The Columbus Blue Jackets and restricted free agent Ryan Johansen continue to haggle over the terms of an elusive "second contract" for the two-way center.
From Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch:
Johansen and the Blue Jackets remain at least $3 million apart, per year, in negotiations toward a two-year contract.
The Blue Jackets made a two-year, $6 million offer in June and have not moved from that figure.
(Johansen's agent Kurt) Overhardt's last offer - extended to the club and summarily rejected on Thursday - was believed to be a two-year, $12 million offer. There have been no further talks.
The 22-year-old is a unique piece. He is a 6-foot-3, 220 pound center with the offensive skills of a much smaller forward. He'll be key for the Blue Jackets if they hope to attain a repeat Stanley Cup playoff berth for the first time in franchise history.
Though, a settlement seems further away than ever at the moment with Blue Jackets' management blasting Overhardt at length this week and accusing him of "extortion". Meanwhile, it would seem that Johansen's side has been leaking a whole host of KHL offers that he's been receiving, including a reported 1-year, $5-million offer from CSKA Moscow.
CSKA Moscow's general manager Sergei Fedorov, coincidentally a former Blue Jackets forward, disputed the accuracy of those reports Sunday, but the KHL factor is a sideshow to these negotiations.
Playing in Russia could be a desperation move - albeit a lucrative one - for Johansen's camp. It would complicate their ability to attract an offer sheet from a rival club though because of CBA rule 13.23, which stipulates that any player who plays in a league outside of North America after the start of the regular season has to pass through waivers upon signing a standard player contract.