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Blue Jackets Recall James Malatesta

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The Blue Jackets have called up forward prospect James Malatesta for the first time this season, according to a team announcement. It’s unclear if he’ll play in tomorrow’s game against the Devils, or if he’ll be an extra forward while Justin Danforth remains out with a lower-body injury. Columbus has an open spot on the active roster, so no corresponding transaction is needed.

Malatesta, 21, was the 133rd overall pick of the 2021 draft out of the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts. He entered the 2024-25 season ranked 11th among Blue Jackets prospects at McKeen’s Hockey, and 13th according to The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler. The undersized (5’9″, 190 lbs) yet feisty forward can play both left wing and center, although he only played the former during his 11-game call-up to Columbus last season. Through 25 games on the farm with AHL Cleveland this year, the former QMJHL Playoffs MVP has six goals and 12 points with 25 PIMs and a -4 rating.

The Montreal native didn’t look entirely out of place in his call-up last season. He notched his first four NHL points – two goals, two assists – and averaged 10:13 per game while recording 41 hits. He shot a somewhat sustainable 16.7%, although Columbus was out-attempted 116-78 with him on the ice at even strength. Last year was his first in the pros, though, so it was a quicker jump to the game’s highest level than most expected for Malatesta.

Malatesta still has another year remaining after this one on his entry-level contract and won’t be able to test restricted free agency until 2026. He remains waiver-exempt and will stay as such through the 2026-27 season unless he achieves 160 career NHL appearances before then.

Blue Jackets Notes: Fabbro, Johnson, Chinakhov, Greaves

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The Columbus Blue Jackets received a series of injury and roster updates on Wednesday, headlined by an update on defenseman Dante Fabbro’s injury. Fabbro left Columbus’ Tuesday loss to Tampa Bay in the second period, after receiving a scary knee-to-knee hit from Lightning rookie Conor Geekie. But Fabbro has avoided the worst possible outcome, nursing more of a charley horse than a bad knee injury per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. Fabbro was not available for Columbus’ optional Wednesday practice.

Fabbro will be working to maintain his hot streak in Columbus if he does play. He has seven points, 16 penalty minutes, and a +11 in 18 games since the Blue Jackets claimed him off waivers in November. It’s been a 180-degree turnaround from his start to the season with Nashville, which saw Fabbro record no scoring, no penalties, and a -3 through six games. The 2016 17th-overall pick has been a fixture of the Predators’ lineup since turning pro at the end of the 2018-19 season, establishing a confident role on the team’s second pair. But he never seemed to favor either zone, with low-scoring totals complemented by negative plus-minuses and poor advanced stats. He ultimately totaled just 72 points in 315 games, and seven seasons, with the Predators. 24 points in 66 games of the 2021-22 campaign stand as his career-high in scoring. But Fabbro could surpass that mark this year, with his hot start in Columbus putting him on pace for 26 points – even despite no scoring in Nashville. That pace would require he play in all 50 games remaining on the Blue Jackets’ schedule, though – a mission that will start by returning from this lower-body injury.

Other notes out of Ohio:

  • Veteran defenseman Jack Johnson will join Fabbro as questionable for Wednesday night’s game per Portzline. Johnson took a stick to the eye in Sunday’s match against Carolina and is scheduled to see an eye doctor in Columbus on Wednesday. He has rotated out of Columbus third pairing, averaging 13:32 in ice time and recording just one assist in 18 games this season. With both Fabbro and Johnson both questionable, Portzline adds that Columbus is likely to recall a defenseman from the minors ahead of Thursday’s game. That could be the opportunity for top prospects Denton Mateychuk or Stanislav Svozil to earn their jump to the top flight. Mateychuk has 23 points in 25 AHL games this season, while Svozil has 13 in 22 games.
  • Forward Yegor Chinakhov was on the ice for Wednesday’s optional skate shares NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda. It’s Chinakhov’s first time skating since suffering an upper-body injury on November 27th. He has since missed Columbus’ last 11 games and was placed on injured reserve on December 11th. Chinakhov is having a strong year outside of the injuries, with 14 points – split evenly – through 21 games this season. He ranks in the top five of scoring among Blue Jackets forwards, despite averaging the least amount of ice time of anyone above him. Chinakhov is also hitting more and blocking more shots, with his 2024-25 numbers (32 hits, 10 blocks) already narrowing in on his totals from 53 games of 2023-24 (43 hits, 28 blocks). He’ll quickly slot back into Columbus’ middle-six when he returns to full health – a path that started with a return to the ice today.
  • Finally, Columbus has loaned goaltender Jet Greaves back to the AHL. Greaves was recalled on December 11th and stepped into three games, but posted a measly 0-1-2 record and .895 save percentage. He’ll now return to the minors, where he’s already managed an 8-4-2 record and .902 save percentage in 15 appearances. Greaves’ assignment will leave Elvis Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov as the sole pair in Columbus’ goaltending room.

