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Blue Jackets Expected To Part Ways With Assistant Coach Josef Boumedienne

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The Blue Jackets will not be renewing the contract of assistant coach Josef Boumedienne, sources tell The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline.

It’s a little late in the offseason to make coaching changes, especially for a club still looking to lock down its head coach. Columbus has seen a lot of personnel turnover this offseason, naming Don Waddell as their general manager in late May before firing head coach Pascal Vincent after all previous head coaching vacancies created this offseason had been filled.

They’re reportedly nearing a resolution on that front. Portzline indicated last weekend that they’re down to former Wild bench boss Dean Evason and ex-Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft as finalists, with a decision expected by the end of the month. But after today’s news, they have another vacancy to deal with.

Boumedienne had served behind the Blue Jackets bench for just one season, his first in an NHL coaching capacity. Before stepping into the role, the former NHL defender had spent 10 years with Columbus in scouting roles. He began as a European scout in 2013-14 before being promoted to their director of European scouting in 2016-17 and again to their director of professional scouting in 2021-22.

The Swede was added as an assistant coach just before last season began, part of the domino effect that saw Vincent promoted from associate to head coach after Mike Babcock resigned from the helm at the beginning of training camp. He’s also been active in the Blue Jackets’ youth hockey programs, serving at the helm of their U-14 club as late as last season.

Whether the Blue Jackets will move to replace Boumedienne for next season remains to be seen, and any decision will undoubtedly wait until after their head coach hire is announced. Their new bench boss will still be walking into a staff of three assistants – Jared Boll, Steve McCarthy and Mark Recchi – plus goaltending coach Niklas Bäckström. That’s enough of a coaching roster to replace Boumedienne’s duties by committee if they so choose.

Kirill Marchenko Arbitration Hearing Scheduled For July 31st

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The Utica Comets have signed defenseman Will MacKinnon and goaltender Jeremy Brodeur to one-year, one-way AHL contracts. MacKinnon has spent the bulk of his three professional seasons in the ECHL but dressed in 40 AHL games last season with the Comets, posting three goals, three assists, and a +7 rating. The 24-year-old is the son of Comets general manager Dan MacKinnon, who is also the assistant general manager of the New Jersey Devils.

Brodeur has dressed in just five AHL games across his seven-year professional career and played in one AHL game last season. He has never won an AHL game, but the 27-year-old did have a career year last year in the ECHL going 18-9-3 with a .918 save percentage and a 2.56 goals-against average. The son of NHL Hall-of-Famer Martin Brodeur might not see a lot of AHL time as the Comets have goaltenders Isaac Poulter and Nico Daws ahead of him on the depth chart.

In other evening notes:

  • Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reporting that the Columbus Blue Jackets and forward Kirill Marchenko will go to arbitration on July 31st. It was reported earlier this week that the Jackets and the 23-year-old had discussed both a short-term and long-term contract, but at this point, it appears likely that Marchenko’s next deal could be decided by an intermediary. The 2018 second-round pick has 44 goals and 23 assists in 137 NHL games over two seasons and was reportedly looking for a long-term deal this summer.
  • Max Miller of The Hockey News is reporting that recently retired Joe Pavelski spoke with the San Jose Sharks about a potential return to the organization where he spent the first 13 years of his NHL career. The 40-year-old played 963 games for the Sharks before departing in free agency to join the Dallas Stars in July 2019. Pavelski played five seasons in Dallas and ultimately never won a Stanley Cup during his playing career, although he was a big-time playoff performer during runs to the Stanley Cup Final with San Jose and Dallas.

Cleveland Monsters Sign Curtis Hall

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The Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League have a new controlling interest as the team announced that Zawyer Sports & Entertainment has acquired the majority ownership in the team. The team’s now-former majority owner, Michael Kahn, will remain on as the team’s largest minority owner. Kahn was previously the controlling ownership party since 2006.

It will be Zawyer Sports & Entertainment’s first crack at an AHL franchise as the ownership group already carries a considerable presence in the ECHL. According to the public announcement, the group owns and operates the Jacksonville Icemen, Tahoe Knight Monsters, and the Savannah Ghost Pirates. The team also manages the Allen Americans and the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL.

