Photo Credit: Jason Mowry/ Icon SMI
Columbus is trying to upgrade their team, and are willing to make whatever trades are necessary to do so. That includes former first round pick, center Ryan Johansen, according to Blue Jackets president John Davidson.
This season the Blue Jackets are 12-19-3, last in the Metropolitan division, and have lost five consecutive games before a victory over the Coyotes on Thursday. Johansen was a healthy scratch in this game after coach John Tortorella had benched him for the entire third period on Tuesday when the team lost 5-1 to the Dallas Stars.
“The situation is, we’re in a position where we’re trying to upgrade our team. If we can make a deal, I don’t care who it is, we’re sitting at the bottom of the heap right now,” Davidson told The Columbus Dispatch. “Unless the contract stipulates otherwise, everybody’s tradeable. That’s hockey. It could be (Johansen) or it could be anybody else. If we feel it’s the right deal, we make the deal.”
Davidson made it a point to show that each member of the team could be traded, and that it is not different for Johansen, despite his important place on the team.
“When Joey’s not playing as well as we’ve seen him play in the past, or when Joey is benched, people phone us,” Davidson said. “You always answer the phone; that’s our job. 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 is a valuable player, regardless of his play this season, which hasn’t been his best. Johansen, an All-Star last season, is also one of the team’s most valuable players, and it is likely a team could be interested in adding him to their roster.
The 23-year-old has 79 goals, 110 assists, and 189 points in 302 games, with 26 goals, 45 points and 71 points just last season. This season he has posted six goals, 16 assists and 22 points.  He is currently in the second season of his three-year contract, earning him $3 million this year and is due $6 million in the 2016-17 season.
Only time will tell when it comes to whether or not Johansen will remain a Blue Jacket, or whether any of his teammates are at risk of being traded. When it comes to improving the team, the Blue Jackets has shown that they’ll do whatever necessary to get the team up the ranks in the Metropolitan division standings.
