Recalled/Assigned: Johansen Sent Down to Springfield

[CapnCornelius]

This was a Davidson move. A confidence builder. He will be just fine. He's really trailed off as of late.

In the old days, he would have stayed up at this level and become another first round disappointment.

This.

I really question why some of you think this is a crime against humanity. Johansen has the 3rd most shots on goal on the team and zero goals. At some point you damage his psyche more by leaving him up.

Everyone talks a good game about letting the kids develop and earning your spot on the team and then a situation like this comes up and people start second guessing that time tested approach. Let him go back to Springfield, dominate and then bring him back. There isn't any shame in that.

In fact, I recall a couple of guys who struggled early in a season and were sent back to the AHL. They turned out okay.

http://articles.latimes.com/2006/jan/10/sports/sp-duckkingrep10

Not every player is Taylor Hall just as not every player is Gilbert Brule. But when a guy is struggling the way Johansen has, sending him to the AHL to regain his scoring touch is not a bad option.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

There's nothing wrong with a 20 year old, 2nd year pro playing in the AHL. Something like 80% of NHLers have played in the AHL.

NHL organizations are loaded with good specialty teachers who can work on all aspects of a prospect's game. Johansen could use a little work on his speed and his vision of the ice isn't the greatest.

Playing the game at a lower speed (but higher than juniors) will help him develop his instincts. He had 27 points in 34 AHL games this season prior to the end of the lockout. That is exactly the same level of output that Cory Conacher (28 points in 36 AHL games) had this season. That's not bad company to be in. However, Johansen lacks Conacher's speed and isn't playing with St. Louis and Stamkos in the NHL as well

The organization will learn a lot about the kid's character as well. They'll see how he responds to the adversity of a send down. Also, if I'm reading things right, his salary goes down from $900k per season to $67,500. He has plenty of incentive to make the send down a short term proposition.

http://capgeek.com/player/1873

IMO, it's far better for a 20 year old to be achieving and growing rather than struggling. It would have been cool to have been a fly on the wall to hear the reasoning and discussions behind this roster move.

 

[EspenK]

I like it. Let him play and hopefully do some scoring to help build his confidence. The fans on this board have a tendency to fall in love too quickly. People need to take a breath and look to the positive aspects of this move. He still is only, what, 20? he has no line mates to speak of and he is as productive on offense as Umberger.

 

[chris11inter]

Schneider deal isn't looking so bad now is it?

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Check out this roster from an AHL team:

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/teams/0009592005.html

The parent team (Anaheim) won the SC in 2006-07 with a few of these players on the roster. Something like 12-13 of them played in the NHL last season-7 years later.

The AHL is not punishment for a young player; it's development.

 

[blahblah]

This.

I really question why some of you think this is a crime against humanity. Johansen has the 3rd most shots on goal on the team and zero goals. At some point you damage his psyche more by leaving him up.

And I really question why you had to exercise extreme hyperbole. They are entitled to not like the move. I have no opinion on it at all. Having said that, there is no immediate "confidence builder" in demoting someone. That's a silly statement by anyone. Now, you can say this is an attempt to get his game going if you suspect he has a confidence issue.

In all honestly this guy has been one of our better players most of the year. He is not alone in a lack of production. If we think sending him down will remove the stink of the others holding him back then so be it I suppose.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Schneider deal isn't looking so bad now is it?

Wondered how long it would be before someone tried to turn this conversation into that piece of crap conversation. The two have nothing to do with each other.

 

[blahblah]

Schneider deal isn't looking so bad now is it?

It looks more and more crappy every time I consider it.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

piece of crap

more and more crappy

And there you have it.

 

[FANonymous]

Schneider deal isn't looking so bad now is it?

Only if we get both sedins for mason.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Sad thing is he's not even going to be the #1 center in Springfield either. He'll battle with Chaput for the 2nd line.

