- Blue Jackets prospect William Whitelaw is looking for a new place to play next season as he has entered the NCAA transfer portal, relays Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link). The 20-year-old was an early third-round pick back in 2023, going 66th overall but has bounced around since then. He played at Wisconsin in his freshman year but after managing 10 goals and seven assists in 37 games, he entered the portal and wound up choosing to play at Michigan this year. The change of scenery didn’t yield much of an increase in production, just one extra goal in two fewer games so it appears he’s hoping the third time is the charm in terms of finding the right school to play at.
Blue Jackets Rumors
Dante Fabbro Returns From Undisclosed Injury
- The Columbus Blue Jackets benefited greatly tonight from the return of defenseman Dante Fabbro from an undisclosed injury (Tweet Link). After tallying three points in the team’s recent win against the Vancouver Canucks, Fabbro missed against the Senators before returning tonight. In an equally promising game, Fabbro scored one goal and one assist in 20:41 of ice time.
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Blue Jackets Sign Guillaume Richard To Entry-Level Contract
The Blue Jackets signed defenseman Guillaume Richard to a two-year, entry-level contract beginning with the 2025-26 season, the team announced. The rearguard is coming off his senior season at Providence College and was going to become an unrestricted free agent on Aug. 15 if not signed. Richard’s deal carries a cap hit of $867.5K and pays him a $775K NHL salary, $92.5K signing bonus, and $57.5K games played bonus each season, PuckPedia reports.
Richard, a 2021 fourth-round pick, has been a steady contributor on the Providence blue line over the last four seasons. A defensive-minded D-man with good puck skills, he totaled 9-45–54 with 73 PIMs and a +24 rating across 139 games for the Friars. This year, he served as an alternate captain and tied for the team lead in scoring among blue-liners.
He doesn’t crack the top 15 in a loaded Columbus prospect pool (Scott Wheeler of The Athletic), but the organization evidently likes his tools enough and hopes he can be a bottom-pairing piece someday. That likely won’t be as soon as next season, but he should be in contention for a heavy workload on the farm with AHL Cleveland. The 6’2″ lefty will have a couple of years to prove he’s on the right track developmentally before potentially reaching restricted free agency in 2027.
The Quebec City native becomes the 31st player under contract for Columbus next season, leaving them with 19 open spots. They have 24 pending free agents in the organization, so a good portion of them won’t be coming back. It’s worth noting the Jackets are at the 50-contract limit for this year, so they didn’t have the option to sign Richard to a contract that begins immediately.
Blue Jackets Activate Cole Sillinger
March 28: The Blue Jackets activated Sillinger off injured reserve as expected, per the NHL’s media site. Head coach Dean Evason confirmed to reporters, including Jeff Svoboda of NHL.com, that Sillinger will be in the lineup. James van Riemsdyk will be a healthy scratch to make room for Sillinger’s return.
March 26: The Blue Jackets will have forward Cole Sillinger and defenseman Jake Christiansen available for Friday’s game against the Canucks, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports. Both have been medically cleared to return from their respective injuries. The former was on injured reserve, so he’ll need to be activated, while Christiansen remained on the active roster during his absence.
Sillinger, 21, hasn’t played since the end of February. He sustained a shoulder injury on Feb. 27 against the Red Wings and missed their outdoor rematch a few days later. General manager Don Waddell immediately made clear he’d miss a few weeks, and he landed on IR a few days later to make room for winger Yegor Chinakhov’s activation. With no roster limit post-trade deadline, there won’t be a corresponding move this time.
Assuming he gets back into action against Vancouver, Sillinger will look to continue his four-year career’s most productive offensive campaign. The 2021 No. 12 overall pick hasn’t dominated, but he’s gotten his development back on track after a difficult sophomore season and has recorded a career-high 0.39 assists per game and 0.54 points per game in 2024-25. He ranks ninth on the team in scoring with 9-20–29 in 54 games, although he has a club-worst -15 rating. He’s won 46.4% of his draws, averaging 17:18 per game, sixth-most among Columbus forwards.
