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Columbus Blue Jackets Hire Brad Larsen As Head Coach

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The Columbus Blue Jackets conducted multiple interviews with both Gerard Gallant and Rick Tocchet as they looked for John Tortorella’s replacement as head coach, but in the end, the job went to someone they are much more familiar with. Brad Larsen, an assistant with the Blue Jackets since 2014-15, has officially been named head coach, receiving a three-year contract. GM Jarmo Kekalainen released a statement on the hire:

We underwent an exhaustive process in which we looked very closely at a number of outstanding candidates to be the next coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets and the one individual we kept coming back to throughout was Brad Larsen. Brad was one of the top young coaches in the American Hockey League when he joined our club as an assistant coach and over the past seven years has earned the respect of our players, staff and organization with his work ethic, hockey acumen and the way he treats people, and we couldn’t be more pleased to introduce him as our next head coach.

Even before he joined the Blue Jackets bench, Larsen was part of the Columbus organization. He served as an assistant and then head coach of the Springfield Falcons almost immediately after his playing career ended. His final season on the ice was as captain of the Portland Pirates, playing alongside current NHL talents like Tyler Ennis, Paul Byron, and even current Blue Jacket Nathan Gerbe. Before he ended up wearing a “C” in Portland though, Larsen played more than 300 total games in the NHL, even winning the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2001 (though he did not suit up in the playoffs that season).

It is interesting to note that one of the other assistants on Tortorella’s staff, Brad Shaw, has a much longer track record in the NHL but parted ways and took a similar role with the Vancouver Canucks instead of interviewing for the Columbus job.

The Blue Jackets are facing a difficult offseason after it has become clear that Seth Jones will not sign an extension with the team at this point. Kekalainen may have to consider trading the star defenseman this summer or risk losing him for nothing at the end of next season when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Patrik Laine, the team’s big acquisition this year, is also in need of a new contract as a restricted free agent. Max Domi, last summer’s big name, has just one year left before he reaches UFA status as well, and will miss several months following recent surgery. Both Elvis Merzlikins and Joonas Korpisalo will hit the open market in a year, and Zach Werenski also needs a new contract after 2021-22.

With all that in mind, combined with the fact that the Blue Jackets just finished last in the division, it very well could be a rebuild for the Blue Jackets. If that’s the case, Larsen–who made the best impression between his previous time with the team and his two interviews–will have a difficult task ahead of him to turn things around.

Aaron Portzline of The Athletic was the first to peg Larson as the frontrunner for the job earlier in the day.

Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Samuel Knazko

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have locked up one of their 2020 draft picks, signing Samuel Knazko to a three-year entry-level contract. The Slovakian defenseman spent last season in the Finnish junior league and is expected to play for Liiga’s TPS in 2021-22.

You may have noticed Knazko at the recent World Championship, where he suited up eight times for Slovakia but failed to record a point. The 18-year-old also captained his country’s World Junior team this year, his second time at the tournament despite his young age. Selected 78th overall (with the pick Columbus received in the Max Domi–Josh Anderson swap), Knazko is a born playmaker that has racked up assists at the junior level, including scoring 15 points in 23 games for the TPS U20 team this season.

Though he likely won’t be joining the Blue Jackets organization right away, there are high hopes for the 6’0″ defenseman. If he does end up with the Liiga side, he’ll be tested at the professional level against opponents sometimes more than a decade his senior. The World Championship was a taste of that and would have shown Knazko exactly what kind of talent awaits him in the NHL. Should he spend 2021-22 anywhere outside of the NHL, the first year of his entry-level deal will not be burned.

Poll: How Should The Seattle Kraken Approach The No. 2 Overall Pick?

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The Seattle Kraken will be much more than just an idea with one undrafted junior player on their roster by the time the 2021 NHL Entry Draft rolls around. The club will have added at least 30 players to their arsenal by way of the Expansion Draft several days earlier. Seattle is not expected to have the same advantage in making side deals like the Vegas Golden Knights did in 2017, as the other 30 teams have learned their lesson. However, one major advantage they will have compared to Vegas is in the Entry Draft. Picking No. 2 overall after moving up in the draft lottery, the Kraken will pick four spots higher than the Knights, who slid to No. 6 overall in their lottery. While Vegas’ first ever draft pick, Cody Glass, is still fighting for regular play time on the NHL roster four years later, Seattle has a chance to add a player who can contribute right away in their inaugural season – one way or another.

The results of the Expansion Draft are unlikely to change the Kraken’s draft plans. They will have several days between the submission of Expansion Draft protection lists and the draft itself and to map out their plan of attack and to talk trade with the rest of the league. Sure, they could find that there are some unexpected trade options that could allow them to add other picks and prospects ahead of the draft, but unlikely anything that will change their opinion on how best to use the No. 2 pick. Only the Buffalo Sabres at first overall could potentially throw Seattle a curveball. Otherwise, their plan should be set well ahead of July 23.

So what should Seattle do with the second overall pick? It is a critical pick that will undoubtedly impact the new franchise for years to come. What is the best approach?

Take The Best Available Player – Pretty straightforward, right? The Kraken should take the best player remaining on their board after Buffalo makes their selection. Regardless of the positional value or any perceived positional needs following the Expansion Draft, Seattle should simply take the prospect that they feel has the highest ceiling and most realistic pro ambitions. While there is no consensus top prospect in this draft, many feel that University of Michigan defenseman Owen Power is that top prospect. If the Kraken agree and Buffalo goes elsewhere at No. 1, they pull the trigger.

Take The Best Available Center – Center is the position that many point to as the most important in the NHL and feel that a true No. 1 center is the hardest player to find. At No. 2 overall and Power potentially going first to Buffalo, Seattle could conceivably have their pick of every forward in the draft class to find that future top center. That could very well be Power’s Wolverines teammate Matthew Beniers. Even if Beniers or another center isn’t the best player on their board, Seattle shouldn’t pass up on the opportunity to add an elite prospect down the middle.

Take The Best Available Defenseman – Some live by the team-building mantra of building from the net out. While goalie Jesper Wallstedt is an elite prospect, he isn’t going No. 2 overall. However, the Kraken could instead choose to bolster their blue line with an elite prospect. Even if Power is off the board and there are forwards ranked higher on their draft board, Seattle needs to target one of the small group of blue chip defenders in the draft class, such as Brandt Clarke or Luke Hughes.

Trade Back And Add Picks – Starting a pipeline from scratch is about quantity over quality, right? The No. 2 overall pick is nice, but if Seattle isn’t able to acquire any other top picks in Expansion Draft deals, they would be better off trading back and adding picks. The New Jersey Devils at No. 4 and Columbus Blue Jackets at No. 5, both with extra first-rounders, seem like enticing trade partners. All three of Clarke, Hughes, or Wallstedt could still be available at either of those picks.

Trade For Established Star – Seattle doesn’t want a slow build-up. They want to compete right away like Vegas, but they won’t be able to so easily dupe the rest of the league in the Expansion Draft. Perhaps they should use the No. 2 overall pick as part of a deal to pry a star from a rebuilding team. Jack Eichel? Dylan Larkin? Logan Couture? Patrik Laine or Seth Jones?

What do you think? Which direction should GM Ron Francis and company go with the franchise’s first pick and the second pick of the 2021 NHL Draft?

How Should The Seattle Kraken Approach The No. 2 Overall Pick?
Take Best Available Player 52.15% (898 votes)
Trade For Star 19.57% (337 votes)
Trade Back 17.65% (304 votes)
Take Best Available Center 7.26% (125 votes)
Take Best Available Defenseman 3.37% (58 votes)
Total Votes: 1,722

Minor Transactions: 06/04/21

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There are just eight teams left alive in the NHL postseason and by this time next week that number could be down to four. The off-season has arrived for most, with all other major hockey leagues long since wrapped up. While many will wait for the NHL off-season to officially begin before making a decision on their future, other are willing to make a decision right away. Here are some notable moves from the latter group:

  • As previously suggested, Joakim Nordstrom has indeed signed with the KHL’s CSKA Moscow. The club officially announced a one-year contract with the NHL veteran on Friday. While Nordstrom has never been a scoring threat in the NHL, his early commitment overseas is at least slightly suprising. The two-way forward clearly provides value, as evidenced by six straight seasons of starting at least two-thirds of his teams’ games across stops in Carolina, Boston, and Calgary. A solid checker and shot blocker, Nordstrom is a good defensive presence as a bottom-six forward, but does not provide much upside. Perhaps in Russia he will be able to do more offensively and play a more balanced game. He will be surrounded by plenty of talent with CSKA, a KHL juggernaut.
  • Another forward heading to Europe is Tanner MacMaster. The former Quinnipiac University standout has played well in the AHL over the past three years, including playing a top-six role with 30 points for a loaded Toronto Marlies team last season, but has not earned an entry-level contract. He will look to Sweden for a bigger role and more substantial contract after spending this season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. MODO of the Swedish second-tier Allsvenskan has announced a one-year deal with MacMaster, who they label as a top-six center for the club.
  • After a year off in 2020-21, former NHL enforcer Luke Gazdic has decided to make the change permanent. The veteran of 11 pro seasons has announced his retirement from the game. Gazdic will be remembered most for his three seasons as a fixture on the Edmonton Oilers’ checking line, though he developed into a leader in the AHL as well, spending his final two seasons with the San Diego Gulls.
  • Also calling it quits after a long pro career is longtime Cleveland Monsters goaltender Brad Thiessen. Thiessen, 35, has announced his retirement after twelve years at the pro level. Thiessen initially left Northeastern University early in 2009, signing with the Pittsburgh Penguins as a highly sought-after free agent. Thiessen played three seasons with the Penguins, including seeing action in five NHL games, and another with the Calgary Flames, but since 2015-16 has been with AHL Cleveland. Thiessen helped to develop Columbus Blue Jackets netminders Joonas Korpisalo and Matiss Kivlenieks while continually providing reliable play and even leading the club to a Calder Cup.

 

Max Domi Undergoes Shoulder Surgery

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The hits keep coming for the Columbus Blue Jackets. The team announced today that Max Domi underwent successful surgery to repair a labral tear of his right shoulder and has been given a recovery timeline of five to six months. The surgery was performed today in Colorado. Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen released a short statement:

Max had been experiencing some discomfort in his shoulder, which he brought to our attention last week and a subsequent examination revealed a labral tear. It was determined that surgery was the best course of action and we look forward to Max’s return early next season.

As Aaron Portzline of The Athletic points out, this is the same surgery that Blue Jackets forward Gustav Nyquist underwent in November, causing him to miss the entire season. Domi will miss at least the first month of the 2021-22 campaign.

Domi, 26, was supposed to be an answer for Columbus down the middle when they acquired him from the Montreal Canadiens, but it certaintly didn’t work out in his first year as a Blue Jacket. Things quickly deteriorated between Domi and head coach John Tortorealla, who obviously didn’t trust him in the middle of the ice or in the defensive zone. Only three forwards—Patrik Laine, Jack Roslovic and Cam Atkinson—started a lower percentage of their shifts in the defensive zone and Domi ended up taking fewer than 400 draws on the year, his lowest total since 2016-17.

Tortorella certainly wasn’t the first coach to question whether Domi could handle the defensive responsibility that the center ice positon brings, but it will continue to be an issue for whoever replaces him behind the Columbus bench. The team traded away Pierre-Luc Dubois early in the year and then moved Nick Foligno and Riley Nash at the deadline. While a return to Columbus for Foligno seems like a plausible outcome this summer, even he isn’t a true center. The team doesn’t have a ton of options down the middle, so when Domi does eventually return, he may get another chance to take that role for the team.

Of course, given Domi is set to hit unrestricted free agency after next season, he’ll be motivated to show potential suitors what he can do. He also is another trade candidate for that reason, though the injury complicates things. The Blue Jackets seemingly have several hard decisions to make this summer on who will be the core moving forward.

Buffalo Sabres Win 2021 NHL Draft Lottery

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For the final time for the foreseeable future, all non-playoff teams were eligible to win the first overall pick in the NHL Draft Lottery. Beginning in 2022, a team can only move up a maximum of ten spots, meaning the teams who finish No. 12 through No. 16 in the final league standings cannot move high enough to take over the top pick. The stage was set for a climactic send-off for the old format.

Well, the lottery balls decided not to take a crazy bounce in their last opportunity to move a team from the middle of the first round all the way to the top. Instead, the draft order stayed virtually the same. The Buffalo Sabres, who held the worst record in the NHL this season and thus the top odds in the lottery, retained the No. 1 pick. The expansion Seattle Kraken, awarded the same odds as the third-worst record in the league, moved up one spot, switching places with the Anaheim Ducks. New this year, there were only two lottery draws as opposed to the former three. Here is the official first-round draft order for the top 15 picks:

  1. Buffalo Sabres
  2. Seattle Kraken
  3. Anaheim Ducks
  4. New Jersey Devils
  5. Columbus Blue Jackets
  6. Detroit Red Wings
  7. San Jose Sharks
  8. Los Angeles Kings
  9. Vancouver Canucks
  10. Ottawa Senators
  11. Chicago Blackhawks
  12. Calgary Flames
  13. Philadelphia Flyers
  14. Dallas Stars
  15. New York Rangers

(As a reminder, the Arizona Coyotes forfeited their first-round pick this years as discipline for scouting violations)

This will be the second time in four years that the Buffalo Sabres will pick first overall after selecting Rasmus Dahlin at the top spot in 2018. It also means that two teams, the Sabres and New Jersey Devils, will have owned the first pick in four of the past five drafts. The two clubs are happy that the NHL’s new rule limiting teams to two lottery wins in a five-year span kicks in next year with a clean slate. Incredibly, the Sabres lottery win also further advances the mythology of Taylor Hall. Although Hall is now with the Boston Bruins, this is the fifth time in Hall’s career that his most recent team eligible for the draft lottery has won. A No. 1 overall pick himself, Hall has brought luck to the Edmonton Oilers, Devils, and now Sabres.

Perhaps bigger news than Buffalo at No. 1 is Seattle at No. 2, a major opportunity for the Kraken to draft a player who is ready to join the team in their inaugural season. The Vegas Golden Knights, with the same odds in the 2017 NHL Draft Lottery, fell to No. 6 overall and drafted Cody Glass, who has still yet to establish himself as a regular in the Vegas lineup. With the second pick, Seattle will have better odds of adding an instant difference-maker.

The 2021 NHL Draft is unique compared to recent years in that there is no consensus top prospect. In fact, it is difficult to remember a draft class in recent memory that is so undecided at the top. One major factor has been the lack of complete scouting due to canceled and shortened seasons and limited live viewings. However, even with complete information, there is still seemingly no prospect that stands heads above the rest. University of Michigan defenseman Owen Power and forward Matthew Beniers are largely considered the top players at each position and the two most likely candidates for the top pick, with Power having a slight lead according to draft pundits. However, current teammate Kent Johnson and Wolverines commit Luke Hughes, a forward and defenseman respectively, are also in the mix. Canadian junior standouts Mason McTavish, Dylan Guenther, and Brandt Clarke and European pros William Eklund and Simon Edvinsson may also be in play.

Columbus Likely To Trade Seth Jones Before Draft

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Late last night, it was reported that Columbus Blue Jackets star defenseman Seth Jones will not sign an extension with Columbus and plans to test the 2022 free-agent market. That’s a huge blow to a team that has lost a large chunk of their core players in the last few years. While general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has said in the past that the team intends to go into the season with Jones whether or not he signs a contract extension, that looks to have already changed.

The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required) writes that much has changed around the philosophy now that John Davidson has rejoined the organization as President of Hockey Operations. In fact, while Davidson did not confirm the rumors that Elliotte Friedman passed along Saturday Night on Hockey Night in Canada, he made it clear that if Jones does not sign an extension, they will not hold onto the blueliner like the team did when they held onto Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky when both indicated they intended to test free agency at the end of the year in 2019. Both players instead opted to leave the team at the end of the season.

“The No. 1 thing we’d like to do is keep Seth,” Davidson told The Athletic on Sunday. “He has every right in the world to leave if he wants to not extend the contract, but we’ll do what’s best for our team. We just want players who want to be here. This is a different scenario (than in 2019). We were in a position (then) where we thought we had a chance to make a pretty good run at (the Stanley Cup). Beating Tampa Bay (in the first round) was great. Losing to Boston in six … it was a good series, and they lost in seven in the Final.”

With Columbus in a much different position than when they were a solid playoff contender, the team likely has no choice but to consider getting as much as they can for Jones. Portzline said that sources have told him that the team will likely begin shopping the defenseman immediately with the hope of trading him before the draft this summer.

“Whatever happens is going to be what’s the absolute best for the Blue Jackets franchise, period,” Davidson said. “That’s just how it works. Doesn’t matter if it’s Seth Jones or Joe Smith, the player has the right through the (collective bargaining agreement) to do what they feel is necessary for them and their careers. We want players who want to be in Columbus, who want to be Blue Jackets, and we’re going to continue to create that culture.”

Latest On Seth Jones

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have been unable to retain their stars in recent years, with names like Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Matt Duchene all leaving in free agency. The next big name on that list is Seth Jones, who will enter the final season of his six-year, $32.4MM contract in 2021-22 with unrestricted free agency right around the corner. Though the Blue Jackets would obviously love to sign the Norris contender to a long-term contract to keep him in Columbus, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported on Hockey Night In Canada that the 26-year-old will not sign an extension with the team at this point.

We can tell you that sometime in the last week or so, Seth Jones informed the Columbus Blue Jackets that he will not be re-signing. I’m saying ’for now’ at this point because I don’t like to deal in absolutes. But it does appear as if he is prepared to test free agency and we’ll see how Columbus decides to handle this over the next little while.

If Jones has told the team he intends to go to the open market, it means the Blue Jackets will be forced to at least test the market to see what kind of return would be available with one year remaining on his deal. The team is coming off a brutal season that saw them fall to the very bottom of the Central Division standings at 18-26-12, parted ways with their head coach, and traded away their captain Nick Foligno.

Moving Jones would be a huge transaction, but it wouldn’t be the first time the star defender was traded. He arrived in Columbus in a blockbuster five years ago, swapped for up-and-coming center Ryan Johansen. Since then he has turned into one of the very best all-around defensemen in the league, able to contribute offensively while also matching the other team’s best on any given night.

Of course, the Blue Jackets could decide to( and have suggested in the past that they will) keep him and use the next 12 months to attempt to change his mind. Jones’ next contract will likely make him one of the highest-paid defenders in the entire league and as long as the Blue Jackets are willing to pay market value, any growth this summer and next season should be seen as positives.

The Jones situation in Columbus will be one of the most interesting to keep an eye on through the summer and up to the 2022 trade deadline.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Latest On Columbus Coaching Search

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are another team looking for a new head coach after agreeing to part ways with John Tortorella when his contract expired this season. Recently reports emerged that former Arizona Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet would interview with the Blue Jackets, but he’s not the only one. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that Gerard Gallant has already had his interview, while David Quinn and Brad Larsen have also interviewed or have one scheduled. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen also told the Hockey Wanderlust podcast that he would consider Finnish national coach Jukka Jalonen.

Jalonen has never worked in the NHL, but certainly has a resume to consider. The 58-year-old has won the Liiga championship in Finland, secured Olympic, World Championship, and World Junior medals, and has been a successful head coach in the KHL as well. There have only ever been two European-born and trained head coaches in the NHL, which perhaps makes the likelihood of Jalonen taking the job in Columbus low, but he’s an interesting name nonetheless. An interview for Jalonen has not been confirmed.

Of course, there are plenty of experienced NHL coaches on the list Portzline reports. Gallant and Tocchet, in particular, seem to be targets of several organizations, but Larsen also has the advantage of being part of the organization already. The 43-year-old has been an assistant with Columbus since the 2014-15 season and has experience as a head coach in the minor leagues.

After a brutal season that saw the Blue Jackets drop to last place in the Central Division, whoever takes over will have his hands full. Columbus has some strong building blocks but needs a lot of refinement on the fringes of the roster in order to really compete for the Stanley Cup.

Offseason Checklist: Columbus Blue Jackets

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The offseason has arrived with roughly half of the league finished up after missing the playoffs.  It’s time to examine what those teams need to accomplish over the coming months.  Next up is a look at Columbus.

After eliminating Toronto in the Qualifying Round last season, there was supposed to be a bit of momentum for the Blue Jackets heading into 2020-21.  However, that was quickly derailed by a trade request from Pierre-Luc Dubois and Gustav Nyqvist being ruled out for the season before it even began.  Things basically only went downhill from there and instead of being in the mix for a playoff spot, they will be picking much higher in the draft than they wanted to.  Now two years removed from their all-in push, GM Jarmo Kekalainen and the recently re-hired John Davidson have a lot of work to do this offseason to retain and supplement their new core.

Find A New Coach

Let’s get the easy one out of the way.  Columbus has a vacancy behind the bench following the recent parting of ways between them and John Tortorella whose contract was not renewed.  (On top of that, Brad Shaw, one of their assistant coaches, won’t be back either.)

As coaching cycles tend to alternate between tougher coaches and ones viewed as more of ‘players’ coaches’, it would seem that Kekalainen would be seeking someone in the latter category.  The GM has already expressed an openness to hiring a first-time NHL head coach or someone who has held that title before so they’ll be casting a wide net.

One element Kekalainen will likely try to focus on is finding a coach who is going to play a more up-tempo system.  Columbus struggled mightily in the offensive zone this season and while part of that is simply a lack of offensive firepower, some of the better forwards they had are coming off of tough seasons.  Finding someone who can get more out of those players would certainly help their cause.

Extensions For Defensemen

While Columbus has seen their forward core get progressively weaker the past couple of years, that hasn’t been the case on the back end as their two stalwarts – Seth Jones and Zach Werenski – remain with the team.  Both of them are signed for next season already but that’s it.  As a result, they’ll be eligible to sign contract extensions once the 2021-22 calendar officially begins in July and Kekalainen will undoubtedly be looking to get new deals done with both of them.

Jones needs to be the priority of the two given his expiration status as he will be eligible for unrestricted free agency at the end of next season.  His offensive numbers have dipped the last couple of years but he still managed to put up five goals and 23 assists in 56 games while averaging more than 25 minutes a night for the third straight year.  He’s a legitimate top-pairing defenseman and will be in line for a significant raise on his current $5.4MM AAV.  At 26, he’s in the prime of his career and should be able to command a max-term contract of eight years.  He won’t come close to the highest-paid blueliners in the league but something in the $8MM range would appear to be doable.

As for Werenski, he will be a restricted free agent with another year of team control but that will already carry a premium price as his qualifying offer jumps to $7MM despite a $5MM AAV.  It’s not that the price tag is daunting at that level but if you’re Werenski, it wouldn’t be worth accepting less than that on an extension knowing that much is already locked in for 2022-23.  He is the better offensive player than Jones but isn’t as good in his own end and doesn’t play quite as much.  However, he’s also in the prime of his career and is a viable top pairing player so he should be able to command a similar price tag as Jones.

While deals in that range would represent a substantial increase in cost, it’s one that they’d be wise to pay.  That’s a strong defensive core to build around and they don’t even have $21MM in salary commitments for 2022-23; they have one of the cleanest cap situations in the league for that year.  They can afford to do it.

