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What Your Team Is Thankful For: Columbus Blue Jackets

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As American Thanksgiving and the holiday season are upon us, PHR is taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2022-23. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Who are the Blue Jackets thankful for?

Ville Siren.

Don’t know who Ville Siren is? That’s kind of the point. The Blue Jackets director of amateur scouting isn’t the one that has to face the cameras every day, but he’s arguably just as important to the organization as general manager Jarmo Kekalainen. There isn’t a ton to be thankful for in Columbus right now, as injuries have absolutely ravaged the NHL roster and it looks like they won’t be competing for the playoffs this year.

But with Siren in place, fans can be pretty confident that the team will turn things around eventually, thanks to their strong history in the draft.

When he joined the organization in the summer of 2013, the Blue Jackets had just made four selections in the top 50 picks. Those players ended up being Alexander Wennberg, Kerby Rychel, Marko Dano, and Dillon Heatherington. They did get Oliver Bjorkstrand that year, but otherwise whiffed on most of their picks. Moving forward, Siren has repeatedly plucked NHL talents out of the draft even in rather late positions.

Elvis Merzlikins, Vladislav Gavrikov, Markus Nutivaara, Andrew Peeke, Emil Bemstrom, Daniil Tarasov, and Alexandre Texier were all picked outside of the first round, while Zach Werenski, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Yegor Chinakhov, Cole Sillinger, and Kent Johnson all look like first-round hits. No scouting department is going to hit a home run with every selection but more often than not, Siren’s group seems to have a good sense of where the value lies.

What are the Blue Jackets thankful for?

A changing narrative around the market.

For years, there has been a narrative that players would never choose to play in Columbus. Stars wanted out, free agents wouldn’t sign, and the team would never have real game-changing talent. That is beginning to shift, thanks to the work that Kekalainen has done. Johnny Gaudreau shocked the hockey world by signing a massive contract with the Blue Jackets, Patrik Laine settled down and inked a multi-year extension, and Werenski committed to the program just as another defenseman was looking for a way out.

The Blue Jackets might not be competitive this season but the program that Kekalainen (and John Davidson) have built at least now allows them to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some bigger markets when it comes to acquiring and retaining star-level talent.

What would the Blue Jackets be even more thankful for?

A little bit of health (next season).

Navigate to the Blue Jackets’ CapFriendly page and you will see an injured reserve list that could be a pretty impressive roster on its own. Laine, Werenski, Merzlikins, Jakub Voracek, Jake Bean, Justin Danforth, Nick Blankenburg, and Adam Boqvist are all out of the lineup, meaning the team doesn’t really have a chance to keep pace in the Metropolitan Division

It’s probably not going to turn around this year, but when the Blue Jackets come back in September 2023, they’ll have a roster loaded with young talent that could be ready to make some noise. If you’re hoping for consistency and health, it’s for the 2023-24 season that you want it – after they get a crack at the Connor Bedard sweepstakes.

What should be on the Blue Jackets’ holiday wish list?

Another first-round pick.

There’s a chance here for the Blue Jackets to pick multiple times in three straight first rounds. Adding that kind of talent to an organization in such a short period can create an avalanche (pun intended) of success, with impact players all over the roster. Remember that even outside of Johnson and Sillinger, who are already staples on the NHL roster, Columbus has David Jiricek, Denton Mateychuk, and Corson Ceulemans in the system as first-round talents picked in the last two years.

They have the assets to do it, too. Gustav Nyquist and Gavrikov are both going to be coveted at the trade deadline, and Jack Roslovic might even be available. When teams are tossing around draft picks for marginal improvements for a playoff run, the Blue Jackets will be waiting to add another future asset to the pile.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Columbus Blue Jackets Recall Carson Meyer; Re-Assign Emil Bemstrom

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have made a roster swap, sending Emil Bemstrom to the minor leagues while recalling Carson Meyer. Bemstrom played just under 12 minutes in last night’s loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

Meyer, meanwhile, has been on fire with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL, scoring six goals and 18 points in 15 games so far. The Ohio State standout played in 13 games for the Blue Jackets last season and registered just three points but will certainly be bringing some confidence to the lineup after such a hot start.

