Blue Jackets forward upset that 'not in shape' assessment got leaked

The Columbus Blue Jackets have found a way to put a couple tallies in the win column under new coach John Tortorella. But his short stint behind CBJ’s bench hasn’t come without its hints of drama.

Case in point: Forward Ryan Johansen isn’t too happy with how it has been reported that Tortorella benched him for being “not in shape.”

Johansen is set to return to the lineup for Friday’s tilt against the Washington Capitals after missing a chunk of Columbus’s last road trip with a “mystery illness.” He was benched during the first frame of a tilt with the Wild at Minnesota, and a report via Twitter by the New York Post’s Larry Brooks revealed what Tortorella’s intentions behind the benching were.

Per Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch, Johansen was in fact taken out for not being in game shape, and that Blue Jackets’ medical staff was performing tests and looking into what was causing him fatigue. There were also concerns since the forward experienced issues with an accelerated heart rate during the off-season.

In a report on Friday, Johansen confirmed being benched due to fatigue but was not at all pleased with how the news was leaked:

"That was something that was said in the room," Johansen said. "That's something that shouldn't leave the room. You always hear (about) those codes from teams and players around the league: what's said in the room is said in there, and that's between us. Whatever me and coach talk about is between me and him."

Portzline also reported that Tortorella and Johansen don’t seem to be in sync with how the top-liner looked during team practice:

“Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said he'll watch Johansen closely tonight.
"I don't have any expectations. I'm going to play 'em," Tortorella said. "I'm a little concerned, judging from yesterday's practice, just the time off, just a little bit of a struggle he's had as far as his energy. I'm going to monitor that very closely during the game.
"He struggled through the practice yesterday. Hopefully he'll feel better (today) after getting a practice under his belt. We'll see how it goes as the game goes on."
Johansen seemed surprised to hear that Thursday's practice was a "struggle."
"I didn't think practice was that tough," Johansen said. "No, I felt pretty good."”

The questions as to whether Johansen is going to return to the ice on Friday appear to be answered. But the instance of who-said-what between him and Tortorella has the potential to be an ongoing matter.