May 20, 20214 yr BIG CBJ NEWS: https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-news/2021/05/6073/john-davidson-will-return-to-the-columbus-blue-jackets-as-president-of-hockey-operations https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-news/2021/05/6074/jarmo-kekalainen-has-contract-extended-through-2024-25-nhl-season https://www.jacketscannon.com/2021/5/19/22445044/heres-johnny-davidson-to-return-as-columbus-blue-jackets-president https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/31474792/weeks-stunning-dismissal-new-york-rangers-john-davidson-rejoins-columbus-blue-jackets-president-report-says John Davidson has agreed to a five-year deal to return to the Columbus Blue Jackets as president of hockey operations. The Blue Jackets also announced that general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has signed a contract extension through the 2024-25 season. In the statement announcing both deals, CBJ team president Mike Priest said, "John Davidson and Jarmo Kekalainen worked tirelessly and effectively together to transform our hockey club from a team with one Stanley Cup Playoffs appearance in 12 seasons to one that reached the postseason five times in seven years from 2013-20. This is an important time for our organization and having stability and proven leadership at the top of our hockey operations department is critical." JD was the CBJ POHO from October 24, 2012 until his resigned on May 17, 2019 to become president of the New York Rangers - a team he played goalie for and was a longtime broadcaster with. But on May 5, 2021, Davidson was fired along with the GM after failing to make the playoffs in the two seasons he was there. Basically, he got Dolan'ed(!) So the CBJ is getting the band back together. (no word on if they are on a mission from god)
May 20, 20214 yr "This is an important time for our organization" That's what Mike Priest said in his statement re-hiring JD and extending Jarmo's contract. And I've been meaning to write something recapping what people are saying about the CBJ's off-season plans, needs, wants, hopes etc. After the CBJ season ended on May 9, I was getting set to pull this off-season stuff together -- but then the Crew rebrand/debrand news drops on May 10, and keeps going until May 18 (if you really need the details, go to the Columbus Crew thread). So that Crew situation gets resolved on the 18th, and I thought, "well, I'll pull everything together and write something about the CBJ off-season on Thursday the 20th or Friday the 21st". And then late Wednesday night (the 19th), rumors/news drops about John Davidson getting re-hired by the CBJ. We later get confirmation and the Jarmo contract extension news today. Awesome. But now I'll need to re-evaluate the CBJ off-season plans in the context of this JD/Karmo reunion. So, the CBJ off-season post. Maybe this weekend or early next week? Assuming no other C-BUS pro sports bombshells hit between now and then(!)
May 28, 20214 yr I won't do a full-season recap of the covid-shortened 56-game 2021 season. I did a mid-season recap at the 28-game halfway mark, and that pretty much covered the 2021 downfall. For a really good full-season recap, go to the Dispatch's CBJ beat reporter's story at 'How it all went wrong: Retracing the Blue Jackets' missteps during a tumultuous season'. I high-lighted the quote "This is an important time for our organization" from the announcement on the re-hiring of John Davidson as President of Hockey Operations and the extending of Jarmo Kekalainen's contract as GM. With the reunion of Jarmo and JD, we know who will be making the decisions this off-season. But we don't know what those decisions will be yet. Whatever those decisions turn out to be, they will reshape the destiny of the CBJ for years to come. When Jarmo and JD came to Columbus in 2012, the task was to build the CBJ into a winning organization. Before Jarmo and JD, the CBJ had 1 playoff appearance in their first 11 seasons. After Jarmo and JD, the CBJ had 5 playoff appearances in their next 8 seasons. Mission accomplished. In JD's second go-around with the CBJ, the goal has been raised. Now the CBJ are looking to get back into the playoffs and advance into later rounds. But first, a number of franchise altering decisions await over this off-season: 1) NEW HEAD COACH -- With Torts leaving/not being re-signed after a six-season run with four consecutive playoff appearance, the Jackets are looking for a new head coach and coaching staff. The website - https://www.1stohiobattery.com/ - has been running articles about many of the coaching candidates the CBJ might consider. Two that intrigued me were Jukka Jalonen and David Quinn. Finnish HC Jalonen has coached in the Finnish league, the KHL, and notably led both Finnish national teams and junior teams to gold medals. The attraction of a Finnish-born GM hiring a Finnish-born HC is obvious. Also having the first-ever European-born GM hiring the first-ever European-born HC would be interesting choice. If the team is looking for a different voice to lead the locker room, this would be the anti-Torts option. David Quinn was the head coach of the NY Rangers. Quinn was let go at the end of the 2021 season after JD and his GM were fired just before the season's end. Despite not reaching the playoffs in his three seasons at NYR, Quinn was well thought of and given good marks for leading a rebuilding team. He was previously the HC at Boston University for five seasons before being hired by NYR. If JD likes him, then Quinn might go the head of the line for CBJ HC consideration. His coaching style is somewhat similar to Torts, but he's said to be more player-friendly. So, this would be the Torts-light option. 2) SETH JONES -- I debated putting this as the top off-season decision. Because with Jones entering the final year of his current contract, the Jackets would like to sign him to a long-term extension before he enters free-agency as a UFA. But he can't sign any extension until July 28. So the HC decision will likely occur before any decision on Jones. But make no mistake, Jones either signing or not signing a long-term extension after July 28 will set many of the other decisions to come for this off-season. Jones is now in the final year of a 6-year, $5.4 million/year deal he signed at age 22. At age 27, Jones is at that point when he can sign the biggest contract of his NHL career - likely a max contract, 8-year, $8+million/year deal. He has also reached that one point in an NHL player's career when he can be an unrestricted free agent. And that UFA status has proved to be strong pull for many players. However, from the CBJ perspective, they don't want him to test the UFA waters in the 2022 off-season. They want to lock him up with a long-term deal and then move on to other roster construction issues. If Jones doesn't agree to a long-term extension during this off-season, there would be a strong incentive to trading Jones rather than letting him walk away after 2022 for nothing. Jones staying or leaving would be a massive inflection point for the rest of the roster. 3) CENTERS -- Entering 2021, the Jackets had PLD as their 1C, traded for Domi as their 2C, hoped for young Texier as a 3C, and had various veteran options at 4C. Losing PLD was a major blow to the CBJ's long quest for a top 1C. So the Jackets will be looking once again at the NHL market for a 1C option. Edmonton's 28-year-old Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is at the top of the list as a UFA option. Buffalo's 24-year-old Jack Eichel is at the top of the list as a trade option. Beyond those are some less expensive, but less talented UFA or trade options. One positive from last season was the emergence of Jack Roslovic (acquired in the Laine for PLD trade) as a solid 2C/3C option. 4) GOALIES -- The Jackets entered last off-season with two #1 goaltenders - Elvis Merzlikins / Joonas Korpisalo - on the roster. After signing both of them to affordable two-year deals, the Jackets enter this off-season with the same situation. One will get a longer-term contract and be the starting goalie for 2021-22 and one will get traded for assets. Both goalies have made a case to be #1 going forward. Both goalies have also had injures and slumps in the back-up role. I think Elvis may have edged ahead of Korpi this season. But the possible trade return for Elvis vs Korpi might also play a role in who stays and who goes. 5) PLAYERS, MISC. -- Of the other players to be considered by Jarmo & JD this off-season, Patrik Laine and Zach Werenski lead this group. Laine is a 23-year-old RFA this off-season. This means the Jackets can give him a one-year QO and return the following off-season on a longer-term contract - which is the current thinking. Although Laine had a down season, the hope is with a new HC, Laine can regain the scoring he had in previous seasons. Werenski will be a 24-year-old RFA after the next season. But the Jackets would probably like to lock him up longer term as a top line pairing with Seth Jones. Those negotiations could begin now or later - and of course would also depend on if Jones signs a long-term deal or not. Z's name also comes up in CBJ trade rumors for a 1C (like Eichel) as a trade piece. Personally, I'd hate to see Werenski traded away. He's one of the Jackets best success stories from the 1st-round draft and he's our best defenseman after Jones. Gustav Nyquist missed the entire 2021 season with a shoulder injury. Getting Gus back would be a good boost to the sagging offense. -- Boone Jenner is entering the final year of his current contract. A tough and versatile player like Jenner could fetch a decent return over this off-season (if the Jackets need some cap room) or at the trade deadline (if the Jackets are sellers in 2022). -- Former captain Nick Foligno is playing for Toronto in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. There have been rumors that the 33-year-old Foligno might return to the Jackets next season on a Koivu-type deal. SUMMARY: It's been said that putting together an NHL roster is somewhat like building an airplane while in flight(!) One move can affect other possible moves - so we'll see what news comes around for the CBJ. Some have advocated for a complete rebuild (which seems unlikely right now). So a reload is a more likely option for the moves to be made over this off-season. I would also say that "reset" seems like another way to look at next season. With a new head coach and coaching staff, players that joined the team last season and struggled - Laine and Domi - will get a fresh start. And with JD rejoining Jarmo, a reset would also be welcome after a disappointing season.