Shoulder injuries have been commonplace for CBJ forwards this year, ending Kevin Labanc’s campaign last month and taking huge chunks out of Erik Gudbranson’s and Boone Jenner’s seasons. The former only returned to action on Monday after sustaining a shoulder injury in October.
It’s unclear who might come out of the lineup for Sillinger. The Jackets are two points back of a wild-card spot but have the Islanders and Rangers standing in between them and Montreal. Their shootout win over the former earlier this week has their playoff chances at 13% entering tonight’s games, per MoneyPuck, and they could get some help with a Vancouver win over the Isles.
Christiansen has been out with an upper-body injury since March 13, missing five games with an upper-body injury. He’d played in Columbus’ first 65 games of the season, but with Gudbranson making his return, it stands to reason Christiansen could remain a healthy scratch despite being cleared to play. He’s averaged 12:43 per game to date, posting 1-7–8 with a plus-eight rating and 47 hits.
Blue Jackets Sign Charlie Elick, Caleb MacDonald To Entry-Level Deals
The Blue Jackets announced entry-level deals for defensemen Charlie Elick and Caleb MacDonald today. Both begin next season. Elick’s is a three-year pact, while MacDonald’s is for two years. McDonald’s deal will carry a $925K cap hit and $97.5K signing bonus, per PuckPedia. Financial details of Elick’s deal haven’t been revealed.
Elick was already in the organization. Columbus selected the 19-year-old 36th overall in last year’s draft, making him the fourth pick of the second round. A 6’4″, 203-lb right-shot rearguard, he’s a smooth-skating defensive specialist with a penchant for physicality. The Austria-born Canadian national is coming off his third entire season in the Western Hockey League, split between the Brandon Wheat Kings and Tri-City Americans thanks to a midseason trade. He compiled 2-13–15 with 55 PIMs and a minus-six rating in 66 appearances between the clubs.
While not drafted for his offensive production, that’s still a semi-concerning downturn from his 2023-24 campaign with the Wheat Kings. In his draft year, he managed 4-23–27 in 65 games with a plus-four rating, winning a gold medal with Canada at the U18 World Championship.
Elick ranks No. 11 in the Blue Jackets’ prospect pool, per Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. He’s the second-place right-handed defender behind Luca Marrelli, who Columbus selected one round after him last summer and signed an entry-level contract in December.
MacDonald is a new addition to the system. Another big lefty (6’4″, 225 lbs), he’s a 22-year-old coming off his second collegiate season. The undrafted rearguard from Ontario played his freshman year with the University of Alaska-Fairbanks before transferring to North Dakota for his sophomore campaign. He did well in the spotlight against much tougher competition, posting 3-7–10 with a plus-seven rating in 35 games for the Fighting Hawks.
While hard-hitting like Elick, he offers more offensive upside. Before jumping to college, he was a junior ’A’ standout with the Whitecourt Wolverines of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. He put up 16-79–95 in 126 games there across three seasons, including a 9-50–59 run in 57 games in 2022-23 that got him named the league’s most outstanding defenseman.
MacDonald will presumably report to AHL Cleveland next season, while Elick doesn’t turn 20 until after New Year’s and thus remains ineligible for an AHL assignment in 2025-26. He’ll need to be sent back to the Americans and play out another season in juniors before jumping to the pros. His entry-level deal will slide one year as a result, pushing his expiry from 2028 to 2029. MacDonald’s deal isn’t slide-eligible and will run out in 2027. Both players will be restricted free agents when their contracts end.
Prospect Notes: Kirsanov, Pinelli, Hage
With the end of the season nearing, news surrounding some of the league’s top prospects is beginning to ramp up. The Los Angeles Kings are the focal point of the latest updates, after news that Russian defender Kirill Kirsanov could sign with the team at the end of the season, per Scott Coffman of Mayor’s Manor.
