Ryan Johansen slapt in the face by Columbus Blue Jackets’ offer
Ryan Johansen enjoyed a career-year for the Columbus Blue Jackets this season, but the front office has not reciprocated in the form of a lucrative new deal for the restricted free agent who felt “slapped in the face” with their disrespectful offer.
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Johansen, 21, led Columbus with 33 goals and 63 points while averaging a point-per-game during the Eastern Conference Playoffs against the Pittsburgh Penguins is looking for a new deal to remain in Columbus for the long-term, but he and the club remain far apart in contract negotiations.
“It seems a little disrespectful, to be honest. It seems like a slap in the face.”
Columbus wants to sign the former No. 4 overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft to a two or three-year deal and therein lies the difference.
“I’ve earned more than a two- or three-year deal with my play,” Johansen told the Columbus Dispatch. “It seems a little disrespectful, to be honest. I want to play in Columbus, and I want to be a Blue Jacket, but I want to get this done. It seems like a slap in the face.”
“We’re not even close,” Johansen told The Dispatch. “They say ‘We want to sign you to a ‘bridge’ deal.’ We say ‘We don’t want to do a ‘bridge,’ and that’s the end of it.”
With free agency starting at noon on Tuesday and the two parties far apart in contract negotiations, Johansen could be in line to receive an offer sheet from another team willing to give Johansen the years he is seeking after a breakout season.
Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has stated he will match any offer sheet Johansen receives, but there could be some bad blood if Kekalainen doesn’t up the offer to four or five years to satisfy his team’s leading scorer.