May 28, 20214 yr I read some of the comments from Jarmo (pre-JD hire) as him almost scrambling and wanting to get back to a 7th or 8th seed to keep his job. His contract was up in, what, two years? He mentioned he'd be comfortable going into the season without Jones having signed a contract. Then, JD got hired with a five year-deal, Jarmo got an extension and suddenly the tone is different. Davidson is mentioning they'd explore a trade if it became apparent Jones won't sign in Columbus. On the coaching front, he mentioned the new hire can't be a guy who's expecting to come in and compete for a Cup right away. JD is preaching more patience - almost signaling that a bigger rebuild might be on the way over the course of 2-3 years, whereas Jarmo, publicly, was signaling he expected the club to compete for the playoffs next year. Maybe they still will, who knows. JD has also mentioned the new coach has to have NHL coaching experience - I assume either as an assistant or a head coach. That rules out some interesting names like Jukka Jalonen (former - I think? - Finnish national coach and I believe head coach of Jokerit) and Rikard Gronborg (I believe Swedish national coach). Both guys have been touted as the best coaches outside of North America for awhile and who probably deserve an NHL shot. Maybe Jalonen will join the staff as an assistant and then get a shot as the head coach after the rebuild/reload is done. He has said in previous interviews he'd prefer to be an assistant first in the NHL. The NHL coaching requirement would also eliminate some interesting names from the college ranks. Either way, there's a lot of "Hockey Men" vibes back. That's not necessarily a bad thing for the franchise, but it does limit some of these unconventional moves - like a Euro coach, for example. My top pick - based on the public parameters - would be Gerard Gallant, but I have a feeling the Rangers or Seattle will simply bid him out of the price range Columbus is comfortable with. David Quinn is getting an interview. Meh. Brad Larsen getting an interview is surprising. His work on the power play has been dreadful for 5+ years. Sounds like they may be interviewing a couple other candidates. Outside of Gallant (who did excellent work with Vegas) none of the guys rumored are all that exciting to me. Tocchet is another throwback style which the club doesn't need, imo. Gallant could do well here for 3-4 years and if he gets this team to being a consistent contender, then it could pave the way for a European coach. Gallant's shelf life in Vegas and Florida - despite pretty good success - was pretty short. Can't remember a busier offseason or one with so much impact on the line in a long time...maybe 2012 with the Nash, Foligno, and Bobrovsky trades on top of hiring John Davidson (the first time). Very Stable Genius
June 1, 20214 yr https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-news/2021/05/6090/seth-jones-not-interested-in-re-signing-with-columbus-per-report Welp, we now know if Seth Jones is going to sign a long-term extension with the CBJ. And unfortunately, the answer is no. During Saturday's Hockey Night In Canada, it was reported that Jones informed the Blue Jackets that he will test free agency after his current contract expires next season. Not the biggest surprise to hear this. And actually good on Jones for being up front with the team about this. Now team management must decide whether to trade him this summer or next season before his contract expires, or ride it to the end, like with Panarin and Bobrovsky two seasons ago. Although, it appears almost certain the Jackets will try to trade him this summer. So, this could start a domino effect of decisions that will determine if the Jackets start a "reload" or a "rebuild" next season.
June 2, 20214 yr After slogging through their worst season in five years and the gut punch news from star defenseman Seth Jones over the weekend, CBJ fans could use some good news. So they'll be watching the NHL draft lottery tonight for just that. With the way the draft lottery works this year, the CBJ will either get the #1, #2, #5, #6 or #7 pick. Although the CBJ finished with the fourth-worst record, they're in the #5 spot because the Seattle expansion team is slotted in the #3 spot. The Jackets have the fifth-best odds to get the #1 or #2 overall pick (8.5% and 8.6% respectively) and a 17.1% chance to move up from the #5 spot. Unfortunately, they also have a 62.3% chance to move down into the #6 or #7 spot. Below are the full odds for all 16 lottery teams from Tankathon: http://www.tankathon.com/nhl/pick_odds
June 2, 20214 yr The CBJ get the 5th-overall pick. Unlike in some recent draft lotteries, no big moves this time. All chalk from NYR to NJ at #4 - nobody moved from their season-finishing spot. Anaheim moved down one from 2 to 3. Seattle moved up one from 3 to 2. And Buffalo gets the #1 overall pick in 2021.
June 9, 20214 yr "If the Jackets didn't have bad luck, they'd have no luck at all", or so the song goes for the CBJ right now. https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/31566419/columbus-blue-jackets-max-domi-shoulder-surgery-miss-start-next-season https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-news/2021/06/6107/max-domi-undergoes-shoulder-surgery-out-for-five-to-six-months Max Domi had surgery last week to repair a labral tear in his right shoulder. This requires five to six months recover time, so Domi will likely miss at least the first month of the 2021-22 season. Gustav Nyquist missed the entirety of the 2020-21 season with a labral tear in his left shoulder - although Nyquist had his surgery about a month before the start of 2020-21 vs four months before the start of 2021-22 for Domi.
