Tag: ryan johansen

As Lucas Johansen stepped onto the ice for his first NHL preseason game Monday, it didn’t feel all that different from the summers he spent training with his brother, Nashville Predators center Ryan Johansen. Skating with professional hockey players such as Brenden Dillon, Derek Grant and Jake Virtanen in Vancouver was a normal offseason for Lucas, so playing against NHLers in an exhibition for the first time didn’t spook him.
“For a first game, to have that kind of poise playing defense, you don’t see it very often,” associate coach Todd Reirden said. “So, it’s fun to watch, how he goes about the game. Certainly, I think it’s helped growing up in the family that he has and being around some of the players he’s practiced with. I think he has some special tools, in terms of his ability to slow down the play and see some things that other players don’t. He’s looking like an outstanding draft pick for us and a real great prospect moving forward.”