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Columbus Signs Zac Dalpe, Dean Kukan To Two-Way Deals

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Moments after announcing a two-year extension for Joonas Korpisalo, the Blue Jackets also revealed that they have signed Zac Dalpe to a two-year, two-way contract, and Dean Kukan to a one-year, two-way deal. No financials have been released so far. Dalpe would have been an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, while Kukan was eligible for arbitration for the first time in his career.

The Blue Jackets are doing some spring cleaning in terms of contract decisions, bringing back key members of their AHL squad. Dalpe, acquired off waivers in February from the Minnesota Wild, showed his dominance at the minor league level down the stretch with 15 points in 20 games for the Monsters. The former second-round pick has only played in 128 NHL games, registering 24 points. Though he has a bunch of offensive upside, he just hasn’t been able to crack an NHL lineup with any sort of consistency and at 27 is running out of time. He’s solid depth for the club should injuries strike, but is more likely to spend the year with Cleveland.

Kukan on the other hand is an undrafted defenseman out of Swizterland who impressed this season at the AHL. Since showing his ability in the SHL as a teenager, Kukan has developed into a solid two-way defender that could find his way onto an NHL roster at some point. Just 23-years old (soon to turn 24), he led the defense in scoring for the Monsters with 29 points in 72 games and logged a ton of ice time. He’s competed at the World Championships several times for Switzerland, including the most recent one when he anchored the team’s second pair.

Joonas Korpisalo Inks Two-Year Extension With Columbus Blue Jackets

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to a two-year extension that will pay him $700K this season and $1.1MM in 2018-19. That makes the average annual value and cap-hit just $900K. The deal is one-way. The 23-year old was set to become a restricted free agent this summer. Joonas Korpisalo

Korpisalo made 13 starts for the Blue Jackets this year as he bounced back and forth along with Anton Forsberg between leagues. The young netminder went 7-5-1 with a .905 save percentage in the NHL, recording one shutout and showing that he may be ready for an increased role next season. A year prior he’d performed extremely when thrust into the starter’s net, posting a .920 save percentage in 30 starts. Because he is a solid young goaltending prospect, their has been speculation that the Vegas Golden Knights would select him in the expansion draft, and this deal doesn’t necessarily prevent that.

Assuming the Blue Jackets use their goaltending protection slot on Sergei Bobrovsky, the team needed to qualify or sign one of their three restricted free agent goaltenders prior to the draft in order to fulfill the exposure requirements. A deal was never in doubt between them and Korpisalo as he did not have arbitration rights or any real leverage, meaning this deal easily covers the requirements. The team also has several other key players who could be exposed, leaving many options for the Golden Knights.

To get him locked up under $1MM for the next couple years is a solid deal for the Blue Jackets, as they decide whether he’s destined for a starting role or will settle into the backup spot for the next part of his career. With Bobrovsky’s contract expiring in two seasons, the team will be able to make a long-term commitment to one of their young goaltenders at that point if they’re showing the promise that they’ve flashed at times. Bobrovsky, earning over $7.4MM each season doesn’t allow the Blue Jackets much cap-space to spend on a backup goaltender.

Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch provided the financial details. 

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Gregory Campbell Retires, Joins Columbus Coaching Staff

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After spending this season without a team, Gregory Campbell has accepted his retirement and will join the Columbus Blue Jackets as an assistant player development coach according to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch. The 33-year old veteran center lost his role with the Blue Jackets last fall, and after refusing a minor-league assignment, would see his contract terminated. It was somewhat surprising that no one took a chance on the veteran, as he’d been a regular in an NHL lineup for more than a decade.

In 803 career games, Campbell scored 116 points but was relied on as a solid defensive presence and contributor to the 2011 Boston Bruins Stanley Cup. His career-high in points came with Florida when he scored 32, also the year he saw the most ice time. Drafted in the third round, he made quite a nice career for himself and has now joined the development team in order to usher in the next wave of Blue Jackets prospects.

Campbell’s father Colin is the Executive Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations for the NHL, and has been with the league in some capacity for nearly twenty years. Though there is no clear path for the younger Campbell to follow in this way, there is surely a future for him in the hockey world somewhere if he wants to stay.

Derick Brassard, Brandon Dubinsky Require Surgery

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Tuesday June 6th: Brassard underwent successful labrum surgery and started in on his four to five month recovery time. While GM Pierre Dorion announced that the Senators “remain hopeful that [Brassard] will be ready for the start of the 2017-18 regular season” it’s now almost exactly four months to opening night, meaning Brassard will at least miss all of training camp.

