Former Blue Jackets 1st-round pick a trade chip

It was announced today that former 1st-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Kent Johnson, was a healthy scratch ahead of today's game against the New York Islanders. 

Drafted by former general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, Johnson was poised to propel the Blue Jackets into Stanley Cup contention.

Kent Johnson scratched tonight for CBJ… @megangley mentioned him on the pod over the summer as a potential great fit in Colorado.

— Jesse Montano (@jessemontano_) February 28, 2026

 But this season has shown that he's not developing in a way the Blue Jackets liked. As a result, he's seen his time on the ice dwindle under both Rick Bowness and Dean Evason. 

Could he be the next trade target for a cash-strapped Colorado Avalanche? At the moment, they have $2.367 million in available cap space, and with a Cale Makar extension on the horizon, they'll have to fish for talent in the bargain bin. 

Is Kent Johnson a trade chip for the Blue Jackets?

Scratching Johnson hastens what would be a potential exit as the trade deadline looms, and Johnson's $1.8 million hit would fit underneath a team that has higher aspirations beyond the regular season. 

Head Coach Rick Bowness issued a statement that Johnson is part of the team's future. 

Listen, he’s a big part of the future of the team. This isn’t we’re going to sit you out for the next month. Take a look at the game. Sometimes there’s a little bit more room out there than you realize when you’re on the ice, the pace of the game. We’re not down on you. We got to make some changes. Again, it goes back to getting some more offense out of that third line. The fourth line, they’re doing their job. They’re checking. They’re penalty killers and that’s not what he does. So we’ll get him back in there.

 The rumors swirling around Johnson's departure from Columbus seem premature, as general manager Don Waddell was quick to shoot down any talk of the team being sellers and would be active in retaining their pending unrestricted free agents.  

Three weeks ago, I would have probably been selling everything now,” Waddell said. “I kind of looked at our UFA’s. We like our team. We like how it’s going right now. You say well, instead of going out and buying more UFAs, I have the group of guys I want here. In saying that, maybe (we) adapt a little bit. There might be a UFA that we pick up

 Though the buzz surrounding Johnson and the Blue Jackets might suggest there's a potential trade here, it remains unseen whether or not the team will consider someone who was drafted as a cornerstone of the franchise (5th overall) in 2021. 

He's played a total of 254 games in the NHL, scoring 134 points, and was touted as one of the Blue Jackets' best prospects. 

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