CanucksCorner.com Forums

Sounds like things are getting a bit interesting with Johansen in Columbus...

"When training camp starts, that’s it," Kekalainen said. "After that, it’s guys who are there on tryouts or guys who are under contract. That’s it. That will be the only focus."

"I've said it many, many times, that I think (Johansen) can be special," Kekalainen said. "His potential is great. But we’re not there yet, after one year, when we’re willing to invest the franchise-type of money into his future. Do it once or twice more. Make us pay. Go ahead and make us pay!

"We’ve shown it many times, that our ownership is committed. Look at Brandon Dubinsky. We paid him (this summer). Look at Nathan Horton in free agency (two summers ago). They are willing to make the commitment when it’s earned. 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."

We're going to exhaust every option to get a contract done before camp," Kekalainen said. "After that, we’ll focus just on the team, the guys who are here."
Asked if that meant the Blue Jackets would no longer negotiate with Overhardt once camp opened, Kekalainen paused.
"Draw your own conclusions."

http://bluejacketsxtra.dispatch.com/con ... ts-it.html

Rede wrote:Sounds like things are getting a bit interesting with Johansen in Columbus...

"We’ve shown it many times, that our ownership is committed. Look at Brandon Dubinsky. We paid him (this summer). Look at Nathan Horton in free agency (two summers ago). They are willing to make the commitment when it’s earned. 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."

Yeah, compare him to Nathan Horton, and the contract you signed *him to* because that's a great way to make your point. Compare him to a player who hasn't score 63 points in his entire fucking career. Good job. Sound reasoning.

I understand asking for $6.5 (which is rumored) is too much, but they're comparing him to Nathan Horton? He should tell them to get fucked.

BurningBeard wrote:

Rede wrote:Sounds like things are getting a bit interesting with Johansen in Columbus...

"We’ve shown it many times, that our ownership is committed. Look at Brandon Dubinsky. We paid him (this summer). Look at Nathan Horton in free agency (two summers ago). They are willing to make the commitment when it’s earned. 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."

Yeah, compare him to Nathan Horton, and the contract you signed *him to* because that's a great way to make your point. Compare him to a player who hasn't score 63 points in his entire fucking career. Good job. Sound reasoning.

I understand asking for $6.5 (which is rumored) is too much, but they're comparing him to Nathan Horton? He should tell them to get fucked.

That is not comparing him to Horton, it's simply saying the owners will pay but he has to earn it. One decent season doesn't warrant gone cash he's asking. I agree w/ the GM.

ClamRussel wrote:

BurningBeard wrote:Yeah, compare him to Nathan Horton, and the contract you signed *him to* because that's a great way to make your point. Compare him to a player who hasn't score 63 points in his entire fucking career. Good job. Sound reasoning.

I understand asking for $6.5 (which is rumored) is too much, but they're comparing him to Nathan Horton? He should tell them to get fucked.

That is not comparing him to Horton, it's simply saying the owners will pay but he has to earn it. One decent season doesn't warrant gone cash he's asking. I agree w/ the GM.

What did Nathan Horton do to earn a 7 year $37 million dollar contract with Columbus?

No problem with "you have to earn it" and "one season isn't good enough" reasoning. But don't bring up Horton's contract as a comparable, or even an example of "earning it". That's just ridiculous. They guy is overpaid, he hasn't earned shit, and he hasn't done shit for Columbus.

BurningBeard wrote:

ClamRussel wrote:

BurningBeard wrote:Yeah, compare him to Nathan Horton, and the contract you signed *him to* because that's a great way to make your point. Compare him to a player who hasn't score 63 points in his entire fucking career. Good job. Sound reasoning.

I understand asking for $6.5 (which is rumored) is too much, but they're comparing him to Nathan Horton? He should tell them to get fucked.

That is not comparing him to Horton, it's simply saying the owners will pay but he has to earn it. One decent season doesn't warrant gone cash he's asking. I agree w/ the GM.

What did Nathan Horton do to earn a 7 year $37 million dollar contract with Columbus?

No problem with "you have to earn it" and "one season isn't good enough" reasoning. But don't bring up Horton's contract as a comparable, or even an example of "earning it". That's just ridiculous. They guy is overpaid, he hasn't earned shit, and he hasn't done shit for Columbus.

I didn't say Horton earned that per say, I said that's why the GM mentioned him (as in - not comparing them) and Dubinsky (just as veteran examples who put in their time). I agree w/ the GM that a kid having one good season doesn't warrant those numbers. UFA season is a different situation & salaries always get blown out of proportion.

ClamRussel wrote: I didn't say Horton earned that per say, I said that's why the GM mentioned him (as in - not comparing them) and Dubinsky (just as veteran examples who put in their time). I agree w/ the GM that a kid having one good season doesn't warrant those numbers. UFA season is a different situation & salaries always get blown out of proportion.

