Ryan Johansen may not be on the trade block, but Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen certainly seems to be gauging the young forwards trade value amongst his NHL peers. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman revealed in his most recent "30 Thoughts" offering that Kekalainen, who recently signed Johansen to a three-year, $12 million bridge deal after a long and seemingly contentious negotiation, is already concerned with what Johansen will ask for on his next contract.
Johansen, 23, is a No. 1 center just entering his prime with room to grow. He's faced some odd complications this season in regards to his health and his fitness, though it was never made clear whether those two things were related. In the past, it's been suggested that his preparation left much to be desire for the team and his teammates.
While Johansen has seemingly moved past his early season issues, posting six goals and 18 points in 23 games this year, questions over his long-term future remain.
Recently, new head coach John Tortorella made clear that, while he's happy with Johansen's efforts in game, what he's really trying to do is teach his young star how to be a professional off the ice and in practice as well, concluding that Johansen has "a lot to learn" about being a fulltime NHL player.
"It's going to be a process," Tortorella said, via Dan Rosen of NHL.com. "Joey wants to learn, and he does have a lot to learn. It's great, the points, and I don't want to begrudge him that. In St. Louis the other night, he made some really good plays. We didn't score a lot, but he was close. But it's the other part. The other part is how you handle yourself in practice and how you prepare yourself for the practice. Your preparation for games. It's the little things you do as you're trying to become a pro, because Joey has a lot to learn as far as what it is to be a pro."
As Tortorella himself went on to note, Johansen is still a young player trying to get a firm grasp on the finer points of the game. He can score - of that there is no question. It's why Kekalainen was said to be fielding quite a few calls on Johansen earlier this season.
He remains a work-in-progress, but he's also likely a guy the Jackets want to see make that growth and take those strides with the their franchise. Whether the team can change their fortunes this season remains to be seen, but it's hard to envision the team playing better without a player of Johansen's caliber.
