The Blue Jackets weren’t interested in signing defenseman Jack Johnson to a contract extension this offseason, and they didn’t seem too upset at the thought of him signing with the rival Pittsburgh Penguins.



But that all changed Sunday with two comments — one by Johnson, the other by Penguins GM Jim Rutherford — as Johnson was introduced in Pittsburgh after signing a five-year, $16.25 million contract with the Penguins.



Johnson, who spent seven seasons in Columbus, said of his new organization: “I’ve been looking to be in a winning culture.”



Rutherford, who has taken heat from fans in Pittsburgh as word of Johnson’s long-term deal leaked, made a cryptic comment about why Johnson was a healthy scratch for the Blue Jackets during their first-round loss to Washington in the playoffs.



“I don’t think he had a bad year,” Rutherford told reporters in Pittsburgh. “He was a healthy...