Blue Jackets Place Mason Marchment On IR, Dysin Mayo On Waivers
The Blue Jackets announced they’ve placed winger Mason Marchment on injured reserve retroactive to Jan. 4. He sustained an upper-body injury in that day’s game against the Penguins and is considered week-to-week, the team said. They’ve recalled forward Mikael Pyyhtia from AHL Cleveland in a corresponding move. Additionally, defenseman Dysin Mayo has been placed on waivers and will be assigned to Cleveland tomorrow if he clears.
Marchment, 30, was scratched for yesterday’s 5-2 loss to the Sharks due to the injury. He didn’t appear to miss any action against Pittsburgh, so a week-to-week designation without any obvious-to-sight injury comes across as worse than expected. He would be eligible to come off IR as soon as Sunday against the Mammoth, but will seemingly miss several more games than that.
Acquired from the Kraken on Dec. 19, the trade has breathed new life into Marchment’s game. The 6’5″ lefty is tied with Kirill Marchenko for the team lead in goals since the swap with five. That’s one more than he had in 29 games with Seattle to begin the season.
The top-nine spark plug is now up to 20 points in 36 games on the year. That works out to 0.56 per game, his worst pace since 2022-23 with the Stars. Despite that, he’s still shooting a bit above his career average, so he’ll need to focus on continuing to get more pucks on net with Columbus when he returns to avoid a bout of regression.
Marchment had been skating on the Jackets’ top line with Marchenko and Adam Fantilli. Dmitri Voronkov took over those duties against San Jose and was dominant at 5-on-5, with that line controlling shot attempts 13-2.
It’s not anticipated that Pyyhtia will enter the lineup against the Golden Knights tomorrow. Instead, he comes up as Marchment is flexed to IR to give Columbus a healthy extra for the press box. With Marchment, Isac Lundeström, and Miles Wood now off the active roster, the Jackets’ forward depth has been stretched thin.
There are far worse recall options than Pyyhtia, though. The 24-year-old was a fourth-round pick in 2020 and has 66 games of NHL experience, including a career-high 47 appearances last season. After failing to crack the Jackets’ opening night roster this season, he’s put up nearly a point per game with Cleveland while leading the team in scoring (7-15–22 in 23 GP).
Mayo had become expendable after the club’s signing of Egor Zamula yesterday. He had been serving as a press-box defenseman with Erik Gudbranson and Brendan Smith on IR, but with Jake Christiansen set to be supplanted by Zamula in the lineup, Mayo was a redundancy. The 29-year-old righty has one assist in two outings for Columbus this year, as well as seven points and a -2 rating in 19 games for Cleveland.
Blue Jackets Sign Egor Zamula
It didn’t take long for defenseman Egor Zamula to find a new home after having his contract terminated by the Penguins today. He’ll be sticking in the Metropolitan Division with the Blue Jackets, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. Per PuckPedia, it’s a one-year deal worth a prorated $1MM salary. The team quickly made his deal official.
Zamula, 25, will step back into an NHL role with Columbus, ending a weeks-long saga about his future. After lengthy runs in the press box with the Flyers to begin the season, he landed on waivers in December and cleared. He initially reported to AHL Lehigh Valley, but the Flyers were working to either terminate his contract – something they could only do if he refused to report – or find a trade partner.
On New Year’s Eve, he was shipped to the Penguins for winger Philip Tomasino. With Pittsburgh then opting to keep him in the minors instead of recalling him, he immediately refused to report to their AHL affiliate and was suspended without pay. He became an unrestricted free agent today after clearing unconditional waivers, walking away from the rest of the two-year, $3.4MM deal he signed in 2024.
His agent, Gold Star Hockey’s Dan Milstein, said today that “all parties we spoke to were fully informed of the player’s position, including Pittsburgh.”
After recording one assist and a +4 rating in 13 games for Philadelphia earlier this season, the 6’3″ lefty will immediately get increased opportunity on a Columbus blue line that’s missing depth options Erik Gudbranson and Brendan Smith. Even when those names are back in the mix, with youngster Denton Mateychuk now shifting to his off-side full-time, Zamula is a natural candidate to supplant the struggling Jake Christiansen as the lefty option on the Jackets’ third pairing.