June 10, 20214 yr WOW. I didn't expect Brad Larsen to be the next head coach. And I am not surprised in a good way(!) https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/31606424/columbus-blue-jackets-hire-brad-larsen-new-head-coach https://www.jacketscannon.com/2021/6/10/22528684/columbus-blue-jackets-hire-brad-larsen-as-head-coach https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-news/2021/06/6119/blue-jackets-name-brad-larsen-as-head-coach-elevating-him-from-assistant-coach-after-six-seasons-with-john
July 5, 20213 yr https://www.jacketscannon.com/2021/7/5/22563739/columbus-blue-jackets-goaltender-matiss-kivlenieks-dies-in-tragic-accident Like many others, I use sports the forget the stress and troubles of daily life. So when a tragic accident like this brings reality crashing into the fantasy of sports, it seems like a cold slap in the face. Kivlenieks was slated to be the CBJ's primary backup goaltender next season. One of his career high-lights was winning his NHL debut game in Madison Square Garden on Jan. 19, 2020, stopping 31 of 32 shots, beating the New York Rangers 2-1. Another happened only a month ago, in the most recent World Hockey Championships, when Kivlenieks shut out Team Canada for his home country of Latvia. This incident brings my thoughts back to 2012, when Kirk Urso of the Columbus Crew died at age 22 of an undiagnosed preexisting heart condition. Urso was just beginning his pro sports career, much like Kivlenieks at age 24. The sadness of these tragedies remind us to be thankful for our own lives and to not take it for granted.
July 8, 20213 yr https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets/2021/07/07/police-fireworks-tube-accidentally-tipped-and-angled-toward-blue-jackets-goalie-matiss-kivlenieks/7888382002/ Police in Novi, Michigan, have provided more details regarding the fireworks accident that killed Blue Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks on Sunday. Police believe a fireworks mortar tube accidentally angled toward a hot tub where Kivlenieks was seated with others and that all nine shots were dispensed from the tube, including one that struck the 24-year old goalie in the left side of his chest. Kivlenieks was hit by a 3-inch-diameter shell. Nobody else was injured in the incident, police said. Blue Jackets goalie coach Manny Legace owns the home and was hosting his daughter's wedding there Sunday, which coincided with the July 4th holiday. Kivlenieks and Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins attended the wedding and gathering. A team source told the Dispatch Wednesday that no other Blue Jackets players attended.
July 8, 20213 yr 'No. 80 is no longer with us, and it hurts': Blue Jackets fans gather to mourn Kivlenieks Tributes pour in for Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks with #SticksOutForKivi In his final interview, Blue Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks couldn't hide excitement for future
July 17, 20213 yr Matiss Kivlenieks' memorial service: -- https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets/2021/07/15/blue-jackets-kivlenieks-memorialized-powerful-service/7976601002/ -- https://www.dispatch.com/videos/sports/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets/2021/07/15/he-died-hero-elvis-merzlikins-says-matiss-kivlenieks-saved-him/7978576002/ -- https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/31823310/in-eulogy-matiss-kivilenieks-praised-saving-many-lives-fireworks-blast -- https://thehockeywriters.com/blue-jackets-matiss-kivlenieks-remembered-as-a-hero/
July 18, 20213 yr Next week will be the start of the NHL's major off-season milestones. It starts with an additional milestone because the Seattle Kraken are joining the NHL next season - an Expansion Draft next Wednesday, July 21. The Expansion Draft will be followed by the 2021 Entry Draft on July 23 for Round One and July 24 for Rounds 2-7. Then free agency opens on July 28. For next Wednesday's Expansion Draft all teams were required to submit a list of players protected and players exposed for Seattle to choose. That list was due today and here is the Jackets' list of protected players: https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-news/2021/07/6188/blue-jackets-announce-protected-list-domi-stenlund-and-kukan-exposed https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-news/2021/07/6187/the-blue-jackets-will-not-protect-max-domi-for-the-expansion-draft-per-report The big surprise is that the Jackets protected 26-year-old winger Eric Robinson and have left 26-year-old center Max Domi unprotected. Domi and a 3rd-round pick was the return from Montreal for Josh Anderson last off-season. If Seattle selects Domi in the Expansion Draft, it would be like Anderson was traded for just a 3rd-round pick (and Anderson was a big part of Montreal's Cup Finals run this season). If Domi was protected, many experts felt that Robinson would be selected by Seattle. Robinson is on the final year of his current 975K cap hit contract and is valued for his combination of size and speed. I'm not as sold on Robinson because although he does have size and speed, he does not have good finishing skill. Which really limits him (as opposed to Anderson, who has size, speed and good finishing skill). Domi is on the final year of his current $5.3 million cap hit contract and just had shoulder surgery that will cause him to miss part of next season. Jarmo and JD must be thinking that Seattle will either pass on Domi because of that injury or that Domi's injury will cause him to miss most or all of next season (like Nyquist's shoulder injury) and they wouldn't mind Seattle taking him.
July 22, 20213 yr In the 2021 Expansion Draft, the Seattle Kraken select from the Columbus Blue Jackets, defenseman Gavin Bayreuther: https://www.jacketscannon.com/2021/7/21/22587129/gavin-bayreuther-is-the-seattle-kraken-pick-from-columbus-blue-jackets-nhl-expansion-draft Right now most CBJ fans are saying, "Who's Gavin Bayreuther?". Even the most hardcore CBJ fans barely know him - because the 27-year-old defenseman was only recently acquired during the previous off-season as a free-agent on a one-year, two-way contract. Prior to the CBJ signing him, Bayreuther spent four seasons in the Dallas Stars organization, mostly playing for their AHL team, and only 19 games for Dallas. For the CBJ in 2021, Bayreuther started out in the AHL at Cleveland, netting 12 points in 14 games, before moving into the CBJ taxi squad, and then playing 9 games for the CBJ (with 1 goal and 0 assists) at the end of season. Bayreuther's selection makes you wonder if they really wanted Eric Robinson - who the Jackets protected by exposing Domi. Robinson would have fit into Seattle's roster as a speedy winger to complement their defense-first drafting strategy. They passed on Domi's injury and cap hit (much like they did with Price, Tarasenko and some other big names). They also passed on younger Jackets' like Stenlund, Kukan and Carlsson. With Seattle's deep d-corps selected in the expansion draft, Bayreuther looks like he'll be used like the CBJ did last season - a decent depth defensemen on a low-priced contract, playing in the AHL but available for injury replacement. For the Blue Jackets, exposing Domi to protect Robinson looks like it paid off, as they get to keep both Domi and Robinson. As a bonus, the CBJ didn't lose any younger player like Stenlund, Kukan or Carlsson. Instead, they only lost Bayreuther - a 27-year-old UFA player they weren't likely to resign for next season. So I guess everyone's happy?
July 22, 20213 yr The CBJ did make another a bit of news yesterday. They signed the Kalamazoo Wings to be their ECHL affiliate for next season: A team's ECHL affiliate is not as important as their AHL affiliate - because the AHL is where most of the player development occurs. But it is interesting that one of the two Ohio ECHL teams (Toledo and Cincinnati) didn't join the CBJ orbit. Toledo is currently a Detroit Red Wings ECHL affiliate, which actually makes sense given their proximity. But the Cincinnati Cyclones are currently the ECHL affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. With the Cleveland Monsters being the CBJ's AHL affiliate, having Cincinnati join as ECHL affiliate would make a tidy 3C Ohio pro hockey group.
