Johansen disappointed he hasn't played like No. 1 center for Predators

Ryan Johansen said he's bothered with his play for the Nashville Predators since signing an eight-year contract with an annual-average value of $8 million July 28, 2017.

"With my role on this team and the standard I hold myself to, I need to outperform No. 1 centers on a night-by-night basis," Johansen said in comments published by The Athletic on Monday. "I need to show my teammates every night, 'Hey, I've got this guy.' I've got to be one of our horses every night. And when that's not happening, it's frustrating.

"I'll be honest, it has chewed me up this year. This is an experience I haven't had since I was a young player, and it ate me up. You've got teammates counting on you, you've got this big contract, and you're just trying to find it."

The 27-year-old had 36 points (14 goals, 22 assists) in 68 games before the NHL season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. He's on pace for 43 points (17 goals, 26 assists) in 82 games, which would be his lowest season total of more than 40 games since scoring 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) in 67 games of his rookie season for the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2011-12.

Johansen scored an NHL career-high 33 goals for the Blue Jackets in 2013-14 but hasn't come close to that production with the Predators. He's averaged 14.25 goals and 39.5 assists over four full seasons in Nashville but has 22 assists this season after an NHL career-best 50 in 2018-19.

"I'm watching myself and I'm like, 'Ryan, what are you doing? That's not you,'" Johansen said. "And if you're saying that to yourself and your teammates are saying, 'Wow, we've got to get Ryan going. He's struggling. He's not himself,' and you're trying to find consistency in your game and it's just not coming, that's super frustrating."

The Predators made a major investment in Johansen after acquiring him in a trade with the Blue Jackets for defenseman Seth Jones on Jan. 6, 2016. Johansen has scored three goals and is without a multipoint game since Jan. 29 and his ice time declined from 17:56 per game to 15:43 in 27 games after John Hynes replaced Peter Laviolette as coach Jan. 7.

"He's got to play better," Predators general manager David Poile said. "He's got to find a way to be more impactful. He's got to produce more. I expect more and he expects more from himself."

Nashville (35-26-8) is 16-11-1 under Hynes and tied with the Vancouver Canucks for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. The Predators had won three consecutive games when the season was paused.

"I told [Hynes] I'm [going to] find my game, it's [going to] come," Johansen said. "I said, 'You'll be able to look at me and trust me as your top center, trust me as one of the top guys on the team.' That's my job, that's my role and I've got to make that happen. I'm happy to be that difference-maker, it's a privilege, and I've got to show I can handle it."

Johansen is signed through the 2024-25 season, and he and the Predators remain hopeful he'll return to the level when he scored 61 points (14 goals, 47 assists) in 2016-17, which tied Viktor Arvidsson for the team lead. His 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in 14 playoff games helped Nashville advance to the Stanley Cup Final, though Johansen did not play in the six-game series loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins after having emergency surgery for an acute compartment syndrome in his left thigh following Game 4 of the Western Conference Final against the Anaheim Ducks.

"That's out of my control," Johansen said when asked about the possibility of being traded. "I only have one worry, the only thing that gets to me is if I'm letting my teammates down. And that's on me and not anyone else."