KINGS TO GET GLIMPSE OF FUTURE WITH NEW BLUE-LINER.

Byline: RICH HAMMOND 

Staff Writer

Already a cult hero to a large segment of Kings fans, most of whom have never seen him play in person, top prospect Jack Johnson likely will make his NHL debut in Thursday's home game against Vancouver.

Expectations are large for Johnson, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound defenseman from the University of Michigan who agreed to a bonus-laden entry-level contract. An official announcement will be made today.

"We're done," Pat Brisson, Johnson's agent, said Monday night after he finished contract talks, which began Saturday, with the Kings. "There was a lot of negotiation. I respect where the Kings were coming from and now both sides are happy and that's the most important thing."

Johnson, 20, is a bruising hitter with a rocket slap shot who already is drawing comparisons to Kings defenseman and future Hall of Famer Rob Blake, who likely will be his blue-line partner and tutor.

As expected, Johnson gave up his final two years of college eligibility. After Michigan was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, he remained in Denver with Brisson to negotiate with Kings general manager Dean Lombardi. Contract details were finalized Monday.

A league source said Johnson's contract, based heavily on bonuses, will be the fourth-largest rookie contract since the new collective-bargaining agreement was signed in 2005. It would put Johnson behind only Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin in terms of rookie deals.

As a rookie, Johnson's salary will be capped at $984,200 per year for three seasons, but incentives could increase his salary significantly each season. Malkin's deal included almost $3 million worth of incentives per season.

Johnson didn't sign in time to be eligible to play tonight in San Jose but should be able to play in the Kings' final fivegames, starting Thursday at Staples Center, if coach Marc Crawford deems him ready.

"I thought I was ready for a new challenge," Johnson, who spent two standout seasons at Michigan, told the campus newspaper. "With all my close friends, the seniors, gone now and everything, I thought it was time for me to pretty much go for a new challenge."

The Kings held internal discussions about what to do with Johnson once Michigan's season ended. They could have waited until next season to bring him into the fold or they could have tried to convince him to join Manchester for the American Hockey League playoffs, but the consensus is that Johnson is NHL-ready now.

Drafted third overall by Carolina in 2005, Johnson spurned the Hurricanes and stayed at Michigan for two years. The Hurricanes, frustrated at their inability to sign Johnson, traded his rights (and Oleg Tverdovksy) to the Kings in September in exchange for defenseman Tim Gleason and center Eric Belanger.

The trade hurt the Kings in the short term, as it took twokey contributors off their roster, but the organization and its fans spent this season fawning over Johnson and his great long-term potential.

Johnson is viewed as nothing short of a savior among some Kings fans, a player who, along with Anze Kopitar, is expected to lead the team to greatness over the next decade. One Web site has been selling T-shirts with slogans in Johnson's honor, even though there was no assurance he would sign with the Kings.

By all accounts, the hype is warranted. In his first season, Johnson set a school record for points by a freshman defenseman (32), scored 10 goals and was named to his conference's all-rookie team.

This season, Johnson scored 16 goals, most in NCAA Division I by a defenseman and a school record for a sophomore blue-liner, increased his point total to 39 and decreased his penalty minutes from 149 to 87.

Johnson, who led Michigan to the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament championship game, is a strong candidate for All-America honors.

"He's a special type of hockey player with special character," Brisson said.

Johnson, born in Indianapolis and a native of Ann Arbor, Mich., also has extensive experience on the international level, as he represented the United States in each of the past two World Junior Championships tournaments. This year, he scored three goals in sevengames and helped the U.S. to a bronze medal.

In an interview with the Michigan campus newspaper, Jack Johnson Sr. said his son would return to school after the NHL season ends and resume work toward a degree.

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JOHNSON FILE

Name: Jack Johnson.

Age: 20. Ht/Wt: 6-foot-1, 215 lbs.

College: Michigan.

Drafted: 2095 (third overall).

Position: Defenseman.

Career highlights: Set Michigan record for points by a freshman defenseman (35). ... As a sophomore, led NCAA defensemen in goals (16). ... Member of U.S. Junior national team.

CAPTION(S):

photo, 2 boxes

Photo:

(color) no caption (Jack Johnson)

Box:

(1) JOHNSON FILE (see text)

(2) KINGS at SAN JOSE

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