Tuesday May 30th: Two more forwards have been revealed to have serious injuries, as both Derick Brassard of the Senators and Brandon Dubinsky of the Blue Jackets will be out several months. According to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia, Brassard will undergo surgery to repair a torn labrum and faces a four to five month recovery, while Dubinsky has already had wrist surgery and will be out for three months. Derick Brassard

Obviously the news is worse for Brassard, whose timeline will likely cause him to miss at least all of training camp if not the start of the 2017-18 regular season. After being traded from the New York Rangers last summer, Brassard’s offensive production took a step back under notoriously defensive-minded head coach Guy Boucher. With only 39 points in 81 games, Brassard nevertheless put up an excellent possession season as the Senators #2 center.

In the playoffs, Brassard stepped up his game and scored 11 points in 19 games, tied for second on the team among forwards. He currently has just two seasons remaining on his current deal before hitting unrestricted free agency, making any loss of time next season even more painful for the Senators.

For Dubinsky, it will mean a summer nursing his wrist back to full health and trying to get ready in time for training camp. The 31-year old forward had another solid season with 41 points, and once again led the team with 248 hits. His physical style is exactly what the Blue Jackets have modeled their structure after, trying to beat up opponents with four lines of heavy bodies chasing pucks in the offensive zone. He was also the Blue Jackets’ best faceoff man, winning 51.7% of his draws this season. It will be interesting to see how he reacts in the circle next season, as wrist injuries often affect a center’s faceoff ability.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

What Market Will Markov Attract?

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The market for Andrei Markov could be lukewarm or quite heated, and no one really seems to know which. Canadiens’ GM Marc Bergevin has been tight-lipped about his impending free agents, but it’s fair to assume he’ll have some interest in re-signing the Russian defender. That said, the cap situation for Montreal is not simple, and re-signing the dynamic unrestricted free-agent Alexander Radulov will likely take priority. The Habs also need to negotiate a contract with RFA Alex Galchenyuk, attempt to dump Tomas Plekanec’s salary, survive the expansion draft, and round out their forward corps. With Jordie Benn and Jeff Petry already looking to assume larger roles next season, Markov could easily slip through the cracks.

The 38 year-old earned a hefty $5.75 MM last season, but had reasonable production with 6 goals and 30 assists. His advanced possession numbers tell a tale, however, as he took a massive leap forward from the previous season, hitting a solid 54.0% Corsi For. His ice-time saw a slight drop (2:00 less per game), but he’s still seeing top-four minutes. Markov moves the puck well and is a power-play guru with a hard, accurate shot. He’s been the assistant captain on the Canadiens for many years and has never played in a different NHL city, but he could command a sizable final contract in this year’s complete drought of top-end players. If there ever were a time to cash in, this off-season could be it.

On the free-agent market, only Kevin Shattenkirk clearly outclasses Markov in terms of raw offensive ability from the blueline. A team might want to take a risk on a struggling but younger Michael Del Zotto or Dimitry Kulikov, but ultimately, Markov is the proven commodity. Considering that Markov has never won a championship, one would assume that if he were to leave the province of Quebec, it would be for a contender. There is no shortage of teams that could show interest. He could go to a perennial competitor on the cheap, such as the Blackhawks, or could opt for a squad like the Blue Jackets who are on the cusp of true contention. Where he lands is anyone’s guess at the moment,  but it’s fair to expect he will make a positive impact wherever he does.

Offseason Keys: Columbus Blue Jackets

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While the expansion draft is set to headline a busy NHL offseason, there are still several other storylines for each team in the months ahead. Here is a closer look at what lies ahead for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

What a difference a year can make.  After Columbus missed the playoffs in 2015-16, they were one of the top teams in the league in the regular season.  Unfortunately for them, they fell victim to the NHL’s playoff seeding that keeps the first two rounds inside the divisions so their reward for a top four finish league-wide was a date with Pittsburgh (the second overall team) in the first round.  They went down quickly to the Penguins which ended their year on a sour note.  GM Jarmo Kekalainen isn’t likely to make sweeping changes but here are some keys that he’s likely going to look to accomplish this summer.

Free Up Cap Room

The Blue Jackets have a little more than $70MM committed in payroll for next season per CapFriendly which doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room, especially with the salary cap not expected to rise by a significant amount.  It’s worth noting that David Clarkson will be eligible for LTIR once again which will allow them to exceed the cap by up to his $5.25MM cap hit but that alone probably won’t be enough to re-sign their free agents and add some pieces.  It was reported on Friday that Columbus is talking with Vegas in the hopes of getting them to pick the remaining three years of his contract.

Scott Hartnell’s $4.75MM deal is also cumbersome, especially with him primarily playing in a bottom six role.  However, he has a no-move clause and indicated back in training camp that he wasn’t willing to waive it; not only would that end hopes of a trade, it could also play a role in their expansion draft strategy.  Accordingly, he’s a candidate for a buyout which could give them a bit more room to work with; the cost against the cap for doing so would be $1.5MM next season, $3MM in 2018-19, and $1.25MM in the following two seasons.

