Ryan Johansen is considered by many, and especially those in the Columbus Blue Jackets organization, to be a budding star in the National Hockey League. So why does it seem like Columbus, and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen in particular, are so fed up with the young forward?
Contract negotiations between the two sides have been at a standstill for some time, and as training camp inches ever closer, Kekalaninen seems to be losing patience. His recent comments to The Columbus Dispatch paint the picture of a man bent on building a team with the right kind of players, with little to no tolerance for me-first attitudes and pure money motivation.
"Our success is going to come from being a team, not a bunch of individuals or stars, or whatever," Kekalainen said during the NHL prospects tournament last night. "To me, it's huge that you go through training camp together and get ready.
"When training camp starts, that's it. After that, the focus is on the guys who are there on tryouts or guys who are under contract. That's it. That will be the only focus."
If Johansen isn't under contract by the time training camp starts, Kekalainen seems ready to move forward without him. When questioned further by The Dispatch on what that meant for Johansen's status and how it will affect negotiations with Johansen's agent Kurt Overhardt, Kekalainen was curt.
"Draw your own conclusions," he said.
Johansen is a restricted free agent and just finished his entry-level contract. He and Overhardt are said to be seeking somewhere in the vicinity of $6.5 million per year. Both sides are on board with a two-year contract, but the Blue Jackets are offering about $3 million a year less than the Johansen camp wants.
"(Johansen's) potential is great," Kekalainen said. "But we're not there yet, after one year, where we're willing to invest franchise-type money into his future. Do it once or twice more. Make us pay. Go ahead and make us pay.
"We have no problem paying the dollars when it's earned, but the key word there is 'earned.' While we believe in his future, we want to see him do it a little bit longer than just one year."
