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Jiricek To Be Recalled Next Week

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A few days ago, to create a roster spot upon the return of captain Boone Jenner, the Columbus Blue Jackets decided to send promising young defenseman David Jiricek back to their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters. Even though it has been a relatively mediocre season for Jiricek up to this point, it was still surprising to see Jiricek as the head eventually put on the chopping block.

Nevertheless, in an article today from Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, he reports that the plan for Jiricek is to have him play two games this week for the Monsters until the team eventually recalls him in a week. The organization may be looking to give Jiricek an extra boost of confidence before the Blue Jackets’ upcoming five-game road trip before the All-Star game.

As one of the more hyped-up Columbus prospects heading into the season, many expectations placed upon Jiricek before the season were largely unfair, as he has not gotten off to a hot start with the team. In 36 games for the Blue Jackets already this season, Jiricek has scored one goal and nine points, managing just under 15 minutes of ice time per night, without receiving much time on either the powerplay or penalty kill.

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Snapshots: Jenner, Schiefele, Annunen

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated forward Boone Jenner off of injured reserve. This move confirms team reporter Aaron Portzline’s earlier report that the team captain would make his return on Friday.

Jenner is in his 11th season with the Blue Jackets and his third season as the team’s captain. He’s spent all 686 of his career games with Columbus – beating out Rick Nash for the most games in club history. Jenner has managed 347 points in those games, good for third in club history. Jenner had a career year in the 2015-16 season, managing 30 goals and 49 points in 82 games, while boasting a fairly meager 13.3 shooting percentage. He struggled to replicate that scoring ability for much of the subsequent years but has found a newfound finishing ability over recent seasons – netting 23 goals and 26 goals in the last two seasons respectively.  Jenner has 13 goals and 18 points in 29 games this season.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Mark Scheifele is expected to miss the Winnipeg Jets’ Saturday matchup against the Ottawa Senators says head coach Rick Bowness. He is battling a lower-body injury suffered on January 11th. He will be reevaluated ahead of the team’s Monday game against the Boston Bruins. Scheifele was placed on injured reserve on January 16th – with the placement retroactive to January 12th – making Saturday the first game that he could have returned for. His absence corresponded with teammate Kyle Connor’s return from injured reserve, helping to keep Winnipeg’s offense alive while their leading-scorer Scheifele misses time.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have sent 23-year-old goaltender Justus Annunen to the minors. He was recalled on January 13th and made his season debut, saving 36 of 40 shots in a 7-4 win over the Ottawa Senators. He’s now up to five career NHL games spread over the last three seasons, boasting a 3-1-1 record and .871 save percentage in them. Annunen returns to the AHL, where he’s already managed a 9-5-4 record and .908 save percentage in 18 games this season.

Hurricanes Claim Spencer Martin Off Waivers From Blue Jackets

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The Hurricanes have claimed goaltender Spencer Martin off waivers from the Blue Jackets, per a team announcement. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report the news. Given the Hurricanes have no open spots on the active roster, the team has likely assigned rookie backup Yaniv Perets to ECHL Norfolk to create space for Martin.

Martin, 28, has now been claimed off waivers for the second time this season. He began the campaign with the Canucks in training camp, expecting to serve out the second season of a two-year, $1.525MM extension. After Vancouver made a mid-September trade to acquire Casey DeSmith from the Canadiens to serve as the primary backup to starter Thatcher Demko, though, Martin fell to third on the organizational depth chart. The Canucks waived him at the end of the month, at which point he got picked up by the Blue Jackets to serve as their backup while youngster Daniil Tarasov was on the shelf with a knee injury.

In 13 appearances with Columbus (10 starts), Martin posted a .887 SV% and a 3-8-1 record. He has a 17-25-6 record and .886 SV% in 51 career showings with the Blue Jackets, Canucks and Avalanche dating back to 2016. A third-round pick of Colorado in the 2013 draft, Martin was primarily an AHL starter for the organizations he played in until getting a more extended look as a backup to Demko in Vancouver last season.

Unfortunately, Martin’s poor play last season was a large reason behind the 2022-23 Canucks’ dysfunction. His -23.5 goals saved above expected was third-worst in the NHL, per MoneyPuck, trailing only Columbus’ Elvis Merzļikins and San Jose’s Kaapo Kähkönen. He’s been marginally better this season, but he’s still been far below average, with -4.7 goals saved above expected in his 13 appearances for the Blue Jackets.

He now heads to Carolina as a more permanent answer for the veteran third goalie position they’ve been looking to fill ever since starter Frederik Andersen exited the lineup in November due to blood clots. The club had signed Jaroslav Halák and Aaron Dell to PTOs earlier in the season, but never converted their tryouts into a full-time contract.