Selected in the sixth round in 2017, Meyer was good for the Monsters last season too, but not quite to the same level. He had 16 goals and 27 points in 57 games, while racking up 63 penalty minutes. In his chances last year, he was willing to throw himself into anything that moved, racking up 27 hits in those 13 games despite averaging just over eight minutes a night.

Bemstrom is a very different player and one that might not be as well-suited for the bottom six. He has four points in seven games this season but doesn’t add any physicality and isn’t used on the penalty kill at all. If he’s not going to get regular minutes in a scoring role, perhaps heading to the minor leagues is a better option. He has also been banged up, missing some time due to an undisclosed injury.

Because he cleared waivers at the beginning of the season, Bemstrom is still exempt.

Jordie Benn Moved To Injured Reserve

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are already without Morgan Rielly, T.J. Brodie, and Jake Muzzin, leaving their defensive group a little shorthanded. Last night, Mac Hollowell was forced into extra action in his first-ever NHL game thanks to the early departure of Jordie Benn. Today, head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters including Mark Masters of TSN that Benn is now on injured reserve and out week-to-week, though the full severity of the injury has yet to be determined.

While the team did just acquire Conor Timmins from the Arizona Coyotes, Toronto isn’t going to force him into the lineup right away. Victor Mete, recalled recently, will be in the lineup next to Hollowell for tomorrow’s game against the Minnesota Wild. Wayne Simmonds was also practicing with the main group, suggesting he’ll be the recall to take Benn’s place on the roster.

The Maple Leafs are now without their three highest-paid defenders, and one of the only depth options that had any real experience. Mete’s 241 NHL games now become the second-highest amount in the group behind Mark Giordano, with Justin Holl’s $2MM cap hit the most expensive. Remember that the team also has Carl Dahlstrom on injured reserve thanks to a preseason injury, meaning five of the organization’s defensemen are unavailable.

Benn, 35, has never been a world-beater but was playing well in his six-game sample with the Maple Leafs, averaging more than 18 minutes a night before exiting early. The team will play in Minnesota, Pittsburgh, and Detroit before heading home for a one-game homestand in the middle of next week.

Minnesota Wild Activate Marc-Andre Fleury

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The Minnesota Wild have their starting goaltender back. Marc-Andre Fleury has been activated from injured reserve, meaning Zane McIntyre is on his way back to the minor leagues.

Fleury, 37, ended up missing three games with an upper-body injury but the Wild actually did rather well in his absence. After giving up five goals and losing the first game without him, Filip Gustavsson came back with two strong performances, allowing just two goals on 50 shots to secure a pair of victories.

McIntyre didn’t appear in a game, and Fleury is now ready to jump right back in the net for the second half of the team’s current seven-game homestand.

The question some Wild fans will have is whether Gustavsson has earned enough to split the starts with Fleury for the rest of the season. The young goaltender has been good when called upon, posting a .914 save percentage through eight appearances. Fleury, meanwhile, has a .906, though that number is heavily influenced by some early-season struggles.

In his last five games before going down to injury, Fleury had posted a .943, allowing just eight goals on 141 shots.

Tomas Jurco Signs In KHL

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For a long time, Tomas Jurco was one of those players who couldn’t seem to find a fit in the NHL despite outstanding AHL performances. The Detroit Red Wings draft pick burst onto the scene quickly after being selected 35th overall in 2011, but wasn’t able to hold on.

Now, with his last NHL appearance nearly two years ago, it seems his time in North America may be over.

The 29-year-old forward has signed another contract in the KHL, this one with Kunlun Red Star. Jurco played for Barys Nur-Sultan (who are back to Astana now) last season, scoring 11 points in 17 games.

