The Nashville Predators have finally made a trade for the center they needed, and it cost them a big piece.
Ryan Johansen has been acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for defensemen Seth Jones.
The @PredsNHL have acquired forward Ryan Johansen from Columbus https://t.co/1tzSuZsHZp
— KWilsonPreds (@KWilsonPreds) January 6, 2016
Nashville, Tenn. (January 6, 2016) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced Tuesday that the team has acquired center Ryan Johansen from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for defenseman Seth Jones.
“Ryan is a big, young center that can score, set up goals, win faceoffs,” Poile said. “He’s a No. 1 center who is still growing his game and has the size and skill that we have been looking for to match up with the best in the League.”
Johansen, 23 (7/31/92), played in all 82 of Columbus’ games in 2013-14 and 2014-15, first setting a career high in goals (33), then posting personal bests in assists (45) and points (71) while appearing in the 2015 All-Star Game. The 6-foot-3, 218-pound native of Vancouver has 26 points (6g-20a) in 38 games this season. For his career, Johansen has 193 points (79g-114a) in 309 games and a 51.8 percent success rate in the face-off circle, including a 52 percent success rate this season, putting him in the Top 10 among those taking at least 400 draws.
The fourth overall selection in the 2010 Entry Draft, Johansen also has six points (2g-4a) in six career Stanley Cup Playoff games – all in 2014 with the Blue Jackets. He earned a silver medal and a spot on the tournament all-star team at the 2011 World Junior Championship after posting nine points (3g-6a) in seven games, and was a 2011 WHL First Team All-Star after recording 92 points (40g-52a) in 63 regular-season WHL games, and a league-best 28 points (13g-15a) in 21 postseason contests in his second and final campaign with the Portland Winterhawks.
Way more coming soon.