July 24, 20213 yr JD and Jarmo are wheeling and dealing: Just prior to yesterday's first-round of the NHL Entry Draft, they made an expected Seth Jones trade: https://www.jacketscannon.com/2021/7/23/22591134/columbus-blue-jackets-trade-seth-jones-to-chicago-blackhawks-for-adam-boqvist-first-round-draft-pick Chicago acquired Seth Jones (and then immediately signed him to an 8-year, $9.5 mil AAV contract extension!!) and sent to the Blue Jackets 20-year-old defenseman Adam Boqvist, their 2022 1st-round pick, their 2021 2nd-round pick, and swapped their 2021 #12-overall 1st-round pick for the CBJ's 2021 #32 overall 1st-round pick. After that deal was done, the Jackets swapped that 2021 2nd-round pick (#44-overall) they got from Chicago for 23-year-old defenseman Jake Bean from Carolina: https://www.jacketscannon.com/2021/7/23/22591147/columbus-blue-jackets-acquire-jake-bean-from-carolina-hurricanes Jake Bean is 23 and was a #13 overall pick for Carolina in 2016. The 6'-1" d-man finished his first full season with Carolina last year and is a team-controlled RFA going into next season. Adam Boqvist will be 21 next month and was a #8 overall pick for Chicago in 2018. The 5'-11" d-man has played 76 games over the past two seasons with the Blackhawks and will be on the final year of his entry-level contract next season. Added together, the Jackets acquired two young NHL-level defensemen to replenish the d-corps that they hope will continue to improve over the next few years while being under affordable team control. The CBJ also moved up 20 spots from #32 to #12 in yesterday's 2021 first-round draft. And they also now have Chicago's first-round pick in addition to their own for 2022.
July 24, 20213 yr But the wheeling and dealing continued today: https://www.jacketscannon.com/2021/7/24/22591823/cam-atkinson-traded-from-columbus-blue-jackets-to-philadelphia-flyers-for-jakub-voracek A surprise trade to deal away their longest tenured player for a previous Blue Jacket who was traded away in 2011. Atkinson was a lifetime Blue Jacket who has played 627 games for the CBJ since his rookie season in 2011. Voracek was the Jackets' #7 overall pick in 2007 and played 241 games for the CBJ between 2008-2011 before being traded to Philly as part of the infamous Jeff Carter trade(!) Since Voracek arrived in Philadelphia at age 23, the 6'2" winger amassed 177-427-604 in 727 career games for the Flyers - becoming the nearly point-a-game power forward that the Jackets hoped for when they drafted him. However, after the Flyers failed to reach the playoffs last season, and with talk of major roster changes in Philly, Voracek requested a trade during this off-season. The plucky 5'8" Atkinson was a 6th-round pick for the Jackets in 2008 and after three years at Boston College joined the CBJ in 2011 and worked his way up the depth chart. Atkinson's best seasons were between 2015 and 2019, when he amassed 127 goals and 230 points in 308 games during those four seasons. Unfortunately, Atkinson's production dipped to only 27 goals and 60 points in 100 games during the past two seasons. This is a one-for-one trade that both teams could benefit from: For Columbus: Bringing Voracek back for Atkinson is an upgrade at the winger position. Plus, Jake is one year younger and has one less year on his current contract than Cam. However, Jake will cost nearly $2.4 mil more in cap space than Cam. But the CBJ can easily afford that currently. Voracek is more of a pass-first playmaker that could pair well with Laine and Bjorkstrand, who are gifted shooters. Also, removing Atkinson at RW moves both Laine and Bjorkstrand into the top two lines. For Philadelphia: They moved out a player that wanted a trade and they save nearly $2.4 mil in cap space to help reshape their roster. (And Philly has been doing alot of roster reshaping during this off-season.) Atkinson will probably slot into a 2nd or 3rd line role with the Flyers, which is a more reasonable role for Cam at this stage of his career. Personally, I'm glad to see Jake returning. He's a great personality that always seemed happy in Columbus and didn't have a say in being a piece in that awful Carter trade. He's still a very productive power forward that improves the CBJ roster. Hope this works out well. But I'm sad to see Cam leave. He was a lifetime Blue Jacket and a big booster of the Columbus community. He was signing autographs at yesterday's draft party in Nationwide Arena(!) and tweeted about going to the 7/3 opening of the new downtown Crew Stadium. That plus his active involvement in local charities and organizations for the CBJ will be missed. Unfortunately, as both players have learned during their NHL careers, as much as you hear management say "We want players that want to be here", roster construction is a business. And business is business.
July 25, 20213 yr Now that the wheeling & dealing has been documented - here are the draft picks from the previous two days of the NHL entry draft: https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-news/2021/07/6206/day-one-recap-blue-jackets-make-two-important-trades-three-selections-in-first-round FIRST ROUND: #5: https://www.jacketscannon.com/2021/7/23/22591210/2021-nhl-draft-columbus-blue-jackets-select-michigan-center-kent-johnson-at-5 -- With the 5th-overall pick, the CBJ selected Kent Johnson, a Canadian center from the University of Michigan. Johnson was the third UM player to be selected in the top 5 (d-man Power and center Beniers went #1 and #2). Johnson is an elite-level offensive talent who went 9G-18A-27PTS in 26 games for the Wolverines last year. At 6'1" but only 168 lbs, Johnson needs to bulk up before he can join the NHL. But like his teammates selected at #1 and #2, Johnson is planning to return to Michigan for his sophomore season in the fall. #12: https://www.jacketscannon.com/2021/7/23/22591247/2021-nhl-draft-columbus-blue-jackets-select-cole-sillinger-at-12 -- With the 12th-overall pick that the Jackets acquired from Chicago in a swap of the #32 pick, the CBJ selected Cole Sillinger, a Canadian center who played in the USHL U.S. junior league last season after the Canadian junior leagues shut down because of covid. At 6'0" and 197 lbs, no bulking up is required for Sillinger, who projects as a top-6 NHL center. He's expected to return to his junior team before joining the CBJ organization. Although Cole Sillinger is Canadian, he was actually born in Columbus while his father Mike Sillinger was playing for the Blue Jackets in 2003(!) #25: https://www.jacketscannon.com/2021/7/23/22591348/2021-nhl-draft-columbus-blue-jackets-select-defenseman-corson-ceulemans-at-25 -- With their final 2021 first-round pick, the CBJ selected Canadian defensman Corson Ceulemans at the #25 spot. The 6'2" 198 lb right-shot d-man played on Canada's Gold Medal winning team in the U18 World Championships, where he scored eight points in six games (1G/7A). Ceulemans is schedule to play for the University of Wisconsin this fall. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ The CBJ's Day Two draft picks: https://www.jacketscannon.com/2021/7/24/22591404/2021-nhl-draft-day-two-open-thread-columbus-blue-jackets Round 3: #69 - Stanislav Svozil - 6'0" 172 lb left-shot defenseman from the Czech Republic Round 4: #101 - Guillaume Richard - 6'2" 176 lb left-shot defenseman from Quebec, Canada Round 5: #132 (pick from New Jersey) - Nikolai Makarov - 6'4" 234 lb(!) left-shot defenseman from Russia Round 5: #133 - James Malatesta - 5'9" 179 lb left winger from Quebec, Canada Round 6: #165 - Ben Boyd - 6'3" 205 lb left winger from Nova Scotia, Canada Round 7: #197 - Martin Rysavy - 6'3" 209 lb right winger from the Czech Republic
