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What Your Team Is Thankful For: Columbus Blue Jackets

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will look at what teams are thankful for as the season nears the quarter point of completion. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We take a look at what’s gone well in the first month and what could improve as the season rolls on. So far we’ve covered ANA, ARZ, BUF, CGY, CAR, COL, DET, LAK, NYI, STL, WSH, and VGK.

Sergei BobrovskyWho are the Columbus Blue Jackets most thankful for?

Sergei Bobrovsky.

It’s simple, the Blue Jackets aren’t scoring enough this season. Artemi Panarin leads the team in points with just 16 through 24 games, but another Vezina-worthy season by Bobrovsky and solid defensive play still has them as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

The Russian netminder is actually putting up better numbers than either of his Vezina-winning years, both of which put him in the top-5 in Hart Trophy voting as well. In 2012-13 he recorded a .932 save percentage and 21-11-6 record in a lockout-shorted season, while last year he went 41-17-5 with a .931 mark. This year he’s off to an incredible 14-5-1 record with a .935 save percentage. He’s allowing just 1.92 goals per game and already has three shutouts.

Bobrovsky is an unrestricted free agent following the 2018-19 season.

What are the Blue Jackets most thankful for?

Their 15-8-1 record.

With just 69 goals scored this year the Blue Jackets could have easily found themselves near the bottom of the Metropolitan. After all, five other teams in the division have more goals than them on the year and they’re tied with Philadelphia who have lost eight in a row.

That’s the effect of good goaltending and defense though, and you can certainly bank on the offense coming around at some point. With Alexander Wennberg returning to the lineup tonight, and Cam Atkinson looking more dangerous of late the Blue Jackets should start lighting the lamp with more frequency. If that happens while Bobrovsky is still at the top of his game, watch out.

What would the Blue Jackets be even more thankful for?

A working powerplay.

The Blue Jackets rank dead last in powerplay efficiency this season with just six goals in 67 chances, and have scored just once with the man advantage in their last eleven games. That number is driving their poor offensive showing and it simply must be fixed. Last year saw Sam Gagner deliver powerplay points by the bushel early in the year, and Wennberg racked up assists all year long.

If head coach John Tortorella had his way the media would stop talking about the powerplay all together. Speaking to Brian Hedger of NHL.com last night Tortorella showed his frustration:

I am tired of dissecting our power play. We had 10 chances on the power play. Tonight’s problem was we didn’t finish. We developed a lot of scoring chances on it. This is my last night speaking on the power play, because I’m tired of talking about it. I’ll leave it at that.

What should be on the Blue Jackets Holiday Wish List?

A top-six forward, preferably with some powerplay talent.

The Blue Jackets were in on Matt Duchene, but Colorado waited for the perfect package and ended up with a haul when they involved a third team in the swap. While that doesn’t neccessarily mean the Blue Jackets will be in on every top name, it’s clear that they want an upgrade. While a center would be nice, another scoring winger could help them at this point in several different situations.

You have to wonder if players like Evander Kane, James van Riemsdyk and James Neal would be a fit for Columbus given their goal-scoring abilities and big frames, but whether the team wants to give up a considerable asset for a rental is another story. The Blue Jackets aren’t just built to contend this season, and don’t have to make a move out of desperation just yet.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Three Stars, Josefson, Mason

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The NHL has released their three stars of the week, and leading the list is Jon Marchessault. The Vegas Golden Knights forward had nine points in three games, helping his team takeover first place in the Pacific Division. The Golden Knights now sit at 15-6-1 this season, and rank third in the entire NHL in goal differential at +15. Marchessault, a 30-goal scorer last season, is once again turning out to be one of the biggest bargains in the entire league. At just $750K this season, he’s primed for quite the raise in free agency at the end of the year.

Sergei Bobrovsky and Alex Ovechkin round out the top three after impressive weeks of their own. Bobrovsky went 3-0 with a .950 save percentage with the Columbus Blue Jackets, while Ovechkin tallied five more goals including a hat trick against the Toronto Maple Leafs with a special guest looking on. Ovechkin, who many said was slowing down last season when he scored “just” 33 goals, is back on top of the NHL leaderboards with 18 this season. With the first goal of the hat trick, Ovechkin passed Mike Bossy for 21st all-time in NHL goal scoring, and has a legitimate shot at breaking 600 this season. He needs just 24 more to 20th member of the 600 club, and won’t turn 33 until next September.

