Blue Jackets Assign Denton Mateychuk To AHL
The Blue Jackets have sent left-shot defense prospect Denton Mateychuk to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters to finish the season, per a team release. Mateychuk’s junior season ended last week when his Moose Jaw Warriors were stomped out of the 2024 Memorial Cup in a 7-1 semifinal loss to the eventual champion Saginaw Spirit.
Mateychuk, the 12th overall pick in 2022, is a strong candidate for at least a brief look at the NHL roster next season. He’s coming off an electric campaign in Moose Jaw that saw him serve as team captain for the second straight year while compiling 17 goals and 75 points in 52 games, winning the Bill Hunter Trophy for the top defenseman in the Western Hockey League. He added another 11 goals and 30 points in 20 playoff games as the Warriors won their first WHL championship, taking home playoff MVP honors. The 19-year-old also had four assists in five games for Team Canada at the 2024 World Junior Championship and was named a top-three player on the team.
The Winnipeg native will now get his first taste of pro hockey with the Monsters, who are still alive in the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs. They trail the Eastern Conference Final against the Hershey Bears 2-0 after losing a pair of road games in overtime. Mateychuk could make his professional debut tomorrow in Game 3 of the series as the Monsters look to avoid being put on the brink of elimination.
Mateychuk signed his entry-level contract shortly after he was drafted in 2022, but the lack of NHL action over the past two seasons caused his deal to slide twice. Thus, he still has three years remaining on his rookie deal and won’t be a restricted free agent until 2027. His cap hit has also decreased to $887K from its initial $950K because of the $190K worth of signing bonuses he’s earned during the two slide years.
Jarmo Kekalainen Linked To Hurricanes’ GM Vacancy
The Hurricanes are considering hiring former Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen to fill their vacancy, reports Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
Speaking on the “32 Thoughts” podcast on Monday, Friedman said Kekäläinen is a “contender” for the position. Their GM vacancy was created last month after Don Waddell resigned from his post, joining Columbus to replace Kekäläinen within days.
Kekäläinen, 57, is the first external candidate firmly connected to the Carolina opening. He was fired from his post in Columbus in February after 11 years with the organization.
It’s unclear if the Hurricanes have obtained permission to interview him from the Blue Jackets yet, but it would make sense as a virtual GM-for-GM trade. Carolina’s assistant GMs under Waddell, Eric Tulsky and Darren Yorke, are also strong contenders to replace Waddell, with the former serving as interim GM in his absence.
Notably, Friedman said the candidate pool for Waddell’s replacement isn’t terribly large due to how the organization wants to structure its front office. The team has made it clear to potential candidates that, unlike with other teams, their GM won’t be their sole primary decision-maker. Instead, they’ll work in a more collaborative environment with AGMs and owner Tom Dundon, with their main duties being facilitating communication with other teams. Evidently, that hasn’t scared off Kekäläinen, but Friedman reports it has swayed a few candidates away from having an interest in the role.
It’s also the first opening Kekäläinen has been connected to in earnest since his firing. While it’s been a tough go in Columbus lately, he did oversee the longest sustained period of success in franchise history, helping construct a Jackets roster that made the playoffs four years in a row from 2017 to 2020.
With Waddell heading over to Columbus, the Canes are the only team with an active GM vacancy. The Oilers are likely to end up with one after the Stanley Cup Final ends with Ken Holland in the final year of his contract and not expected to return.
Denton Mateychuk Could Be Re-Assigned To Cleveland For Rest Of Playoffs
- After his junior team was eliminated at the Memorial Cup on Friday, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic suggests (Twitter link) that Blue Jackets prospect Denton Mateychuk is likely to join AHL Cleveland for the balance of their playoff run. The 19-year-old defenseman was the 12th pick in 2022 and was dominant with WHL Moose Jaw this season, recording 75 points in 52 regular season games while adding 30 more in 20 postseason contests. He also currently leads all scorers at the Memorial Cup with seven points over his four appearances. It would be Mateychuk’s first taste of professional hockey if he suits up for the Monsters in advance of his first full professional campaign in 2024-25.
Notable Moves From The NCAA Transfer Window
The NCAA Transfer Window is nearing its June 4th closing date, after staying open for 45 days rather than 30 for the first time following an October rule change. Collegiate athletes across all sports pushed for the increased window, naturally leading to much more eagerness to move schools. That’s shined through in men’s hockey, where many top players have left their posts in favor of a new role somewhere else. We’ll walk through some of the most notable moves today, as well as their impact on both the 2024-25 collegiate season and long-term effects on the NHL.
