Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Blue Jackets Rumors

Morning Notes: Cole, Sestito, Canadiens

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Ian Cole was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets this season after being an integral part of the Pittsburgh Penguins two Stanley Cup runs. Leading up until the deadline there were reports of a feud growing between Cole and head coach Mike Sullivan, something that has been brought up afterwards in pieces about a similar power struggle between the Penguins head coach and Phil Kessel. In Columbus, Cole found a home and performed quite well, notching 10 points in 26 games in a Blue Jackets uniform, including three playoff assists in the team’s first-round exit.

Cole is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and in Aaron Portzline’s latest piece for The Athletic (subscription required) the 29-year old defenseman admits that he’s open to signing with the Blue Jackets if they can find the right deal. After earning an average of just $2.1MM the last three seasons, Cole should be able to find a raise on the open market if he gets that far. Free agency isn’t flush with defensemen who can potentially play in a team’s top-four, and could be quite lucrative to a player in Cole’s position. That’s if Columbus doesn’t lock him up in the next three weeks.

  • A former teammate of Cole in Pittsburgh will be leaving the organization this summer, as Tom Venesky of The Athletic reports that Tom Sestito will not be re-signing with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The long-time professional and part-time Penguins forward didn’t get any NHL action this season as the league moves further away from his physical, enforcing type of hockey. It’s not clear where the 30-year old winger will get his next opportunity, but he isn’t leaving with any bad blood.
  • The Montreal Canadiens hold the third-overall selection at this year’s draft, and Eric Engels of Sportsnet examines just how big of a wildcard that makes them over the next three weeks. There are many who believe that Montreal needs to select a defenseman or center at the upcoming draft, something that may be hard to do when wingers like Filip Zadina and Brady Tkachuk are sitting available at the top of the draft. The team certainly has the firepower to make a move on the draft floor, as they currently hold four second-round picks and three fourth-rounders. If the third-overall pick is available for teams looking to move up, there could be any number of teams running over to the Canadiens’ table to speak with Marc Bergevin on June 22nd.

Blue Jackets’ Carson Meyer Transferring To Ohio State

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Carson Meyer is Mr. Ohio. The Powell-native grew up playing in the Ohio Blue Jackets youth system, enrolled at Miami University in Ohio in 2016, and was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets as an over-ager in the sixth round of the draft last year. So, with news of his desire to transfer following his sophomore year, the only choice was obviously Ohio State. Meyer confirmed the move today and hopes to play immediately next season.

It may be tricky, but there is no doubt that the administrators at Ohio State will work hard to petition the NCAA to allow Meyer to play right away in 2018-19 rather than sit for a year as per usual. Exceptions are frequently made, especially in hockey, but Meyer is not without options if he is forced to take a redshirt year after transferring. Past players have simply taken the year off from school entirely and returned to their USHL team and Meyer would be more than welcomed back by the Tri-City Storm. Meyer led the team to a championship behind his club-best 51 points in his one full season in the USHL. However, the Buckeyes would like to have him in the lineup as soon as possible to take advantage of that production.

The undersized winger has struggled to produce at the same level with Miami – due in no small part to a “sickness” this season that turned out to be a 25-inch tapeworm – but is ready to move on and will likely fit in better surrounded by superior talent at Ohio State. The Buckeyes finished second in the Big Ten Conference and made it all the way to the Frozen Four of the NCAA Tournament this year. The team will return much of its roster next season, including top scorers Tanner Laczynski, a Philadelphia Flyers selection, and Mason Jobst. If a now-healthy Meyer is indeed able to join that group this season, it will be a strong forward unit for Ohio State. 

Lauri Korpikoski Signs Long-Term Contract In Finland

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Veteran NHL forward Lauri Korpikoski signed in Switzerland with the ZSC Lions of the NLA last summer in an effort to rejuvenate his career. However, things did not go as planned as injuries limited Korpikoski to eight points in just 19 games. He did manage to play in 16 of 18 playoff games for the team, contributing six points, en route to a league title, but overall the season was a disappointment for the two-way forward. As a result, Korpikoski will not be returning to the NHL nor re-signing with the Lions, but instead he will head home to Finland. Korpikoski has signed with TPS of the Liiga, the organization he began his hockey career with all the way back in juniors, the team announced.