Their thin depth at the goalie position was exacerbated last week when Pyotr Kochetkov entered concussion protocols, leaving the Hurricanes with Antti Raanta and his .869 SV% as their lone option between the pipes with NHL experience. Claiming Martin also allows the Hurricanes to let the 23-year-old Perets continue his development in the ECHL, where he has a .906 SV% and 2.62 GAA in his first professional season.

Blue Jackets Put Spencer Martin On Waivers, Jiricek Sent To AHL

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The Columbus Blue Jackets announced that they’ve placed goaltender Spencer Martin on waivers today and sent defenseman David Jiricek to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. Martin was placed on waivers for the purpose of sending him to the AHL, but he will need to clear waivers first before he can be sent there.

Martin has struggled this season after he was acquired on waivers from the Vancouver Canucks back in September 2023. He has not appeared in a game since a loss on January 2nd to the Boston Bruins. For the season, Martin has dressed in 13 games and has a 3-8-1 record with a 3.65 goals-against average and a save percentage of .887%. Those numbers are not great, and some might speculate that they are being dragged down by playing on a bad team in Columbus, however, Martin’s numbers are only slightly worse with the Blue Jackets as his career average goals against is 3.63 and his career save percentage is lower at .886. Martin’s demotion could lead to Elvis Merzļikins getting more playing time in the coming days, which could be interesting given his recent trade request.

Jiricek heads to Cleveland after dressing in 36 games this season for the Blue Jackets. The former sixth overall pick in the 2022 NHL entry draft has played okay this season, although he hasn’t posted much in the way of offense with just a goal and eight assists this year. The Blue Jackets tried to give the 20-year-old the bulk of his zone starts in the offensive zone and did appear to be sheltering him as best they could. With his demotion to Cleveland, he will likely see more minutes and have an opportunity to play in more high-leverage situations which could help his development long-term.

Boone Jenner Set To Make Return

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Some good news came to the Columbus Blue Jackets this afternoon by way of Aaron Portzline of The Athletic who is reporting that captain Boone Jenner will be making his return to the lineup on Friday night. One of the better offensive players on the Blue Jackets’ roster, Jenner has been out since December 8th with a broken jaw.

It will be a major reinforcement for Columbus, a team that has seen injuries to other major players such as Patrik Laine and Zach Werenski for much of the season. The reintroduction of Jenner onto the roster will bring a player who has scored 13 goals in 28 games already for the Blue Jackets this season, still good for second on the team in goal-scoring even after being out for over a month.

If Columbus continues to fall in the standings, Jenner could become one of the more intriguing trade deadline options for many competitive teams. Signed for two more years beyond this one, the Blue Jackets shouldn’t feel rushed to move their captain, but his ability to play on both sides of the puck, his relatively cheap contract and his obvious leadership ability could be coveted by a plethora of teams come March.

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Elvis Merzļikins Requests Trade Amid Diminishing Role

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Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzļikins told the media after Monday’s game that he has requested a trade away from the team. Monday marks the first game that Merzļikins has played since December 29th – spending the last six games as either a backup or healthy scratch. He made 21 saves en route to a 4-3 shootout victory.

Merzļikins has become the third goaltender on Columbus’ depth chart, with Daniil Tarasov and Spencer Martin both receiving starts over Merzļikins. The Blue Jackets haven’t proven any more successful with the goalie changes, going 1-3-2 in the games Merzļikins sat out. It’s led Columbus to a dismal 13-21-9 start to the season, a record that ranks them 28th in the NHL.

This trade request could mark the end of what has been a heartwarming story for Merzļikins in Columbus. The 29-year-old became just the third Latvian goaltender to be drafted into the NHL when the Blue Jackets took him in the third round of the 2014 NHL Draft – the same round that saw Warren Foegele, Ilya Sorokin, and Brayden Point be selected. Of the two Latvians to be selected before Merzļikins, only one had played significant NHL time: 568-game veteran Artūrs Irbe. Merzļikins, who has played in 173 games since his NHL debut in 2019-20, now ranks second in games played among Latvian netminders behind only Irbe – surpassing undrafted netminder Pēteris Skudra, the only other to play in more than 100 games.

Columbus has allowed more goals than any team other than the San Jose Sharks this season – but despite it, Merzļikins has still found a way to have a productive year, setting an 8-8-6 record and .906 save percentage through 24 games. He’s back to maintaining a save percentage over .900, a feat he managed in each of his first three seasons but lost with a .876 save percentage in 30 games last year. Merzļikins’ rebound back to form sets him up to be an attractive trade option for teams in need of goaltending help but without the assets to acquire a top name like John Gibson or Jacob Markstrom. But any recipient would need to have cap space, as Merzlikins carries a $5.4MM cap hit over the next four seasons, making him the 11th-most expensive goaltender in the league. There’s also the question of what Columbus would want in return for a goaltender who has become the fifth-most frequent in club history. Regardless, this move brings an exciting spark to the looming March 8th Trade Deadline.

