Free Agent Focus: Columbus Blue Jackets
With free agency now just a couple weeks away, teams are looking ahead to when it opens up. There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. While the Columbus Blue Jackets have no UFA’s of note, they still have their work cut out for them with a laundry list of RFA’s, including several core players.
Key Restricted Free Agents
F Pierre-Luc Dubois – Getting Dubois, 22, locked up long-term is the core objective of the Blue Jackets’ off-season. Over the three seasons of his entry-level contract, Dubois totaled 158 points in 234 games, including a 61-point campaign in 2018-19 and a 57-point pace this season. He also wrapped up his contract on a high note, recording ten points in ten playoff games this year. For a team that is lacking in center depth and elite scoring talent, Dubois is critical to the short-term and long-term success of the Blue Jackets.
The problem is balancing Dubois’ long-term potential and dollar value with the team’s limited cap space for next season With no unrestricted free agents departing the lineup, the Blue Jackets have limited funds to work with against the flat cap. Yet, they also don’t want to settle for a more affordable short-term contract and risk Dubois continuing to improve and increasing his price on a new contract. Negotiations are already underway and the goal stated by both sides is to stick with a lengthy term and to get the deal done before free agency opens to provide the club with some cap clarity.
If a long-term extension can be reached, don’t be surprised to see an AAV of upwards of $8MM or more. If the two sides instead opt for a short-term deal given the fiscal constraints of the current NHL economy, Dubois is still likely set to make $6.5MM or more against the cap on his next deal.
F Josh Anderson – It’s difficult to know where the status quo lies between the Blue Jackets and Anderson. The last time that these two sides sat down to negotiate a contract, it was a contentious affair that ended in a late-summer, below-market contract that left Anderson unhappy and fueled trade rumors. Those flames were stoked by a 27-goal, 47-point season for Andersson in 2018-19 in which the young power forward greatly outplayed his contract. Yet, the tables turned again this season, as Anderson missed much of the year due to injury and was unproductive even when active. The season tanked Anderson’s trade value and at least some of his bargaining power and left his future with Columbus up in the air.
The latest twist in this saga was Anderson’s recent proclamation that he hopes to sign long-term in Columbus. This runs counter to his previous sentiment, but could end up working in the Blue Jackets’ favor. Given their cap crunch this off-season, the team could benefit from deflating the AAV on an Andersson extension by extending the term. Anderson could also return to form and again be a bargain for the club. The risk of course is that his injury troubles persist or he is unable to rediscover his scoring touch. Given the uncertainty of this off-season and Andersson’s health and performance, this seems like a case that is more likely to be settled in salary arbitration than with a long-term deal. While a one-year arbitrator’s decision might risk Andersson leaving as an unrestricted free agent next summer, the Blue Jackets would likely be happy to get an affordable deal done for Anderson and to have another year to consider whether they want to re-sign or trade the big winger.
D Vladislav Gavrikov – Since joining Columbus in the 2019 playoffs, Gavrikov has done nothing but prove that he is a solid two-way defenseman. While his lack of NHL experience makes it difficult to project his long-term value, Gavrikov has at least earned a raise and some security in his next contract. It’s unclear what the expectations are for Gavrikov’s new deal, but the Blue Jackets have all of the leverage. Due to his limited experience, Gavrikov falls under Section 10.2(c) of the CBA as a restricted free agent who is not eligible to sign an offer sheet. Barring a trade, Columbus is the only NHL team that Gavrikov can play for and they can more or less dictate the terms of the next contract. With that said, Gavrikov has proven to be a reliable top-four defenseman and the Blue Jackets are not going to play games. Expect the team to work out a short-term deal with Gavrikov and potentially trade one of their other seven one-way defensemen to cement his role as a core piece on the blue line.