Ivan Provorov, Blue Jackets May Turn Toward Extension

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In his latest rendition of ’NHL Rumblings’ (Subscription Article), Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic touched on several topics including the future of Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman, Ivan Provorov. Provorov is in the final year of a six-year, $40.5MM contract and is believed to be a top trade chip heading into deadline season.

There is some growing belief in Columbus that the Blue Jackets and Provorov may opt to turn toward extension talks rather than a trade. This does not indicate that the Blue Jackets wouldn’t receive adequate value for Provorov in any hypothetical trade but simply that he is content with the city and the organization.

The Yaroslavl, Russia native will have family in the area should he continue his relationship with the Blue Jackets organization. Provorov’s younger brother, Vladimir Provorov, recently committed to The Ohio State University and will begin play there during the 2027-28 NCAA season.

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Evening Notes: Maple Leafs, Johnson, Trouba

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are believed to be searching for another center (as per The Fourth Period). General manager Brad Treliving has been hoping to upgrade the second-line center position for some time now and is looking at potential options to do so. With the holiday trade freeze set to start on Friday, it doesn’t appear likely that a deal will be made in 2024, but Toronto is searching the market for a potential fit. Any move that they make will require a lot of creativity as Toronto doesn’t have a first-round pick this year, although they do hold their second and third-rounders.

Toronto may just have to wait until closer to the NHL trade deadline to make a deal happen as they will have just under $2.3MM available to them at that time (as per PuckPedia). The Maple Leafs could potentially look at a player like Brock Nelson of the New York Islanders, who is in the final year of his deal and is making $6MM. Toronto would need New York to retain on a deal and take a salary back, but those are the types of transactions Treliving could target.

In other evening notes:

  • Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson left today’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes with an upper-body injury and did not return (Twitter Link). The 37-year-old took a stick to the face from Hurricanes forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi in the first period and did not return at the start of the second period. Kotkaniemi was assessed a four-minute double minor on the play. Johnson has dressed in 17 games this season, averaging just over 14 minutes of ice time per game and tallying one assist.
  • Aaron Portzline of The Athletic spoke with Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jacob Trouba about his recent trade and why he declined to facilitate a trade to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Trouba was dealt by the New York Rangers to Anaheim, but had other suitors, including Columbus. Trouba told Portzline that there were no issues with Columbus, but he felt Anaheim would be a better fit for him and his wife, as well as her career as a doctor.

Greaves And Pyyhtia Recalled

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  • After being papered down on Thursday, the Blue Jackets have recalled goaltender Jet Greaves and winger Mikael Pyyhtia, per the AHL’s transactions log. Greaves made his 2024-25 Columbus debut on Thursday against Washington, making 35 saves on 37 shots in a losing effort.  He has a 3.02 GAA and a .902 SV% in 15 appearances with the Monsters.  As for Pyyhtia, the 22-year-old has played in 19 games with the Blue Jackets so far, collecting a goal and an assist while averaging 13:33 per night of playing time.

Blue Jackets Sign Luca Marrelli To Entry-Level Contract

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The Blue Jackets announced that they’ve signed defense prospect Luca Marrelli to a three-year entry-level contract. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Columbus brought Marrelli into the organization with the 86th overall pick in this year’s draft. The 19-year-old 6’2″ righty was one of the older players available thanks to his early October birthday, so he’s already in his fourth season of major junior hockey.