One may have concluded that playing in the KHL was so that Jurco could take part in the Olympics, as he helped Slovakia qualify and then was part of their historic bronze medal performance. But a new NHL contract hasn’t followed, and he’ll now have a short season in China for 2022-23. The season there starts early, and Kunlun has already played 35 games – winning just 12 of them.

In 221 career games, Jurco scored 22 goals and 53 points, most of that production coming at the very beginning of his time in the NHL. He hasn’t scored a goal at that level since 2018, and it looks like he might not get another chance. A two-time Calder Cup champion, if Jurco ever does return to North America, it seems likely that it will be as an AHL player at this point.

Borje Salming Passes Away At 71

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After coming to see his legions of fans in Toronto one last time, Borje Salming has passed away at the age of 71. The legendary NHL defenseman was present at the recent Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony and honored at a Maple Leafs game. Team president Brendan Shanahan released the following statement:

The Toronto Maple Leafs mourn the loss of Börje Salming. Börje was a pioneer of the game and an icon with an unbreakable spirit and unquestioned toughness. He helped open the door for Europeans in the NHL and defined himself through his play on the ice and through his contributions to the community.

Börje joined the Maple Leafs 50 years ago and will forever be a part of our hockey family. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Pia, his children Theresa, Anders, Rasmus, Bianca, Lisa, and Sara, and brother Stieg. 

Salming was diagnosed with ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) in August. After losing the ability to speak, he made the journey from Sweden to Toronto and stood flanked by Darryl Sittler and Mats Sundin while receiving a long standing ovation from the Maple Leafs crowd.

One of the greatest defensemen of all time, Salming finished in the top five of Norris Trophy voting for seven consecutive seasons after arriving in North America. One of the first European players to ever cross the ocean to play in the NHL, he would play 17 seasons in the league, all but one with the Maple Leafs. In total, he suited up 1,148 times in the regular season and recorded 787 points, including a career-high 78 in 1976-77, when he finished fourth in the Hart Trophy vote.

At the 1976 Canada Cup, Salming received a standing ovation from the Toronto crowd despite wearing a Swedish jersey and about to play Canada. He was arguably the most beloved player in Maple Leafs history, and one that changed the dynamic of the NHL for good.

European players would flood the league after trailblazers like Salming found success, with Sweden becoming one of the most well-represented nations in the NHL. He became the first Swedish player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996, and would go into the IIHF Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2017, he was included as one of the NHL’s ’100 Greatest Players.’ His No. 21 was retired by the Maple Leafs in 2016.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Memorial Cup, Spengler Cup, Hanus

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The CHL has officially announced the four clubs that have submitted applications to host the 2024 Memorial Cup. The Kingston Frontenacs, Niagara IceDogs, Saginaw Spirit, and Soo Greyhounds will send in bids before the deadline in January, with the winning club announced in March.

The tournament is moved through the leagues each year, meaning it was only open to OHL bids for 2024. The 2023 tournament will be held in Kamloops, British Columbia.

  • Team Canada has its leadership for the Spengler Cup decided, with Shane Doan managing the roster and Travis Green taking head coaching duties, according to Darren Dreger of TSN. Green is still under contract with the Vancouver Canucks, though he hasn’t coached since being fired in the middle of 2021-22.
  • The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have parted ways with Clay Hanus, as the undrafted defenseman has decided to leave pro hockey and accept the education package given by his former junior club. Hanus had only played two games – both at the ECHL level – since signing an AHL deal in the summer.

Wayne Simmonds, Zach Sanford Clear Waivers

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Nov 23: While Hellberg was claimed yet again, both Simmonds and Sanford have cleared and can be sent to the minor leagues.

Nov 22: The NHL waiver wire is busy today, with three names available for claim. Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets reports that Wayne Simmonds of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Zach Sanford of the Nashville Predators, and Magnus Hellberg of the Seattle Kraken have all been placed on waivers.