Other RFAs: F Paul Bittner, F Marko Dano, F Maxime Fortier, F Jakob Lilja, F Ryan MacInnis, F Justin Scott, F Devin Shore, F Kole Sherwood, F Calvin Thurkauf, D Gabriel Carlsson, D Ryan Collins, D Michael Prapavessis, G Matiss Kivlenieks
UFAs: D Dillon Simpson, D Doyle Somerby
Projected Cap Space
CapFriendly lists the Blue Jackets as having 22 of 23 roster spots already filled for next season, including 19 one-way contracts. As a result, it should not be a surprise that their cap space is limited, with CapFriendly projecting just over $7MM to spare. The concern though is that Dubois and Gavrikov – at the very least – will be on the roster and should combine for well over $7MM. And that is not even including any free agent or trade additions for a team that has vowed to be active on the forward market. Fortunately, the team will get a bit of a break in the form of Brandon Dubinsky, who is not healthy enough to play again. Dubinsky’s $5.85MM cap hit will be wiped out, bringing Columbus’ true cap space total to around $13MM. While most of that will still be taken up by RFA signings, it will give the club some more flexibility to change up the roster if they so desire.
Draft Notes: Perfetti, Sanderson, Rossi
Several of the top-rated prospects for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, coming up on October 6-7, spoke to the media today and there was no shortage of interesting quotes, courtesy of OHL insider Mark Scheig. Saginaw forward Cole Perfetti was certainly confident and didn’t mince his words when discussing his ideal NHL landing spot. “If I was under a head coach where I had to dump the puck in every time I go out over the red line and get on the forecheck, it would be frustrating and I wouldn’t be able to express how I really am as a player,” Perfetti stated. While many NHL teams have abandoned the dump-and-chase offense, it might not have been the best idea for the young forward to state so emphatically that he could have issues in a system different from the one he is used to. NHL GM’s probably would have preferred to hear him say that he is willing to work at fitting in to any offensive structure and that his ability can adapt to new systems. Although Perfetti’s talent will be the final determinant of his draft slot, he may have rubbed some interested executives the wrong way with his bold statement. We will find out for sure come draft day if the potential top-five pick falls down the draft board.
- Defenseman Jake Sanderson has flown up draft boards since the start of this season to the point that he is now considered a consensus top-10 or at least top-15 pick. That of course means that the U.S. National Team Development Program product has slipped past the realm of possibility for the Columbus Blue Jackets at No. 21 overall. Jake’s father, Geoff Sanderson, was an inaugural member of the Blue Jackets and played four seasons with the team, during which time Jake was born. Sanderson told the media today that he has indeed met with Columbus and there is a lot of familiarity still with the organization and the city. To make this pairing a reality, the Blue Jackets would absolutely need to trade up in the first round. However, they will likely wait until the draft has begun to see if such a move is even worth it. Sanderson revealed that he has also met with the New Jersey Devils twice and the cost for Columbus to move ahead of them at No. 7 is likely too high. If he does slip by the Devils, the race could be on for Columbus to move up the draft board.
- Have the Detroit Red Wings tipped their hand as to their selection at No. 4 overall? With Alexis Lafreniere locked in as the No. 1 pick to the New York Rangers and Quinton Byfield and Tim Stutzle going in some order at No. 2 and No. 3, the first real draft order question comes with Detroit’s pick. However, it seems like the mystery may have already been solved. Amidst existing rumors that the Red Wings had keyed in on OHL forward Marco Rossi as their selection, the Red Wings loaned one of their top prospects, Michael Rasmussen, to the Graz 99ers, the same team that Rossi is currently training with. Then today, Rossi reported that he has talked with the Red Wings not once or twice but three times. And while other prospects have noted that Detroit GM Steve Yzerman has merely been listening in on video calls with his computer screen off, Rossi stated that he has had several “good” chats directly with Yzerman. This is far from an absolute confirmation that the Red Wings will go Rossi at fourth overall, there is certainly enough evidence to make a strong case.
Trade Rumors: Laine, Dumba, Rust
While it is Frank Seravalli who produces TSN’s Trade Bait board, colleagues Darren Dreger and Pierre LeBrun backed up the trade statuses of a pair of players at the top of his board on this evening’s edition of Insider Trading. While he may be only 22 years old with four 50+ point seasons under his belt, don’t dismiss the rumors surrounding Winnipeg Jets forward Patrik Laine as wild speculation, warns Dreger. He states that the Jets are “serious” and absolutely listening on the young scorer. In fact, the Laine noise has not been louder merely because the interest has been limited so far, either due to the asking price or other teams not truly believing that Laine is for sale. LeBrun notes that the Columbus Blue Jackets are one team that is definitely interested in Laine. The team sorely needs high-end talent up front as may have the top-four defenseman and young center that Winnipeg desires. Another team that also kicked the tires on Laine was the Carolina Hurricanes, but LeBrun believes that they balked at the asking price for the Finnish sniper and talks fell off after that. One team that hasn’t checked in on Laine yet? The Montreal Canadiens. While LeBrun acknowledges that the Canadiens could desperately use a player of Laine’s ability, they thus far have been hesitant to enter negotiations.