The Russian rearguard will have some support from countrymen Ivan Provorov, Kirill Marchenko, and Dmitri Voronkov in Columbus. He kicks off his Blue Jackets tenure with eight goals and 41 points in 168 career games.
Blue Jackets Add Laurence Gilman To Front Office
The Blue Jackets announced they’ve hired veteran executive Laurence Gilman as their vice president of hockey operations.
While it’s a different title, Gilman essentially replaces Josh Flynn, who was an assistant general manager under Don Waddell but left the organization last month to take the same job with the Sabres under their new GM, former Columbus head Jarmo Kekäläinen.
The Blue Jackets will mark the fourth NHL organization for the 61-year-old Gilman. The Winnipeg native technically got his start with his hometown team shortly before the Jets relocated to Arizona. He joined the Coyotes’ front office in 1998 as their director of hockey operations, just a couple of years after the franchise relocated from Winnipeg. He was promoted to AGM in 2001, eventually taking over GM duties for their AHL affiliate, before leaving the organization in 2007.
One year later, Gilman caught back on with the Canucks. He served as an AGM and the team’s VP of hockey operations from 2008-15, helping oversee the franchise’s two most successful regular seasons and a five-year playoff streak, Vancouver’s longest since the turn of the century.
Gilman was dismissed in 2015 along with most of his front-office colleagues after Jim Benning took over the franchise. It would be a few years before he returned to the league, but he was picked up by the Maple Leafs in 2018 as part of their front office restructuring. He quickly became Kyle Dubas’ top associate in Toronto, serving as AGM and GM of the Toronto Marlies from 2018-22. He spent the following two seasons working solely for the Marlies as their senior VP of hockey ops before eventually leaving the organization in 2024.
“I have known Laurence for many years, and I am very excited to welcome him to the Columbus Blue Jackets,” GM Don Waddell said. “He is extremely knowledgeable about all facets of team and league operations, and his experience and personality will be a great addition to our hockey operations staff.”
Jack Johnson Announces Retirement
Looking to add a top-six center, the Kings traded Johnson, along with a 2013 first-round pick, to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Jeff Carter. Carter played a crucial role in the Kings’ first Stanley Cup championship later that year, while Johnson experienced the best years of his career with Columbus.
Playing out the rest of his extension with the Blue Jackets, Johnson finished his first stint with the Blue Jackets, scoring 36 goals and 154 points in 445 games. Additionally, he could always be counted upon on the defensive side of the puck, never falling below a 90.0% on-ice SV% at even strength throughout his tenure in Ohio.
Latest On Sean Monahan
Colin Stephenson of Newsday Sports reported that Rangers captain J.T. Miller remains in a red no-contact jersey in practice this morning, while fellow forward Noah Laba was also a limited participant, skating on his own.
Miller has been out since December 20 after sustaining a hit versus Philadelphia, injuring his right shoulder. Subsequently, he was forced to miss the Winter Classic. Initially listed as week-to-week, the 32-year-old’s scoring has taken a step backwards so far this season, with 22 points in 35 games and a -11. However, once healthy, the veteran will lean into his imposing style and leadership on Team USA in the upcoming Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, Laba is also week-to-week with an upper-body injury, after taking a hard hit from Tom Wilson on New Year’s Eve. The rookie was an everyday player before the injury, with 12 points in 42 games on Head Coach Mike Sullivan’s third line. In his absence, 35-year-old depth forward Justin Dowling has slotted in from the AHL, getting to make his Rangers debut under the bright lights in Miami.
New York hosts Utah tomorrow night, and will do so without Miller or Laba. It is safe to assume neither will return for another week or so, but the club hopes their resounding Winter Classic win over Florida will kickstart a playoff push in the New Year.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network provided several injury updates on the Capitals: Tom Wilson is receiving further evaluation, and a better indication on a return time frame should come tomorrow. Aliaksei Protas is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Finally, Justin Sourdif and Jakob Chychrun are absent, but just due to maintenance. Wilson left last night’s game, seeming to suffer an awkward ankle injury. The team desperately hopes he won’t be out long, as the 31-year-old is possibly having his best season yet, in year 13. Wilson has been a force, leading the team with 42 points in 41 games, while still maintaining his usual wrecking ball physicality. Such output is a new level for the veteran who has a career high of 65 points, coming last season. Protas, on the other hand, missed last night’s game, his first absence of the year. The towering power forward has produced right on track with last season’s 30-goal, 66-point breakout, and thankfully, should return quickly. Washington is right back in action tomorrow night, taking on Anaheim at home, where Wilson and Protas’ presence will be watched closely.