For Simmonds, this isn’t much of a surprise. The 34-year-old has already passed through waivers once this season in early October. No longer a regular in the Toronto lineup, he has bounced up and down between the NHL and AHL whenever necessary, playing in just four games to this point. He’ll likely continue to do the same thing, but needed to have his waiver clock reset after 30 days on the active roster had passed.

Hellberg, meanwhile, will just have to hope he doesn’t have to move again. The veteran netminder signed with the Seattle Kraken but when the team tried to waive him early in the year, the Ottawa Senators grabbed him while they dealt with goaltending issues. While he was taken back by the Kraken, he hasn’t actually played for them yet and is now at risk of another claim. Given his success in the KHL and .935 save percentage in one game with Ottawa, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see Hellberg on his way to a new team tomorrow.

It’s Sanford that is somewhat surprising among the three players, as this will be his first time on waivers. The 28-year-old signed a one-year, $850K contract with the Predators in the offseason after splitting last year between the Senators and Winnipeg Jets. In eight games so far he has just two points, and saw fewer than 13 minutes in last night’s game against the Arizona Coyotes. Notably, he took an interference penalty in a tie game with only 2:52 remaining that could have easily cost the Predators the game, though they would eventually kill it off and win in a shootout.

Because of his size, inexpensive contract, and history of success in the league – Sanford scored 16 goals and 30 points in 58 games during the 2019-20 season – there’s a reasonable argument to be made for a team to claim him. If he isn’t taken, though, clearing waivers will give the Predators a bit more roster flexibility.

Detroit Red Wings Claim Magnus Hellberg

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For the third time this season, Magnus Hellberg has been claimed on waivers. The veteran netminder is off to the Detroit Red Wings this time, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

It was Detroit that signed Hellberg out of the KHL last season, and where he made his NHL return for one game. Their interest in him is obvious and yet, this is still something of a curious move.

Ville Husso and Alex Nedeljkovic are in place as the current duo, though the latter has experienced serious struggles this year. With an .873 save percentage, the 26-year-old has been one of the weakest netminders in the NHL and looks quite different from the goalie that was so good down the stretch for Carolina in 2021.

With Hellberg now in the mix, it’s unclear where Nedeljkovic’s future stands. He carries a $3MM cap hit this season and is scheduled for unrestricted free agency at the end of the year.

Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire Conor Timmins

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have found their defenseman, acquiring Conor Timmins from the Arizona Coyotes according to Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports. The team will be sending minor league forward Curtis Douglas in return.

At one point, not too long ago, Timmins was one of the brightest young defensive prospects in the game. He was a big part of the trade that sent Darcy Kuemper to the Colorado Avalanche last summer, and was supposed to be a key player for Arizona’s rebuild.

But injuries have ruined his career so far, with Timmins playing just 105 games since the start of the 2018-19 season. Just two of those have come this year with Arizona, before he was sent down on a conditioning stint with the Tucson Roadrunners. As Morgan explains, the team wanted to send him down for a longer period in the AHL but he would have certainly been claimed on waivers.

Instead, he heads to Toronto where—you may have guessed—he is reunited with his other Soo Greyhounds alumni. Three of the Maple Leafs’ current roster defensemen were on the 2017-18 Greyhounds roster. Timmins, Mac Hollowell, and Rasmus Sandin were an incredible trio on that junior team, and will now be reunited in Toronto.

Whether Timmins can ever reach his previous potential remains to be seen, but it’s a worthwhile gamble for a Toronto team that is desperate for help on the back end. Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin, and T.J. Brodie are all injured long-term, meaning Mark Giordano was left as the most reliable option.

In Douglas, the Coyotes are getting a massive forward that showed some scoring touch last season. The 22-year-old stands 6’9″ and scored 13 goals and 34 points for the Toronto Marlies in 2021-22. That offensive ability has completely dried up this year though, with Douglas registering just a single point in 13 games so far.

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