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Blue Jackets Sign Mikko Koivu

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2:25PM: The Blue Jackets have made the deal official, announcing a one-year deal at the previously-reported $1.5MM price tag.  GM Jarmo Kekalainen released the following statement:

Mikko Koivu has been a very consistent, productive two-way player in the National Hockey League for many years. He is a great leader, has impeccable character and will be a valuable addition to our young team. We are very excited that he has chosen to continue his career as a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

1:16 PM: Columbus has changed up their center depth this offseason already with the acquisition of Max Domi from Montreal and the signing of Mikhail Grigorenko.  Their changes down the middle may not be done yet, however, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the Blue Jackets are in discussions with UFA center Mikko Koivu.  John Matisz of The Score adds (via Twitter) that a one-year, $1.5MM deal is expected.

The 37-year-old is on the lookout for a new team after Minnesota informed their now-former captain that they wouldn’t be retaining him after Koivu spent the last 15 years with the Wild.  He’s coming off of a quiet season offensively with just four goals and 17 assists in 55 games; his 21 points matched his previous career-low set back in his rookie season in 2005-06.  But the Blue Jackets (or any suitor) wouldn’t be looking for offense from Koivu at this stage of his career.  Instead, he’d be deployed in more of a defense-first role while he’s still above average at the faceoff dot.

If Koivu does sign with Columbus, it could allow them to shift Boone Jenner back to the wing which is a position he’s quite familiar with having spent several seasons on the left side in the past.  That would then presumably allow Koivu to slide into a third-line role which is a better fit for him.  Of course, that’s why he had to take a sizable cut in pay from the $5MM salary he received last season for a deal to make sense for the Blue Jackets.

Columbus has a little more than $14MM in cap space to work with after clearing out Ryan Murray and Markus Nutivaara just before free agency.  However, most of that money will be earmarked for top center Pierre-Luc Dubois and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov but that leaves enough for them to get a deal done with Koivu without really affecting their plans to re-sign their youngsters.

Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Gavin Bayreuther

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed a defenseman, just not the one that some are hoping for. Gavin Bayreuther has inked a one-year two-way contract with the team, coming over from the Dallas Stars organization after qualifying as a Group VI unrestricted free agent.

Bayreuther, 26, was a free agent signing by the Stars in 2017 and ever since he has been a strong performer at the minor league level. The AHL defenseman scored 29 points in 59 games this season and will be a great addition to the Cleveland Monsters if that’s where he ends up.

Dallas did give him an opportunity in the 2018-19 season to play 19 games at the NHL level, and actually held his own. Perhaps he’ll get a chance this season in Columbus as well, given their recent departures. Over the last few days the team has traded Ryan Murray and Markus Nutivaara, two full-time members of the NHL blue line.

Florida Panthers Sign Alexander Wennberg

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New Florida Panthers GM Bill Zito continues to collect players from his previous team, the Columbus Blue Jackets. After trading for Markus Nutivaara yesterday, the Panthers have now signed Alexander Wennberg, who was bought out by the Blue Jackets. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that it is a one-year deal worth $2.25MM.

Wennberg, 26, is signing a “show me” deal in an effort to rehabilitate his value on a one-year deal in hopes of cashing in next off-season. Wennberg never lived up to the six-year, $29.4MM deal he signed in Columbus following a breakout 59-point season in 2016-17. He has recorded declining point totals in each of the past three seasons and looked more like a 20-30 point player rather than a 60+ point player. With the Blue Jackets looking to make major improvement to their roster, they opted to buyout the remaining three years of Wennberg’s contract rather than continuing to pay him to under-produce.

No one outside of Columbus knows Wennberg’s true potential better than Zito, who appears happy to give the young forward a second chance. Florida could lose free agents Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov and will need to find offense elsewhere. A change of scenery and an increased role could be all it takes to get Wennberg to display his star power once again.

The Panthers have also signed minor league forward Ryan Lomberg to a two-year, two-way deal. The salary terms have not yet been disclosed.

Blue Jackets Trying To Move Final Year Of Brandon Dubinsky's Deal

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  • After clearing out Alexander Wennberg, Ryan Murray, and Markus Nutivaara yesterday, the Blue Jackets may not be done moving players yet as Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that Columbus is also trying to move Brandon Dubinsky’s contract. The center isn’t expected to play again due to wrist issues but they’re hoping a team that’s set to go into LTIR anyway could be interested in adding the contract to stack their LTIR space, similar to what Toronto did last season by acquiring David Clarkson.  Dubinsky has one year left on his deal with a $5.85MM AAV.

New Jersey Devils Acquire Ryan Murray

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The Columbus Blue Jackets continue to shed salary from their defense corps. After trading Markus Nutivaara earlier today, the team has now traded away former top prospect Ryan Murray. The Blue Jackets have announced that Murray has been dealt to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a 2021 fifth-round pick.

Murray, 27, is a productive two-way defenseman… when healthy. The 2012 No. 2 overall pick has not been able to live up to expectations due to his inability to stay on the ice. Murray played in just 27 games for Columbus this season and has played in just 187 of a possible 316 games over the past four years combined.

Murray’s career per-game scoring rate projects 30+ point upside over a full season, even if he’s never hit that mark. However, his $4.6MM AAV implies an expectation that he will reach that point total every year. New Jersey has now taken on the financial risk for the final year of Murray’s final deal in hopes that he finally lives up to the deal. If he does, the Devils will have landed the talented blue liner at a rock bottom price.

The Blue Jackets did not trade Murray because he has fallen short of expectations though. By moving Murray and Nutivaara, as well as buying out Alexander Wennberg and knowing that they have a Brandon Dubinsky LTIR placement in their back pocket, Columbus now has roughly $20MM in salary cap space. They suddenly look like one of the top players on the free agent market and with a defense group that is still solid despite shipping out two starters and a great duo in net, the Blue Jackets can devote those funds to making major additions up front. A team whose 2019-20 season was defined by the elite talent they lost to free agency could begin next year with the opposite label, with names like Taylor Hall, Mike Hoffman, or Tyler Toffoli possibly joining the roster.

Matiss Kivlenieks Re-Signs With Columbus Blue Jackets

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have re-signed some of their goaltending depth, reaching a two-year deal with Matiss Kivlenieks. The contract is two-way and gives the Blue Jackets a goaltender to leave exposed for the upcoming Seattle expansion draft.

In that case, the Blue Jackets are in a perfect situation even if they keep both their NHL goalies. Joonas Korpisalo is eligible for the expansion draft but Elvis Merzlikins isn’t, meaning they don’t have to make the decision on which one to keep this offseason if they don’t want. Both Korpisalo and Merzlikins have been in trade rumors over the last few weeks because of players like Kivlenieks, who is an interesting prospect in his own right.

Now 24, the undrafted Latvian netminder has been in the Columbus system for three years now. He has been inconsistent in the minor leagues but did at least hold his own in six NHL games this season. No, that .898 save percentage is not what you’re hoping for at the highest level, but in terms of a depth option that could be number four on the chart, it’s certainly no disaster.

The Blue Jackets also have Veini Vehvilainen and Daniil Tarasov under contract, meaning even if they do trade one of their NHL netminders the system still has enough talent to stand up. Kivlenieks will likely go back to the minor leagues when things get started, but now that he’s signed it seems probable that he’ll be loaned overseas like Vehvilainen and Tarasov.

Florida Panthers Acquire Markus Nutivaara

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Bill Zito has grabbed one of his old players, making a trade with his former boss. The Florida Panthers have acquired Markus Nutivaara from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Cliff Pu. No other pieces are included in the deal.

In their second cap-clearing measure since acquiring and signing Max Domi, the Blue Jackets will walk away from the $2.7MM charge that Nutivaara carries over the next two seasons in what is essentially a salary dump. While Pu was once considered a top prospect, he is now 22 and played in just 14 games last season, splitting time between the AHL and ECHL. In fact, it was the second season in a row that Pu spent time in the ECHL, despite his selection in the third round back in 2016. While his career isn’t over, he’ll have to make substantial strides in the final year of his entry-level contract to even warrant a qualifying offer next offseason.

No, this is more about clearing room for the Blue Jackets, who lose a perfectly capable player in Nutivaara in order to shore up their financial situation. The 26-year-old defenseman has played in 244 games over the last four years for the Blue Jackets, recording 60 points and averaging just under 16 minutes a night. While he won’t be stepping into Florida’s top pair, Nutivaara will certainly play games for them next season. Zito knows exactly what he has here from his time with the Blue Jackets, and obviously knew he could get him for cheap as Columbus reshapes their roster.

In Florida, it certainly feels like even more changes are coming on defense after a dreadful season in their own end. Mike Matheson and Joshua Brown have already been shipped out of town in other trades, but there is still work to be done if things are to look drastically different when the 2020-21 season begins. Keith Yandle and Anton Stralman are now both 34 and on expensive deals, while the team only actually has five four defensemen on one-way contracts. With plenty of cap space to work with, Zito will be able to put his stamp on this team quickly.

Columbus Blue Jackets To Buy Out Alexander Wennberg

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After getting their new second-line center locked up yesterday, the Columbus Blue Jackets will be clearing some room today. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic and Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch are both reporting that the Blue Jackets will place Alexander Wennberg on waivers today for the purpose of a contract buyout. This is the final day a team can use the buyout system in the current window. Because Wennberg has three years remaining on his current contract, meaning the Blue Jackets will incur cap charges for the next six seasons. However, given his age, the Blue Jackets will only be responsible for paying 1/3 of the remaining salary, drastically reducing their cap charges moving forward. Those charges will be:

  • 2020-21 $441,667
  • 2021-22: $441,667
  • 2022-23: $441,667
  • 2023-24: $891,667
  • 2024-25: $891,667
  • 2025-26: $891,667

Saving nearly $4.5MM of cap space over the next three seasons is obviously worth more to the Blue Jackets than Wennberg, who after an outstanding 2016-17 season has been disappointing in each of the last three. A capable defensive center, he has always struggled to score at the NHL level and even his above-average playmaking ability has waned. With just 15 goals and 82 points over his last 198 games, Wennberg’s $4.9MM price tag was simply too high for the Blue Jackets to keep and since he turned 26 last month, this was the last chance they had to buy out his contract at the 1/3rd rate.