Nothing will change in the day-to-day business operations or the front office of the Checkers per the agreement and the team will still serve as the primary affiliate of the NHL’s Florida Panthers. In regards to the purchase, CEO of Zawyer Sports & Entertainment, Andy Kaufmann said, “The Checkers are a team rich with history and an incredible fan base and we are honored to do our part in making Checkers Nation proud – not just on game days, but all year long in this very special community. We have already made an impact here in the community with Gastonia Baseball, and we are eager to grow our footprint in the region by providing local families with quality entertainment, community outreach and competitive hockey“.

Other AHL notes:

  • With assistant coach Jessica Campbell graduating to the NHL level with the Seattle Kraken — the team’s AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, was on the search for a new coach. The team ended their search today by announcing the hire of Brennan Sonne as the team’s new assistant coach. Sonne recently earned a remarkable record as head coach of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades for the last three years. Under his tutelage, the team amassed a record of 136-54-13 while reaching two WHL Eastern Conference Finals appearances.
  • It didn’t take Curtis Hall long to find a new home after not receiving a qualifying offer from the Boston Bruins as the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters announced they had signed the young forward to an AHL contract for the 2024-25 season. Hall has spent the last four years with the Bruins organization split between the AHL and the ECHL. It has been difficult for him to factor into games, however, as Hall has scored six goals and 16 points in 124 contests at the game’s highest minor league level.

East Notes: Marchenko, Johnson, Mangiapane

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have reportedly talked with restricted free agent forward Kirill Marchenko about both a short-term and long-term contract (as per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic).  Marchenko is pushing for a longer-term deal, but with Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell only in his second month on the job, it appears he is doing his due diligence before considering a longer pact with the 23-year-old.

Marchenko just completed his second NHL season and topped 20 goals once again. The former second-round pick posted 21 goals and four assists in his rookie season in 59 games, placing him 10th in Calder Trophy voting. This past season the native of Barnaul, Russia found his passing game as he finished the season with 23 goals and 19 assists in 78 games.

In other Eastern Conference notes:

  • Aaron Portzline of The Athletic writes that the Columbus Blue Jackets have begun negotiations on an extension with youngster Kent Johnson. The Blue Jackets have been busy searching for a new coach and had prioritized that over a Johnson extension as the 21-year-old didn’t have arbitration rights and figured to be a simple contract negotiation after a disappointing season saw him post just six goals and 10 assists in 42 games. Johnson is a former fifth overall pick and will likely be looking for a short-term deal to try and boost his stock before his next deal.
  • Sammi Silber of The Hockey News believes that the Washington Capitals will wait to see how newly acquired forward Andrew Mangiapane fits into the team’s lineup before they make any decisions about his future. The Capitals acquired the 28-year-old from the Calgary Flames on June 27th and is two years removed from a 35-goal season. The Toronto, Ontario native once looked like an emerging goal scorer, but has just 31 goals over the past two seasons.

Snapshots: Blue Jackets, Tavares, Parise

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Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that the Columbus Blue Jackets management will meet in person this week with two potential candidates for their head coaching vacancy. Portzline believes that the two candidates are former Minnesota Wild bench boss Dean Evason and Jay Woodcroft, who was fired last season after the Edmonton Oilers got off to a slow start.

Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell has mentioned a third candidate in the mix, but the belief is that they are on hold for right now. Waddell has also said he doesn’t want the coaching search to drag into August, which means a decision is likely in the next couple of weeks. The sides will have to work on the specifics surrounding a contract, as well as potential coaching staff, but the process should be over soon.

