Blue Jackets Unlikely To Extend Ivan Provorov Before Deadline
The Blue Jackets don’t expect to have an extension done for pending UFA defenseman Ivan Provorov – or any pending free agent on the roster, for that matter – before Friday’s trade deadline, general manager Don Waddell told Jeff Svoboda of NHL.com on Wednesday.
That doesn’t mean the 28-year-old will be available for trade, though. “If I rip a guy out of this locker room right now that’s playing a role for us on this hockey club, I think that’s pretty devastating to our team,” Waddell told Svoboda. “I think it’s the wrong message from my end to the fans, the coaches and the players.” It’ll take a gargantuan package for Columbus, now firmly entrenched as a conservative buyer, to consider parting ways with Provorov this week amid a tight wild-card race.
It also doesn’t mean Provorov will hit the open market on July 1. The organization will resume contract talks with him and other pending UFAs like Dante Fabbro and Sean Kuraly when their offseason begins, whenever that is. With $43MM in projected cap space for 2025-26 and only eight open roster spots, per PuckPedia, they shouldn’t have much of an issue matching market-value offers for players they’re interested in retaining.
Provorov surely has to be part of the group that Columbus will aggressively try to keep in the fold past this season, even if efforts to date haven’t gotten across the finish line. The Russian lefty has fit nicely with the Jackets since they acquired him from the Flyers two summers ago, especially this season. He’s not producing at the 40-point heights of his early career, but he has a respectable 7-21–28 scoring line through 61 games and is munching significant minutes, averaging 23:28 per game. He’s obviously not getting premier power-play deployment with Zach Werenski starring in that role, but he logs heavy PK usage for the Jackets.
His possession metrics, however, remain underwhelming as they did in his Philly days. While his plus-seven rating stands to be his best since the 2019-20 campaign, the Jackets have been outchanced 512-434 with Provorov on the ice at 5v5, per Natural Stat Trick. His 46.4 xGF% ranks just 16th on the club as well. He earns some benefit of the doubt for starting in primarily defensive minutes at even strength, but the 2015 first-rounder has never shown the ability to be a truly dominant possession force over his nine-year career.
He’s still averaged top-four and top-pair minutes throughout his career, though, and his utility high up in the lineup will get him paid accordingly. AFP Analytics projects an extension in Columbus to cost $6.4MM per season with a five-year term. Columbus would likely be comfortable offering that deal, but if Provorov feels he could garner significantly more on the open market, it’s understandable why his camp would hold off an agreement until he gets a better sense of comparables.
Blue Jackets Sign Mathieu Olivier To Six-Year Extension
March 5: It took slightly more than 24 hours, but Olivier’s extension in Columbus is done. It’s a six-year, $18MM deal with a $3MM cap hit, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports. It’s a slightly front-loaded contract with a base salary of $4MM in 2025-26 that drops to $2.4MM by the end of the deal in 2030-31, per Renaud Lavoie of TVA. The contract does not include any signing bonuses but has a 10-team no-trade clause, Lavoie adds.
March 3: The Blue Jackets are hoping to have an extension finalized with pending UFA winger Mathieu Olivier “in the next 24 hours or so,” general manager Don Waddell told Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. A team source tells Portzline that Olivier’s deal will be for at least four seasons.
Olivier isn’t the most notable of Columbus’ pending free agents, but he has been the topic of the most discussion in the last few weeks. Darren Dreger of TSN reported back in December that the two sides had opened negotiations, adding last week that talks were heating up.
Now in his third season with the Blue Jackets, the 28-year-old is flourishing. The first player in NHL history from Mississippi has set career-highs with 12 goals, 21 points, 99 PIMs, 76 shots, and 228 hits, all while seeing legitimate top-nine usage for the first time in his career.
Olivier’s professional career began with the Predators’ AHL affiliate in Milwaukee. They signed him to a minor-league deal after he went undrafted over five Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League seasons with the Moncton Wildcats, Shawinigan Cataractes, and Sherbrooke Phoenix. He posted a 4-8–12 stat line with 91 PIMs in 54 games in his rookie year, enough to earn him an entry-level deal with Nashville the following offseason.
The 6’1″, 226-lb righty bounced between Tennessee and Wisconsin over his two-year rookie deal, but he did see a more regular NHL role in 2020-21. He spent a tad bit of time on the taxi squad but made 30 appearances in an enforcer role for the Preds after spending most of 2019-20 back in the minors, entering the 2021 offseason with six points and 74 PIMs in 38 career NHL games.