Breaking Down the Top Moves of the NCAA Transfer Window
Eric Pohlkamp (RD): Bemidji State to University of Denver
If there were ever an equivalent to Boston College’s ‘Goalie U’ for defensemen, it’d be David Carle’s Denver Pioneers. They just stomped their way to a second National Championship in the last three years, largely thanks to a blue-line that featured top NHL prospects Shai Buium, Zeev Buium, and Sean Behrens. Shai and Behrens, both winners of the 2022 National Championship, have since signed their entry-level contracts in the NHL, leaving two massive holes atop the team’s depth chart. Zeev will likely assume his brother’s role atop the lineup – should he not be persuaded to turn pro by the team that drafts him – but Denver had to look externally to find the second half of their next top pair. And, true to the ‘Defender U’ persona, they’ve found an absolutely perfect fit in San Jose Sharks prospect Eric Pohlkamp.
Pohlkamp had a breakout season in his final year in the USHL, boasting 16 goals and 51 points through 59 games with the 2022-23 Cedar Rapids Roughriders. It was the most a RoughRiders defender has scored since 2010 and Pohlkamp certainly looked the part, combining powerful and smooth skating with his hefty frame to blow through opponents and support the offensive rush. The performance was enough to convince San Jose to draft him in the fifth round of the 2023 NHL Draft, after he went undrafted in his first year of eligibility. He’s vindicated their decision, posting 11 goals and 24 points in his first 32 collegiate games.
After facing skepticism in his first year of draft eligibility, Pohlkamp has since firmly planted his feet as a top NHL prospect. He’ll now move to a red-hot University of Denver with the wind behind his sails. Pohlkamp’s ability to battle for possession and carry the puck out of the zone should be very welcome in a Carle lineup that thrived in the neutral zone last season – while his heft will be a nice balance for the fleeter Buium. Pohlkamp should be set up for a big season with the Pioneers, who will be looking to challenge the National title once again.
William Whitelaw (LW/RW): University of Wisconsin to University of Michigan
The University of Michigan lost a lot of talent following the end of their season. Each of Frank Nazar, Gavin Brindley, Dylan Duke, and eventually Seamus Casey signed with their respective NHL club, leaving substantial holes throughout the lineup. Some of those will be filled in by Michigan’s impressive recruitment class, including 2024 first-round hopefuls Matvei Gridin and Michael Hage, who will join in 2025. But the Wolverines were still in need of added bite in their top six during the transfer window.
And while they didn’t find as ideal of a match as Denver found in Pohlkamp, they’ve embraced
similar potential, bringing in Columbus Blue Jackets prospect William Whitelaw after a slow freshman season at the University of Wisconsin. Whitelaw was one of many young players to transfer away from Wisconsin this Spring, and now seems set for a top role on a much more explosive Michigan offense. Whitelaw was the star forward of the Clark Cup-winning Youngstown Phantoms in 2022-23, recording a combined 41 goals and 70 points across 71 regular season and playoff games that year. The performance earned him a third-round selection in the 2023 NHL Draft, though he was slow to follow it up, posting just 10 goals and 17 points in 37 games as a Wisconsin freshman.
Whitelaw’s game is rooted in his strong toolkit, boasting very sharp and aware stickhandling, agile skating, and a powerful shot that each make him a threat in the offensive zone. He’s certainly still working on how to use those skills cohesively with his teammates on the forecheck – growth that should be supported very well by the strong linemates Whitelaw will inherit in Michigan. Whether he play with McGroarty, Hage, or Gridin – any of the trio should help Whitelaw better find and maintain his tempo, while showing off how his raw skill can lead to goals. Whitelaw is a proven scorer when he’s in the right setting, but didn’t seem to have that setting in Wisconsin. He’ll look to remedy that on one of the most explosive offenses in college, in a what could be looked back on as a very lucrative move.
Matthew Wood (LW/C): University of Connecticut to University of Minnesota
The Pohlkamp and Whitelaw moves represent talented players moving to environments that should give their skillsets more room to shine. That’s not necessarily the case for Predators prospect Matthew Wood, who’s commanded a top-line role at UConn for each of the last two seasons. He’s been fantastic in his first two collegiate seasons, scoring 27 goals and 62 points over a combined 70 games and serving as the Huskies’ leading scorer in both years. Wood has been a dominant scorer since his days in youth hockey and even posted a combined 98 points in just 64 games during two seasons in the BCHL. He’s a tough and rugged winger who plays hard on the puck and puts plenty of power behind his shot. Many criticized his slow skating and lack of direction during his draft season, though his consistent scoring has always made him tough to doubt.
