Behind the scenes here at Last Word On Sports, our hockey department gets into some pretty pointed discussions about the latest news in the NHL and around the hockey world. So, we thought we’d pull back the curtain and give you some insight into our thoughts with a new regular series called LWOS Hockey Roundtable. Feel free to join in on the conversation in the comments section below or by Tweeting at any of our writers!
A few days ago, the hockey world was abuzz with the latest turn in the battle between Ryan Johansen and the Columbus Blue Jackets. Johansen is an up-and-coming star in the NHL and is demanding to be paid as such, though the negotiations have become acrimonious to say the least and the two sides are at loggerheads. Jackets President of Hockey Operations John Davidson even went so far as to reveal some of the offers the team presented to Johansen and his agent, one of which was a massive 8-year, $46 million dollar contract, but team and player still couldn’t agree on a new deal, and now it looks as though Johansen is going to miss all of training camp – if not the start of the season or more.
As you can imagine, our hockey department had a lot to say on the matter.
LWOS Hockey Roundtable: Ryan Johansen VS Columbus
Ben Kerr (@LastWordBKerr): Okay, so how do you people feel about John Davidson’s comments this week on the Ryan Johansen situation?
Aaron Wrotkowski (@AaronWrotkowski): I thought it was brazen and refreshing. Contract negotiations are always shrouded in secrecy which leads to rumours, either false or true, and leaving hockey fans to figure out what really happened and what didn’t. Putting everything public on the table could lead to a new precedent. Davidson tried to call Johansen’s agent’s bluff. It’ll be interesting if an agent does the same to a GM in the future.
Robbie Jefferson (@robbedy): I personally hate them, Davidson called out Johansen for extorting by using an extortion tactic to return public opinion in his favor.
Ben: Personally I think Davidson is screwing this up. The Blue Jackets have all the power here, as we’ve seen with P.K. Subban (2012-13), with Nazem Kadri last year, with other players coming off ELCs and having no arbitration rights, the bridge contract usually wins. There should be no pressure on the Blue Jackets yet, meaningful games are almost three weeks away. Yeah he misses the first few days of training camp, so what? Its not the pressure point of the negotiation yet.
Aaron: The difference in those situations is that both Montreal and Toronto can afford to sit out star players. Los Angeles felt the heat when Drew Doughty was sitting out and Columbus? They can’t afford to lose any games because their best forward is sitting out.
Ben: And Davidson is melting down publically. If I’m Johansen’s agent I’m looking at my client and saying they are panicking already and we haven’t hit the key time yet. He may not get everything he’s asking for but this is a sign of weakness on Columbus’ part. There is no need to pull out the desperation tactic yet. This is getting ugly, I think everyone assumes he is eventually going to sign in Columbus, but this is getting to Turris-level ugly.
Robbie: If anything, all he’s doing is making Johansen and his agent dig their heels in and ride this out until he gives in.
Charlie O’Connor Clarke (@LWOScharlieocc): I think there’s more of a story to the agent than we know. I think he might be dead set on delaying until Columbus are desperate.
Aaron: Johansen had 12 points more than the next Blue Jackets player and 13 points more than the next forward. He scored 11 more goals than anyone else in Columbus. It looks like Nathan Horton is going to be out for extended periods of time this season again. Losing Johansen for even a few games of the regular season could mean the difference between playoffs and the NHL Draft Lottery.
Charlie: But because of that Johansen and agent think they can ask for ridiculous elite level contracts. Because they know how important he is to the team.
Ben: I agree Aaron, but we are three weeks away from that. Keep Quiet and Stay Strong at this point. If you show public anger, you are really giving up your poker face.
Charlie: I don’t know about the poker face, I think he’s probably made these concerns clear to the agent long before he said it to the media. I wouldn’t give him the big contract yet, he’s only really had one good year.
Aaron: Bridge deals are not the trend. Some teams do them, some players accept them, some teams don’t and some players refuse them. Edmonton skipped a bridge and gave long term deals to their young stars. Same to LA with Doughty and Ottawa with Erik Karlsson.
Charlie: I don’t think Johansen is Doughty or Karlsson. He needs at least another show-me year.
Robbie: But, I don’t fault Johansen or his agent for trying to get the best deal possible, especially since Columbus needs him so badly.
Charlie: Of course not, but Davidson is very understandably frustrated – he’s in a difficult position and he’s still standing by what’s best for the organization.