In other NHL notes:

  • Frankie Corrado joined TSN SportsCenter to talk about Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares. Corrado was asked about Tavares’s next contract, and he believes the Maple Leafs should try and squeeze Tavares on an extension to get it under $6MM annually. Corrado adds that Tavares still puts up points, but he doesn’t drive the play and isn’t a player for whom Toronto can pay a premium. He also adds that Toronto hasn’t won anything with him and could try and use that fact, in combination with Toronto being Tavares’s hometown to keep him at a discount. Tavares is entering the final season of a seven-year $77MM contract and will count $11MM against the cap next season.
  • Zach Parise spoke with Kevin Karius earlier this month on The Kevin Karius Show and discussed his retirement from the NHL. The 39-year-old revealed that he hasn’t officially filed the paperwork to retire but added that he is done playing. Parise signed with the Colorado Avalanche in January and dressed in 30 games, posting five goals and five assists while playing just shy of 13 minutes a game. Parise was a key piece in the first round of the playoffs, posting two goals in five games and filling in for Jonathan Drouin on Colorado’s second line.

Columbus Blue Jackets, Jet Greaves Avoid Arbitration

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Saturday: The Blue Jackets have officially announced the contract.

Friday: The Columbus Blue Jackets and goaltender Jet Greaves have avoided arbitration according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Friedman reports it will be a two-year contract for Greaves and he will earn $800K on a two-way agreement in 2024-25, and the contract will become a one-way deal in 2025-26 with a salary of $825K.

Greaves was not widely regarded as a top organizational prospect by the Blue Jackets after the team signed him as an undrafted free agent from the OHL’s Barrie Colts in 2022. Greaves split time between Columbus’ AHL and ECHL affiliates during the 2021-22 season where he posted a 12-12-3 record in 29 games for the Cleveland Monsters and a 10-5-0 record in 15 games for the Kalamazoo Wings. Greaves posted similar save percentages between the two leagues but produced a better goals-against average in the AHL with a 2.84 compared to a 3.05 in the ECHL.

Thanks to a quality rookie season in the AHL, Greaves spent the entirety of the 2022-23 season with the Monsters and earned a 19-16-5 record in 43 games while posting a .899 SV% and 3.08 GAA. The young netminder also made his NHL debut with the Blue Jackets last year where he stopped 43 of 46 shots against the Toronto Maple Leafs in a loss.

Greaves was once again assigned to the minor leagues out of training camp for the 2023-24 campaign and performed markedly better. In 46 games for Cleveland, Greaves achieved a 30-12-4 record while recording a .910 SV% and 2.93 GAA. In his first trip through the Calder Cup playoffs, Greaves picked up eight wins and a .926 SV% while pushing the eventual champion Hershey Bears to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals.

He was also given more of a chance with the Blue Jackets this past season as Greaves suited up nine NHL games and recorded a .908% against the likes of the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Carolina Hurricanes. Greaves will easily crack Columbus’ lineup to start the season if the team is willing to carry three goaltenders on the roster. However, with Elvis Merzlikins expected to be the team’s starter with Daniil Tarasov backing him up, there is all indication that Greaves will start with the Monsters to start the 2024-25 campaign.

No Reason For Concern In Lack Of ELC For Cayden Lindstrom

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  • The fourth-overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft, Cayden Lindstrom, is now the highest-selected player from the recent draft who has not signed his entry-level contract. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports there is no cause for concern, as the general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Don Waddell, is entirely focused on hiring a new head coach for the franchise. The Blue Jackets still have plenty of time to sign Lindstrom to an entry-level contract which theoretically doesn’t need to be done this offseason. The young power forward will likely return to the WHL next season to continue his development.

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Updates On Blue Jackets Head Coach Vacancy

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are still without a head coach for the 2024-25 NHL season and we now know two individuals who will not be taking on the role. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that one of the prospective finalists, Todd McLellan, will not become the new head coach due to complications from his former deal with the Los Angeles Kings, which prohibited a multi-year agreement with Columbus. Additionally, Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch reports Jeff Blashill is not under consideration for the role despite his connection to general manager Don Waddell and USA Hockey.

Due to the context of the report from Portzline, it appears the Blue Jackets circled McLellan as their primary candidate considering salary figures were exchanged between both parties. McLellan signed a one-year contract extension with the Kings organization which would have made him the team’s head coach for the 2024-25 campaign and he is still owed that total by Los Angeles. Because his previous contract is still being honored by the Kings organization, the Blue Jackets would have to negotiate with Los Angeles to make McLellan their next head coach.