Wood will now move to a Minnesota lineup coming off the loss of top-line forward and team captain Jaxon Nelson, who signed an entry-level contract with the Boston Bruins. Wood should be set up to be Nelson’s direct fill-in, serving in tandem with Chicago Blackhawks prospect Oliver Moore. The duo seem perfectly matched, with Moore boasting very speedy playmaking while Wood brings power and grit. Moore posted 33 points in 39 games as a freshman this season, despite scoring just nine goals on the year. He’ll be the perfect pointman for Wood, who should only continue scoring at a high rate on a Minnesota team looking to take back the Big Ten.
Tim Lovell (LD): Arizona State University to University of Michigan
Michigan headlined what was a very active Transfer Window for the Big Ten. In a corresponding 
move to Whitelaw’s addition, the Wolverines also brought in top Arizona State defender Tim Lovell to try to fill the hole left by Seamus Casey’s move to the NHL. But while Whitelaw is supplemented by a strong offensive recruiting class, Lovell could be in line to take on the lion’s share of Casey’s minutes. He’ll be one of the most experienced, and certainly the highest-scoring, collegiate defenseman on Michigan’s lineup next season, and while he could cede some ice time to 2024 NHL Draft prospect Will Felicio, Lovell’s ability to drive the puck down the ice should give him a strong advantage. That’s the trait that made Casey so dominant in college and was likely exactly what the Wolverines were looking for on the open market.
They’ve certainly found it in Lovell, who’s shown no fear in carrying the puck through his first three seasons with Arizona State. He’s subsequently posted 12 goals and 79 points across 119 collegiate games, boasting an offensive awareness that should blend well with Michigan’s style. But Lovell has faced criticism for his ability to keep up with defending the rush and holding his position when his team is off of the puck. Casey – who certainly faced similar concerns – was much more stout at controlling both ends of the ice, especially towards the end of his collegiate career. Michigan has found a similar offensive style and skillset in Lovell, but they may need to balance out his aggression with strong defense elsewhere in the lineup. This move is high-risk, high-reward; particularly for a Wolverines team that faced challenges with controlling high-tempo offenses last season.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Blue Jackets Name Don Waddell GM, President Of Hockey Operations
May 28: The Blue Jackets have signed Waddell to a multi-year deal to become the team’s GM, alternate governor and president of hockey operations, the team announced Tuesday. Interim GM John Davidson, who’s been the team’s POHO since 2021, is being transitioned into a senior advisory role.
May 25: After a search that has lasted more than three months, it appears that the Blue Jackets have zeroed in on their executive of choice to take over the front office. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Don Waddell is their choice to take over the top job in hockey operations. No agreement is in place as of yet with LeBrun suggesting that if all goes well, an announcement could be made next week. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that the announcement could come on Tuesday or Wednesday.
The timing of this report doesn’t come as much surprise with Waddell having resigned from Carolina on Friday, less than 24 hours after reports emerged that he had been granted permission to speak to other teams. Generally speaking, you don’t make that type of move without having another job in place and the vacancy in Columbus is the only one in the league so it makes sense that they’re expected to reach an agreement.
Assuming everything goes well and the contract is finalized, Waddell will be tasked with reshaping a Columbus franchise that hasn’t had much success in recent years under former GM Jarmo Kekalainen.
The Blue Jackets have missed the playoffs in four straight seasons, entering an unplanned rebuild in the process. Kekalainen attempted to accelerate that with the additions of Johnny Gaudreau, Ivan Provorov, and Damon Severson in the last couple of years but Columbus wound up finishing last in the Metropolitan Division each time with the team struggling considerably in all three facets – offense, defense, and goaltending.
However, they do have a quality young core group to work with. Up front, Adam Fantilli, Kent Johnson, Dmitri Voronkov, Kirill Marchenko, Owen Sillinger, and Yegor Chinakhov have all has some success in the NHL already and are aged 23 or younger. On the back end, David Jiricek and Denton Mateychuk give them some quality options to work within what has become somewhat of a veteran defensive group. They’ll also add a key piece of the future next month with the fourth-overall selection. That’s certainly a solid foundation to try to build off of.
One of the first decisions that Waddell will need to make when the hire is made official is on the fate of the coaching staff. The Blue Jackets have technically gone through four head coaches in the last four years with Pascal Vincent taking on the job late in the offseason before Mike Babcock had even coached a single game. Will Waddell want to bring in his own choice and make it five bench bosses in five years or will he let Vincent – who is entering the final year of his contract – stick around?