The Kings drafted Kirsanov in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft, just months after his rookie season in Russia’s KHL came to a close. He tallied just three points in 29 games in his first pro year, but showed upside as a heavy and physical presence in the defensive end. Kirsanov continued to plant his feet in the KHL in the subsequent three seasons, routinely rivaling 25 games and a few points each year. He’s found a bit more stride with Novgorod Torpedo this season, with a career-high seven points in a career-high 34 KHL games – though his best impact remains close to his end boards. It will be the six-foot-two, 220-pound frame that Los Angeles looks forward to in signing the 22-year-old Russian, as they look to find the hefty compliment for impactful youngsters like Brandt Clarke and Jordan Spence.
Other notes across the prospect world:
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned 2023 fourth-round draft pick Luca Pinelli to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. Pinelli’s OHL season with the Ottawa 67s came to an end on Sunday. He closed the season with a team-leading 37 goals and 71 points in 52 games. That’s just narrowly ahead of his scoring pace last season, when he potted 48 goals and 82 points in 68 games. But Pinelli’s story tood tall this year, as he led a 67s roster that struggled to score when he was off the ice. Ottawa managed just 205 goals as a team, good for third-lowest in the OHL. Pinelli is a speedy puck-handler who pushes transition – and carries surprising heft and strength on the puck for his five-foot-nine frame. He’ll be an interesting prospect to watch in the pros, after scoring 252 points in 246 career games, and four seasons, in the OHL.
- Top Montreal Canadiens prospect Michael Hage has decided to return to the University of Michigan for his sophomore season, per Marco D’Amico of RG Media. Montreal drafted Hage 21st overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, after he scored 33 goals and 75 points in 54 USHL games as the Chicago Steel’s top center. He followed that performance with 13 goals and 34 points in 33 games in Michigan’s top-role this year – good for second in scoring on the Wolverines behind 23-year-old junior T.J. Hughes’ 38 points. Hughes is viewed by many as a top college free agent this summer. His signing could open a clear path for Hage to become Michigan’s true star scorer next year. On top of many returnees on a young roster, Hage will be joined by 2025 NHL Draft prospects Cole McKinney and Aidan Park in 2025-26.
Blue Jackets Sign Jack Williams To Entry-Level Contract
The Blue Jackets have signed undrafted free agent center Jack Williams to a two-year entry-level contract beginning immediately, the team announced today. Williams will report directly to Columbus for the remainder of the regular season, but since he wasn’t on the Blue Jackets’ reserve list at the trade deadline, he isn’t eligible to suit up in the playoffs if Columbus makes the cut.
Per PuckPedia, the deal carries a cap hit of $923,750 and breaks down as follows:
2024-25: $877.5K prorated base salary, $97.5K signing bonus, $85K prorated minors salary
2025-26: $775K prorated base salary, $97.5K signing bonus, $102.5K games played bonus, $85K minors salary
Williams, 23, is coming off his junior season at Northeastern. The Jackets had been in contact with his camp for a few days but weren’t considered favorites for his services, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports. Offering him an ELC that begins immediately – meaning he’ll land a signing bonus today instead of on July 1 – likely helped their cause.
A captain for the Huskies this season, Williams led the club with 16-25–41 in 37 games. The school’s two leading scorers, himself and Sharks prospect Cameron Lund, have now both signed ELCs that begin with immediate effect. Called a “skilled, hard-working player with a passion for the game” by Columbus general manager Don Waddell, Williams leaves Northeastern after posting 39-55–94 with a +11 rating in 106 career collegiate matchups. He was a nominee for the Hobey Baker Award in both 2024 and 2025.
He’ll now jump into a Blue Jackets organization that’s turned a longstanding weakness down the middle into a strength, now boasting a resurgent Sean Monahan with the rapidly developing Adam Fantilli right behind him. He likely won’t have many playing opportunities as they remain with a legitimate shot at climbing back into playoff position, but if they’re eliminated from contention with a couple of games left, Williams could get a chance to debut.
