Blackhawk confirms he'll be testing free agency and leaving Chicago

Johnson, a veteran forward, wants to join a team that's in the playoffs. He told Pope:

Johnson's time with the Blackhawks hasn't been what anyone expected. He came to the team in 2021-22, after doing well with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

He used to score around 50 points each season. But injuries have been a problem. He missed many games over the last three seasons, including most of the 2021-22 season because of a neck injury. In total, he played just 149 games and scored 70 points with the Blackhawks.

He never played more than 16 minutes in a game.

The Blackhawks have a young team. They're likely to keep building around Connor Bedard. With Johnson's injuries and low scores, it makes sense why he might want to finish his career somewhere else.

He becomes a free agent on July 1st.