July 29, 20213 yr Yesterday was opening day for free-agent signing. With the CBJ being where they are currently, they weren't expected to make any big free-agent signings. But with center Max Domi being unavailable to start the 2021-22 season and the rest of the center depth looking pretty lean, Jarmo did make one signing to help that out: https://www.jacketscannon.com/2021/7/28/22598203/sean-kuraly-signs-with-the-columbus-blue-jackets Center Sean Kuraly signed a four-year, $2.5 million AAV deal with the CBJ. The 28-year-old Dublin, Ohio native spent 5 seasons with the Boston Bruins where he put up 24 goals and 44 assists in 270 games. At 6'2" 205 lbs, Kuraly likely is a big-bodied bottom-6 center who can take on a defensive/PK roll with the team. This would hopefully allow younger players to take on more offensive roles on the roster and help them develop into top-6 players. Plus, the whole "Columbus kid coming home" marketing angle they can use might be worth the AAV alone. After that free-agent signing the Jackets retained one of their few remaining veterans by signing 28-year-old center/winger Boone Jenner to a four-year, $3.75 million AAV extension. This extension has the same AAV as his current contract and would lock him up through the 2025-26 season. Jenner is an alternate captain from 2021 and the only remaining letter wearer left from that roster (C-Foligno and A-Jones were traded away). Below is a chart of the Jackets' signings made after Wednesday's signing window opened: Here are some other important signings from yesterday: https://www.jacketscannon.com/2021/7/28/22598406/blue-jackets-ink-extensions-for-boone-jenner-and-eric-robinson-patrik-laine-signs-qualifying-offer PATRIK LAINE: 23-year-old RFA winger Laine excepted the Jackets' qualifying offer of one-year, $7.5 million. This is a procedural move for both the team and player. The team is required to offer all RFA's a one-year QO (with the price based on his previous year's salary) in order to retain the player's negotiating rights. Laine excepted the one-year deal in order to more quickly get to a future longer-term deal. ERIC ROBINSON: 26-year-old winger Robinson signed a two-year, $1.6 million AAV extension. He is signed for next season at $975K and will be under contract through the 2023-24 season and then will be an UFA. ALEXANDRE TEXIER: 21-year-old RFA center Texier signed a two-year, $1.525 AAV deal coming off his entry-level contract. He'll still be a RFA after the 2022-23 season. And then there's the strange week-long journey of 27-year-old defenseman Gavin Bayreuther. On Wednesday of the previous week, Bayreuther was selected by Seattle in their expansion draft. On Wednesday of this week, Bayreuther - who was an UFA - was not signed by Seattle - and the Jackets' then promptly re-signed Bayreuther to a two-year, $750,000 AAV deal (which is the league minimum salary). Or as the Dispatch's CBJ reporter tweeted:
July 30, 20213 yr So, after all the trades, here's what the 2021-22 opening night roster might look like. Peeke and Bean are still RFA's who have yet to sign new contracts, but that's only a matter of time until they do. Barring any further big deals (and injuries of course) this could be pretty close to the projected opening night lineup. On the offensive side, the center depth is really troubling - even with the addition of Kuraly. Only Roslovic had a good 2021 season. 21-year-old Texier will need to improve - as will Domi, whenever he returns. 24-year-old Stenlund probably sees more playing time then last season. And Jarmo's latest euro finds - 28-year-olds Justin Danforth and Gregory Hofmann - are a complete wild-card. On the other hand, the winger depth looks more promising. The first two lines of Laine, Voracek, Nyquist and Bjorkstrand are really good. A third line of Jenner and Robinson is not bad. And the additional wingers, Bemstrom, Foudy, the euro wild-cards of Danforth/Hofmann, and then Chinakhov and Fix-Wolansky at the AHL level are all intriguing. The defense is not nearly what it was a couple seasons ago with Jones, Werenski, Savard, Gavrikov, Murray and Nutivaara. But with the addition of Boqvist and Bean in the Jones trade, it is more solid than at the end of last season. Peeke and Kukan will finally get the playing time they need to prove if they are starting caliber d-men. Former 1st-rounder Carlsson isn't listed by Hedger, but he might get one last chance to break into the starting d-corps. In the goaltending area, the tragic death of Matiss Kivlenieks might scuttle the plan to trade one of Elvis/Korpi in the off-season. Without a dependable backup like Kivi, the Jackets are left with Cam Johnson (an AHL/ECHL journeyman) and Daniil Tarasov. 22-year-old russian Tarasov might be the goalie-of-the-future for the CBJ, but for now he needs to start in the AHL to acclimate to the North American ice size and see just how good he is, or isn't, before getting thrown into the NHL. Plus, it sounds like the CBJ weren't getting the return offers they wanted from Elvis/Korpi this off-season. Maybe an in-season trade to a desperate team with goalie problems would bring more in return. What all this means it that the rebuilding has begun. I know, duh. After going "all in" for the 2019 playoffs, the team kept above water to reach the 2020 playoffs. But the check came due during the 2021 season, and the team sank to the bottom. The rebuilding actually began at the 2021 trading deadline with the trades of Foligno and Savard. They were great hockey trades to rent veteran players on expiring contracts for 1st-round picks. But it marked a changing of the guard for the team. In the off-season, Jones and Atkinson followed. Only Jenner remains from the previous seasons' leadership core. Look for what happens with 23-year-old Laine and 24-year-old Werenski to see how far this rebuilding phase will go. Both Laine and Werenski will be on the final year of their contracts next season. After that they will be still be RFA's. But it's the type of RFA where they could just sign another QO and become an UFA the following season(!) So if the Jackets can't sign Laine and/or Werenski to a long-term deal, they'll need to do another Jones-type trade to get something in return before they leave. If Laine and Werenski sign long-term deals with the CBJ, then they become the new core to build around and we might see the 2022-23 season be the opening of a new playoff window for the team. If Laine and Werenski don't sign long-term deals and they get traded away for more picks and prospects, then the playoff window would get pushed back to 2023-24 (at least) until the young overseas prospects, the young draft picks from 2021 and 2022 and any younger players from the current roster can merge together into a competitive playoff quality team. This upcoming 2021-22 season is really going to be weird though. The goal really won't be to make the playoffs - and with the current roster, they are unlikely to. But I don't think to goal is to totally tank either - at least not at the beginning. Because if you are tying to convince Laine and Werenski to sign long deals and spend the bulk of their NHL careers with the Jackets, do you want to be so bad that you scare them away? Just an awkward position the team is in right now until they know what Laine and Werenski will do. So enjoy the off-season CBJ fans(!) 🏒❓🙃
July 30, 20213 yr WOW!!! https://www.jacketscannon.com/2021/7/29/22601199/columbus-blue-jackets-sign-zach-werenski-massive-57-5-million-extension-defense-star-six-seasons https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-news/2021/07/6223/zach-werenskis-in-it-for-the-long-haul-signing-a-six-year-contract-extension-worth-575-million 24-year-old defenseman Zach Werenski signed a six-year contract worth a total of $57.5 million, an annual cap hit of $9.583 million. It's the largest AAV in Blue Jackets history and ensures Werenski – a critical part of their team – is around for the foreseeable future. The extension takes effect with the 2022-23 season and buys five years of unrestricted free agency. Werenski is now signed through the 2027-28 season when he will be 30. This answers part of this question from my previous post: "If Laine and Werenski sign long-term deals with the CBJ, then they become the new core to build around and we might see the 2022-23 season be the opening of a new playoff window for the team." I think that Werenski was the more important player to lock up long-term, because elite-level defensemen are harder to come by than elite-level wingers, like Laine. Depending on how Laine does next season, the Jackets might offer a similar high-priced long-term extension to him, or they might trade him for picks/prospects and rely on existing forwards in the CBJ prospect pipeline to replace him.