Assuming this hire is made official, it will be a significant change of direction for what Columbus has previously done in management. Their previous three general managers in franchise history – Doug MacLean, Scott Howson, and Kekalainen – were all first-time hires. That certainly isn’t the case with Waddell who has 18 years of GM experience – a dozen with Atlanta and six with Carolina – on top of holding other senior titles as well. There shouldn’t be any sort of learning curve for him as there was for the others.
In his resignation from Carolina, Waddell indicated that the time had come to move on to the next chapter of his career. That next chapter will be another Metropolitan Division team with Waddell having some work to do to get the Blue Jackets back on track.
Teams Interested In Acquiring Jet Greaves From Blue Jackets
AHL All-Star netminder Jet Greaves is heading toward restricted free agency this summer without a contract in hand, leading some teams to express interest in acquiring his signing rights from the Blue Jackets, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports.
Greaves’ 2023-24 season was a breakout campaign for the third-year pro, who Columbus signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022. He excelled in the starting role for AHL Cleveland, posting a .910 SV% and 30-12-4 record in 46 games to guide the Monsters to their first playoff appearance in five years.
That showing earned the 23-year-old a bit of an extended NHL run when injured affected either Elvis Merzļikins or Daniil Tarasov. He made eight starts this season and one relief appearance, compiling an above-average .908 SV% with a 3.49 GAA. Despite his limited action, his 3.9 goals saved above expected led all CBJ netminders, per MoneyPuck.
He’s been even more lights-out with Cleveland during their Calder Cup Playoffs run, putting up a .951 SV%, 1.39 GAA and one shutout in six playoff contests thus far. The Monsters are 6-1 through their two best-of-five series wins, and Greaves is now gearing up for a best-of-seven Eastern Conference Final against the regular-season champion Hershey Bears beginning Thursday.
It makes sense that there’s a fair amount of optimism that he could be ready for a full-time backup role as soon as next season. As of now, though, there’s not a clear path toward consistent playing time in Columbus, with Merzļikins and Tarasov both under contract. Merzļikins will be on the trade block this summer, but with three years remaining on his contract at a $5.4MM cap hit, it may be a challenge for incoming front-office hire Don Waddell to move him.
The Blue Jackets are at no risk of losing him for nothing – he’s an RFA, after all, and they’ll retain his signing rights with a qualifying offer next month. But if his trade market rises with a month to go until QOs are due, they’ll likely be able to fetch a decent trade return for his signing rights if he doesn’t want to stay in the Blue Jackets organization.
Latest On The Coaching Market
The Sharks have the lone remaining head coaching vacancy in the league, as the Kraken are expected to officially name Dan Bylsma their next bench boss on Tuesday. It’ll soon be zero, though, as The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports San Jose is entering the final stages of their search. AHL Ontario bench boss Marco Sturm is among the finalists for the position, Pagnotta said, also confirming a report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman yesterday that assistant Ryan Warsofsky also advanced to the second stage of interviews.
There’s also been some smoke around former Red Wings coach and current Lightning assistant Jeff Blashill for the role, with Friedman also saying yesterday that he had a second interview with the club in the past few days. But for the three remaining coaches on the market who were fired from their posts during this season – Dean Evason, Todd McLellan and Jay Woodcroft – it looks like there aren’t enough seats left for them on the coaching carousel.
That could change soon, though. With the Blue Jackets expected to appoint former Hurricanes GM Don Waddell as their top hockey operations executive early this week, there’s a chance the team may look to overhaul their staff further by parting ways with head coach Pascal Vincent, who has one season left on his contract. Columbus struggled to just 66 points under Vincent this season after he took over early in training camp with Mike Babcock resigning, and the first-year bench boss often drew criticism for the lack of playing time awarded to top prospects like David Jiříček and Kent Johnson.
As Pagnotta points out, there are also assistant coach openings with the Ducks, Flames, Jets, Kings, Kraken, Maple Leafs, Penguins and Senators, who have yet to resolve some minor bench changes they made earlier this offseason. There are also AHL head coaching jobs available with the Kraken’s, Penguins’, Rangers’ and Sabres’ affiliates.
Another name that could join Evason et al. in contention for those minor bench openings is current Sharks assistant Brian Wiseman, who Pagnotta says is drawing interest from other clubs. The 52-year-old was on David Quinn‘s staff for the past two seasons in San Jose and served as an assistant for the Oilers for three years prior. Of course, that would leave the Sharks with an additional assistant vacancy – something they may end up with anyway if Warsofsky is their head coaching choice.