Ben: According to Davidson it’s not even long term versus bridge. There is a long term deal on the table at a little under $6 million a season, but he wants more.
Charlie: Michael Arace on Twitter:
CBJ media day off to rousing start. JD comes right out and announces what the team has offered Johansen: $6M/2yrs, $32M/6 yrs, $46M/8. Wow.
— Michael Arace (@MichaelArace1) September 17, 2014
That’s perfectly reasonable as an offer.
Aaron: 8 years at $6M per is not reasonable at all. That’s trying to get a major bargain.
Robbie: If Brassard is worth 5 mil a year, then Johansen is worth 6.5 a year.
Markus: Brassard’s deal is dumb, not a good comparable.
Markus Meyer (@Markus_Meyer27): Just under $6 mil is fine. He’s only had one great season. $5-$5.5 mil is fine, IMO.
Charlie: I agree with Markus, he isn’t a superstar yet.
Ben: Johansen was benched in the AHL playoffs 16 months ago. I’m just saying it’s a one year thing, he took a monumental step forward last year. The bridge is pretty low…. $3 million only and the others seem as good starting points, but shouldn’t be final offers IMO. This deal is also 4 RFA years, given that the 6 year deal is more than reasonable. I might not want the 8 year, but the 6 year is a fair offer.
Aaron: What I see is a Columbus franchise with a lot of free cap space money frustrating their best forward because they won’t pay for him. And the Blue Jackets are not a team that can afford to have him out of the lineup or afford to sell the Blue Jackets to fans in 2014-2015 without him in the lineup. They are better off to overpay for one year of production since they know he’s going to just get better. Even if it means losing a Nick Foligno at the end of the year. In 08-09 the Colorado Avalanche overpaid for Paul Stastny, giving him a multi-year deal at $6.6M per season. This was 2008. It’s a similar situation for the Blue Jackets.
Charlie: Okay, that’s one case that worked out well, how do we know this one will?
Aaron: We don’t. But you don’t agree to pay a 22 year old $6M per season who you think won’t perform for you in the future. Davidson believes Johansen is a star, he just doesn’t want to pay him like a star now. That’s all there is to it.
Charlie: Exactly. Johansen is definitely not guaranteed to perform. I can see them giving him 2 years for 5 maybe, that could be reasonable.
Robbie: I agree with Aaron, and it’s not like there’s another forward out there right now worth 6 mil and can play like Johansen.
Ben: I’m with Aaron too, the 6 and 8 year offers indicate that Columbus thinks he’s a star.
Charlie: But not as much of a star as he thinks he is.
Shawn Wilken (@CrimsonSkorpion): My only gripe about this is the fact that dirty laundry was aired during a time when you are butting heads with arguably your best forward. What does that achieve in the end? “We’re having trouble signing him, might as well piss him off even further.” It’s a move you think of when emotions are high and once you calm down, you reflect on what you were about to do and say, “Damn, that would have been stupid.” Sort of like stubbing your toe and then kicking the desk out of anger. What did you achieve? Nothing. You hurt yourself more than before kicking it.
Charlie: He does win some support from the fans though.
Shawn: That would be a positive… if it were the fans that Davidson needed to re-sign. Fan opinion is irrelevant when it comes to signing a free agent. Look at Subban situation. Everyone in Montreal wanted Bergevin’s head and he stuck to his guns on the bridge deal.
Charlie: Not specific to this case though, he just wants the fans on his side in general.
Shawn: If that’s the case, it’s silly. Does Davidson think Johansen will say, “Holy crap, fans are turning on me and siding with Davidson. Better sign up quick!” I have no problem with GMs/presidents hard-balling. Business is business. So is an agent holding out for more money/term. To disclose information that should be kept behind closed doors? That’s where you stepped over a line that shouldn’t have been drawn in the first place.
Robbie: I can’t imagine anyone in the NHLPA or a lot of the players are happy with that move by Davidson right now.
Shawn: Of course not. Contract talk is kept behind closed doors. By coming out and giving exact amounts, he broke an unwritten rule between player and team. I’m not sure how Johansen feels right about now but if I was in his shoes, I’d be pretty ticked off by this move.
Robbie: And if I was Johansen I would definitely not back down after that.
Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for more editions of LWOS Hockey Roundtable throughout the NHL season and don’t forget to get involved in the conversation via Twitter or the comments section below.
Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport and @LWOSworld – and “liking” our Facebook page.
For the latest in sports injury news, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for?
Main Photo:
