Blue Jackets’ Scott Ford To Interview For NCAA Coaching Vacancy
The Columbus Blue Jackets have granted permission for assistant coach Scott Ford to interview for the vacant head coaching role at Brown University’s men’s hockey program, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline.
Portzline added that there would be “further conversations” between GM Don Waddell and head coach Rick Bowness if Ford ends up offered the job. Ford’s name first came up regarding the role in a report from New England Hockey Journal’s Mark Divver.
Brown is currently without a permanent head coach after former bench boss Brendan Whittet stepped away from the program on Jan. 28 to take a family medical leave. The University noted as part of its announcement that when he returns from leave, “Whittet will transition into a new role in athletics administration.” Whittet became head coach at Brown in 2009-10 after a decade as an assistant coach at Dartmouth College. His most successful campaign came in 2012-13, when he led Brown to the finals of the ECAC tournament..
Ford, 46, is a Brown alumnus who captained the program in 2003-04 and was that year named his conference’s top defensive defenseman. He’s in his second season as an assistant coach in Columbus, brought there as a member of former head coach Dean Evason’s staff. He remained on staff after the Blue Jackets swapped head coaches and hired Bowness, but like many assistants who are holdovers from a prior bench boss, his future in Columbus is likely somewhat uncertain.
Seeing as Whittet remained in his position for well over a decade, it’s unlikely Ford will have an abundance of opportunities to become the head coach at his alma mater – a factor that could impact his interest in making the NHL-to-NCAA move. NCAA coaches often enjoy a significantly greater degree of job stability than NHL coaches, and especially assistant coaches. Not only does that mean the Brown head coaching role, once filled, is unlikely to become vacant again for quite some time, it also means an NHL coach with an uncertain future given the departure of his former boss could be particularly attracted to an NCAA vacancy. That, combined with the fact that Brown is Ford’s alma mater, give Ford all the reason to be interested in the head coaching role at Brown.
While it’s too early to tell whether Ford will ultimately land in Rhode Island, this is a storyline for Blue Jackets fans to look out for as the Olympic break continues.
Blue Jackets Looking To Extend Pending UFAs
On New Year’s Day, the Blue Jackets were in last place in the Eastern Conference and had a three-point cushion in the basement. They were all but set to punt on the season, and their high-value pending UFAs, namely Charlie Coyle and Boone Jenner, had found themselves high up on trade bait lists.
Fueled in part by a surprise coaching change, Columbus has now won 11 of its last 12 and is fully back in playoff contention. They’ve gone from 16th place to ninth in the past six weeks and are four points back of the Bruins for the final playoff spot with a game in hand.
If getting rental returns for Coyle and Jenner was general manager Don Waddell‘s deadline plan a month ago, that streak has changed his mind. The organization told RG.org’s James Murphy yesterday that they’ve stopped soliciting offers for Coyle, Jenner, and fellow pending UFA forward Mason Marchment and will instead start extension negotiations with all three players before the Olympic break ends.
All three have been legitimate impact players for the Jackets this season, particularly Coyle and Marchment. Acquired from the Avalanche last summer in something of a cap dump, the veteran Coyle has technically served as Columbus’ third-line center for virtually the entire campaign but is averaging north of 17 minutes of ice time per game thanks to extensive special-teams deployment. Coming off one of the more offensively underwhelming campaigns of his career for Boston and Colorado in 2024-25, he’s tossed up 15 goals and 42 points in 56 games to rank third on the Jackets in scoring.
There will be obvious trepidation over offering anything more than a one or two-year extension to Coyle, who turns 34 next month. He’s finishing at a 15.8% clip, and his possession numbers lag behind the average on a Columbus squad that’s greatly improved its play under Bowness. But for a Jackets squad teeming with cap space over the next couple of seasons, the risk of decline isn’t as pressing as it would be for a cap-strapped contender.
Marchment was a surprising in-season pickup from the Kraken in December, but he’s been the complete package in the nearly two months since his arrival. He’s clicked at nearly a point per game with nine goals and four assists in 14 games since the trade and leads Columbus forwards with a 53.1 CF% at even strength, although he’s helped out by playing a higher percentage of his games under Bowness. He’s still been a natural-looking fit on their top line alongside youngsters Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko.
Jenner may be the afterthought of the three in terms of on-ice performance this season, but he’s the captain and a career-long Blue Jacket. His production has taken something of a hit after missing most of last year with shoulder surgery, but he’s still produced eight goals and 27 points in 42 games, above his career-average pace. His 9.0% shooting rate is a bit below his career average and should come up down the stretch, too.
His 52.0 CF% signals his two-way game is still in a good spot, and he’s third on the team with 92 hits despite missing 14 games with an upper-body issue earlier in the year. Any concern about a long-term extension for the 32-year-old revolves around his extensive recent injury history. He’s missed double-digit games in every season since 2019-20 and has dealt with back problems for the vast majority of his career. The risk of aggressive age-related decline is palpable as a result.
Expecting Columbus to be able to swing extensions for all three is unrealistic – and considering all three are on the wrong side of 30, there’s a debate to be had over whether it’s a wise choice. Still, the question then shifts to whether the Jackets will still look to flip one of them and gain assets in return if it’s clear they’re too far off on an extension.
At least right now, the answer is no. “Regardless of whether they’re signed to extensions before the Olympic break ends, they’re off the trade market heading into the trade deadline,” a league source told Murphy.
“I’ve told everybody we will touch base over the break and see where they’re at and see where we’re at,” Waddell said. “And I said it last year, if players want to be here and we want ’em here, we’ll find a way to get it done. We did it last year, and we’ll do it again this year.”
Latest On Kirill Marchenko
As the dust settles from today’s blockbuster in which the Rangers dealt Artemi Panarin to the Kings in exchange for top prospect Liam Greentree and a conditional third-round pick, more details on the other suitors have emerged.
It was noted yesterday by TSN’s Chris Johnston on Insider Trading that a team had offered as much as $40MM, and the mystery club may now be revealed. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that the Seattle Kraken made a strong effort to acquire the superstar, offering him an extension in the 3-4 year range, worth what Pagnotta said is “north” of $12MM per year. The contract could have doubled term compared to what Panarin promptly signed with Los Angeles, a two-year extension worth $11MM each year.
Despite proving not enough to sway Panarin into waiving his no-trade clause to head up to Washington, the effort is commendable from Kraken GM Jason Botterill as his team is in Wild Card range, hungry to make a splash to earn their second playoff berth in their fifth season as a franchise. It’s curious to imagine if former fourth overall pick Shane Wright could have been off to New York. One week ago, it was reported the Kraken were open to dealing him for a “dynamic top-six scoring winger”, and the “Breadman” certainly fits the bill.
Additionally, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan mentioned the Hurricanes, Lightning, and Capitals as among the “several teams circling at the end”, however, Panarin told management that he was set on Los Angeles. Crossing off another major city in his career after stops in Chicago and New York, Panarin’s preference limited Rangers GM Chris Drury’s trade leverage considerably. He has caught criticism for the return, but as noted by Kaplan, the Rangers feel they plucked the Kings’ best prospect in Greentree, and time will tell.
The break is nearly upon us, and although Panarin’s new team plays tomorrow night in Vegas as their final pre-Olympics action, Kings Manager of Editoral Content Zach Dooley confirmed that he won’t be rushed into duty. It seems likely he could make his highly anticipated debut in their first game back, at home for a Golden Knights rematch on February 25.
Elsewhere across the league:
- The Chicago Blackhawks have had a rough go tonight in Columbus, as first the team announced that defenseman Wyatt Kaiser wouldn’t return, followed by forward Colton Dach, both due to injury. Kaiser’s status is concerning, as Zach Werenski of the Blue Jackets landed in his knee area awkwardly. The 23-year-old has yet to miss a game this season, averaging 19:28 a game across 56 so far. It’s still a work in progress for Kaiser, who doesn’t stand out on the stat sheet, however the lefty already plays a top four role for Chicago as his game develops. Meanwhile, Dach was pinned to the boards by Erik Gudbranson, and it’s not as immediately clear what happened to injure the grinder, who has nine points in 51 games this year.
- Shortly before tonight’s game against the soon-to-be short benched Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets team reporter Jeff Svoboda shared that Kirill Marchenko would miss his second straight game due to illness. The 25-year-old leads all Jacket forwards with 46 points in 50 games, continuing to emerge as a star after last year’s 74 point breakout. Marchenko will utilize the Olympic break to get healthy, but in the meantime, Columbus has maintained their surge under new Head Coach Rick Bowness.
Blue Jackets Promote Rick Nash, Chris Clark
The Columbus Blue Jackets shared today that Rick Nash has been promoted to Director of Player Personnel, and Chris Clark has been promoted to Assistant General Manager. The two former NHLers have spent several years with the franchise, dating back to the Jarmo Kekäläinen/John Tortorella era.
With his #61 alone in the rafters of Nationwide Arena, the 41-year-old has made an immeasurable impact in Columbus, starting with his first overall selection back in 2002. Nash spent nine seasons carrying the Blue Jackets as they got off the ground as an expansion franchise, followed by making his mark as a Ranger, as well as a stint in Boston, officially retiring in six years ago.
The 49-year-old Connecticut native was chosen by Calgary in the 1994 draft, going on to make 607 appearances in the NHL with the Flames, Capitals, and finally, the Blue Jackets, last skating at the highest level in 2010-11.
The franchise icon Nash, along with the highly respected Clark help round out General Manager and President of Hockey Operations Don Waddell’s top brass, the 67-year-old set to reach two years in the role this May. Currently below a Wild Card spot, the Blue Jackets have tremendously found their stride under new Head Coach Rick Bowness, winning eight of his first nine games. With a dynamic young core, the club figures to be on the cusp of another window in years to come, after reaching new heights as an organization in the late 2010s.
Sean Monahan Leaves Game Due To Illness
- Columbus Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan left the team’s victory yesterday as a result of an illness, not as a result of a hit he took in the first period of the game, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline. Portzline added that the Blue Jackets’ locker room has been somewhat under the weather recently, as Mathieu Olivier played through an illness on Friday. While leaving a game due to an illness is certainly serious, given Monahan’s past injury history, it’s undoubtedly a relief that the veteran center’s absence is likely to be very limited. Monahan has nine goals and 26 points in 50 games this season, and scored 19 goals, 57 points in just 54 games in 2024-25.
Dante Fabbro Suffers Setback In Lower-Body Injury
- Unfortunately for the Columbus Blue Jackets, it’s unlikely that defenseman Dante Fabbro will rejoin the lineup for the Olympic break. According to regional writer Jeff Svoboda, Fabbro had a setback in the lower-body injury that’s kept him out of the team’s lineup since January 17th, and he’s expected to resume skating by early next week. The eight-year blueliner has scored four goals and seven points in 48 games for Columbus this season, averaging 16:07 of ice time per game.
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Blue Jackets Reassign Zach Aston-Reese, Brendan Gaunce
Jan. 28: Both cleared waivers and are headed to Cleveland, per Friedman.
Jan 27.: The Blue Jackets have placed forwards Zach Aston-Reese and Brendan Gaunce on waivers, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. The open roster spots will allow Columbus to activate defenseman Denton Mateychuk from injured reserve before tomorrow’s game, as expected. Forward Miles Wood will also be coming off IR, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports.
Aston-Reese, 31, is in his ninth NHL season. He’s become a bit of a journeyman as of late after breaking into the league with the Penguins, also making stops in Anaheim, Toronto, and Detroit since 2022. With 102 career points and a +17 rating in 415 games, he was once regarded as one of the league’s top low-usage defensive forwards in Pittsburgh, but has since been mired in year-to-year inconsistency. He spent most of 2023-24 in the minors with the Red Wings before breaking back into a regular role with Columbus last year.
After appearing in 76 games for the Jackets last year and earning a one-year, league minimum extension, playing time has been tougher to come by for Aston-Reese in 2025-26. He’s played in just over half of Columbus’ games this season and has now been a healthy scratch in six of eight. He’s scored a goal and five points in 26 outings, recording a career-low 0.65 shots on goal per game (aside from his three-game sample size in Detroit). He’s still blocking shots and hitting with aplomb, but with ice average ice time now back under 10 minutes per game and his possession impacts dwindling, he hasn’t been much more than a 13th forward – especially with offseason signing Isac Lundeström taking some of Aston-Reese’s penalty-kill minutes.
Unlike Aston-Reese, Gaunce didn’t start the year on the active roster, but has logged roughly the same amount of playing time anyway. He cleared waivers in camp and headed to Cleveland, but has been up with the Jackets since November. In 25 showings, the 31-year-old has been moderately more productive with two goals and six points. He’s been especially valuable on draws, where he’s winning a team-high 56.9% of faceoffs. Nonetheless, with Lundeström back after missing a few weeks, he’s been in the press box for the last two games.
For now, Danton Heinen has earned the honor of serving as the Jackets’ 13th forward while Aston-Reese and Gaunce head back to Cleveland or get claimed by another squad. Since being acquired from the Penguins in the Egor Chinakhov deal last month, he’s put up two points in 11 games with a -1 rating and 21 hits.
Wood, 30, has been out of action since New Year’s Eve because of a leg injury. Between that and some previous ailments, he’s missed 19 of the Jackets’ 51 games but has still churned out an 8-4–12 scoring line in 32 outings. That’s twice as many goals as the speedy winger had last year in a similar number of games for the Avalanche, and with Charlie Coyle now up to 33 points in 51 games on the year, it’s safe to say Columbus is happy with the investment they made when bringing them both in via trade from Colorado.
Blue Jackets To Activate Denton Mateychuk From Injured Reserve
The Blue Jackets are expected to activate defenseman Denton Mateychuk from injured reserve in the coming days, per head coach Rick Bowness (via the team’s Jeff Svoboda). He was ticketed to enter the lineup for tonight’s game against the Kings, but that contest has been postponed to March 9 due to inclement weather in Columbus, the league announced. With no roster spots available, they’ll now have until their next game on Wednesday against the Flyers to make a move to activate Mateychuk.