Blue Jackets Place Brendan Gaunce On Waivers
May 27: Gaunce cleared waivers today and was subsequently assigned to AHL Cleveland, per a team announcement.
May 26: The Columbus Blue Jackets have placed forward Brendan Gaunce on waivers, per PuckPedia (Twitter link). The move was confirmed by CapFriendly (Twitter link). Gaunce captained Columbus’ AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, this season, helping to lead the team to a first-place finish in the league’s North Division. The Monsters are now set for the Calder Cup’s Eastern Conference Finals, with that series set to begin on Thursday.
This is the second time Gaunce has been placed on waivers this season, having cleared them to join Cleveland in October. He spent the majority of his season in the minor leagues, appearing in 46 games with the Monsters and recording an AHL career-high of 19 goals and 39 points. Gaunce also appeared in 24 NHL games this season, scoring four points. It was the most time that Gaunce had spent in the NHL since his first year with Columbus in the 2021-22 season, when he totaled 30 games and seven points.
Gaunce has been on the NHL roster since March. Assuming he clears waivers, he’ll rejoin a Monsters lineup that’s breezed through the Calder Cup Playoffs, beating the Belleville Senators 3-1 after a first-round bye and sweeping the Syracuse Crunch in the North Division Finals. Gaunce has provided stout scoring and plenty of veteran leadership from the team’s second line. Those are the traits they’ll need as Cleveland takes on a Hershey Bears lineup with an identical record in these playoffs.
Blue Jackets Could Eye Peter Chiarelli For Hockey Ops Role
- Friedman also shared in 32 Thoughts that expected incumbent to the Columbus Blue Jackets general manager role, Don Waddell, will be splitting responsibilities between GM and President of Hockey Operations through the early going. However, the Blue Jackets haven’t ruled out the idea of bringing in additional support, with Friedman naming Peter Chiarelli as a potential candidate. Chiarelli has received interest from front offices around the NHL, though he’s stayed put in an advisory role, and then a Vice President of Hockey Operations role, with the St. Louis Blues. He’s serving that role after a four-year tenure as GM and President of Hockey Ops for the Edmonton Oilers and a nine-year tenure with the Boston Bruins. Chiarelli has become notorious for his decisions with the Oilers and Bruins, though his role in Columbus likely wouldn’t involve final say. He’ll be a name to monitor, as the Blue Jackets look to pull themselves up from a challenging 2023-24 campaign.
Hurricanes Allowing Don Waddell To Speak With Other Teams
Until recently, the pending expiring contract for head coach Rod Brind’Amour was generating off-ice headlines in Carolina. That file was taken care of recently with a long-term extension for Brind’Amour and the rest of the coaching staff. Those deals were obviously also signed by team President and GM Don Waddell.
Now, it appears Waddell’s contract is set to draw some attention. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Waddell’s deal is set to expire at the end of the league year and that the Hurricanes have granted him permission to speak to other teams. LeBrun adds that Carolina has had internal conversations about a new GM in anticipation of his eventual departure.
Waddell has been with the organization for a decade now. He was originally named President of Gale Force Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of the team, back in 2014. Waddell then added the GM title to his duties back in May 2018 and has held both roles ever since.
His time with Carolina isn’t the only time the 65-year-old has worked in a front office as he also held both titles at times in Atlanta before leaving the team in 2011. That type of experience along with Carolina’s recent success will be intriguing to some teams looking to add to their front office either as a GM, president, or both.
At the moment, the only GM vacancy is in Columbus, a team that is known to be looking for experience and will likely be looking to shake up their front office; bringing in someone with Waddell’s pedigree could certainly help that program. To that end, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that Waddell interviewed with the Blue Jackets today.
It’s a bit surprising to see Carolina being willing to let the managerial architect of their recent success depart or at least talk to other teams about potential opportunities. However, they do have some internal candidates who could be ready to be elevated to the top role.
Assistant GM Eric Tulsky has had interviews elsewhere over the years and could be deemed ready to take on the full-time GM role. Darren Yorke, another Assistant GM, has been with the organization for the last 14 years, working his way up from video scout to his current title which he has held for the last four years. Meanwhile, long-time Hurricane Justin Williams has been a Special Assistant to Waddell for the past four years and could be a dark horse candidate if the job does indeed become available in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, just when it looked like we were done with an off-ice contractual situation in Carolina garnering plenty of attention around the rest of the NHL, that clearly is no longer the case as now it’s Waddell’s time for the spotlight.