The emergence of Zach Werenski plus having intriguing youngsters in Markus Nutivaara and Gabriel Carlsson might allow Kekalainen to move a blueliner.  The first one that would spring to mind is Jack Johnson who finds himself a year away from unrestricted free agency.  He’s capable of logging top four minutes and carries a cap hit of just over $4.35MM which should attract some interest around the league and unlike Hartnell, there isn’t any trade protection.  If one of those two players were to come off the books, the Jackets would find themselves in a lot more comfortable of a situation.

New Deal For Wennberg

After a strong sophomore season, Alexander Wennberg followed that up with an even better year in 2016-17, posting career highs across the board.  The timing couldn’t have been much better as his entry-level deal is expiring, setting him up for restricted free agency in July.

Unlike some teams, Columbus hasn’t hesitated to go the bridge route in recent years, doing so with players like Boone Jenner and Ryan Murray (although they were able to hand Seth Jones a six year deal off his rookie contract last summer too).  Part of the rationale for that was likely cap-motivated and their current situation could certainly play a factor in the decision here as well as a long-term deal would likely cost a minimum of $5MM per season.

Regardless of what route they take, Wennberg is set to get a significant raise from the $925K he earned this season (before performances bonuses).  He finished second on the team in scoring and is their top line center which is going to make this contract a top priority for Kekalainen.

Atkinson Extension

Cam Atkinson has been a fairly consistent scorer in recent years but he took his game to another level this past season, tallying a career best 35 goals.  As a result, he led the team in scoring and was one of the better bargains league-wide with a deal that pays him $3.5MM per season.  He is only a year away from unrestricted free agency though and is eligible to sign an extension at the beginning of July.

Nov 25, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Cam Atkinson (13) shoots against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the third period at Amalie Arena. Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY SportsIn a market where very few top scorers even make it to free agency, it’s likely that Kekalainen and Atkinson’s agent, George Bazos, will discuss a new deal at some point this summer.  With goal scoring at a premium at the moment, a long-term contract could hover around the $6-7MM per season range which would make the 27 year old the highest paid skater on the team.  (Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky carries the highest cap hit at $7.425MM.)

Given the fact that there’s another year left on his deal, this may not be at the top of the to-do list for the Blue Jackets but it wouldn’t be surprising to see them try to ink their top goal scorer before training camp gets underway.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Columbus Blue Jackets Trying To Deal David Clarkson Contract

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As the Vegas Golden Knights enter the league, another destination for bad contracts has appeared. Previously limited to places like Arizona and Toronto, the Golden Knights are likely to be involved in several transactions that help cap-troubled teams rid themselves of painful deals. Already it has been reported that Chicago may give up a young defenseman in order to move Marcus Kruger’s cap-hit, and Columbus may be in the same boat. On Sportsnet radio this morning, Elliotte Friedman mentioned that the Blue Jackets have been trying to get Vegas to take David Clarkson’s contract off their hands. David Clarkson

When he was acquired from the Maple Leafs in early 2015, Clarkson’s deal was already bad. He was in just the second year of a massive seven-year, $35.75MM deal and already looked a decade removed from the 30-goal performance (and subsequent 15-goal season in the lockout-shortened 2012-13) that had earned it. The reason Columbus was interested in all, is the fact that they could send Nathan Horton’s equally bad contract back, seeing as how he would never play hockey again. Horton had a degenerative back injury that would force him to retire, and his contract wasn’t insured. The prevailing thought at the time was “at least Clarkson is a healthy body that can play some games for us.”

Now, two years later, Clarkson is also retired due to injury but remains a dark stain on the Blue Jackets’ cap structure. Though he’ll sit on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) for the three remaining years and his contract is insured, giving the Blue Jackets some financial relief, it still impacts what the team can do in the offseason. Injured players can’t be placed on LTIR until the season begins, meaning they have $5.25MM less room each summer in which to work. Also, though LTIR allows you to go over the salary cap any performance bonuses by entry-level players would be pushed to the next season like they will in Toronto this year.

If the cap were to remain flat this summer, the Blue Jackets would have just under $3MM to spend even though Alexander Wennberg and Josh Anderson (among others) need new deals as restricted free agents. Though you can go up to 10% over the cap at any point, it needs to be in order by the last day of training camp. Moving out Clarkson’s contract would seem imperative, and as Friedman says the Blue Jackets have been trying to figure out what “sweetener” can they put in to make it palatable for Vegas. Again, Clarkson isn’t going to play this year or any other. He’s currently coaching high school hockey in Ohio. He’s not eligible for selection in the expansion draft, but that sweetener could come by Columbus exposing someone or something unexpected.

These are the ways Vegas will make their team competitive, not just selecting the aging-veterans or underperforming youngsters available in the draft. Their power comes in the idea of a blank ledger, one they can twist to their advantage over the coming months.