- The trade availability of Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba, No. 2 on the trade bait board, has been far more concrete, as teams and the media alike can look ahead to the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft and see the conundrum coming down the line for the Wild. Yet, Dreger states that Dumba is on the block, but Minnesota is not in a rush to move him. He believes that the Wild will hold on to Dumba, perhaps even through the season, until the asking price is met. Right now, that price is believed to be a legitimate top-six center, which Dreger feels might be asking too much. The other option could be a high first-round pick and a young roster forward, which is a more likely return. The team will hold out for one of those two returns, as there is no urgency to move on from Dumba at a lower price.
- One name that rival GM’s are asking about who isn’t necessarily on the block is Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust. Rust is coming off of a career year, but it seems like no one on the Penguins roster is safe, leading other teams to ask the question. GM Jim Rutherford tells The Athletic’s Rob Rossi and Josh Yohe that he will listen to any offer, but isn’t keen to trade Rust. However, another sources tells The Athletic that Rutherford would part with Rust for an NHL-ready prospect and another top prospect. That might be a heavy price to pay, but don’t rule out the possibility in an unpredictable off-season.
Contract Talks Have Started With Pierre-Luc Dubois
The Blue Jackets have started contract talks with soon-to-be restricted free agent center Pierre-Luc Dubois, reports Michael Arace of the Columbus Dispatch. GM Jarmo Kekalainen indicated a desire to get this done relatively quickly, stating that “The sooner we get these things done, the better opportunity we have to make the team better”. Columbus has nearly $74.5MM in commitments for next season already although that includes LTIR-bound Brandon Dubinsky which would allow them to spend up to $5.85MM over the Upper Limit. Still, that doesn’t leave much room to re-sign Dubois who they would like to sign to a long-term deal and their other RFAs while having space left over to try to add pieces. That’s why getting something done with the 22-year-old would be ideal for Kekalainen who would have a much better idea of his financial picture heading into free agency next month.
NHL Announces First And Second All-Star Teams, All-Rookie Team
Following the announcements of the final five NHL regular season awards, the league also revealed their three all-league rosters: the First-Team All-Stars, the Second-Team All-Stars, and the All-Rookie Team. Below are the 2019-20 honorees:
First All-Star Team (link)
G: Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
D: Roman Josi, Nashville Predators
D: John Carlson, Washington Capitals
LW: Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers
C: Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
RW: David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins
The 2020 First-Team All-Stars are a historic group, the first time since the inaugural all-league honors in 1930-31 that all six honorees are first-time members of the team. Unsurprisingly, this team also covers most of the league’s major awards with Draisaitl taking home the Hart, Ted Lindsay, and Art Ross, Josi winning the Norris, Hellebuyck winning the Vezina, and Pastrnak earning the Rocket Richard.
Second All-Star Team (link)
G: Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins
D: Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues
D: Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
LW: Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins
C: Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
RW: Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
The President’s Trophy-winning Boston Bruins finish with a league-best three players on All-Star rosters. Their division rival, and current Stanley Cup finalist, the Tampa Bay Lightning are the only other team with more than one inclusion on the all-star rosters. Noticeably absent from either all-star teams are future Hall of Famers Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals. This is just the third time since 2005-06 that at least one of the pair have not been on a postseason All-Star team, while they have both have been selected in the same year eight times in the past 15 years.
All-Rookie Team (link)
G: Elvis Merzlikins, Columbus Blue Jackets
D: Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
D: Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks
F: Victor Olofsson, Buffalo Sabres
F: Dominik Kubalik, Chicago Blackhawks
F: Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens
The rookie elite, led by Calder Trophy-winner Makar, is an older group than usual. Merzlikins, Olofsson, and Kubalik, all 25 or older, played in Europe for a considerable amount of time before jumping to North America as a polished product, while Makar and Hughes each played a pair of seasons in the NCAA and Suzuki aged out of juniors before turning pro. Nevertheless, the first-year pros were all impressive and still have many quality years ahead of them.