The Toronto native is having a great season with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals, ranking second on the team in scoring behind 2024 third-overall selection Beckett Sennecke with 40 points (14 G, 26 A) in just 30 games with a +16 rating. Marrelli, touted as a two-way threat on the blue line, had 57 points in 67 games last year.

He was largely a consensus top-100 pick, although some, such as TSN’s Craig Button, opined he was more of a second-round talent than the third-round one he ended up being. Elite Prospects called the Toronto native a “high-activity defenseman” who “[locks] down every attacker who enters his space.”

Thanks to that early birthday, Marrelli will be eligible to make the jump from the CHL to the AHL starting next season instead of needing to wait two years like most CHLers. Marrelli’s ELC will slide to the 2025-26 campaign as he won’t play in 10 NHL contests this year, so he won’t be able to test restricted free agency until 2028 at the earliest.

Marrelli’s deal won’t count against the 50-contract limit for now since it’s slide-eligible for this year. That means the Jackets still have four open slots, per PuckPedia.

Blue Jackets Place Yegor Chinakhov On IR, Recall Jet Greaves

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The Blue Jackets announced Wednesday that they’ve placed winger Yegor Chinakhov on injured reserve and used his roster spot to recall goaltender Jet Greaves from AHL Cleveland.

Chinakhov, 23, has already been out with an upper-body injury since Nov. 27. Since he’s missed well over seven days, he can come off IR at any time.

Columbus head coach Dean Evason told reporters Tuesday that Chinakhov is “progressing” in his recovery but isn’t yet close to a return. It’s been an unwelcome absence for the Jackets and the 2020 first-round pick, who had seven goals and seven assists for 14 points through his first 21 games.

Chinakhov has been part of one of hockey’s most unexpectedly dominant lines so far this season. In over 120 minutes of skating as Columbus’ first-line left wing alongside Sean Monahan and Kirill Marchenko, the trio has controlled 64.9% of expected goals – third-best out of 46 units with at least 120 minutes together, per MoneyPuck.

The Russian winger is now in his fourth NHL season, averaging a career-high 17:01 per game in 2024-25. Evason has shuffled his lines frequently this season, but even more so in Chinakhov’s absence. In recent games, veteran pickup James van Riemsdyk has skated in a top-line role.

Using his roster spot to recall a goalie suggests an injury or illness looming that could sideline one of Elvis Merzļikins or Daniil Tarasov against the Capitals tomorrow. However, both were present alongside Greaves at today’s practice, the team’s Jeff Svoboda reports, so the motivation behind the latter’s recall remains unclear.

Greaves has already been recalled twice this season and has dressed for three games but hasn’t played in any of them. The 23-year-old’s only action in 2024-25 has come with Cleveland, where he has a career-worst 3.21 GAA, .902 SV%, one shutout, and an 8-4-2 record in 15 appearances.

An undrafted free agent signing by Cleveland out of the OHL’s Barrie Colts in 2021, Greaves has been solid in third-string action the past two seasons with a 3.44 GAA and .912 SV% in 10 NHL appearances. He has a 3-7-0 record and has a .784 SV% on high-danger scoring chances.

Greaves still has one season remaining before he becomes waivers-eligible, so there’s no risk of losing him on the wire at any point this season as they shuffle him between leagues. The 6’0″ netminder inked a two-year, partial two-way deal worth a total of $1.63MM over the summer after spending nearly two weeks as a restricted free agent.

East Notes: Chinakhov, Duclair, Pelech, Kozak

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Columbus Blue Jackets winger Yegor Chinakhov has missed the team’s last six games with an upper-body injury, and doesn’t seem close to a return. Head coach Dean Evason told NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda that Chinakhov is “progressing, for sure” but that he hasn’t yet returned to skating, making a return to the lineup hard to predict.