That was enough to earn him a two-year, one-way deal for the league-minimum $750K annually. Unfortunately, it didn’t signal a full-time job on the NHL roster like a one-way contract would typically yield. He suited up just 10 times for Nashville in 2021-22, instead relegated to Milwaukee for most of the year. Columbus still liked what they saw in his previous NHL minutes, paying a fourth-round pick to Nashville to acquire him before the 2022 draft.
Olivier hasn’t seen the minors since. He was only a healthy scratch twice in his first season with the Jackets, although an illness and a lower-body injury still limited him to 66 contests. He posted 5-10–15 that year – more offense than he provided in the minors the year prior – and finished third on the team with 178 hits. That earned him a two-year, $2.2MM extension, which is now in its final season.
Now on pace for 16 goals and 29 points this year, he’s bound to more than double his previous $1.1MM AAV. One limiting factor will be a recent three-year, $7.5MM extension for Keegan Kolesar in Vegas – a player historically cast in a similar role with a longer track record of offensive success. Seeing his AAV climb much higher than Kolesar’s $2.5MM would be a surprise.
Once Olivier’s extension is finalized, 15 of the Blue Jackets’ 23 players on the active roster will be under contract through next season.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Columbus Blue Jackets Seeking Middle-Six Forward
- As the top wild-card team in the Eastern Conference, the Columbus Blue Jackets could be sneakily active leading up to the trade deadline. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period asserts the team is targeting a middle-six forward, albeit without specific names. Pagnotta mentioned the Blue Jackets were interested in Gustav Nyquist before he was traded to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday. Assuming Nyquist’s archetype is a reasonable mold to work from, Columbus is likely involved in several wingers on the rental market.
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Blue Jackets Activate Yegor Chinakhov
10:21 a.m.: The corresponding move for Chinakhov’s activation is an IR placement for Cole Sillinger, the team announced. General manager Don Waddell said late last week that the center is week-to-week with a shoulder injury.
9:58 a.m.: Columbus Blue Jackets winger Yegor Chinakhov is back to full health and set to be activated off of long-term injured reserve, head coach Dean Evason confirmed to NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda. Chinakhov has missed Columbus’ last 39 games with a back injury. It is believed to be the same injury that held Chinakhov out of 17 games at the end of last season and caused him discomfort during the team’s training camp. Chinakhov has since seen at least six different doctors about the injury, including one in Russia, and underwent a minor arthroscopic procedure per Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch. Now with 22 games left on the schedule, Chinakhov will get his shot to shed the nagging injury.
Chinakhov, 24, had a hot start to the season before he had to step aside. He scored 14 points, split evenly, through the first 21 games of the year and earned his way into hardy top-six minutes. That put him on pace for 55 points across a full 82 games, which would have shattered the career-high 29 points he scored in 53 games last year. He broke into the NHL very young and showed signs of serious growing pains before he found his footing in Columbus’ lineup. But Chinakhov is there now, posting improved scoring in each of the last three seasons despite dealing with this nagging back injury in the latter two. Columbus has posted an outstanding 4-0 record and 21-to-10 goal differential since returning from the 4-Nations Face-Off break. That standing should let them ease Chinakhov back into his roster spot while they continue their pursuit of a playoff bid.
The Blue Jackets will need to make a roster move to open space for Chinakhov’s return. That move will likely be sending forward Mikael Pyyhtia back to the minor leagues, with Svoboda confirming he’ll be out of the lineup on Tuesday night. Columbus used an emergency recall on Pyyhtia on February 28th, after assigning him to the minors earlier in the month. He played in 12 minutes of Columbus’ Saturday night win over Detroit, but didn’t manage any scoring. Pyyhtia has recorded seven points in 47 NHL games and six points in 10 AHL games on the season.
Metropolitan Notes: Olivier, Joseph, Hathaway
The Columbus Blue Jackets are closing in on an extension with forward Mathieu Olivier (as per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period). The 28-year-old is in his sixth season with Columbus and has set career highs in many statistical categories, registering 12 goals and nine assists in 60 games. While he will never be an analytical darling, Olivier has made his presence known this season, posting 228 hits and 66 blocked shots.
Olivier is in the second season of a two-year $2.2MM contract and was set to become a UFA on July 1st. He picked an excellent time to have a career year and will surely earn a raise on the $1.1MM he is making this season.