Josh Anderson Re-Focused On Long-Term Extension With Blue Jackets
When Josh Anderson failed to return to the Blue Jackets lineup this postseason, as he continued to rehab from a major shoulder surgery this spring, it was fair to question whether he had already played his final game for Columbus. Anderson is an impending restricted free agent this off-season who went through a long, contentious negotiation with his club three years ago when he was last seeking a new contract. The two sides finally agreed to a below-market three-year, $5.5MM pact that reportedly left Anderson unhappy and led many to speculate that he could be traded before the two sides had a chance to ever return to the negotiating table. Adding fuel to that fire – on both sides – was Anderson playing well above his price tag for the first two years of his contract, then struggling with injury and inconsistency this year. Anderson’s market value is now murkier than it has ever been and many have felt that it could be in the best interests of both sides to get a fresh start.
For whatever reason, that status quo has now changed dramatically. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline relays word from Anderson’s agent, Darren Ferris, that the 26-year-old power forward’s priority is now to sign a long-term extension to remain in Columbus. Although Anderson has not played this calendar year, and during that time he was nearly traded at the deadline, he has changed his position on the club and now sees a long-term fit. The reasoning remains unclear, but Ferris did clarify that the recent changes in the Blue Jackets’ front office, with Bill Zito departing for the Florida Panthers and Josh Flynn replacing him at the negotiating table, are not a factor. Anderson simply has decided that he would like to stay with the club.
GM Jarmo Kekalainen is also interested in a renewed commitment to Anderson, he tells Portzline. However, the experienced executive is already setting the table for what could be another difficult negotiation, stating “we’ll make every effort to get him signed, but it has to be something that makes sense for both sides.” With a flat cap, Kekalainen could be setting Anderson up for another underwhelming offer, based more on his disappointing platform season than his impressive two seasons prior.
The one piece of leverage that Ferris holds this off-season that he didn’t the last time around is salary arbitration. While it isn’t the long-term solution that Anderson is hoping for, and could in fact end up forcing a trade, arbitration rights could help Anderson to finally find fair market value, as cap space cannot be considered in an award. As always, both sides will try to avoid arbitration, but the looming threat of that option could put Anderson on the winning side of contract talks this time, whether he gets his long-term deal or a short-term pact.
Columbus Blue Jackets Announce Several Loans
The Columbus Blue Jackets have found a few landing spots for some of their most important young players. Emil Bemstrom will head to HIFK Helsinki, Alexandre Texier will return to KalPa and Veini Vehvilainen will head to JYP (a move we detailed yesterday). All three are expected back before the start of the 2020-21 NHL season.
The two young forwards are more than just prospects at this point, but rather full-time NHL players. Bemstrom, 21, played in 56 games for the Blue Jackets this season scoring 20 points as a rookie. Selected in the fourth round of the 2017 draft, he quickly climbed the prospect charts after excelling in Sweden, including a 35-point season in the SHL that earned him Rookie of the Year honors. Bemstrom is only heading into the second year of his entry-level contract, meaning he’ll be an extremely inexpensive option for the Blue Jackets through the 2021-22 season.
Texier meanwhile heads into the final season of his own entry-level deal, after first appearing in North America during 2018-19. The speedy forward made an impact even then for the Blue Jackets, jumping right into the playoffs with the team and being a difference-maker in their first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. This season didn’t go exactly as planned, with Texier only recording 13 points in 36 games, but once again he looked the part of a top-six option when the Blue Jackets hit the postseason. Still just 20 (he’ll turn 21 next week), Texier has a very bright future in Columbus.
Vehvilainen, as we detailed yesterday, is another brilliant goaltending prospect that the Blue Jackets will have to find room for eventually. The 23-year-old could be in contention for an NHL roster spot if the team moves on from one of Joonas Korpisalo or Elvis Merzlikins in a trade this offseason.
Emil Bemstrom Likely To Be Loaned To Finland; Elvis Merzlikins Hoping To Train With Lugano
Blue Jackets winger Emil Bemstrom is expected to join HIFK Helsinki of the SM-liiga to start their season, reports SportExpressen’s Johan Svensson. The 21-year-old still has two years remaining on his entry-level deal so Columbus would have to agree to loan him out before anything could be finalized. While he played in the SHL before coming to North America, that league isn’t accepting players on loan so he had to look elsewhere.