  • Jacob Josefson had only returned to the Buffalo Sabres lineup recently, but will be out another four to six weeks according to head coach Phil Housley. Josefson tweaked his ankle and is out until at least Christmas for the struggling Sabres, who are now just one point ahead of the Arizona Coyotes for last in the entire league. Obviously, Josefson isn’t a huge part of their lineup but any injury at this point pushes Buffalo further away from any rebound this season. The team has a dreadful schedule over the next week, playing the Tampa Bay Lightning tomorrow before taking on Pittsburgh in a home-and-home series this weekend.
  • Steve Mason was removed from Saturday’s game with an upper-body injury, and today Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice confirmed the injury was a concussion. Mason had been placed on injured reserve earlier today after a recall of Eric Comrie. Signed in the offseason to a two-year, $8.2MM contract, Mason has provided below-average netminding so far for the Jets and had been all but replaced by Connor Hellebuyck as the starter. It’ll be tough to justify his $4.1MM contract next season if he remains a backup, especially given that Hellebuyck is a restricted free agent and looks primed for a long-term deal. If Mason doesn’t turn his play around after returning from this head injury, he could be an early candidate for a summer buyout. First off, he’ll have to get healthy enough to return.

Injury Notes: Bruins, Rakell, Weber, Wennberg, Sutter

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The Boston Bruins injury list keeps growing as the team is dealing with injuries to Brad Marchand, Anders Bjork, Ryan Spooner and Peter Cehlarik. However, the one good piece of news is that forward David Backes, who underwent surgery to have a piece of his colon removed on Nov. 1, has already been cleared for contact in practice, according to NBC Sports Joe Haggerty.

Originally estimated to be out for eight weeks, putting the timetable to early January, Backes has already been skating with the Bruins for a week and could be returning sooner than expected.

The other news isn’t as good, according to Haggerty, who says that Marchand will miss today’s game against the Edmonton Oilers and was still sporting a non-contact sweater in practice Saturday. Bjork is expected to miss another week with an upper-body injury, while neither Spooner or Cehalrik practiced Saturday. The scribe says only Spooner has a chance to play today.

  • Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register tweets that Anaheim Ducks center Rickard Rakell, who didn’t play in Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings due to an upper-body injury, won’t travel with the team starts their road trip. Stephens adds that coach Randy Carlyle was vague about when Rakell would return to the team.
  • Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber, who has missed the past three games lower-body injury, missed practice today, according to the Montreal Gazette’s Stu Cowan. Instead, the veteran defenseman opted for therapy. He remains day-to-day as Montreal hosts Columbus on Monday.
  • Cowan also reports that defenseman David Schlemko, who is on a condidtioning stint with the Laval Rocket of the AHL, was practicing with the Canadiens today, suggesting a return could be near.
  • Columbus Blue Jackets center Alexander Wennberg, who has been out with an upper-body injury since Nov. 11, participated in practice fully today and is expected to travel with the team for Monday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline.
  • Vancouver Canucks center Brandon Sutter, who is expected to miss today’s game against the New York Rangers, is more than just “day-to-day,” according to Canucks head coach Travis Green. The coach adds that it’s nothing too serious, but in his place Alexander Burmistrov will fill in for him while he is out.
  • Dallas Morning News’ Mike Heika reports that defenseman Stephen Johns, who was suffered an upper-body injury in Friday’s game against the Calgary Flames, skated today and is expected to be ready for Tuesday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Minor Transactions: 11/26/17

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After two full days of hockey, only six teams play on Sunday, but many teams may be looking to make moves to shape up their rosters after a busy few days after Thanksgiving. Keep track of all the moves made today:

  • Brian Hedger of NHL.com tweets that goaltender Joonas Korpisalo and winger Markus Hannikainen were both recalled from the Cleveland Monsters as both players played in Saturday’s AHL matchup with the Texas Stars. Both players were assigned to Cleveland Saturday for the purpose of getting more playing time. Korpisalo allowed three goals on 23 shots in the loss to Texas, while Hannikainen got off two shots on goal, but didn’t pick up any points. Korpisalo played well, according to Hedger. The 23-year-old backup goaltender has only appeared in four games for Columbus, posting a disappointing 3.27 GAA. Hannikainen has seen partial playing time with the Blue Jackets this year. The 24-year-old has two goals and two assists in 12 games. The Columbus Blue Jackets also announced that goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks, who served as an emergency backup Saturday, will be returned to Cleveland.
  • The Vancouver Canucks announced they have recalled Nikolay Goldobin from the Utica Comets today. With Vancouver’s Brandon Sutter banged up after Friday’s game against the New Jersey Devils, the team needed to add another player. Goldobin’s recall has been long awaited as the 22-year-old winger has been dominating in the AHL. He has seven goals and 12 assists in 18 games played, which is first on the team in points scored and second on the team in goals scored. The former 2014 first-rounder looks to have taken the next step at the minor league level and has been waiting for his chance to play in Vancouver this season. He has played in 23 NHL games in his career. Probably not coincidentally, Goldobin’s agent Igor Larianov stated earlier this week that his client has no interest in returning to Russia and intends to stay with the process, after recent defections from Vancouver players Anton Rodin and Nikita Tryamkin. Goldobin is not expected to play today against the New York Rangers, according to Sportsnet’s John Shannon.
  • The Ottawa Senators announced they have assigned winger Nick Paul and defenseman Thomas Chabot to the Belleville Senators today. Both were scratched for Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders. Paul was recalled on Nov. 16 and played in four games for the Senators, but failed to register a point. Chabot, the team’s 2015 first-round pick, was recalled from Belleville on Nov. 20 and played in two games for Ottawa, picking up an assist and a -2 plus/minus rating. He was a healthy scratch last night.
  • Florida Panthers general manager Dave Tallon announced that forward Chase Balisy has been loaned to their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds today. The 25-year-old wing has been up and down most of the season. He has played in eight games for Florida with no points, but has also managed to play in 13 games for the Thunderbirds and has four goals and five assists with the AHL club.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning Vice President and general manager Steve Yzerman announced the team will assign center Cory Conacher to the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. Conacher was recalled Friday when the team placed defenseman Jake Dotchin on injured reserve. The 27-year-old played in Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins and scored a goal. The assignment might suggest that Dotchin might be ready to return on Tuesday as he is eligible to come off IR at that time.

Columbus Flips Backup Goalies Once Again, Assigns Hannikainen To Cleveland

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  • The Blue Jackets have once again shuffled their backup goaltenders, announcing that Joonas Korpisalo (along with forward Markus Hannikainen) have been assigned to Cleveland of the AHL while netminder Matiss Kivlenieks has been recalled. Korpisalo has only played in four NHL contests this season which isn’t ideal for a waiver-exempt goalie so this will allow him to get a game or two in at the minor league level before swapping back in the near future.  As for Hannikainen, he has been in and out of the lineup this year and has four points in 12 games despite playing just over eight minutes per game.

Blue Jackets Have Been Discussing Trades Involving Ryan Murray

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Blue Jackets defenseman Ryan Murray has been in the rumor mill for several years now and it doesn’t appear like that will be changing anytime soon.  In an appearance on TSN 1050 (audio link), TSN’s Darren Dreger noted that Murray has been involved in multiple trade discussions in recent months.

Earlier this season, Dreger reports that Murray was part of the ongoing trade talks with Colorado regarding center Matt Duchene.  Obviously, the two sides weren’t able to work out an agreement and Duchene was later dealt to Ottawa.

Going back to the draft in June, Dreger suggests that at that time, Columbus was willing to accept a “top pick” in exchange for Murray.  Exactly how early in the draft that was wasn’t disclosed but it shows that moving on from the second overall pick in 2012 is something that has been seriously considered.

While nothing materialized in either of those cases, it was reported a couple of weeks ago that GM Jarmo Kekalainen is ready to move one of their blueliners with the target still being a top-six center.  With players like Seth Jones and Zach Werenski clearly not going anywhere and others like Gabriel Carlsson not having enough experience to command a return like that, there aren’t many options that could realistically be in play beyond Murray.  David Savard has struggled this season while Jack Johnson is a pending unrestricted free agent so neither of them will likely bring a top-six pivot back either.

That leaves Murray, who is in the final year of his contract that carries a $2.825MM cap hit which also doubles as his qualifying offer in June.  While he may not be able to live up to his draft billing, he has shown himself to be a capable top-four defender who can be used in a shutdown role.  Whether that’s good enough to be the centerpiece of a trade to get that desired center remains to be seen but it certainly appears that Murray will continue to be in trade speculation for the foreseeable future.

