Will Johnson Ever Grow?

I know that Erik Johnson is "developing" as a defenseman and he is technically only in his second year, but does it seem like he has not grown at all in the NHL? After watching him give away a puck with a blind pass in his own end to seal the deal on a 4-2 Columbus Bluejackets win thus ending a four game winning streak for the note, I had to speak up. I've been keeping relatively calm about Erik Johnson's "development" or lack there of. But that giveaway hurt, and it is not an isolated incident. Watch how many times he rims the puck around the boards instead of being a heads-up* defenseman that is patient enough to find an open teammate. Count how many times he gives away a Blues' possession with a fling of the puck. Stuff like this would be easy to shake off if he were contributing offensively or a physical force on the blueline, but he's not. And those were the two specific things that EJ was advertised as being coming into the league...as the number one overall pick I might add.

Speaking of guys who are heads-up defensemen, does anyone else feel as if Darryl Sydor should be playing on a nightly basis? I thought maybe it was an Andy Murray thing, but he has yet to crack the lineup consistently under Davis Payne. This guy has been to three Stanly Cups and won two; end of argument. After the outstanding play of Mike Weaver and Roman Polak, and the surprisingly consistent play of Barret Jackman this season, Sydor would be my next choice on the blueline, and by a wide margin.

*A player in hockey who keeps their head up to make plays.