While I have no problem playing hardball with an RFA (why negotiate against yourself, if he wants to play, he'll sign), it's the negotiating in public that really makes no sense. You can say he hasn't earned it, but he's already a better hockey player than Nathan Horton, who's never had a 33 goal or 63 point season. It's a pretty idiotic comparison (or even mentioning them together), IMO. Why even bring up Horton and Dubinsky? You know it's apples and oranges, the player knows its apples and oranges.

The biggest threat to Johansen is not playing hockey. If he doesn't sign, he doesn't A) get any money, or B) play professional hockey this season, and C) is no closer to UFA status. I'm sure he's heard these arguments already, why throw them into the newspaper? What kind of pressure does that put on the kid? None. Ultimately it could be self-defeating, as the consequences of pissing off your franchise player are quite high. If you're lucky he only asks for market value when his bridge deal is up (a la Subban), and if you're not he does the bare minimum until he can bolt in Free Agency.

Just because Columbus has made the playoffs and a bandaid UFA like Horton signed there, does not make them an attractive team. Pissing on your star player during contract negotiations makes Columbus look even more bush-league than they already are. Don't take last season for granted, give the kid a fair bridge deal and make him earn his next one.

All that being said, if Kekalainin really wants to make a point, he could trade Johansen to Vancouver.

Fair enough, I'm no fan of airing this stuff publicly. Doesn't help anything.
That said, the greed of it all is a tad hard to swallow. Sign a bridge deal, get on w/ it.

Ryan Johansen has reached the end. He was told to stay away from the team, and his teammates,so he has packed his bags and is returning to Vancouver. Same agent as Kesler. Same hardball tactics. But we can't get excited It just means he is coming home to sit out.

Hockey Widow wrote:Ryan Johansen has reached the end. He was told to stay away from the team, and his teammates,so he has packed his bags and is returning to Vancouver. Same agent as Kesler. Same hardball tactics. But we can't get excited It just means he is coming home to sit out.

What could Benning realistically offer the CBJ for Johansen? Will Horvat + Shinkaruk + 1st in 2105 be enough?

Jovocop wrote:

Hockey Widow wrote:Ryan Johansen has reached the end. He was told to stay away from the team, and his teammates,so he has packed his bags and is returning to Vancouver. Same agent as Kesler. Same hardball tactics. But we can't get excited It just means he is coming home to sit out.

What could Benning realistically offer the CBJ for Johansen? Will Horvat + Shinkaruk + 1st in 2105 be enough?

Lol. Thumbs down on that trade. He turned down 8 years at $5.75 per year. He either really hates his team, or is an a$$hole. Either way, I don't see his value as a team player.

You're 22. Just play the effing game.

While I think it would be great to see Johansen sporting the Orca, I would be just as happy to see Benning and Co. pass on him. Sure, he put up 63 points last year, but 20 of them came on the PP, and he led his team in PPTOI by almost 20 minutes.

Now, don't get me wrong, the PP is crucial to success, but Kesler's numbers took a similar dive as our PP waned.

I don't like the idea of going after a guy who is playing hardball after just a single breakout season. The best he's done is 25 points (adjusted) in a season.....until last year.

The only defense I see for the way him and his agent are playing this is that he's young, one the rise, and the Bluejackets are trying to lock him up until he's 30 years old at $5.75M per year when the reality is that by the time he is 25, if he continues to trend the way he is, his market value will probably be closer to $7.5M.

Columbus is mishandling this badly. If they actually believe he's "the guy" that they want to build around, then they should be offering him a shorter term deal at that price that takes him to RFA status again, and then try and sign him long term at a price that is market value, and if he's still being a pain in the ass, trade him.

A 22 year old, 63 point, Johansen who is holding out for big money is probably worth less in trade than a 24 or 25 year old, 70+ point, Johansen who still hasn't reached his ceiling.

Tciso wrote: Lol. Thumbs down on that trade. He turned down 8 years at $5.75 per year. He either really hates his team, or is an a$$hole. Either way, I don't see his value as a team player.

You're 22. Just play the effing game.

He would be an idiot to sign for 8 seasons and 46 million. The guy will be a stud , why tie yourself up for that long for what amounts to 2nd line money ? The Blue Jackets look like idiots here by playing hardball with their best player. The Jackets offered a 2 year bridge deal for 3 million per year ? Why are they going public ? He would sign a 2 year deal for 8- 9 million in a heartbeat.

BTW I make that trade but it doesn't help C Bus. They won't take 3 future pieces. I could see them wanting Kassian + 2015 1st/Horvat + a 3rd piece like Demko/McCann. Canucks don't have the depth to make this trade and I for one want to see if Kassian has another gear this season.

Is HW the Eklund of the CC?

RoyalDude wrote:Is HW the Eklund of the CC?

Only if you are the Gallagher

RoyalDude wrote:Is HW the Eklund of the CC?

Pretty much, ya.