In other Metropolitan Division notes:
- Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph left yesterday’s game against the Boston Bruins with an upper-body injury (Twitter Link). The injury occurred when Bruins forward Mark Kastelic hit Joseph with a thunderous body check that sent the Penguins defender to the ice and ultimately out of the game. It was an unfortunate end to an eventful day for Joseph who had earlier laid a hit that sent Bruins forward Brad Marchand out of the game. It’s been a tough stretch this season for the 25-year-old who was dealt mid-season from St. Louis back to the Penguins for future considerations and has been exposed defensively for much of the time since his return.
- Philadelphia Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway was unavailable for last night’s game against the Winnipeg Jets due to an upper body injury (Twitter link). Hathaway last played on Thursday against Pittsburgh, and likely suffered the injury after taking a late hit from Penguins forward Boko Imama. Imama was assessed a minor penalty for interference on the play and Hathaway needed assistance to get off the ice. The 33-year-old Hathaway has eight goals and 10 assists in 60 games this season and has continued to provide a physical presence for the Flyers, handing out 218 hits.
Wild Recall David Jiricek, Reassign Two
The Minnesota Wild have recalled defenseman David Jiricek and reassigned forwards Marat Khusnutdinov and Liam Ohgren. The moves clear space for winger Gustav Nyquist, who Minnesota acquired from the Nashville Predators for a second-round pick on Saturday morning.
Jiricek’s recall comes after news that both Zach Bogosian and Jonas Brodin are banged up. Bogosian sat out of Minnesota’s Friday game with a lower-body injury, per NHL.com’s Joe Smith. Brodin played just 15:47 of the outing, and his availability remains up in the air per Michael Russo of The Athletic.
Jiricek will be the beneficiary of any open minutes, after he recorded his first point in seven AHL games on Friday. He’s struggled to find a consistent rut in the Wild organization, with two points in six NHL games and six points in 26 AHL games. The Wild acquired Jiricek from the Columbus Blue Jackets on November 30th, sending Daemon Hunt and three draft picks the other way. Jiricek is in his third season in North America, and his cold scoring has dragged through every year. He has 66 points in 114 career AHL games, and 13 points in 59 NHL games.
The Wild’s swap of forwards in this mix might not sway their scoring a ton. Ohgren and Khusnutdinov have combined for just four points across their last 10 games. Ohgren has often served as Minnesota’s extra forward, with just four points in 23 games this season. Khusnutdinov has served a hardier role as the fourth-line center, but has just seven points in 57 games. Nyquist has confidently outscored both youngster in his time with Nashville – netting 21 points in 57 games – but he’s managed just one assist in his last 10 NHL games.
Nyquist had a stint with the Wild during the 2022-23 season as well. He scored five points in three games on that stint, but an upper-body injury kept him from stepping into the lineup more before hitting unrestricted free agency. With these moves, Minnesota has carved out the lineup spot needed to give Nyquist a truer look this time around.
No Recent Extension Talks Between Blue Jackets And Provorov
While there’s believed to be mutual interest in a contract extension between the Blue Jackets and pending UFA defenseman Ivan Provorov, there hasn’t been much traction in discussions, reports Pierre LeBrun in a recent piece for The Athletic (subscription link). He adds that Columbus and Provorov’s camp exchanged offers back in January but they were not close to an agreement while it’s believed that they haven’t circled back on talks since then. Provorov was widely viewed as a prominent trade candidate heading into the season but with the Blue Jackets continuing to be in the mix for a playoff spot, it would be risky for them to move him now, even though they’d be running the risk of losing him for nothing this summer in free agency. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the two sides at least have a follow-up discussion about a possible new deal in the days leading up to Friday’s trade deadline.
Blue Jackets’ Cole Sillinger To Miss Time With Upper-Body Injury
The Blue Jackets will be without center Cole Sillinger for this weekend’s Stadium Series and at least a few games after, general manager Don Waddell said on Columbus’ 97.1 The Fan today (via Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers).
Sillinger, 21, left in the first period of yesterday’s game against the Red Wings after taking a hit from Detroit star Moritz Seider. He didn’t leave the game immediately after the hit, skating a couple of additional shifts, but went for the room with five minutes left in the frame and didn’t return.
It turns out Sillinger’s injury is what spurred the recall of winger Mikael Pyyhtia from AHL Cleveland this morning. The Jackets haven’t been carrying an extra forward coming out of the 4 Nations break, so they would have had to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen in this weekend’s outdoor game without a recall. Instead, Sillinger will be sidelined while Pyyhtia makes his 47th appearance of the season for Columbus.