July 30, 20213 yr Werenski's contract extension was the biggest news from the CBJ today, but it wasn't the only contract news: JAKE BEAN: https://www.nhl.com/bluejackets/news/columbus-blue-jackets-sign-defenseman-jake-bean-to-three-year-contract/c-325871622 -- 23-year-old d-man Bean, acquired from Carolina with a 2nd-round pick the Jackets got in the Jones trade to Chicago, signed a three-year, $7 million deal (which is a $2,333,333 cap hit). Nice contract for both sides. The Jackets lock-up Bean through the 2023-24 season and he'll still be under RFA control at age 26. MIKKO LEHTONEN: https://www.nhl.com/bluejackets/news/columbus-blue-jackets-sign-mikko-lehtonen-to-one-year-contract/c-325879900 -- 27-year-old d-man Lehtonen signed a one-year 900K contract. Lehtonen was acquired in a trade that sent goaltender Veini Vehvilainen to Toronto on March 12. Lehtonen then played 17 games for the CBJ at the end of last season. Added d-depth for next season on a show-me contract. BRENDAN GAUNCE: https://www.nhl.com/bluejackets/news/columbus-blue-jackets-sign-forward-brendan-gaunce-to-one-year-two-way-nhlahl-contract-for-2021-22-season/c-325877428 -- 27-year-old former 1st-round, 26th overall center drafted by Vancouver in 2012. His early NHL career never panned out and he last played for Boston in 2019-20 before playing in the Swedish Hockey League last season. The 6'2" 217 lb center signed a two-way NHL/AHL deal, so he'll likely play in Cleveland unless called up as an injury replacement. This leaves only 23-year-old RFA defenseman Andrew Peeke to be signed. He was given a QO, so he'll definitely play for the CBJ next season - but the team and player are likely looking for a longer-term deal.
August 4, 20213 yr PLD isn't with the CBJ anymore - but this is a nice tribute to his former CBJ teammate: https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/31958308/winnipeg-jets-pierre-luc-dubois-change-number-late-teammate-matiss-kivlenieks Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois is changing his jersey number next season to honor Matiss Kivlenieks, his former teammate in Columbus who died in a tragic accident on July 4th. The Jets confirmed that Dubois is going from No. 13 to No. 80, which is the number Kivlenieks wore.
August 9, 20213 yr On 7/30/2021 at 7:11 PM, Columbo said: This leaves only 23-year-old RFA defenseman Andrew Peeke to be signed. He was given a QO, so he'll definitely play for the CBJ next season - but the team and player are likely looking for a longer-term deal. Done deal: https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-news/2021/08/6237/andrew-peeke-signs-two-year-one-way-contract-worth-1575-million An exceedingly good two-year deal for the Jackets. It's only 75K higher than the 750K minimum salary for next season (I guess that's why Peeke's agent earns his 10 percent🙃) for a young d-player who might be a big part of the Jackets' future. And still an RFA after the contract ends: https://www.capfriendly.com/players/andrew-peeke That might be it for the off-season deals. Possibly a trade for one of Elvis/Korpi, but with the tragic death of Kivi removing him as a backup, that seems less likely now. Best bet for another deal is if Jarmo "weaponizes" the $10.4 million of unused cap space to acquire a free-agent, or more likely to take on another team's bad contract in exchange for picks/prospects.
September 13, 20213 yr Sure didn't think there would be any news today from the first day of Blue Jackets’ development camp - but there was: https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-news/2021/09/6306/steve-mccarthy-hired-as-assistant-coach-after-sylvain-lefebvre-refuses-covid-19-vaccine https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets/2021/09/13/blue-jackets-replaced-assistant-lefebvre-over-covid-19-vaccination/8319549002/ The team announced that recently-hired assistant Sylvain Lefebvre opted not to get a COVID-19 vaccine and will not be able to coach this season because of it. Lefebvre’s position will be filled by Cleveland Monsters assistant Steve McCarthy. “It’s just impossible to do your job because of the NHL (vaccination) protocol, so we needed a new coach,” said Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, who was surprised to learn of Lefebvre’s decision. “We had to move on.” Kekalainen said the NHL's COVID-19 protocols are most stringent on those with direct access to players. “You can’t go anywhere near the players, 12 feet, if you’re not vaccinated,” he said. “You can’t travel on the (team charter) plane, you can’t be in the locker room, you can’t be in the coaches’ office.”
September 21, 20213 yr The Jackets prospect team finished the Traverse City Prospects Tournament today win a thrilling OT win over Toronto's team to finish 4-0-0 and win the tournament: https://www.nhl.com/bluejackets/news/blue-jackets-perfect-in-traverse-city-with-ot-win-over-toronto/c-326228532 The Traverse City Prospects Tournament is something that the CBJ have been doing for a while. It's open to players who haven't yet played for their NHL's teams and can be a good gauge for the team's top prospects. The Jackets squad had most of their top prospects not committed to college or junior teams and was led by 2020 1st-rounder Yegor Chinakhov and 2021 1st-rounder Cole Sillinger. The only missing top prospect was 22-year-old Russian goaltender Daniil Tarasov, who was recently vaccinated and couldn't join the team yet per the NHL's covid protocol: https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-news/2021/09/6301/yegor-chinakhov-and-cole-sillinger-highlight-blue-jackets-traverse-city-roster The CBJ won the tournament opener over Toronto 4-3 in OT on a Chinakhov game-tying goal in the third and a Josh Dunne game-winner in OT: https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-news/2021/09/6310/columbus-blue-jackets-pick-up-overtime-win-in-traverse-city The CBJ won their second game 5-3 over the Dallas, in which Chinakhov got two more goals: https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-analysis/2021/09/6311/sizzling-start-yegor-chinakhov-is-making-a-case-to-make-the-columbus-blue-jackets-opening-night-roster The CBJ on their third game 7-3 over Detroit, in which Chinakhov got a hat-trick this time: https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-analysis/2021/09/6314/blue-jackets-move-to-3-0-in-nhl-prospects-tournament-as-yegor-chinakhov-and-cole-sillinger-continue-to And then the CBJ won the tournament final against Toronto in a wild, thrilling 7-6 OT victory. This game did not feature Chinakhov or Sillinger (who were healthy scratched because this was the fourth game in five days) and instead featured a hat-trick from 2021 5th-round pick James Malatesta: https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-news/2021/09/6316/blue-jackets-defeat-maple-leafs-go-undefeated-in-traverse-city The top line of Chinakhov, Sillinger, and 2019 pick Tyler Angle were really humming. Chinakhov finished with 6 goals in 3 games, Sillinger went 2-3-5 in three games, while Angle went 2-4-6 in four games. Defensively, the Jackets were paced by Christiansen with 5 assists in three games. But the team's (and the tournament's) leading scorer was captain Josh Dunne with a 3-4-7 line in four games.. With Tarasov unable to join the team, 20-year-old goaltender Jet Greaves started three of the four games. Greaves, who signed a two-year minor-league deal will likely be the primary backup for Tarasov in Cleveland this season.