Perhaps the most surprising part of this move is that the 31-year-old has reportedly inked a six-year deal with TPS. The team revealed that the contract allows Korpikoski to play abroad during the term of the deal, but the length implies that Korpikoski may be resigned to the fact that his days as an elite player are over. While TPS itself is a historic club that finished second in the regular season last year, the Liiga is at best the fifth-best pro league in the world. A veteran of more than 600 NHL games and former first-round pick, its just as easy to believe that Korpikoski could still make a living for himself in the NHL or elsewhere.

Korpikoski was drafted 19th overall by the New York Rangers in 2004, but didn’t debut with the team until 2008-09. He was then dealt to the Phoenix Coyotes after just one year in New York and flourished into a legitimate two-way top-nine forward. Korpikoski recorded 145 points in 401 games over six seasons with the Coyotes and twice received votes for the Selke Trophy during that time. In his final two seasons in Arizona and the subsequent two years spent with the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, and Columbus Blue Jackets, Korpikoski was a consistent albeit unspectacular performer, with four straight years of 20-odd points in around 70 games while playing a more physical, checking style. However, this wasn’t enough to draw sufficient interest from NHL teams last summer and Korpikoski hoped a year away in Switzerland could bring back his 40-point play from his early years with the ’Yotes. This didn’t happen with ZSC, but with TPS there is still a chance that he could rediscover his elite two-way game. If not, he has the security to simply stay home and help develop future Finnish stars over the course of his six-year deal.

Elvis Merzlikins Will Not Come To North America In 2018-19

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Though there have been plenty of rumors floating around since his impressive performance at the IIHF World Championship, Elvis Merzlikins won’t be coming over to North America just yet. The Lavtian goaltender tweeted out his intention to play at least one more season for HC Lugano in the Swiss NLA, meaning he won’t be competing for a job with the Columbus Blue Jackets for at least another year.

Merzlikins, 24, has been the Latvian international goalie of note for several years, and outdid himself at this year’s Worlds by posting a .940 save percentage in six games. That included taking both the USA and Canada to overtime and pushing the eventual champions Sweden to the brink of elimination in their quarter-final matchup. Though he was selected four years ago, his draft rights will not expire next week like many other European players. That’s because of the lack of transfer agreement between the NLA and NHL, meaning the Blue Jackets will have more chances to convince him to come to North America in the future.

His contract with Lugano is expected to expire after this season, which gives the Blue Jackets a very interesting option for the 2019-20 season. Both Sergei Bobrovsky (UFA) and Joonas Korpisalo (RFA) are set to become free agents next summer, meaning Columbus will have some tough decisions on how to proceed with their goaltending going forward. If Merzlikins posts another big year in the NLA, and another solid performance in the Worlds, perhaps he’d be considered as a direct-to-NHL option for them. The 6’3″ goaltender has certainly held his own whenever facing off against some of the NHL’s best.

Winnipeg Unlikely To Buyout Steve Mason

at CDT | by 3 Comments

It was about as bad a first season in Winnipeg as it could have been for goaltender Steve Mason. After signing a two-year deal with the Jets last summer that carried the presumption that he would at least share the starting job, injuries and poor play plagued the veteran net minder all season. The lone bright spot for Mason – he still made his $4.1MM. Many have speculated – now that Vezina Trophy candidate Connor Hellebuyck has more than solidified his position as the starter moving forward – that Mason could be cut by the Jets this off-season to avoid another hefty cap hit next year. However, speaking with the media today, Winnipeg GM Kevin Cheveldayoff stated that he did not anticipate going the buyout route with his experienced albeit overpaid backup (video). Instead, Cheveldayoff spoke to Mason’s ability and integrity and his desire to have a capable backup next season.