Mateychuk, 21, is in his second NHL season. After being selected 12th overall in the 2022 draft, this year was the first time he made the team out of camp. However, he did record 13 points in 45 games for the Blue Jackets last year after a midseason recall from AHL Cleveland, earning 12th place in Calder Trophy voting.
This season, the 5’11” lefty has done a much more consistent job of flashing his ceiling as a high-end top-four piece. Averaging 20:20 of ice time per game, he’s split the year between playing alongside veteran righty Damon Severson and seeing top-pair duties on his off side with Zach Werenski. He’s third on the team with a +5 rating and has already trounced his offensive production from last season with an 8-13–21 scoring line in 44 games. He’s tied with Blackhawks rookie Artyom Levshunov for fifth in the league in scoring among defensemen 22 or younger.
He’s missed the last six games with an upper-body injury sustained early in a Jan. 11 matchup against the Mammoth. That was Dean Evason’s last game behind the Jackets’ bench before being swapped out for Bowness, so Wednesday will be Mateychuk’s first outing with Columbus’ new boss. With the Blue Jackets’ youngsters largely receiving a longer leash under the new regime, Mateychuk shouldn’t be concerned about his ice time dropping.
Blue Jackets Activate Mason Marchment, Place Denton Mateychuk On IR
The Columbus Blue Jackets announced today that forward Mason Marchment has been activated off injured reserve in advance of the team’s game tonight against the Dallas Stars. In a corresponding move, the team placed injured blueliner Denton Mateychuk on IR.
Marchment missed the last eight games due to an upper-body injury, an ailment that halted the momentum he appeared to be building in Columbus after his mid-season trade from the Seattle Kraken. Marchment made an instant impact with the Blue Jackets, scoring five goals and seven points in seven games since the trade.
As a pending UFA, Marchment’s performances down the stretch in 2025-26 were always set to carry an outsized level of importance, at least personally to the player’s future. Marchment’s trade to Columbus only further emphasized the importance of his play in the coming weeks, as he has a chance to secure a spot in the Blue Jackets’ future plans.
The 30-year-old forward only managed four goals and 13 points in 29 games with the Kraken before the trade, prompting some worry that Marchment’s days as a 20-goal, 45 or 50-point scorer could be in the rearview mirror. His performance through seven games as a Blue Jacket went a long way towards silencing those doubts, and he’ll now get the chance to strengthen his position entering negotiations on his next contract.
Replacing Marchment on IR is Mateychuk, who has been out since Jan. 11 with an upper-body injury. It was reported earlier this week that the hope for Mateychuk is that he’ll be able to return at some point in the latter portion of this week. The Blue Jackets made Mateychuk’s IR placement retroactive to Jan. 11, meaning he’s eligible to return to the team’s active roster whenever he’s healthy.
Columbus has a full 23-man roster at this moment, so a corresponding move is likely to be necessary whenever Mateychuk is able to return. Seeing as blueliner Dante Fabbro is set to miss at least a week with a lower-body injury, it’s likely that whenever Mateychuk is ready to return, Fabbro will replace him on IR to open up a roster spot.
Mateychuk, 21, is a key young defenseman for the Blue Jackets. He’s their No. 3 defenseman in terms of ice time this season, averaging 20:20 per game including 2:12 on the penalty kill. He’s also managed to score eight goals and 21 points in 44 games.
Blue Jackets To Activate Mason Marchment, Isac Lundestrom
The Columbus Blue Jackets will return a pair of forwards tomorrow. Relayed from reporter Dave Maetzold, head coach Rick Bowness indicated that forwards Mason Marchment and Isac Lundeström will be activated from the injured reserve before tomorrow’s game against the Dallas Stars.
Activating both forwards will require an additional roster move by the Blue Jackets. It’ll likely come in the form of placing another player on injured reserve, rather than reassigning one to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. Columbus has a few players dealing with ailments that haven’t been placed on the team’s injured reserve, including Dante Fabbro, Elvis Merzļikins, and Denton Mateychuk.
Marchment, acquired from the Seattle Kraken in December, will look to continue his hot streak with Columbus. The 30-year-old winger scored five goals and seven points in his first seven games with the Blue Jackets before succumbing to an upper-body injury at the beginning of the month. Tomorrow’s game against the Stars will be the third time he’s faced off against his former club after going scoreless in the two previous matchups.
Lundeström, 26, is in his first year with Columbus after signing a two-year contract with the club last summer. The former first-round pick has primarily served as a bottom-six center for the Blue Jackets this season, scoring one goal and five points in 35 games. He has missed the last month with a lower-body injury.
Meanwhile, outside of Miles Wood, it’ll be the first time that Bowness has had a relatively healthy forward core to work with since becoming the team’s head coach on January 12th. The team has improved since he took over, managing a 3-1-0 record. Still, Columbus has plenty of work to do to get back into the playoff conversation, currently sitting seven points back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.