- Ahead of today’s matinee action against Pittsburgh, Columbus will be missing Sean Monahan again, as reported by Jeff Svoboda, official team reporter. The center hasn’t played since December 28, with no official injury designation listed, making today his fourth straight game sidelined. Monahan, 31, had a strong campaign in his first as a Jacket last season, posting 57 points in 54 games. Things have not gone as to plan this year, with 19 in 37 contests, as Monahan has rotated at times with fellow veteran Charlie Coyle between second and third line center duties. As noted by Svoboda, the club hopes Monahan can return sometime this week. Currently at the bottom of a very deep Metropolitan Division, the Blue Jackets face an uphill battle to end their five year postseason drought.
Blue Jackets Activate Zach Werenski, Place Brendan Smith On IR
Saturday: Werenski’s activation is now official, per a team announcement. The team also revealed that they’ve converted Dysin Mayo‘s emergency recall to a regular one.
Friday: Blue Jackets star Zach Werenski will return to the lineup Saturday against the Sabres, he told reporters today (including Aaron Portzline of The Athletic). The team also announced they’ve placed defenseman Brendan Smith on injured reserve, opening the roster spot for Werenski’s pending IR activation.
Werenski, a reigning Norris Trophy finalist, hasn’t played since Dec. 20 against the Ducks. He took a hard shot to the ankle late in the third period after racking up two points in the loss, leaving him unable to get to the room without assistance.
Four games later, he’ll be back in the lineup. With Columbus also down Smith, Sean Monahan, Miles Wood, Isac Lundeström, and Erik Gudbranson, their top player missing any more time would be even more problematic than usual.
The languishing Jackets did well not only to tread water without Werenski but even gained ground in the Eastern Conference wild card race. They’ve gone 3-1-0 in their last four to get themselves back over .500, although they’re still second-last in the conference ahead of the Rangers by points percentage (.513).
While he won’t get much consideration if Columbus doesn’t sniff the playoffs, Werenski has built a solid MVP case yet again after getting votes for the first time last season. He’s the Jackets’ leading scorer, tracking for his second season over a point per game with a 14-26–40 scoring line in 35 games. Only Cale Makar has been more productive this season among defensemen, and he’s done so while posting a team-high +6 rating.
Smith’s IR placement is both expected and solely procedural. He’s already been listed as week-to-week with a lower-leg injury and will miss more than the seven-day IR minimum.
Blue Jackets Recall Danton Heinen
When the Blue Jackets placed winger Miles Wood on injured reserve earlier today, they opened up a roster spot. They didn’t waste much time filling it as the team announced that they’ve recalled winger Danton Heinen from AHL Cleveland. They still have one open slot on their 23-player roster.
The 30-year-old hasn’t been in the organization for very long as he was only acquired by Columbus back on Monday as part of the Yegor Chinakhov deal. However, his inclusion was more for salary-matching purposes rather than being a specific target as Heinen has gone through waivers unclaimed twice already this season.
Heinen has split this season between the NHL and AHL, playing in 13 games at each level, including one with Cleveland following the trade. In the minors, he has been dominant, notching six goals and 12 assists in his first taste of minor league action since 2017-18. Meanwhile, in the NHL with Pittsburgh, he has a goal and an assist while averaging 11:40 per night of ice time.
When Heinen sees any game action with Columbus, it stands to reason that his playing time will be similarly limited. But he does have a strong track record of being productive in a bottom-six role as evidenced by his career numbers of 243 points in 579 games despite an ATOI below the 14-minute mark. Given their growing list of injuries, he should get a chance to add to those numbers before long.
Blue Jackets Place Miles Wood On Injured Reserve
The Blue Jackets placed winger Miles Wood on injured reserve Thursday, according to Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers. He’s listed as week-to-week with the apparent left knee injury he sustained last night against the Devils, general manager Don Waddell said.
Wood fell awkwardly on his leg after attempting a check on New Jersey winger Ondřej Palát, struggling to put weight on it as he left the ice. Head coach Dean Evason wasn’t particularly optimistic about Wood’s status during his postgame media availability, but Waddell said Wood’s early evaluation today indicated the “absolute worst was avoided.”