Trade Rumors: Coyotes, Canadiens, Jets, Islanders

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In all likelihood, the recent three-way trade that sent Matt Duchene to the Ottawa Senators and Kyle Turris to the Nashville Predators will be the biggest deal made this season. Yet, that hasn’t stopped the whispers of an bustling trade market, especially this early in the season. At the quarter pole of the 2017-18 campaign, it’s been an unpredictable season, prompting an unexpectedly active market. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch has had his ear to the ground and has plenty of input on who the buyers and sellers are right now:

  • To no one’s surprise, Garrioch states that the floundering Arizona Coyotes are “willing to talk about pretty much every player on their roster”. That of course doesn’t include Calder-hopeful Clayton Keller or many of their other 21-and-under starters, but the rest of the roster may as well be up for grabs. The big off-season acquisitions of Derek Stepan, Antti Raanta, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Jason Demers have done nothing to change this team’s ability to win hockey games. At some point, GM John Chayka is going to go from “up-and-coming” to “up-and-went” and that pressure could force him to make some major moves as he rethinks his rebuild. While impending UFA’s like Raanta, Brad Richardson, and Luke Schenn would be the easiest pieces to move, the stakes are high for a Coyotes team whose core has done next to nothing for years and key pieces like Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Max Domi, Anthony Duclair, and Tobias Rieder could soon be on their way out.
  • Perhaps the only team more disappointing than Arizona in 2017-18 is the farthest team from them across North America: the Montreal Canadiens. Under new head coach Claude Julien, the Habs have fallen apart. However, the newly-signed coach isn’t going anywhere, putting GM Marc Bergevin, who Garrioch calls ” the NHL’s most active GM”, on the hot seat. Bergevin may be willing to make a big move to save his job, and of course the first name that comes to mind is young forward Alex Galchenyuk, who has predictably struggled under the defense-first Julien. Galchenyuk seems lost in Montreal, without an identifiable position, role, or spot in the lineup, and could use a change of scenery. However, he is not wholly to blame for the Canadiens’ struggles. Tomas Plekanec has long been on the block and if the team truly commits to a rebuild, big names like Max Pacioretty, Shea Weber, and (if anyone is willing to take on his monstrous new contract) even Carey Price could soon join the list.
  • Garrioch mentions both the Winnipeg Jets and New York Islanders as possible sellers, but given the surprising success of both clubs thus far, neither is likely rushing to trade pieces away unless they can make their teams better this season. Impending Jets UFA’s Shawn Matthias and Matt Hendricks may draw interest, but if Winnipeg is in playoff position come deadline time, they would want veteran depth for themselves. It seems more likely that GM Kevin Cheveldayoff could use his overflow of young forwards like Marko Dano, Joel Armia, Andrew Copp, Adam Lowry, or Brandon Tanev as trade bait to bring in another top-six forward for a team that doesn’t shoot the puck nearly enough. As for the Islanders, Garrioch singles out first-time UFA Calvin de Haan as the player to watch. Yet, de Haan is one of, if not the best shot-blocker in the NHL, can play major minutes, and is reliable in both ends. If the Isles can resign him, wouldn’t they? Obviously, John Tavares is the main focus and the team thinks highly of younger options like Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock, but the loss of a player like de Haan, especially with Travis Hamonic now in Calgary, could cripple a playoff-bound Islanders squad. Odds are de Haan sticks around, at least as long as New York remains playoff-bound.
  • So who’s looking? Garrioch mentions the Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames, Columbus Blue Jackets, and the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins as suitors for forward help, with the Dallas Stars potentially looking to make another big blue line trade to turn their season around. With that many buyers and several disappointed sellers, the trade NHL trade market may not wait until 2018 to heat up.

Poll: Who Is The (Second) Best Team In The East?

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The 2017-18 NHL season has not gone to plan. Ask any prognosticator from the preseason where their projected standings compare to those today and you’ll get grim looks and uninterested shrugs. The Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild and Montreal Canadiens are all far underachieving, while Vegas, Detroit, Winnipeg, Los Angeles and New Jersey are all showing that they shouldn’t be counted out so soon.

Tampa Bay of course, leads the entire league with 32 points and a whopping +28 goal differential through 20 games. Their dominance this year has led to just three regulation losses, and two early favorites for the Hart Trophy (three, if you think Andrei Vasilevskiy has a shot). Right now most would call them the class of the Eastern Conference, and who would disagree? With the best line in hockey, a stud defenseman entering his prime and an up-and-coming Vezina candidate they’re poised to compete for the Stanley Cup for at least the next few years.

But who does that leave in the second slot? Several teams have claims to stake on the silver podium, but each have their warts. Toronto had a struggling goaltender through the first month of the season, while Columbus can’t get their powerplay working properly. The Penguins have been blown out several times while the Devils have won just three of their last nine games.