Hahahaha. Yeah, right. He's better than Drazenovic and Chaput

 

[CapnCornelius]

And I really question why you had to exercise extreme hyperbole. They are entitled to not like the move. I have no opinion on it at all. Having said that, there is no immediate "confidence builder" in demoting someone. That's a silly statement by anyone. Now, you can say this is an attempt to get his game going if you suspect he has a confidence issue.

In all honestly this guy has been one of our better players most of the year. He is not alone in a lack of production. If we think sending him down will remove the stink of the others holding him back then so be it I suppose.

The bolded is one of the most ridiculous statements and you aren't alone in making it. "Other than the fact he isn't producing, he's doing great."

I've watched the games. He started off confident in the first 3-5 games and has fallen off since. Take a look at his shots on goal and you can see some objective evidence beyond my mortal observations that Johansen has become more tentative.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/gamelog/?id=7924

It's nice that he's doing well in the faceoff circle, but I would rather we develop him into Adam Oates instead of Manny Malhotra.

As for confidence building, that's up to him. If he accepts the demotion as a sign that he needs to do more and work on his offensive game to earn his spot on the team, he'll dominate in the AHL and that will build his confidence. If he insted pouts and takes it as a slight, he'll continue to struggle and perhaps flame out. Guess what though? If that's the case, the same thing would happen if he stayed with the team and seen his ice time diminished.

The Ducks have consistently sent players back down to the minors when they've hit a roadblock. They did it with Kunitz, Perry, Getzlaf, Ryan, Andy McDonald and they are doing it again with Devante Smith-Pelly. With the exception of Bobby Ryan, I don't recall a lot of hand wringing over any of those moves. There shouldn't be any over this one either.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Schneider deal isn't looking so bad now is it?

Yes. Still bad

 

[NotWendell]

We have too many centers, not enough snipers.

We need Johansen to develop into a true #1 center so Anisimov can center the second line and eventually Jenner can center the third. Dubinsky makes Umberger redundant.

I'm telling you, we may be years away from being a SC threat, but we're not that far off from being better than any CBJ team we've ever seen. Proper development of what we have, the addition of two goal scoring wingers (likely through the draft) and a #1 goalie (likely through a trade).

 

[Xoggz22]

Up, down, wherever. He's got to continue to progress. He showed he's a different player this year but we need his offensive game to develop and if that means spending some time in Springfield so be it. I want this kid to be good for a long time and be hungry every time he's on the NHL ice.

As for Arnott. No chance Cbus is in the mix. They aren't going anywhere and don't need to sign any more players. They'll pull up and down from Springfield to fill holes this year. If anything, we'll move some of the contract before the end of the year, not sign another one.

I think Draz deserves a shot at the NHL level. If not him, move Brass back to center and bring up Kubalik.

 

[blahblah]

The bolded is one of the most ridiculous statements and you aren't alone in making it. "Other than the fact he isn't producing, he's doing great."

Well then I guess that there is only one zone on the ice. Thank you for playing "I don't know jack **** about hockey" and, please, come again.

If producing was the only measure of play in hockey there would be a complete ass ton of players that would be out of a job. Another point, I never said he was "doing great".

<Looks up and down the lineup and notices a whole lot of ****** play>

Yep, he's been better than an aweful lot of the garbage we've thrown out there on the ice.

I'm not even going to bother reading what you wrote outside of that, I don't really want my head to explode today.

 

[blahblah]

We have too many centers, not enough snipers.

To be honest, I don't have any idea what this is supposed to mean or what it has to do with Johansen. Are you saying we had to make room for Brassard to play center?

 

[Fro]

Aaron Portzline ‏@Aportzline
#CBJ will recall a player from @TheFalconsAHL today no matter the outcome of Brandon Dubinsky's hearing with #NHL.

 

[blahblah]

Aaron Portzline ‏@Aportzline
#CBJ will recall a player from @TheFalconsAHL today no matter the outcome of Brandon Dubinsky's hearing with #NHL.

Sweet. This is a very interesting development.