As Portzline noted in his report, there is always a chance that Columbus circles back around on McLellan and comes to an agreement with the Kings. If they don’t, however; the Blue Jackets head coaching search may be down to Jay Woodcroft and Dean Evason. Much like McLellan, Woodcroft was let go during the season by the Edmonton Oilers, and Evason was let go during the season by the Minnesota Wild.

Neither prospective head coach even comes close to the pedigree of McLellan as he’s collected a career coaching record of 598-412-134 between the San Jose Sharks, Edmonton Oilers, and Los Angeles Kings. McLellan has coached his team to the playoffs in nine out of his 16 years as head coach and made it as far as the Western Conference Finals during his time in San Jose.

Blue Jackets Sign Jake Christiansen To Two-Way Deal

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The Blue Jackets have signed RFA defenseman Jake Christiansen to a one-year, two-way deal, a team announcement states. It’s worth $775K NHL/$350K AHL with a $400K guarantee, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Christiansen was among the 14 players who filed for salary arbitration last week.

Christiansen, 25 in September, has 44 games of NHL experience to this point in his career. Those have all come in Columbus over the past three seasons. He’s scored once and added six assists for seven points with a -11 rating while averaging 13:41 per game, struggling to keep up defensively in the process.

He’s been much better in the minors, where he’s totaled 140 points (40 goals, 100 assists) in 202 games with a -6 rating in four seasons with AHL Cleveland (and briefly Stockton). That includes a 2023-24 season that saw him rack up 13 goals and 46 points in 62 games, earning him a nod on the AHL’s year-end Second All-Star Team after representing the North Division in this year’s All-Star Game. The left-shot Vancouver native has always had an appealing shot from the blue line, leading the entire AHL in goals by defensemen with 13 in 2021-22 and doing the same in juniors with WHL Everett in 2019-20.

There are a couple of spots on the Blue Jackets’ blue lineup for grabs after the team non-tendered Jake Bean and bought out Adam Boqvist. Only five defensemen are signed to one-way deals for next season, including league-minimum veteran pickup Jack Johnson. Christiansen will be in a competition with 2022 sixth-overall pick David Jiříček and 2022 12th-overall pick Denton Mateychuk for roster spots out of camp.

Blue Jackets Notes: Coaching Search, Laine, Dumais, Matteau

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The Blue Jackets continue to have the lone head coaching vacancy in the NHL following last month’s dismissal of Pascal Vincent.  Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that a decision on a new bench boss is expected this week with Todd McLellan, Jay Woodcroft, and Dean Evason believed to be among the remaining finalists.  Last month, McLellan was suggested to be the front-runner for the position.  There has been a lot of turnover behind the bench in Columbus in recent years.  Since John Tortorella was let go in 2021, they’ve gone through three head coaches since, Brad Larsen (two years), Mike Babcock (who resigned before coaching a single game), and Vincent, who only had one season before being let go.

More from Columbus:

  • Also from Portzline’s piece, winger Patrik Laine has not yet been cleared from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance program. While Columbus can trade him while he’s in the program, GM Don Waddell previously indicated that teams want to speak to Laine before considering putting an offer in for his services.  Those conversations can’t happen until he’s cleared.  The 26-year-old was limited to just nine points in 18 games last season and has two years left on his contract with an $8.7MM cap hit along with a 10-team no-trade list.
  • Prospect Jordan Dumais might not be cleared to fully participate in training camp in September, relays Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch. The 20-year-old was a dominant scorer in the QMJHL, putting up 140 points in 64 games in 2022-23 and had 47 in 21 games last season before being shut down midseason to undergo hip surgery.  Dumais will be AHL-eligible for the first time in 2024-25 and stands to play a big role with AHL Cleveland next season when he’s fully cleared to play.
  • Speaking of Cleveland, they announced the re-signing of winger Stefan Matteau to a one-year deal. The 30-year-old previously spent two years with them back in 2019-20 and 2020-21 before going to Colorado but returned on a minor league deal last season where he had six points in 15 regular season games before adding seven more in 14 playoff contests.  Matteau, a 2012 first-round pick, has 92 career NHL appearances under his belt with a total of 11 points.

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