September 21, 20213 yr It doesn't feel like winter (yet) but the Blue Jackets training camp began today with media sessions. One bit of early news was that all 67 players invited to training camp were 100 percent vaccinated. Also, 31-year-old NHL veteran Zac Rinaldo - who signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract on August 13 - is not vaccinated and will instead start his season in the AHL when the Cleveland Monsters begin practicing. “We’re going to have 67 players in training camp, and they’re all fully vaccinated, which is really important,” Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson said Tuesday. “It’s an important issue for us. It’s a team-first issue. We win as a team. We lose as a team. … Forward Zac Rinaldo, who we signed to a two-way contract this summer, is not vaccinated. Because of that, and that’s his decision, the plan is to start him in the American Hockey League and he will not be coming to our camp.” This is not a huge roster issue because he was very likely to play most or all of 2021-22 in the AHL anyway. But his decision to not vaccinate makes it nearly impossible for him to play in the NHL, as per the current NHL covid protocols: https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-news/2021/09/6318/zac-rinaldo-to-start-season-in-ahl-due-to-being-unvaccinated https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets/2021/09/21/rinaldo-not-allowed-attend-blue-jackets-camp-over-vaccine-status/5802893001/
September 21, 20213 yr Some bigger news broke later in the day: Even though Joonas Korpisalo is still on the roster - it looks like the team chose Elvis Merzlikins as the #1 goalie.
October 2, 20213 yr On 9/21/2021 at 5:31 PM, Columbo said: It doesn't feel like winter (yet) but the Blue Jackets training camp began today with media sessions. One bit of early news was that all 67 players invited to training camp were 100 percent vaccinated. Also, 31-year-old NHL veteran Zac Rinaldo - who signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract on August 13 - is not vaccinated and will instead start his season in the AHL when the Cleveland Monsters begin practicing. “We’re going to have 67 players in training camp, and they’re all fully vaccinated, which is really important,” Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson said Tuesday. “It’s an important issue for us. It’s a team-first issue. We win as a team. We lose as a team. … Forward Zac Rinaldo, who we signed to a two-way contract this summer, is not vaccinated. Because of that, and that’s his decision, the plan is to start him in the American Hockey League and he will not be coming to our camp.” This is not a huge roster issue because he was very likely to play most or all of 2021-22 in the AHL anyway. But his decision to not vaccinate makes it nearly impossible for him to play in the NHL, as per the current NHL covid protocols: https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-news/2021/09/6318/zac-rinaldo-to-start-season-in-ahl-due-to-being-unvaccinated https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets/2021/09/21/rinaldo-not-allowed-attend-blue-jackets-camp-over-vaccine-status/5802893001/ More Zac Rinaldo vax news: https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets/2021/10/01/blue-jackets-zac-rinaldo-clears-waivers-not-assigned-ahl-team/5953566001/ The CBJ expanded their ban on Zac Rinaldo over his COVID-19 vaccination status. The 31-year-old forward's refusal to get immunized is the reason he's not in NHL camp. He cleared waivers to be sent to the minors, but the CBJ said they do not want him to join the AHL's Cleveland Monsters when they begin practice Tuesday. Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen issued a statement shortly after Rinaldo cleared waivers stating the forward will not be assigned to Cleveland and is free to seek "other opportunities" to play(!)
October 8, 20213 yr https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-news/2021/10/6348/blue-jackets-announce-plans-to-honor-matiss-kivlenieks Before the Blue Jackets' season opener vs. Arizona on October 14th, members of Kivlenieks' family, including his mother, stepfather, sister, and aunt will participate in a ceremonial puck drop. Additionally, a banner featuring the number "80" will be unveiled and hang in the Nationwide Arena rafters for the entirety of the 2021-22 NHL season. Number "80" will also be visible behind both nets for the Arizona (Thursday, 10/14) and Seattle (Saturday, 10/16) games and all Blue Jackets players will have an "80" sticker on their helmets this season.
October 14, 20213 yr https://thehockeywriters.com/blue-jackets-news-rumors-opening-night-roster-2021-22/ https://www.jacketscannon.com/2021/10/11/22720317/cannon-blasts-previewing-the-2021-22-season-columbus-blue-jackets-laine-sillinger-chinakhov-domi https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-news/2021/10/6355/cole-sillinger-yegor-chinakhov-make-the-columbus-blue-jackets-opening-night-roster The CBJ made their final cuts for the opening night roster. One of the biggest surprises was the inclusion of rookies Cole Sillinger and Yegor Chinakhov on the final 23-man roster. 20-year-old winger Chinakhov is less of a surprise because he was rookie-of-the-year in the KHL last season. However, 18-year-old center Sillinger is a major surprise because he was just drafted as the 12th-overall selection in the 2021 draft. But both Sillinger and Chinakhov were very impressive in the preseason and earned their spots on the opening roster. 28-year-old euro-find forward Gregory Hofmann plus 22-year-old forward Emil Bemstrom and 23-year-old defenseman Andrew Peeke are also on the opening roster - beating out Stenlund and Foudy on the offensive side, Carlsson and Lehtonen on the defensive side. And a pleasant surprise from Max Domi. He is on the opening night roster after recovering early from his off-season shoulder surgery that originally expected him to miss a month or two of the 2021-22 season.
October 14, 20213 yr https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-news/2021/10/6359/boone-jenner-is-officially-the-seventh-captain-in-blue-jackets-franchise-history New team captain, Boone Jenner, 28, has served as an alternate captain since the 2015-16 season and is the most tenured player on the team. The Blue Jackets also announced Zach Werenski, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Gus Nyquist as full-time alternate captains, forming what's essentially an entirely new leadership group.
October 14, 20213 yr The opening game of the 2021-22 season is tonight at Nationwide Arena. At the end of the 2020-21 season, optimism was at a nadir. Torts was gone after a chaotic final season with the team. Future franchise center PLD was gone. Team captain Foligno and long-time d-man Savard were gone. Then franchise d-man Seth Jones announced he would become a free-agent when his contract expired at the end of the next season. But after a number of moves to rework the roster, the future of the franchise is looking much better. The blockbuster Seth Jones trade to Chicago (plus a side-deal with Carolina) netted two first-round picks and a two promising young d-men. Jake Voracek returned in a trade with Philly for Atkinson. Elvis signed a five-year contract extension. And new franchise defenseman Zach Werenski signed a huge 8-year contract extension(!) Plus, young prospects Chinakhov and Sillinger made the opening roster. Now, with all that being said, the Jackets are not predicted to a playoff contender in 2021-22. Although the team is better than expected, this upcoming season should be a chance to see what their younger players can do. And that should include letting those younger players play though their mistakes. There's no pressure to make the playoffs this season. In fact, it's probably better for the team's future if they don't reach the playoffs. The 2022 draft is predicted to be a strong draft and a higher 1st-round pick would add to the prospect pool the Jackets got in 2021. But the 2021-22 team should be interesting to watch for how well the Jackets prospects develop. It's also looking like this year's team will be a faster and higher scoring team than the grind-it-out Torts teams. So, just from an entertainment perspective, the team might be worth watching.