 

[JacketsFanWest]

I hope the organization handles this correctly so that Johansen knows exactly why he was sent down and what he needs to work on.

He's played well enough to stay, but he needs to develop and if that's not happening in Columbus, then he needs to go back to Springy.

 

[CapnCornelius]

Well then I guess that there is only one zone on the ice. Thank you for playing "I don't know jack **** about hockey" and, please, come again.

If producing was the only measure of play in hockey there would be a complete ass ton of players that would be out of a job. Another point, I never said he was "doing great".

<Looks up and down the lineup and notices a whole lot of ****** play>

Yep, he's been better than an aweful lot of the garbage we've thrown out there on the ice.

I'm not even going to bother reading what you wrote outside of that, I don't really want my head to explode today.

The schtick is tired, blah.

Johansen hasn't done enough in the defensive zone to make up for his poor offensive performance. Which is why he has one of the worst plus/minus ratios on the team. And, as you note, that is saying a lot on this team with all of the "garbage" play.

The difference between Johansen and let's say...RJ Umberger...is that Ryan is still at a point where he can develop into a much better player than he is. But, hey, let's not bother to try to develop his talent and let's just throw him out their against NHL guys when he's not ready simply because he's nominally better than most of our anemic forward core. Let's squander his offensive potential because he's doing "good enough" in the defensive zone...when compared to a team that has one of the highest goals against in the league.

I'm not interested in whether Johansen is currently better than Boll or Calvert or whoever else. His potential is greater than those players. I'm interested in what is best for his long-term development because that is what is best for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

 

[EspenK]

Just like old times. First Dubinsky-Richards, now Blah-Capn.

 

[Crede777]

The schtick is tired, blah.

Johansen hasn't done enough in the defensive zone to make up for his poor offensive performance. Which is why he has one of the worst plus/minus ratios on the team. And, as you note, that is saying a lot on this team with all of the "garbage" play.

The difference between Johansen and let's say...RJ Umberger...is that Ryan is still at a point where he can develop into a much better player than he is. But, hey, let's not bother to try to develop his talent and let's just throw him out their against NHL guys when he's not ready simply because he's nominally better than most of our anemic forward core. Let's squander his offensive potential because he's doing "good enough" in the defensive zone...when compared to a team that has one of the highest goals against in the league.

I'm not interested in whether Johansen is currently better than Boll or Calvert or whoever else. His potential is greater than those players. I'm interested in what is best for his long-term development because that is what is best for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

There's two ways to look at it though.

There is what is "fair" or "good for me" which is how the players (Johansen) usually view things.

Then there is what is "best for the team" which is how the GM and coaches usually view things.

If we want to talk about what's fair, keeping up Johansen and shipping out Umberger would be what's fair given play so far this season. But I guess we're going with what's best for the team in the long run. Hopefully Johansen is able to swallow his own personal pride (remember his remarks to the Dispatch about how he wished they would stop telling him about how he can be so much better?) and accept a demotion which hopefully benefits him in the future.

 

[EspenK]

There's two ways to look at it though.

There is what is "fair" or "good for me" which is how the players (Johansen) usually view things.

Then there is what is "best for the team" which is how the GM and coaches usually view things.

If we want to talk about what's fair, keeping up Johansen and shipping out Umberger would be what's fair given play so far this season. But I guess we're going with what's best for the team in the long run. Hopefully Johansen is able to swallow his own personal pride (remember his remarks to the Dispatch about how he wished they would stop telling him about how he can be so much better?) and accept a demotion which hopefully benefits him in the future.

Hopefully he believes them when they tell him this.

 

[Mayor Bee]

Just like old times. First Dubinsky-Richards, now Blah-Capn.

And I'm happy to sit on the sidelines of this one.

Schneider deal isn't looking so bad now is it?

I guess I never realized that someone in a position to make a deal involving Schneider actually proposed such a thing.

Oh well, Johansen for Schneider is still a really stupid idea.