Vote below on who you think is the second best team in the east, and make sure to leave a comment if you disagree with the original premise of Tampa Bay as the class of the conference. We’ve included all of the teams within 10 points of the Lightning.

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Snapshots: OHL, Sedlak, Gudbranson, Gaborik

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The Ontario Hockey League has always been one of the premiere talent factories for the NHL, churning out elite prospects every season. Like every year, the talented folks over at OHL Prospects have put together a consensus ranking of the 2018 draft eligible players, with contributions from various scouting gurus like Mike Morreale (NHL.com), Scott Wheeler (The Athletic) and Dan Stewart (Future Considerations).

In this ranking of OHL prospects—like any other you’ll find—Andrei Svechnikov tops the list. He was first on all 22 contributing scouts’ lists, with several implying that he could jump right to the NHL already. Svechnikov had 14 points in 10 games for the Barrie Colts before injuring his hand, should return to the lineup at some point in mid-to-late December. He’s a near lock to go in the top three selections next June.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated Lukas Sedlak from injured reserve, giving them some more depth at center. The Blue Jackets have used Nick Foligno in the middle for much of this season, but could move him back to the wing where he is much more experienced now that they have another healthy body. The team could still obviously use another center, but have several options with how to deploy their lineup.
  • Jason Brough of TSN has heard that the Florida Panthers have at least some interest still in Erik Gudbranson, even though we had previously heard otherwise. Brough also reports that “a few other teams” have interest in the Vancouver Canucks’ defenseman which would mesh with the report that the Toronto Maple Leafs have poked around. Gudbranson will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
  • Marian Gaborik is nearing a return for the Los Angeles Kings, and head coach John Stevens spoke with Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider on the progression of the 35-year old sniper. The Kings continue to lead the Pacific Division, and it will be interesting to see if Gaborik can find a role on the team after several years of sub-par performance.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Bouwmeester, Eichel, Backes, Borowiecki

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The NHL announced their “Three Stars” of the week ending on Nov. 19, with Carolina Hurricane’s Teuvo Teravainen taking top honors after a week in which he led the NHL with five goals and 10 assists in four games. The 23-year-old forward posted his first NHL hat trick against the Dallas Stars on Nov. 13, then had two assists on Nov. 16 against the New York Islanders. He had one assist against the Buffalo Sabres two days later before putting up two goals and another assist against the Islanders Sunday.

Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen and Colorado Avalanche’s center Nathan MacKinnon each received the second and third stars of the week, respectively. Andersen was perfect in two starts for Toronto, stopping 75 shots and helping Toronto to a six-game winning streak, while MacKinnon scored two goals and had five assists in the team’s two wins. The 22-year-old had career highs with four assists and five points in the team’s victory over the Washington Capitals on Nov. 16.

  • St. Louis Blues head coach Mike Yeo said the plan is to take defenseman Jay Bouwmeester off injured reserve today and is expected to return to the lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas. The 34-year-old blueliner has not played yet this year due to an ankle fracture, but should provide a big boost to the team’s penalty killing unit immediately. Thomas also notes that Patrik Berglund will not play versus Edmonton on Tuesday, but is inching closer to a return to the ice after missing the entire season so far after undergoing shoulder surgery.
  • Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel looks to have been demoted to the team’s third line at Monday’s practice ahead of their game tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets, according to Amy Moritz of The Buffalo News. Head coach Phil Housley placed him with Zemgus Girgensons and Jason Pominville. “We’re obviously trying to get things going and switch things up so we’ll see tonight,” Eichel said of the new line combinations. “No message. It’s part of the game.”
  • Steven Harris of the Boston Herald writes that just three weeks removed after having part of his colon removed, Boston Bruins’ David Backes returned to practice today in a non-contact sweater. Despite an eight-week prognosis, Backes was skating, shooting and handling pucks. “The doc’s advice (was), if it doesn’t hurt, I can continue to progress and add more workload on,” said Backes. “I haven’t been notified that the timeline has changed at all. So I’m just going to keep putting in the work.”
  • Edmonton Sun’s Ken Warren reported that Ottawa Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki will return to Ottawa after sustaining a viscous hit Sunday from New York Rangers defenseman Brandon Smith that left the Senators’ blueliner momentarily unconscious after he hit the boards. He will be further evaluated once he returns to Ottawa, and could miss significant time as coach Guy Boucher referred to the injury as a concussion.

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