It's such a shame pure, one-for-one hockey trades don't happen very often, because it's so exciting when they do. Both Johansen, 23, and Jones, 21, are two of the many rising young stars in the game today. The trade not only impacts how they'll each produce in DFS, but how their teammates will as well.
Seth Jones and the Columbus Blue Jackets
Jones himself will see a significant boost in DFS production. In Nashville, he was stuck behind a crowded blue line of Shea Weber, Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis and Mattias Ekholm, playing only 19:39 per game.
Jones is such an effortless, exceptional skater for a 6-foot-4 defenseman. His outstanding puck-moving and offensive skills were never fully put on display in Nashville playing in the shadows of Weber and Josi.
In Columbus, Jack Johnson and David Savard each log around 25 minutes per game. The third defenseman is 22-year-old Ryan Murray, who sees just about 22 minutes a night. None of these defenseman have the offensive upside that Jones has. There's no reason to believe why he won't be logging around 25 minutes once he gets accustomed to Columbus.
He only has 11 points this season, but if he can earn the trust of John Tortorella, he could become their no. 1 defenseman in a matter of a week or so. Given his talent and the opportunity on the power play, Jones could easily double his point total in a matter of 15-20 games with the Blue Jackets.
Columbus has been shorthanded 146 times, which is the second most in the NHL. This could lead to Jones blocking plenty of shots on the penalty kill, adding to his value on some DFS sites.
With the expected expanded role, Jones should see a massive increase in goals, assists, shots on goal and blocked shots. His +/- rating may take a knock, but most DFS sites don't use it to add/subtract fantasy points.
With Johansen gone, Columbus' top four wingers of Scott Hartnell, Brandon Saad, Cam Atkinson and Nick Foligno see their value take a hit losing an elite playmaker down the middle. Brandon Dubinsky and Alexander Wennberg will most likely see a bump in ice-time, with the latter having much more upside.
Ryan Johansen and the Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators have never had an impact center like Johansen. At 6-foot-3, 223 pounds, he's a big physical player with soft hands and a high hockey IQ. At 23, he's already proven he can be a legit first line center based on numbers alone.
| Season | Age | GP | G | A | P | SOG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-14 | 21 | 82 | 33 | 30 | 63 | 237 |
| 2014-15 | 22 | 82 | 26 | 45 | 71 | 202 |
| 2015-16 | 23 | 38 | 6 | 20 | 26 | 88 |
The change of scenery in general will be nice for Johansen. He had a sour relationship with Blue Jackets brass after holding out due to a contract dispute early in 2014, and was a healthy scratch at one point this season under Tortorella.
Johansen should see a significant jump in production in his new surroundings. He'll center a bonafide sniper in James Neal. Aside from a brief stint playing alongside Rick Nash as a 19-year-old, this is easily the best talent he's had on his wing.
Colin Wilson will start on the left wing beside Johansen and Neal, giving him significant value as a cheap stack option. Filip Forsberg is currently skating on the second line with Mike Ribeiro and Calle Jarnkrok, but don't be surprised if he swaps with Wilson at some point this season.
The acquisition of Johansen is also beneficial to Ribeiro. While his ice-time may decrease, he won't have to play against opposing teams' shutdown defense pairings and top checking lines.
In Summary
Overall, the deal helps both teams and both players. Nashville has enough depth on defense to trade away Jones, and Johansen gives them a big, young center to go toe-to-toe with other tough centers in the Western Conference as they compete for a Stanley Cup.
At 21, Jones is already a solid player who has yet to scratch the surface of his potential. He could easily develop into one of the best defenseman in the league, giving the Blue Jackets an anchor on the back end they can build around for many years to come.