It’s a tough break for Sillinger, who’s establishing his floor as a middle-six forward. The 2021 12th overall pick has had a few minor injury and illness-related absences this season, but when in the lineup, he’s produced at a 44-point pace over a full season. Averaging a career-high 17:18 per game, he’s notched 9-20–29 through 54 appearances. His -15 rating is the worst on the team, though, and his possession metrics paint a similarly disappointing picture defensively. Columbus allows 3.36 goals per hour with Sillinger on the ice at 5v5, the most of any lineup regular outside of Jack Johnson and James van Riemsdyk. The Jackets also allow more scoring chances per hour (30.85) with Sillinger on the ice than with any other active skater.
Nonetheless, he’s had to produce in important minutes with key forwards Yegor Chinakhov, Boone Jenner, and Sean Monahan all missing significant chunks of the season. His absence will likely turn up the urgency dial for Waddell to acquire a forward on deadline day – something that’s a clear priority with Columbus in position to end its five-year postseason drought.
With Chinakhov and Monahan still out, Justin Danforth figures to step into top-six minutes in Sillinger’s absence. The soon-to-be 32-year-old has 5-7–12 through 38 games this season, averaging a shade under 15 minutes per contest.
Columbus Blue Jackets Recall Mikael Pyyhtiä
The Columbus Blue Jackets are adding some forward depth to their lineup for the Stadium Series tomorrow. Columbus announced they’ve recalled Mikael Pyyhtiä from their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters.
Based on their lineup from the first home-and-home matchup against the Detroit Red Wings last night, Pyyhtiä will likely take Joseph Labate‘s right-wing spot on the fourth line. Pyyhtiä has more NHL experience in comparison, and the Blue Jackets will likely reward him by allowing him to participate in the first outdoor game of his career.
Although he’s been taxied back to AHL Cleveland a few times this year, Pyyhtiä has primarily played in Columbus. The Turku, Finland native has scored four goals and three assists in 46 games for the Blue Jackets, with another one goal and five assists in 10 AHL contests.
While his offensive production doesn’t jump off the page, Pyyhtiä’s value to Columbus’s forward core comes from his play on the defensive side of the puck. He’s sixth among Blue Jackets’ forwards (with at least 30 GP) with a 90.0% team on-ice save percentage, and in defensive zone starts with a rate of 56.9%.
He has remained consistent in his ability to block shots and has become a more physical player this season. Like many 23-year-old players in the NHL, Pyyhtiä has some flaws in his game to work out, particularly on offense, but he’s proven beneficial to the bottom of the Blue Jackets’ forward core this year.
Columbus Blue Jackets, Mathieu Olivier Discussing Extension
Shortly before their all-important win last night against the Detroit Red Wings, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported the Columbus Blue Jackets are working on an extension with one of their forwards. Dreger shared that progress has been made with Mathieu Olivier on a new deal, and there’s virtually no chance he’ll be traded before next Friday’s deadline.
The Blue Jackets acquired Olivier from the Nashville Predators before the 2022-23 season for a fourth-round pick. Despite being limited to 66 games in his first year with the team and posting a ghastly -20 rating, Columbus signed Olivier to a two-year, $2.2MM contract the following summer.
Olivier was again limited by injuries last season, scoring five goals and 12 points over 54 games. Still, he made notable improvements, increasing his shooting percentage by 2.4%, hits per game by 0.32, his CorsiFor% at even strength by 3.4%, and his on-ice save percentage at even strength by 2.2%.
He won’t threaten to lead the team in scoring, but the pending unrestricted free agent became integral to the Blue Jackets’ turnaround this season. He’s already posted the best offensive season of his career with 11 goals and nine assists in 59 games. The Biloxi, MS native has additionally raised his shooting percentage to 14.9% and posted a career-high 99 PIMs due to several fighting majors throughout the regular season.
His possession metrics have declined slightly, largely due to a three-minute bump in average ice time. Still, Olivier’s physicality is entering a new realm this year, averaging 3.78 hits per game and sitting second in the NHL behind Vancouver Canucks’ Kiefer Sherwood with 223 total hits.
Dreger didn’t mention any specifics for the potential extension. Keegan Kolesar‘s three-year, $7.5MM extension with the Vegas Golden Knights is a reasonable comparable, given his similar playstyle to that of Olivier. Since Olivier is three years younger than Kolesar, the Blue Jackets may entertain giving Olivier a fourth year and bumping his AAV closer to the $2.75MM range.