Jackets Draft Ryan Johansen 4th Overall

The Jackets keep the fourth overall pick, and draft Ryan Johansen from the Portland Winterhawks. Johansen is a playmaking center, who has the frame and skills to develop into a top line pivot.

Here is the profile we came up with a few weeks ago:

Position: Center
Age 17
Date of Birth: July 31, 1992
Place of Birth: Vancouver, BC, CAN
Height: 6-2 Weight: 192 lbs.

Ryan Johansen is a center for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. He's a teammate of fellow draftee Nino Neiderreiter. He ranked fifth on the team during the 2009-2010 season in goals (25) and finished 2nd in points (69).

Johansen is the 10th rated North American skater according to Central Scouting. He's already being praised for his work on both ends of the ice. His idol is Sharks C Joe Thornton. Not a bad choice, if you ask me.

2009-2010 Regular Season Stats:

Scouting Report (Central Scouting):

"He has good on-ice vision and also angles well on the forecheck. He has the intelligence to play power-play as well as penalty kill. He can be shifty and has the ability to beat a defenseman one-on-one. Once he fills out and gains more strength he could turn raw talent into a valuable center at both ends of rink. He has displayed nice playmaking capabilities and this should continue at the next level."

HockeyProspect.com

While many fans watch the Winterhawks for (New York Islanders pick) Nino Niederreiter, Johansen has caught many a scout's eye with his impressive play. To put it simply, Johansen is big and skilled with room to get even bigger. He has a good shot, is an impressive playmaker, and has a flair for the dramatic. He's very driven and works hard on all the facets of his game. He also knows how to use his size to his advantage and does some of the little things on the ice that are impossible to teach. We're very impressed with his game - there isn't much to dislike. He doesn't have the resume that some of the other top picks have, but Johansen could be an absolute steal in the first round with his top end potential and size.

Why he'd be a good fit in Columbus:

The center position is the big concern after the blueline. If there is any uncertainty in the future of Derick Brassard, Johansen could be the Blue Jackets next draft pick. I could see Ryan playing on the second line with Voracek and Umberger. He has very good size to even play on the checking line if Pahlsson finds his way moving up or down in the lineup.

Johansen in action:

This is Johansen scoring his first career short handed goal on a breakaway. You don't mess with the Johan.

Also, check out his NHL.com profile HERE

More to follow....