too much on where he'll fit into the lineup. He doesn't know who he's going to partner with, what side he'll play on or anything like that. He just plans on coming in with an open mind and going from there.
"I'm sure things will change as the season goes along," he said. "There's injuries that happen, stuff like that. People have to slide in and out and take on different responsibilities. I'm pretty open to anything. I think I can play in any situation. I try to. I like to think I can (laughs). I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I take a lot of pride in being able to play in any situation."
There may be a lot still up in the air, but one thing is for sure - Johnson can't wait to get started with his new team.
"I'm coming to a team that's been the top team, if not one of the top teams, for a long time now," Johnson said. "You're sitting in the room here surrounded by great players and I just think on an everyday basis in practices and games, just being around great players helps elevate your own game individually.
"I don't think of myself as an old guy yet (laughs). I still think I've got a lot to grow and a lot to improve on. I feel like I'm still just getting started. So I'm really excited about it."