October 14, 20213 yr 22-year-old Bemstrom plays outstanding in the preseason and surprisingly makes the opening roster - then picks up an oblique strain in practice and will be out four-to-six weeks. Bad break:
October 15, 20213 yr 12 hours ago, Columbo said: The opening game of the 2021-22 season is tonight at Nationwide Arena. And what an opening game it was. First, there was the traditional 'Party on the Plaza' before the game: Then there was the emotional pre-game tributes to Matiss Kivlenieks: Then the CBJ score 40 seconds into the game and finish the first period up 2-0. Then they score 35 seconds into the second period to go up 3-0 before Arizona answers. But two more CBJ goals have the Jackets up 5-1 after two periods. The third period saw the Jackets score three more goals to finish opening night with an 8-2 win(!) After the big win, starting goaltender Elvis Merzlikins talked about what it meant to play and win this game after the tributes to his best friend and fellow countryman:
October 15, 20213 yr The eight goals scored in this opening game was the most scored by the CBJ since Nov. 2016 (which must have been that amazing 10-0 game against Montreal). Arizona is not expected to be a good team this season. But the Blue Jackets have had a different attitude this season. It's like the Torts straight-jacket has been removed. Domi had a particularly great game - setting up Tex on that 40-second opening goal - and keeping an intensity throughout to finish with one goal and two assists. Bjorkstrand had two goals and two assists. Voracek, Laine, Roslovic and Gavrikov all had two assists on the night. Werenski, Jenner, Texier, Nyquist and Bean all had one goal on the night. Even Sillinger got an assist for his first NHL point. Chinakov did not play, but is expected to be on Saturday's roster. The power play went 2 of 3, continuing its much improved play during the preseason. And Elvis had 36 saves in this emotional night for him. There was a more creative attitude to the Jackets offensive play and a general looseness to the team - perhaps embodied by this pre-game ensemble worn by Patrik Laine(!) The Jackets will need to match this new offensive production with a better defensive intensity - the Yotes outshot the Jackets 38 to 26. But if they can, we might see a lot of this: And maybe a lot more of this too:
October 15, 20213 yr 18 hours ago, Columbo said: Chinakhov did not play, but is expected to be on Saturday's roster. Or, he'll be sent down to Cleveland: https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets/2021/10/15/columbus-blue-jackets-yegor-chinakhov-assigned-ahl/8471710002/ Actually, I don't hate this move because it gives Chinakhov top 6 playing time with the Monsters instead of fourth line playing time for the Jackets. Chinakhov is expected to play for the Monsters on Saturday.
October 17, 20213 yr https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-news/2021/10/6372/patrik-laine-scores-in-overtime-as-the-columbus-blue-jackets-defeat-the-seattle-kraken Game 2 wasn't the scorefest the opening game was - but the CBJ won this lower scoring checkfest in OT. And the OT game-winner was scored by the Finnish Fashion Plate:
October 17, 20213 yr So far the 2021-22 rebuild is more like a reload. Undefeated with only 80 games to go(!) After a quick trip to Detroit on Tuesday, the CBJ have three more home games (against strong teams) before a Halloween Weekend in NYC: Tue, October 19 at Detroit Thu, October 21 vs NYI Sat, October 23 vs Carolina Mon, October 25 vs Dallas Fri, October 29 at NYR Sun, October 31 at New Jersey
October 17, 20213 yr On 10/15/2021 at 6:02 PM, Columbo said: Or, he'll be sent down to Cleveland: https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets/2021/10/15/columbus-blue-jackets-yegor-chinakhov-assigned-ahl/8471710002/ Actually, I don't hate this move because it gives Chinakhov top 6 playing time with the Monsters instead of fourth line playing time for the Jackets. Chinakhov is expected to play for the Monsters on Saturday. He's back up with the Jackets already. Very Stable Genius
October 19, 20213 yr https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/32425819/columbus-blue-jackets-max-domi-miss-2-4-weeks-rib-fracture Bad luck for Domi after returning from off-season shoulder surgery ahead of schedule to play in the opening two games. It looked like he suffered the rib injury In the first period of game two. He left for a few shifts but then returned - and even assisted on Laine's OT game-winning goal. Domi's injury opens up a spot for Chinakhov, who is back with the Jackets after scoring a goal for the Monsters on Saturday.
October 20, 20213 yr https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-news/2021/10/6381/red-wings-dominate-blue-jackets-hand-columbus-first-loss-of-season Welp, the Jackets aren't going 82-0-0 this season. Neither are they starting this season 3-0-0 - which would have been the first time in the 21-year history of the franchise (which is a sad stat). Korpisalo has his first start of the season - stopping 41 of 43 shots and shutting out Detroit until midway in the third period. However, the offense was terrible. The CBJ have gone from 8 goals in the opener to 2 goals in an OT win to 1 goal in this loss. A bad trend.
October 22, 20213 yr I'm not going to review or post about every CBJ game - but this Laine OT goal was something special. The Jackets survived an Isles extended possession in our defensive zone with a Jackets player who broke his stick, then got it out of the d-zone - which is where the below video clip starts:
October 26, 20213 yr The Jackets came crashing down with a 5-1 loss to a very good Carolina team (they're undefeated so far) on Saturday. But they rebounded with a strong 4-1 win over Dallas on Monday. Elvis got the win last night to improve to 4-0-0 on the season with a 1.48 goals against average and .952 save percentage. 28-year-old euro-signee Gregory Hofmann got his first NHL goal. The Jackets are now 4-2-0 going into a Halloween weekend road series at NYR on Friday and NJ on Sunday. They have a road-and-away series with Colorado the following week.
October 28, 20213 yr 28-year-old defenseman Dean Kukan can't catch a break (no pun intended). He finally gets some playing time and fractures his wrist in Monday’s win vs Dallas. Kukan is expected to miss 8 weeks. 27-year-old defenseman Gavin Bayreuther was recalled from Cleveland to replace him.
October 29, 20213 yr https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-news/2021/10/6412/max-domi-returns-ahead-of-schedule-again-expected-to-play-friday-in-new-york-against-the-rangers I don't know what Max Domi is doing, but his healing powers seem incredible. Domi suffered a fractured rib during the second game of the season on October 16. He was originally scheduled to miss 2-4 weeks, but is back after only 11 days. It's the second time he's been "ahead of schedule" with an injury recovery this season. Domi played opening night on October 14 following off-season shoulder surgery that was expected to keep him out of the lineup until November or December. The Jackets assigned forward Justin Danforth back to Cleveland to make room for Domi on the roster.
November 3, 20213 yr https://www.jacketscannon.com/2021/11/1/22756572/reviewing-october-2021-the-more-things-change-columbus-blue-jackets October recap in which the CBJ went 5-3-0 after a weekend trip to NYC and Newark where they lost 4-0 at NYR on Friday and got a shootout win at NJ on Sunday. The Jackets have a road-and-away series with Colorado, starting tonight at Colorado and finishing Saturday back in Columbus. Then the Jackets have a week off until a 3-games-in-4-nights home stretch - Friday 11/12 vs Washington, Saturday 11/13 vs NYR, Monday 11/15 vs Detroit.
Create an account or sign in to comment