In all likelihood, Williams will be destined for development time with AHL Cleveland next year. He’ll need at least a semi-intriguing performance at that level to earn a qualifying offer from the Jackets in the summer of 2026 upon reaching restricted free agency.
Blue Jackets’ Sean Monahan And Erik Gudbranson Return
After activating both center Sean Monahan and defender Erik Gudbranson from injured reserve earlier today, both players are in fact the lineup tonight against the Islanders, per a team release.
Both veterans return after lengthy absences. Gudbranson has missed the last 66 games with a shoulder injury that required surgery, while Monahan (upper body) returns following 28 games out of the lineup. The return of both should support Columbus’ attempt to secure a playoff spot, and their returns are particularly timely given the team’s recent six-game winless streak. The Blue Jackets currently find themselves four points out of the final wild card spot in the east.
Gudbranson has suited up in just three games on the season, his third in Columbus. A veteran of 792 games, Gudbranson has registered 133 points during his 13-year career, but his true calling card is in the defensive zone where he has carved out a solid career by utilizing his 6’5, 222-pound frame to play a physical and defensively responsible style. Gudbranson is paired with Denton Mateychuk on the team’s third defensive pairing tonight. The veteran also adds 31 games of playoff experience to his resume.
Meanwhile, Monahan is slotted back on the team’s first line between wingers Dmitri Voronkov and Kirill Marchenko in his first game action since Jan. 7. In 41 games on the season, Monahan has posted 14 goals, 41 points, and a plus-17 rating. Monahan was a key part of Columbus’ early-season success, and his return should help the team’s offense as they make a run at the playoffs. Monahan has registered eight seasons with at least 20 goals during his 12-year career and was well on his way to hitting that mark again this season before his injury. In 805 career games, the 30-year-old has registered 258 goals and 579 points. He has added 22 points in 35 career playoff games.
Blue Jackets Activate Erik Gudbranson, Sean Monahan
March 24: Gudbranson and Monahan will be coming off injured reserve and making their returns tonight, head coach Dean Evason confirmed. The team later announced they’ve both been activated.
March 23: Columbus Blue Jackets reporter Jeff Svoboda tweeted that center Sean Monahan and defenseman Erik Gudbranson may return to the lineup tomorrow night when the Blue Jackets take on the New York Islanders.
Monahan hasn’t played since January 7th, when he suffered a wrist injury in a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 30-year-old was in the midst of a career year, having tallied 14 goals and 27 assists in 41 games. The Brampton, Ontario native signed with Columbus as a free agent last summer on July 1st, inking a contract that was largely panned by critics. However, Monahan has played well above expectations for the Blue Jackets and helped lead them into the playoff picture in a year where they weren’t expected to contend for the postseason. His return should give Columbus a boost as they try to snap a six-game losing streak.
Gudbranson hasn’t played since mid-October after he suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery. The 33-year-old has played just three times during the 2024-25 season, last suiting up on October 15th. The Ottawa, Ontario native had a career year last season, tallying six goals and 20 assists in 78 games while continuing to provide his usual physical presence.
The Blue Jackets sit four points back of Montreal for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and will certainly welcome the return of two veterans who should help them in their push for the postseason.
Greaves Sent Back To Cleveland
- After being recalled yesterday to serve as the backup goalie in Daniil Tarasov’s absence, the Blue Jackets announced that goaltender Jet Greaves has been returned to AHL Cleveland. The 23-year-old has been up and down several times this season and has gotten into six games with Columbus where he has a 2.83 GAA with a .905 SV%. Greaves has spent most of the year with the Monsters, putting up a 2.84 GAA and a .915 SV% in 34 appearances and will go from one team in a push for a Wild Card spot to another in the battle for the final spots in the AHL’s North Division playoffs.