Report: Blue Jackets listening to offers for Ryan Johansen

The Columbus Blue Jackets have endured a tough season, sputtering to an 8-14 record. With the disappointment, the team may be ready to shop one of its top players, as new reports suggest that Ryan Johansen is “softly in play” per TSN.ca’s Darren Dreger.

“That doesn’t mean that Jarmo Kekalainen, the general manager of the Blue Jackets, is calling teams and saying, ‘What are you going to give me?’ However, when teams call, he’s not dismissing the interest,” Dreger said on TSN’s Insider Trading. “He is saying, ‘What’s your offer?’ So what that tells you is there’s at least some interest in considering the trade of Ryan Johansen.” (H/T to TheScore for transcription)

Trading Johansen would seem to be an insane proposition, given his value. After back-to-back 60-point seasons, including 71 points in 2014-15, the 23-year-old has been given a short leash this season under new head coach John Tortorella, averaging two fewer minutes per game, logging a season-low 13:52 of ice time in a 5-3 loss against the San Jose Sharks. Johansen found himself stuck on the fourth line for the majority of that game after making a mistake which led to a goal, and admitted he’s just trying to do what can do help the team.

“I’m not sure what the plan is,” Johansen told the Columbus Dispatch after the game. “I made a mistake on their first goal (of the game), so… I just tried to go out there and help the team, do whatever I could. It’s too bad, the end result.”

Johansen has had his struggles this season, but his numbers are still solid. In 20 games he’s scored 4 goals, with 12 assists and 16 points – with 10 points coming in his last 10 contests. His possession numbers are OK, but he’s never been great in that regard. Johansen is a first-line center who’s ice time isn’t appropriate to what it should be, and at very least he shouldn’t be playing on any teams fourth line (not that I think that’s Columbus’ plan going forward).

There would be plenty of suitors for Johansen should he hit the trade market, as he’s a top-flight scorer who’s on a pretty affordable contract. He’s in the second year of the three-year $12 million bridge deal he signed in 2014. Teams looking to add him wouldn’t have to worry about his immediate departure, and the cap hit isn’t substantial, at least for his production. The Blue Jackets would be crazy to deal him right now, unless they’re blown away with an offer. He’s young, has some control and can produce offense.

Now isn’t the time to make rash decisions. Shopping him and gauging interest is fine, and it all may just be a rumor, but it would make much more sense to shop Johansen next year when he’s facing free agency. Currently, it would be selling low. The Jackets should stick with him and see what they have.

About Liam McGuire

Social +Staff writer for The Comeback & Awful Announcing. Liammcguirejournalism@gmail.com

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