Bemstrom played in 56 games in his rookie season, collecting 10 goals and 10 assists; half of his tallies came with the man advantage to tie for the Blue Jackets lead. He also suited up in five postseason contests where he was held off the scoresheet. After averaging more than 12 minutes a game, it’s safe to infer that Bemstrom should have the inside track on a roster spot with Columbus next season but a good start in Finland in more of an offensive role could certainly give him a boost heading into training camp where he’ll be looking for a bigger role.
- Still with the Blue Jackets, goaltender Elvis Merzlikins told RSI Sport in Switzerland that he is hoping to get permission to train with HC Lugano next month. He is no stranger to Lugano having played there from 2009 through 2019 before coming to Columbus this season. However, unlike before, Merzlikins has no intention of playing while he’s over there as if he is loaned, it would just be to skate with the team to stay in shape for training camp.
Veini Vehvilainen Loaned To JYP
The short-term exodus of European players in the AHL continues, this time with Columbus Blue Jackets goaltending prospect Veini Vehvilainen being loaned to JYP in Finland. The agreement states that Columbus can recall Vehvilainen at any point, meaning he’ll likely be back for whenever training camp opens in North America.
Vehvilainen, 23, is just another goaltending prospect in the pipeline for the Blue Jackets, who have become something of a goalie factory this season. Both Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins came out of obscurity to put up All-Star numbers in the NHL, and Vehvilainen could potentially be next in line. Selected in the sixth round in 2018, the relatively small goalie has done nothing but dominate at Finland’s highest level. In 119 regular season Liiga appearances, Vehvilainen has posted a .926 save percentage, only increasing that to .929 in his 37 postseason matches. Twice he was named Finland’s top goaltender, while also helping win World Junior and World Championship gold medals.
In his first season in the AHL, Vehvilainen posted a .901 save percentage in 33 games. He and Matiss Kivlenieks, another interesting prospect, could very well battle for the NHL backup role if the Blue Jackets decide to move one of their other talented goaltenders this summer. For an organization that watched a two-time Vezina winner walk away in free agency last summer, the crease looks to be in plenty of good hands.
Minor Transactions: 09/04/20
As if two NHL Game Seven’s weren’t enough today, there have also been several intriguing moves across the hockey world. With some leagues getting ready to start their seasons while the NHL off-season is beginning to draw near, it is an interesting time for roster transactions, both in North America and abroad:
- The AHL’s Cleveland Monsters have signed University of Nebraska-Omaha standout Zach Jordan to a one-year contract, the team announced Friday. While Jordan’s production slipped in his senior season, he posted back-to-back seasons of 25+ points as a sophomore and junior, leading the Mavericks in scoring across those two campaigns. At 6’3″ and 216 lbs., Jordan is a hulking presence on the ice and projects as a physical, two-way winger at the pro level. The Columbus Blue Jackets’ affiliate has done well with developing these types of players in recent years, so Jordan may still be a name that could draw NHL consideration down the road.
- As has proven to be a yearly tradition for the Los Angeles Kings, the club has loaned defensive prospect Jacob Moverare to Europe. A 2016 fourth-round pick who signed his entry-level contract in 2018, Moverare has been loaned to Sweden for each of the past two seasons. Things are a bit different this time around though; Moverare has not been loaned back to Frolunda HC, but to SaiPa in the Finnish Liiga. The team also notes that the Kings have the right to recall Moverare from the loan for NHL training camp, an option that they seem likely to exercise. While Moverare is still a bit raw, he is a big, effective stay-at-home blue liner who hit his stride last season in the SHL. Another full season in Europe is unlikely to help his development at this point.
- AHL veteran Colin Campbell is making his first foray into Europe next season. After seven pro seasons and over 350 games – all in the AHL – Campbell has signed with the Vienna Capitals of the newly re-named IceHL, the team announced. A hard-working forward who got his start at Lake Superior State University, Campbell signed a two-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings out of college and ended up playing six seasons with their affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. He moved on to the Colorado Eagles this past season and recorded the best per-game scoring numbers of his career, notching ten goals and 26 points in just 48 games. As he heads to Austria, Campbell will undoubtedly be looked upon as the leader of the Capitals and hopes to continue his strong performance. At 29, his NHL hopes remain alive and well.