Mason, who will be 30 next season, joined the Jets last summer after parts of five seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers during which he struggled to transcend to that elite, true #1 goaltender level. Nevertheless, Winnipeg handed the 2009 Calder Trophy winner an $8.2MM contract that was immediately panned. Unfortunately for the Jets, the critics proved to be right. Admittedly, Mason struggled with several injuries – including multiple concussions – during the year, however when he did play the results were underwhelming. Mason finished the season with a .906 save percentage and 3.24 GAA in a career-low 13 appearances. It was easily his worst performance since his later seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets and paved the way for Hellebuyck to take over full control of the starter’s job, as he dominated starts even when Mason was healthy.

Yet, a buyout of Mason’s final season – while understandable on a results basis – would not make much of a difference to Winnipeg. Yes, the team would save over $2.7MM next year, but would incur a penalty of around $1.4MM the following year. For a team that doesn’t struggle with salary cap compliance, those savings mean relatively little. Without Mason and with Michael Hutchinson headed for unrestricted free agency, the Jets would then be forced to find an experienced backup this off-season anyway. While it may not be popular among fans who were disappointed by his first season, if Cheveldayoff does retain Mason this off-season, there are plenty of reasons why it makes sense for the Jets.

Alexandre Texier Signs Entry-Level Contract With Columbus Blue Jackets

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

According to team beat writer Brian Hedger, the Columbus Blue Jackets have signed Alexandre Texier to his three-year entry-level contract today. Texier recently suited up for France at the IIHF World Championship, and was recently confirmed to be staying overseas for at least one more year. The 18-year old forward prospect spent 2017-18 in Finland, where he registered 22 points in 53 games with KalPa.

Texier was the Blue Jackets’ second-round pick in 2017, and was something of an unknown. Though we’d seen him play in various international tournaments, France was usually in the lower level tournament and his club play was hard to compare. The French league, while improving, isn’t at the level of the NLA, SHL or Liiga. Texier then was scouted on his raw ability, which for him was enough to intrigue the Blue Jackets’ front office. GM Jarmo Kekalainen had this to say:

Alexandre is a very smart, skilled player with a very good shot and extraordinary vision to make plays all over the ice. He is a young player who had a very good rookie season with KalPa and we are excited to watch his continued development as he gets bigger and stronger physically.

The 6’1″ forward has the ability to carry the puck through and around defenders while at top speed, and can score in a variety of different ways. Though there is a long road ahead of him before he will be suiting up in the NHL, his first year at a higher level of competition went about as well as it could have. Columbus will be keeping a close eye on him this season to see if his strength and poise improve for KalPa, after which he could come to North America in 2019-20.

Alexandre Texier To Stay In Finland Next Season

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

  • Blue Jackets prospect center Alexandre Texier will remain overseas for at least one more year, GM Jarmo Kekalainen confirmed to Steve Gorton of the Columbus Dispatch (Twitter link). The 18-year-old was a second-round pick (45th overall) back in 2017 and is coming off a quality showing at the World Championships where he picked up three assists in seven games despite being one of the youngest players in the tournament.  However, the team would like to see him get a little stronger physically and have decided that keeping him with KalPa of the SM-liiga is the best way to go.

Blue Jackets Unlikely To Add At Center This Summer

at CDT | by 2 Comments

It was another strong regular season for the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2017-18. The team had its second-best finish with 97 points behind the strong efforts of all-world goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, blossoming young defensemen like Seth Jones and Zach Werenski, rookie forward Pierre-Luc Dubois and game-changing acquisition Artemi Panarin. Yet, the Jackets were again ousted in the first round and still have yet to advance past that stage of the postseason in their 17-year history. In evaluating what area Columbus needs to improve in next season, some will point to poor special teams or a lack of shots on net. However, the major issue this season was the center position, where everyone not named Dubois had a disappointing campaign. The scoring depth, defensive ability, and face-off success of the group was all lacking this year. Entering the off-season with more than $13MM in salary cap space, many think the Blue Jackets should make a competitive offer to John Tavares or even Paul Stastny or Tyler Bozak in an effort to solve their problems down the middle. As The Columbus Dispatch’s Steve Gorten describes, that is unlikely to be the case.