Wood has been found money for the Blue Jackets this season. Included as a salary dump by the Avalanche in the deal that brought them Charlie Coyle last offseason, the 30-year-old has contributed eight goals and 12 points in 32 games for Columbus. At 0.38 points per game, he’s tracking for the third-most efficient offensive season of his 11-year career.
No one will expect the bang-and-crash winger to keep up his career-best 15.7% shooting rate when he returns, but he’d nonetheless been a valuable tertiary scoring piece for a Blue Jackets offense that ranks in the bottom half of the league at 2.92 goals per game. His speed also makes him an effective penalty killer, averaging more than a minute per game shorthanded, but his two-way play at even strength has left something to be desired at a -6 rating and 46.6 CF%.
With Wood out for the foreseeable future, Isac Lundeström on IR, and Sean Monahan dealing with an undisclosed injury, Columbus is without a quarter of its regular forward lineup. With no healthy extras available, they’ll be recalling a player under emergency conditions for Saturday’s game against the Sabres if Monahan can’t go.
Blue Jackets’ Brendan Smith Out Indefinitely With Lower Leg Injury
Blue Jackets defenseman Brendan Smith is going to be out “a while” due to the lower right leg injury he sustained Monday against the Senators, head coach Dean Evason told reporters (including Aaron Portzline of The Athletic).
Smith fell awkwardly in the late stages of the win, appearing to strain or twist something near his right knee when attempting to stand up. He wasn’t putting any weight on the leg as he was helped to the locker room and did not return to the game.
The 36-year-old spent training camp on a professional tryout with Columbus before being released. He caught on with their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, and showed out well enough there through the first several weeks of the season to earn a two-way deal from the Jackets in late November.
He’s been rostered as a depth option ever since and has seen plenty of playing time with Erik Gudbranson and Zach Werenski on injured reserve. Smith, now in his 15th NHL season, had appeared in 15 straight games since signing his contract and recorded two assists with a -1 rating while averaging 11:05 of ice time per game.
With Gudbranson and Werenski still unavailable, Dysin Mayo will step into the lineup on the third pairing with Jake Christiansen for Wednesday’s game against the Devils. Mayo, a righty, will be making his second appearance of the season after being recalled from Cleveland on an emergency basis on Tuesday. His Columbus debut came back on Nov. 5 in a 5-1 loss to the Flames, posting a -1 rating and five shot attempts in 7:33 of ice time.
Blue Jackets Place Isac Lundestrom On IR, Recall Dysin Mayo
The Columbus Blue Jackets have made a minor roster adjustment ahead of tomorrow’s game against the New Jersey Devils. The Blue Jackets announced that they’ve placed forward Isac Lundeström on the injured reserve, and recalled defenseman Dysin Mayo on an emergency basis in a corresponding roster move.
In the announcement, the team added that Lundeström sustained his injury during a team practice and is expected to miss the next few weeks, which was already reported yesterday. The 26-year-old center is in his first year with the Blue Jackets and has missed the team’s last two games due to the lower-body injury.
Even with relatively low expectations coming into the year, Lundeström has had mixed results with his new club. He has scored one goal and five points in 35 games, pacing for four fewer points than he had last year with the Anaheim Ducks.
Still, outside of his tepid offensive production, Lundeström is one of the best faceoff takers on the team with a 53.7% success rate, and is maintaining a respectable 90.5% on-ice save percentage at even strength, offering solid defensive value.
Even with Lundeström on IR, and the status of Sean Monahan up in the air after being a late scratch yesterday, the Blue Jackets have 12 healthy forwards on the active roster, which wouldn’t have triggered the necessity of an emergency recall.
However, the team only has six defensemen on the roster, with Zach Werenski and Erik Gudbranson on the IR, meaning Mayo’s recall is related to a defenseman being unable to go tomorrow. That blue liner is likely veteran Brendan Smith, who sustained an injury toward the end of Columbus’s game yesterday.
It’s not the first time Mayo has been recalled this year, though it is the first time on an emergency basis. Throughout his two previous recalls, Mayo appeared in one game for Columbus, skating in 7:33 of action and earning a -1 rating. He’s had a respectable year with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, scoring two goals and seven points in 19 games with a -2 rating.