Chinakhov has 14 points, split evenly, through 21 games this season. He’s playing the best hockey of his career – scoring at a career-high pace, recording a positive +/- for the first time, and working his way into 17 minutes of average ice time each game. They’re all very positive signs of life for the 23-year-old winger, who’s bettering the 16 goals and 29 points in 53 games last season: an 82-game pace of 45 points. Improving on those numbers is helping Chinakhov justify his 21st-overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft – a shocking pick at the time, despite Chinakhov was one of Russia’s top junior scorers entering the draft. He made the jump to the NHL less than two years later and has since recorded 70 points and 34 penalty minutes in 166 career games. He’ll look to continue producing when he’s finally able to return to the lineup, though Evason suggests he’ll have to hit multiple checkpoints before that occurs.

Other notes from out East:

  • Both Anthony Duclair (lower-body) and Adam Pelech (upper-body) returned to the New York Islanders practices today, each wearing a no-contact jersey, shares Newsday’s Andrew Gross. It’s a timely step for both players, who were designated to miss one-to-two months in late October and early November respectively. Duclair landed on long-term injured reserve on October 26th, while Pelech was placed on standard IR on November 2nd. Duclair scored two goals and three points in five games before falling to injury, looking like a stout addition to New York’s top-six. Meanwhile, Pelech’s spot on the top pair likely remains unrivaled. He’s averaged north of 20 minutes of ice time through 11 games this season, recording four assists along the way. The duo are pacing to return to the lineup before the holiday break, though it’s yet to be seen if that timeline will actually come to fruition.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have sent young winger Tyson Kozak back to the minor leagues. It’s unclear if this is a means of accruing daily cap space before Wednesday’s matchup against the Rangers, or if Kozak’s assignment is expected to stick. Kozak received the first three NHL games of his career on this recall. He scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game – but it got called back after a coach’s challenge from Jets head coach Scott Arniel. Not to be denied, Kozak managed to score again in his second game – this time cementing his first goal at the top flight. He served in a fourth-line role throughout his recall, and could be at risk of formally losing an NHL spot with the return of Jordan Greenway and Sam Lafferty from injury.

Morning Notes: Provorov, Kucherov, Dahlin

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Aaron Portzline of The Athletic writes that Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov could play tonight when the team takes on the Winnipeg Jets. Provorov left Friday night’s game against the Vancouver Canucks with what was called an upper-body injury, which was later revealed to be an injury to his thumb. Photos circulated online of the 27-year-old’s thumb, and it certainly looked painful, however, Portzline is hearing that it’s possible he could play.

Provorov is an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season and has two goals and seven assists in 26 games so far this year. He will likely become a trade candidate at some point later in the season as the Blue Jackets are unlikely to be a playoff team.

In other morning notes:

  • Tampa Bay Lightning star forward Nikita Kucherov could return to the lineup today when the team takes on the Canucks (as per NHL.com). The 31-year-old has missed two games due to an undisclosed injury and hasn’t played since November 29th. Tampa had a quiet week last week with just two games and would be fortunate if that is all the time the reigning Art Ross Trophy winner misses. Kucherov is having another stellar season with 12 goals and 22 assists in just 22 games.
  • Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin missed last night’s game against Utah due to back spasms (as per NHL.com). The 24-year-old missed Thursday night’s game against Winnipeg and only played a single shift in the third period of Tuesday night’s game against Colorado before he left. Dahlin dealt with a back issue during training camp in September and missed five days before rejoining the team for practice. Despite the issue, the former first-overall pick is still having a good season with six goals and 13 assists in 25 games.

Upper-Body Injury For Provorov

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It appears the Blue Jackets may be without a key defenseman for the foreseeable future.  Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch notes that Ivan Provorov left Friday’s game with an upper-body injury.  The injury occurred early in the second period when he dove for a puck with his hand hitting the boards; his thumb took the brunt of the impact.  There’s no word yet on how long he might miss.  Provorov has nine points in 26 games so far this season while logging over 23 minutes a night of playing time.  A pending unrestricted free agent, he’s widely expected to be a key trade chip for Columbus in the second half of the year as long as this injury doesn’t keep him out for an extended period of time.

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