While on surface level Columbus seems to be in fine shape regarding the salary cap, Gorten feels that GM Jarmo Kekalainen needs to tread carefully when contemplating adding salary to the current roster. In the short term, the team already faces several free agency dilemmas. Restricted free agents Boone Jenner, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Ryan Murray are in need of new contracts and the team is surely to be interested in retaining several impending unrestricted free agents such as Ian Cole, Matt Calvert, and possibly Thomas Vanek. The team’s long-term considerations are more pressing though; Columbus will need to pay Panarin, Werenski, and Bobrovsky after next season, all of whom will command significant contracts in both term and salary.

Given these spending limitations, both this year and in the future, signing a top free agent center is unlikely to be the right move for the Blue Jackets. Instead, Gorten suggests that Columbus stand pat and wait for their current centers to rebound from down seasons. 23-year-old Alexander Wennberg showed 60+ point potential last season, but injuries and long stretches of poor play kept him to just 35 points in 66 games this year, the first season of a six-year, $29.4MM deal. Health may be all it takes to get Wennberg back into that true #1 center range and the 2013 first-rounder may still make his contract look like a bargain and could even end up being a superior player to Dubois. For his part, Kekalainen has trust in the young forward, telling Gorten “I’m 100 percent confident with Wennberg that he’s going to have a great year next year.” What Kekalainen may be more focused on is improvement in the bottom-six, where the Jackets need a return to form from veteran Brandon Dubinsky. The 32-year-old is midway through a six-year, $35.MM deal but did not play to that level this season. Dubinsky was held to just 16 points in what was easily the worst season of his career. A buyout at this point in the contract would be very costly to Columbus, who are left to hope that he can bounce back. Gorten also suggests that the depth down the middle could be substantially bolstered by a prospects like Lukas Sedlak, Alexandre Texier, or Jonathan Davisson taking a step forward in their development, while there is also the off chance that the Jackets could land a potentially pro-ready pivot like Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Isac Lundestrom, or Barrett Hayton at pick #18 in the first round.

Even if all of that doesn’t work out, Columbus will also have options like Jenner and captain Nick Foligno, who they have hesitated to leave at center full-time, but are more than capable of playing the position if necessary. Rather than handcuff themselves with a free agent contract that could cause problems down the road, Gorten seems right in his take that hoping for the in-house options to step up their game seems to better suit the Blue Jackets this off-season.

Blue Jackets Would Like To Re-Sign Ian Cole

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Blue Jackets would like to keep defenseman Ian Cole in the fold, notes Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription required).  The pending unrestricted free agent was acquired from Ottawa (who had previously added him from Pittsburgh) at the trade deadline and he played an important role, logging over 18 minutes a night in 20 regular season games and better than 19 minutes per game in the playoffs.  Cole is set to earn a considerable raise from the $2.1MM cap hit on his current deal; Portzline surveyed some NHL agents and their expectation for his next contract checks in around $4.5MM per year.

Coaching Notes: Gulutzan, Clark, Smith

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

In Elliotte Friedman’s latest 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet, he breaks down the situations of several coaches—both employed and unemployed—around the league. One of those he touches on is Glen Gulutzan, who Friedman says received offers to become an assistant coach in both Edmonton and Buffalo.

There’s no indication that Gulutzan has made a decision yet, but with teams offering him roles as an assistant or head coach in the AHL, it seems unlikely that he’ll remain unemployed very long. The former Calgary Flames head coach was fired after a disappointing season, in which the club missed the playoffs entirely.

  • Ian Clark, the goaltending coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets, will leave the team at the end of June. His contract is expiring and will move on to new challenges, leaving Sergei Bobrovsky and Joonas Korpisalo without their coach next season. No word on who will be replacing him, though Clark believes that “sooner or later, teams will have a director of player personnel and a director of goaltending.”
  • One interesting connection that Friedman makes regarding the New York Rangers’ vacancy, is that of D.J. Smith. The Toronto Maple Leafs assistant coach has a history with Rangers’ Special Assistant Adam Graves, and has been considered for various jobs in the past. Interestingly, the Maple Leafs have recently promoted Kyle Dubas to GM, where he could have an impact on coaching hires over the next few months.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top