Ryan Johansen back in lineup, but Jackets open to trade
After being a healthy scratch last game – as part of the John Tortorella Reeducation of Young Star Players program – Columbus Blue Jackets center Ryan Johansen is back in the lineup for their game at home against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Where he’s playing by the end of the season is a bit more uncertain than anyone anticipated.
Blue Jackets president John Davidson told the Columbus Dispatch on Friday that “everyone’s tradable … it could be Joey or it could be anybody else.”
“Look, here’s how it works. When Joey’s not playing as well as we’ve seen him play in the past, or when Joey is benched, people phone us. That’s what happens. You always answer the phone; that’s our job,” he told Aaron Portzline. “And if something makes sense, no matter who it is … I’m not going to point just at Joey. This goes for anybody right now: If it makes sense, we’ll do it.”
Johansen has six goals and 16 assists in 31 games this season. He’s blamed an offseason health scare with an elevated heartbeat for conditioning issues he’s had this season.
As we wrote earlier in the week, this is going to go one of two ways: Johansen is either going to remain with the Blue Jackets and become a better player in the process, or this is the beginning of the end.
And much of that decision depends on whether Davidson and the brain trust believe trading a 23-year-old, 6-3 center with point-per-game potential can actually benefit the team in the long run.
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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.
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