Johnson’s play has been on point(s)

As noted in yesterday’s discussions, a case could be made for Jack Johnson’s inclusion on the NHL All-Star team. The selection for defensemen isn’t all about scoring, of course, but Johnson does rank in the top six among NHL defensemen this season in points (31, tied for sixth) and assists (27, tied for fifth). Johnson also has 21 power-play points, which leads all Kings by a wide margin (Anze Kopitar has 13). Johnson, who turns 24 tomorrow, seems on his way to rounding out some of the rough edges in his game, and for most young defensemen that only comes with time. Johnson will have plenty of time to figure it out with the Kings, as he just signed a seven-year, $30.5-million contract extension. Terry Murray gave his thoughts on Johnson’s play…

MURRAY: “He’s having a very good year with point production. He’s a player that shoots the puck. He’s got great ability, at the offensive blue line, to create some space for himself. He’s got a wonderful wrist shot, getting pucks through to the net. So he’s breaking through on the offensive-production side of things and, I think, on the other side of things. Without the puck, his game has dramatically improved. Obviously the organization is very pleased with him, with the seven-year deal that was offered and signed recently, so we’ve got a couple real pillars of strength back there that we’re going to build around.”