Blue Jackets Activate Sean Kuraly Off IR, Assign Brendan Gaunce To AHL

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The Blue Jackets have activated forward Sean Kuraly off injured reserve, GM Jarmo Kekäläinen announced today. To keep their active roster at the 23-player maximum, forward Brendan Gaunce was assigned to AHL Cleveland in a corresponding transaction.

Kuraly is set to re-enter the lineup for tomorrow’s game against the Canucks. The 30-year-old missed eight games with a scary rib cartilage injury that required the attention of paramedics on December 23 against the Maple Leafs.

He’s projected to return in a fourth-line role alongside Emil Bemström and Justin Danforth. Now in his third season with the Blue Jackets since signing a four-year, $10MM contract in 2021, he’d notched six goals and 11 points in 35 games with a -2 rating before the injury, predominantly playing fourth-line minutes with significant penalty kill time.

That’s solid offensive production for someone used almost exclusively as a shutdown specialist at even strength. He’s averaged only 26.9% of his zone starts in the offensive end since joining the Blue Jackets, a number that hasn’t deviated much this season.

Gaunce, 29, heads back to Cleveland, where he’s played most of his hockey since signing in Columbus in 2021. The veteran of 482 combined NHL and AHL games has six goals and 15 points in 24 games with the Monsters this season. The move ends his only recall of the season thus far, which began when he was brought up under emergency conditions on December 18. He appeared in eight out of 11 Blue Jackets contests during his recall, posting a goal and two assists with a -2 rating in 10:59 of average ice time.

Elvis Merzlikins Has Not Asked For A Trade

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TSN’s Darren Dreger reported on TSN Insider Trading that he believes Montreal Canadiens forward Sean Monahan could be one of the first players moved before the NHL trade deadline. The Canadiens and Monahan struck an agreement on a one-year contract last summer with the understanding that the team would move Monahan to a contending team during the season when the time was right.

For his part, Monahan has been having a decent year and is healthy for the first time in a while. The Brampton, Ontario native has dressed in 41 games and has registered 11 goals and 13 assists while averaging over 18 minutes of ice time a game. The seven-time 20-goal scorer hasn’t topped the 20-goal mark since the 2019-20 season but is on pace for a 22-goal campaign. His contract will also be one of the easier deals to move as he is counting just $2MM against the Canadiens salary cap this season.

In other afternoon notes:

  • Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 in Buffalo is reporting that Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson is undergoing imaging today for an undisclosed injury. Thompson was on a mission in last night’s game against the Ottawa Senators as he scored two goals before his exit from the game. He did take a high stick in the second period that forced him to briefly leave the bench, but he did return after that before leaving a second time. Thompson missed a few weeks with a hand injury earlier in the season and was just rounding into form in recent weeks. In 32 games this season, the Phoenix, Arizona native has 14 goals and 13 assists. Sabres head coach Don Granato did tell reporters that Thompson could play tomorrow, meaning that whatever is bothering the 26-year-old may not be too serious, but time will tell.
  • Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reporting that Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins commented to the media today that he has not asked the team for a trade, however, he would like the team to find a new scenario for him and the team has agreed with that. What that means is unclear, but Merzlikins did tell reporters that he is not a backup goaltender, something that he is in line to be tomorrow night when the Blue Jackets take on the Seattle Kraken. If Columbus does go the trade route with Merzlikins, it will not be the easiest move to make as the 29-year-old is in the second year of a five-year $27MM contract and has a ten-team no-trade list. Couple his contract, with his uneven play over the past two and a half years and it will be a difficult transaction for the Blue Jackets to make.

Jordan Dumais To Undergo Surgery

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  • Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Jordan Dumais, one of the most productive players in recent QMJHL history, is undergoing double hip surgery, according to Kevin Dubé of Le Journal de Québec. This is obviously a significant development for Dumais, who is set to be out until at least the second or third round of the QMJHL playoffs, at the earliest. Dumais has formed one of junior hockey’s best lines alongside Vegas Golden Knights prospect Mathieu Cataford and undrafted forward Markus Vidicek. Now, he’ll have to focus on his own recovery rather than chasing down a QMJHL title.

Blue Jackets Prospect Tyler Peddle Traded In QMJHL

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  • The Blue Jackets made Nova Scotia-born center Tyler Peddle the last pick of the 2023 NHL Draft nearly six months ago. He’s now been traded from the QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs to the Saint John Sea Dogs as he looks to jumpstart a highly discouraging post-draft campaign. Peddle, 18, notched 24 goals and 41 points in 64 games for Drummondville last season en route to his draft selection. This year, his scoring pace has decreased by almost 50% to just 14 points in 38 combined games between Drummondville and Saint John, the latter of whom he’s already played for once after the trade went through earlier this week. Peddle has not scored a goal in his last ten games and, if he can’t quickly get back on the scoresheet, is looking like a strong candidate to re-enter the NHL draft in 2025 and not earn an entry-level deal from Columbus in that time.

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