NEWARK -- Marcus Johansson is still rocking the red these days, but instead of a Washington Capitals logo on his sweater, he now reps the New Jersey Devils following an offseason trade between the clubs. Friday night, he will wear that new home red jersey when his Devils host his previous club, and Johansson admits that it is going to be strange playing against his former teammates for the first time in the regular season.
"It's a little weird to be playing your old team, your old teammates," Johansson told Sporting News. "It's also going to be fun. I'm excited about it. I've been looking forward to this. There are going to be some emotions, for sure."
New jersey... in New Jersey #CapsDevils pic.twitter.com/NjDXcrRNb7
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 13, 2017
The 27-year-old Johansson did face the Capitals during the preseason, but clearly there will be something more on the line for the Devils forward in this regular season matchup between division rivals.
"I really count this as the first one, the other ones really weren't the same, it's like we were scrimmaging out there," explained Johansson with a smile.
Though only their fourth game of the season, it is an important one for the Devils. They have won all three of their games, so far, exploding for 16 goals already, a significant upgrade from the past two seasons when they ranked last in scoring in the Eastern Conference. The Devils beat the Maple Leafs on the road Wednesday, 6-3; but the Capitals pose a different kind of early-season challenge, a measuring-stick game of sorts against the two-time defending President's Trophy winners.
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"Playing the Caps, they've been a contender for many years, so it's going to be a real good test for us," offered Johansson, who has two goals and four points already, coming off a career-high 24 goals and 58 points last season. "These are the games you are going to start to learn how to win if we are going to get in the playoffs. It's a big one for us."
The Devils have not reached the post-season since a 2012 run to the Stanley Cup Final, but there is Johansson, who became accustomed to winning a lot in Washington the past seven years, talking playoffs only four games into a new season with a new team. That expectation to win is one of the reasons why the Devils' braintrust wanted Johansson on their side.
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"Off the ice, he is a fantastic person, everything we wanted to have in our culture," Devils coach John Hynes told Sporting News on Friday. "He's a real pro. He's got a great attitude every day, is easy to talk to, and he's right on board with everything we are trying to do. It's important to have a player of his stature come in and be right on board with how we want to do things."
On the ice, Johansson has been the big brother on a line with rookies Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt, and all three have thrived. Bratt, a 19-year-old sixth round pick in 2016, leads the team with three goals and six points, and Hischier, the 18-year-old top pick in the 2017 draft, has played very well despite having only one assist.
His presence in the lineup, playing important roles at even strength and on the power play, gives New Jersey another veteran to rely on offensively, while bringing along a host of kids that also includes former first-round pick Pavel Zacha and second-year pro Miles Wood.
"He's got great puck poise, high hockey I.Q., and he's really helped us in all facets of the game," offered Hynes. "And the way he practices, as a veteran leader with his experience, is fantastic for our young kids."
For his part, Johansson says the style the Devils play "suits me well", and adds "more importantly, suits the team well." That style is "fast, in-your-face hockey", according to rookie defenseman Will Butcher.
And with Johansson's help, it has the Devils undefeated going into Friday's contest against his former team.