Still, this hardly means that Wennberg’s time in the NHL is over. While some buyout candidates are nearing the end of their professional careers, the 26-year-old center will immediately become a sought after asset on the free agent market instead. Again, even though his offensive production has been underwhelming, Wennberg is still a strong two-way option when played in the right circumstances. He saw his best production when used as a catalyst on the Columbus powerplay and regularly posts strong possession numbers regardless of linemates. Though his faceoff statistics are not strong, he does provide solid play at the center position and has penalty killing experience.

The Blue Jackets acquired Max Domi to slot in behind Pierre-Luc Dubois as a much stronger offensive weapon, and still have several other options for the bottom-six center positions. Boone Jenner and Riley Nash are both still under contract at lower prices than Wennberg, while newcomer Mikhail Grigorenko could potentially give a different look after several successful years in the KHL.

Max Domi Signs With Columbus Blue Jackets

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have already reached an agreement with their newest acquisition, signing Max Domi to a two-year contract worth a total of $10.6MM. The contract comes almost immediately after Domi arrived in a trade that cost the Blue Jackets Josh Anderson. The 25-year-old forward will earn $4.6MM in 2020-21 and $6.0MM in 2021-22.

It’s important to note here that a two-year deal takes Domi directly to unrestricted free agency, getting him there as quickly as possible. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll leave the Blue Jackets in the summer of 2022, but it does give him a chance to hit the open market at an early age and really cash in.

Not only that, but a $5.3MM cap hit also puts pressure on Domi to really fill that second-line center role for the Blue Jackets the next two seasons. The team has reportedly considered buying out Alexander Wennberg before the deadline and needs someone to step up and take control of that second group behind Pierre-Luc Dubois.

Until they do buy out Wennberg or trade one of their young goaltenders, the Blue Jackets don’t have a ton of room left after the Domi extension. Vladislav Gavrikov and several other RFAs still need new contracts, but the team does have plenty of depth on the back-end to deal from. Brandon Dubinsky’s contract will also be placed on long-term injured reserve as he deals with a chronic wrist issue that has likely ended his career.

Columbus, Montreal Swap Josh Anderson, Max Domi

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The Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens have found some common ground, swapping restricted free agent forwards Josh Anderson and Max Domi. The Blue Jackets will also receive a 2020 third-round selection in the trade. Both players are represented by agent Darren Ferris and will need new contracts for 2020-21.

Both Anderson and Domi have had huge success in the past for their respective teams, but needed a change of scenery after some recent struggles.

In Anderson’s case, the relationship with the Blue Jackets has been strained for some time, going back to a contract negotiation in 2017 that saw him miss all of training camp. That was followed by two successful seasons, but the 26-year-old forward managed to score just a single goal in 26 games in 2019-20 while struggling with injury.

The Canadiens are obviously betting that Anderson can rebound and get back to the player who scored 27 goals in 2018-19 and looked like one of the best power forwards in the entire league. A fourth-round pick in 2012, Anderson brings size (6’3″ 220-lbs) and goal scoring to a Montreal team that lacked both this season. He’s also coming off a contract that carried a cap hit of just $1.85MM and requires just a $2.1MM qualifying offer (though is arbitration-eligible).

For Domi, this trade comes just a year after he scored 72 points for the Canadiens, the franchise’s third-highest total in the cap era. That incredible year was followed by a frustrating, 44-point season in 2019-20 however, which saw Domi dropped to the fourth line at times and just never seem to find his true footing in the Montreal lineup.

He also, quite importantly, is coming off a contract that carried a $3.15MM cap hit and will require a $2.9MM qualifying offer. Domi is expected to be looking for a substantial raise on that number, something that the Canadiens may not have felt comfortable with as they start to transition to other young centers.

Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi are the future in Montreal, meaning Domi either would have had to play in the bottom-six or move to the wing. That isn’t the case in Columbus, where he can slide in as the team’s second-line center behind Pierre-Luc Dubois.

Perhaps the most interesting part in the deal is the draft pick, which seems like an asset that the Canadiens shouldn’t have had to include in a swap of these two players. Montreal certainly had plenty of capital to spend given they still have ten picks in tonight’s draft, but it is striking to see Anderson actually hold more value than Domi even after losing basically his entire season to injury.

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