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Source: Penguins plan to add defenseman Jack Johnson once free agency begins

The Penguins intend to sign free agent defenseman Jack Johnson to a five-year contract when free agency begins at noon Sunday, a source told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Wednesday.

The deal is expected to be for a total of around $16 million, with an average annual value of between $3-$3.5 million.

Things can obviously change between now and then, but there appears to be plenty of confidence that Johnson will come here for myriad reasons — and finances aren’t expected to get in the way.

Johnson, 31, is coming off a bad year with the Columbus Blue Jackets.