Michigan Hockey: A historic draft night for four Wolverines players
By Tyler Kotila
Pick #5: Columbus Blue Jackets select forward Kent Johnson
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After Hughes was united with his brother and the Devils, another Michigan Hockey product was drafted with the fifth overall pick.
Making the night even more historic, the Columbus Blue Jackets selected centerman Kent Johnson with the fifth pick.
This officially meant four of the first five picks in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft were courtesy of the Michigan Hockey program. Johnson is a 6-foot-1, 168-pound left-handed shooting centerman who was another freshman who was on a tear with the trio of freshmen this season.
Johnson would play in 26 games for the Wolverines, where he scored nine goals and added 18 assists for 27 total points. He is a smart forward who anticipates very well, which tends to lead to him creating scoring chances.
The Blue Jackets are getting a forward who has some gifted tools, which makes him an intriguing prospect for anyone. He was originally slated to be a top ten pick by most, but most analysts had him closer to ten.
History wrote itself with the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, allowing the four Wolverines to slip into the top five. While the fun actually did not stop there, another Wolverines player was taken in the first round to make it six players from the Michigan Hockey program who ended up being selected.
Mackie Samoskevich was taken 24th overall by the Florida Panthers as the sixth player from the maize and blue to be drafted on night one. All-in-all, it was a pretty special night for the Michigan Hockey program.
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Congrats to the four Wolverines players taken in the top five, as well as the other two draftees from throughout the other rounds of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.