Regrettably, Penguins sign Jack Johnson for 5 years

The Pittsburgh Penguins squandered the brief salary cap space they enjoyed by signing defenseman Jack Johnson to a five year contract

Jack Johnson on his way to Pittsburgh this morning. The deal that has been widely reported — 5 years, $16.25M — will be signed and sealed soon. #CBJ

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) July 1, 2018 Johnson, 31, by most advanced metrics is among the worst defensemen in the league. The Pens have now tied themselves to him deep into his 30’s where his play is sure to decline further still.

There’s no way to sugarcoat it, this is a bad signing on day 1 and one that could haunt the team for years to come. It’s very out of character too, general manager Jim Rutherford…