New Deal For Laine

The trade of Dubois to Winnipeg brought back two forwards.  One wound up finishing tied for second in team scoring while the other struggled offensively.  Patrik Laine was supposed to become the go-to scorer for the Blue Jackets but instead, it was Jack Roslovic who thrived while Laine struggled considerably.  He had just 10 goals in 45 games with his new team and while those numbers are certainly lower due to the pandemic-shortened season, it’s still worth noting that it was only an 18-goal pace over a full 82-game campaign.  For someone that had at least 30 in each of his first three NHL seasons and played at a similar pace when COVID-19 put an early end to the 2019-20 campaign, that’s a substantial drop.

From Laine’s perspective, it was also an untimely one as the 23-year-old will be a restricted free agent this summer.  This was supposed to be the year that helped him earn a long-term, lucrative contract.  But after a year like this, there will definitely be questions about how much a deal that buys out several UFA years should cost.

At a minimum, we can comfortably say it will cost at least $7.5MM.  With his bridge deal being backloaded, that’s the minimum required qualifying offer and while Laine didn’t have a season worthy of that level of production, there’s no way they’re non-tendering him.  Has he done enough to earn more than that though?  Is he willing to sign a long-term deal for that amount, even in this flat-cap market?  Is he willing to sign a long-term deal in Columbus?  (His comments at the end of the season seemed to suggest he would.)  Is Kekalainen willing to do that type of contract or would he prefer a one-year pact to see how he fits in with a new coach and a new system?

There are undoubtedly plenty of questions, certainly more than either side would have hoped for when the trade was made.  With Laine having arbitration eligibility this summer, they will have to be answered somewhere around the middle of August at the latest.

Add Impact Center

If this sounds like a familiar headline when it comes to Columbus, it’s because it is.  Unfortunately for the Blue Jackets, it’s an even bigger issue now.

Kekalainen tried to address the issue last summer when he brought in Max Domi from Montreal.  While he was coming off of a down season, he was only a year removed from a 72-point season so there was optimism that he’d be able to bounce back.  A one-two punch of Dubois and Domi wouldn’t challenge for the best in the league but there seemed to be some legitimate offensive upside there.  Except that didn’t happen.  Dubois wanted out and was eventually obliged while Domi struggled even more than a year ago, putting up the lowest per-game numbers of his career while collecting just 24 points in 54 games.  To make matters worse, he spent time on the wing as well.

Now, their one-two punch is Roslovic, a player who had mostly been a winger in the NHL before getting to Columbus and Domi.  Boone Jenner is a capable third liner while Alexandre Texier has top-six upside but hasn’t put it all together.  There’s a case to be made here that they could use two impact centers but in a free agent market where there aren’t many available, that would be tough to do.  It may have to come from a trade but another notable addition down the middle is certainly required.

Pick A Goalie

The good news is that the Blue Jackets have a good goalie tandem in Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins.  It’s a homegrown duo and they combine for a $6.8MM cap hit which is the league median.  They don’t even have to worry about losing one to Seattle in expansion as Merzlikins is exempt having just come off his second NHL season.

The bad news is that both goalies are set to become unrestricted free agents next summer.  Speculatively, it stands to reason that neither of them will be content with being in a platoon beyond that as both have aspirations of being a starting goalie.  Both of them have shown flashes of that already.  At some point over the next year or so, they need to pick who they want to keep.

Having said that, the in-season trade market for rental goalies has been minimal for years now.  That probably isn’t going to change next year.  Accordingly, Kekalainen’s best chance at extracting reasonable value for one of them on the trade front would be over the next couple of months before money starts to be spent in free agency.  To that end, in his end-of-season media availability with reporters including Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets’ team site, Merzlikins indicated that he’s expecting an uncertain summer with it seeming unlikely that both goalies will be content with the current situation.

As a result, that pick of who is going to be their goalie of the future may have to come sooner than later and could be dependent simply on if one is willing to sign now versus preferring to wait things out.  It’s certainly shaping up to be a very busy offseason for Columbus.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Cap information courtesy of CapFriendly.

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