Blue Jackets' Johansen leaves town with contract talks at unpleasant standstill

After a series of unpleasant indirect exchanges between the Columbus Blue Jackets and player agent Kurt Overhardt (see below), it appears as though unsigned center Ryan Johansen is heading home to collect his thoughts. 

The club declined to meet face-to-face with Overhardt on Wednesday, as per Michael Arace of the Columbus Post Dispatch, prompting Johansen to travel back to his native Vancouver on the eve of training camp.

This latest development comes after it was revealed that Johansen rejected, among other offers, a deal that would have seen him make $5.75 million a year over the next eight years. 

As a point of comparison, Dallas's Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn – who finished fourth and 10th in NHL scoring last year – signed deals worth $5.75 million and $5.25 million, respectively, coming out of their entry-level contracts (as per Capgeek).

At this point, it's anyone's guess as to how this situation will play out.