Exclusive Negotiating Rights Of 33 Players Expire

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The deadline for signing draft picks has come and gone, and unless more deals come in after the fact, 33 players will see their exclusive negotiating rights expire. With it they will either re-enter the 2017 draft for the final time or become free agents, depending on their age. None of the selections were made any higher than the fourth round, though even that is an unfortunate loss for a team hoping to hit a late-round stud. Below is the full list of players:

Buffalo Sabres

Giorgio Estephan (6th round, 2015)
Gustav Possler (5th round, 2013)

Calgary Flames

Riley Bruce (7th round, 2015)

Chicago Blackhawks

Roy Radke (6th round, 2015)

Colorado Avalanche

Wilhelm Westlund (7th round, 2013)

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Columbus Will Give Pick #55 To Vancouver For John Tortorella

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The Columbus Blue Jackets had a choice on whether to give the Vancouver Canucks a second-round pick in this year’s draft or next for compensation after hiring John Tortorella while he was still under contract, and they’ve decided on the former. The team will send the 55th-overall selection to the Canucks this season.

Tortorella of course was fired in 2014 after a particularly explosive season with the Canucks, only to be hired by the Blue Jackets to replace Todd Richards after a brutal start to the 2015-16 season. He saw improvement that season and then led the Blue Jackets to an impressive 50-24-8 record this year and a playoff berth for the first time in several seasons. He is even up for the Jack Adams award for Coach of the Year, an award he won in 2004 with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Though the compensation rules no longer exist, since the hiring was done before the change the Blue Jackets still owed a selection. The pick will be Vancouver’s third in the first two rounds, to go along with #5 and #33.

It’s a hefty price to pay for a coach, but one the Blue Jackets will gladly pay after the season they had. Tortorella led the team to an impressive 32-point improvement over 2015-16 and seems to still have the ear of his players (something that he’s had trouble with in the past). The Canucks will happily take the pick as they start their rebuild, especially since #55 has turned into some good players in the past. Dmitry Orlov, Adam McQuaid, Marco Scandella, Jason Pominville and Antoine Vermette were all selected 55th overall, and the Canucks have a good chance at finding a real prospect.

Matthew Sekeres of TSN was first to break the news on Twitter.

Columbus Blue Jackets Looking For A “Sniper”

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As the Columbus Blue Jackets reflect on their tremendous season and where to go from here, GM Jarmo Kekalainen told Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman that there is a clear need on his squad: “a sniper in the key moments.” While the Blue Jackets did have 35-goal man Cam Atkinson along with two other 20-goal scorers in Nick Foligno and Brandon Saad, Kekalainen will look at all options to try to give his team another scoring punch. Friedman says the conversation turned to shooting percentages, something that the Blue Jackets actually performed quite well in this season despite what the GM had to say. Cam Atkinson

Columbus finished with a team shooting percentage of 9.7%, good enough for seventh in the league. The leader, Washington, finished with a 10.5% rate. Atkinson led the team at 14.6%, several points higher than his career average up to this point, while Boone Jenner scored 18 goals with a 8.5% rate, nearly five points lower than the 13.3% that took him to 30 goals last season. Does Columbus really need a “sniper”? Or could a rebound from Jenner and William Karlsson, who shot just 6.3% help them cover any regression that may happen to Atkinson.

On the open market this summer, T.J. Oshie would seem to fit the category after an incredible 23.1% shooting percentage this season. Even before that he had an above-average rate of 12.2% for his career. Alexander Radulov has a near-elite number of 14.5% for his career even it did come down a bit this season. Either of these players would be considered huge (and unlikely) goal-scoring additions for the Blue Jackets, even though Radulov is more of a playmaker in style.

There is also Pierre-Luc Dubois, the 2016 third-overall pick who overcame a dreadful start to post a respectable season in the QMJHL. A mid-season trade from Cape Breton saw Dubois’ point production and shooting percentage skyrocket, scoring 15 goals in the final 28 games and adding another 9 in the playoffs for Blainville-Boisbriand. If Dubois makes the Blue Jackets out of camp, he has all the skills to be a goal-scoring threat at the next level. As does youngster Oliver Bjorkstrand, who Kekalainen mentioned by name to Friedman. The young forward scored six goals in his NHL stint this season, but has a proven track record of putting the puck in the net. Scoring 113 goals in his final two years of junior hockey, Bjorkstrand has put up 41 in 105 career AHL games to this point (including playoffs).

However they find it, and increase in goal production for one of the best teams in the NHL this year is a scary thought for the rest of the Eastern Conference. After putting up 249 tallies (good for sixth-most in the league), the team has one of the deepest forward groups in the league, but lacks any real superstar. If Atkinson or someone else can take that next step it might not be a first-round exit in 2017-18.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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