Report: Blue Jackets reached out to Johnson's agent about extension

The Jack Johnson saga took another interesting turn Thursday, as it was reported that the Columbus Blue Jackets have reached out to the lumbering rearguard's camp in hopes of rekindling contract-extension discussions, according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic.

A franchise reaching out to a longstanding player in order to engage in contract talks is nothing out of the ordinary. But in Johnson's case, it's a bit peculiar given the reports surrounding his apparent trade demands from only one month ago.

Since then, Johnson's name has been mentioned often in potential deals out of of Columbus, prompting head coach John Tortorella to insist that the defenseman wants to remain a Blue Jacket.

The back and forth has now taken another turn, as Portzline reported that a dwindling trade market for Johnson has led to renewed interest in a contract extension from Columbus' side.

Despite an up-and-down campaign in which Johnson has played a career-low 19:37 per game, the 31-year-old could potentially provide a playoff team with defensive stability for the stretch run.