The Basics

Name: Jonas Johansson

Position: Goaltender

Counting Stats: 26 Games, 12 wins, 7 losses, 5 shoot-out losses, .890 SV%, 3.37 GAA

Extra Stats (5v5): .924 first-save percentage, .939 expected first-save percentage, -5.51 goals saved above expected

2023-24 Contract: First year of a 2-year, $1.55 million contract

Contract Status: Second year of a 2-year contract with a $775,000 AAV. Will be an unrestricted free agent following the season.

The Charts

The Review

It was truly a tale of two seasons for Jonas Johnasson. Signed to a two-year contract last summer with the expectation of being a back-up to perennial workhorse Andrei Vasilevskiy, JJ found himself as the starter once Vasy had back surgery just days into training camp. Once the Lightning’s all-star returned, Johansson slid back into a back-up role for most of the season before a quad tear ended his season at the end of March.

How different were his two seasons? Well, through the Lightning’s first 20 games he played in 17 games. Over their next 62 games he appeared in 9 games. Once the calendar changed to 2024 he played in just 5 games. Ahh, the life of a back-up goaltender under Coach Jon Cooper. Even during his stretch as a starter things ran kind of hot and cold.

He picked up points for the Bolts in 9 of his first 10 starts, posting a 5-1-4 record with a .907 SV%, 3.17 GAA, and a 2.96 GSAx.Over the last 7 games as the number one starter his numbers dropped to a 3-3-1 record with a .873 SV%, 3.76 GAA, and a -5.73 GSAx. Then, as a back-up, he went 4-3-0, .877 SV%, 3.28 GAA, and a -5.13 GSAx.

Honestly, that progression of numbers isn’t that weird when you think about it. For the first half of the early season he was playing above his head a bit considering his career numbers. Based on his history, those numbers were unsustainable and over the second half of his stretch as a starter, things regressed to the norm. Once Vasilevskiy returned, the spottiness of his starts led to a little rust and some numbers that were more along his limited career numbers.

Overall, he did his job, which is to give his team a chance to win while giving the starter a break. What he did in the beginning of the season was huge for the Bolts, especially considering the struggles of the team in front of him. Over those first 10 games, when he went 5-1-4, he played the most out of any goaltender in the league and faced the most shots of anyone who strapped on hockey’s tools of ignorance. Only MacKenzie Blackwood in San Jose had a higher expected goals against (34.05 vs. 33.06).

His wins weren’t always pretty, but he did just enough to pull out those two points per night. Without his performance the Lightning don’t make the playoffs. The injury he suffered towards the end of the season didn’t really hurt his season numbers that much as it likely only cost him a start or two. Nor did it hurt the team either as Matt Tomkins put in similar performances after he was called up from Syracuse. Neither goaltender was going to get playing time in the postseason.

Heading into next season, Johansson should find himself in the back-up role once again. With Vasilevskiy’s desire to play as much as possible, and Coach Cooper’s willingness to let him, JJ will likely see 20 games of action. There are 10 back-to-backs in the season, so we know he’ll get at least that many starts. Coach Cooper will sprinkle him in during the busier parts of the season in January and March to give Vasilevskiy a break. It also wouldn’t be surprising if he gets a start or two after the February break even if Vasy isn’t going to participate in the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Coming back for his second season he should be a little more comfortable with the team and system in front of him. With free agency also looming next summer he should also have plenty of motivation to be at his best during each and every start he makes next season. At 28-years-old (he’ll turn 29 in September) he’s no longer a prospect, but he’s still a little young to be considered a true journeyman back-up. If he’s able to turn in a strong season, a rebuilding team might be willing to throw him a three-year deal as a bridge to their next franchise cornerstone.

In a way that also applies to the Lightning. With Hugo Alnefelt back in Sweden and no true prospects in the system that are anywhere near ready for NHL action, the team could bring Johansson back on another two or three-year deal to be Vasilevskiy’s back-up as the future hall-of-fame navigates his way through the second half of his career.

Johansson’s season was perfectly acceptable for a back-up and the Lightning wouldn’t be unhappy with a similar to slightly better performance.