- Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch highlights some of the Blue Jackets who were regulars last season but could find themselves on the bubble now after Columbus added some extra depth over the summer. The headliner on the list is Cole Sillinger, a player who made the team at 18 and had a nice rookie year in 2021-22 but struggled considerably last season, scoring just three times in 61 games. An opportunity to play big minutes with AHL Cleveland might just be the best thing development-wise for him for now.
Blue Jackets Rumors
Training Camp Cuts: 09/29/23
It’s another day in the NHL preseason, meaning it’s another day of cuts and reassignments. Yesterday was a busy one for player movement across North American hockey’s various preseasons, and today could be no different. We’ll track those transactions here.
Boston Bruins (via team release)
D Jackson Edward (to London, OHL)
D Ryan Mast (to Providence, AHL)
Buffalo Sabres (via team release)
F Christopher Brown (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Filip Cederqvist (to Rochester, AHL)
F Riley Fiddler-Schultz (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
D Brandon Fortunato (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Damien Giroux (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
G Michael Houser (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
D Chris Jandric (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Mason Jobst (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Aleksandr Kisakov (to Rochester, AHL)
F Tyson Kozak (to Rochester, AHL)
F Dominick Mersch (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Michael Mersch (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
D Zach Metsa (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Olivier Nadeau (to Rochester, AHL)
F Viktor Neuchev (to Rochester, AHL)
D Nikita Novikov (to Rochester, AHL)
D Ethan Prow (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
D Nicolas Savoie (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Graham Slaggert (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Brendan Warren (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Linus Weissbach (to Rochester, AHL)
Calgary Flames (via team release)
F Parker Bell (to Calgary, AHL)
D Mikael Diotte (released from ATO)
D Jarrod Gourley (to Calgary, AHL)
D Etienne Morin (to Moncton, QMJHL)
F Brett Sutter (to Calgary, AHL)
F William Stromgren (to Calgary, AHL)
Chicago Blackhawks (via NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis)
D Josh Healey (released from PTO, to Rockford, AHL)
F Jalen Luypen (to Rockford, AHL)
D Ross MacDougall (released from PTO, to Rockford, AHL)
D Josh Maniscalco (released from PTO, to Rockford, AHL)
D Andrew Perrott (released from PTO, to Rockford, AHL)
Colorado Avalanche (via team release)
F Henry Bowlby (to Colorado, AHL)
F Tanner Kero (to Colorado, AHL)
F Matthew Stienburg (to Colorado, AHL)
Columbus Blue Jackets (via team release)
F Roman Ahcan (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Tyler Angle (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Ole-Julian Bjorgvik-Holm (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Cameron Butler (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Cole Clayton (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Luca Del Bel Belluz (to Cleveland, AHL)
G Eric Dop (released from PTO, to Cleveland, AHL)
F Jake Gaudet (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Samuel Knazko (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Nicolas Meloche (released from PTO)
F Mikael Pyyhtia (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Martin Rysavy (released from PTO, to Cleveland, AHL)
D Thomas Schemitsch (released from PTO)
F Owen Sillinger (to Cleveland, AHL)
Los Angeles Kings (via team release)
F Kaleb Lawrence (to Owen Sound, OHL)
F Nathan Burke (released from tryout)
F Sean Tschigerl (released from tryout)
F Ty Thorpe (released from tryout)
D Max Coyle (released from tryout)
Minnesota Wild (per team release)
F Kale Kessy (released from PTO, to Iowa, AHL)
D Simon Johansson (to Iowa, AHL)
D Kyle Masters (to Iowa, AHL)
F Greg Meireles (released from PTO, to Iowa, AHL)
F Pavel Novak (to Iowa, AHL)
D David Spacek (to Iowa, AHL)
Nashville Predators (via team release)
D Tanner Molendyk (to Saskatoon, WHL)
New Jersey Devils (via team release)
G Tyler Brennan (to Utica, AHL)
F Filip Engaras (to Utica, AHL)
D Colin Felix (to Utica, AHL)
F Josh Filmon (to Swift Current, WHL)
F T.J. Friedmann (to Utica, AHL)
F Joseph Gambardella (to Utica, AHL)
F Timur Ibragimov (to Utica, AHL)
D Will MacKinnon (to Utica, AHL)
F Xavier Parent (to Utica, AHL)
D Robbie Russo (to Utica, AHL)
F Ryan Schmelzer (to Utica, AHL)
D Topias Vilen (to Utica, AHL)
New York Islanders (via team release)
D Isaiah George (to London, OHL)
F Justin Gill (to Baie-Comeau, QMJHL)
G Tristan Lennox (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Zsombor Garat (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Blade Jenkins (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Artem Kulakov (to Bridgeport, AHL)
G Brent Moran (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Dmytro Timashov (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Sam Asselin (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Cole Bardreau (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Tanner Fritz (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Jeff Kubiak (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Seth Helgeson (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Ashton Calder (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Joseph Cipollone (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Riley Piercey (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Jake Pivonka (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Trevor Cosgrove (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Christian Krygier (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Vincent Sevigny (to Bridgeport, AHL)
G Henrik Tikkanen (to Bridgeport, AHL)
New York Rangers (via team release)
D Nikolas Brouillard (to Hartford, AHL)
D Adam Clendening (released from PTO)
F Karl Henriksson (to Hartford, AHL)
D Blake Hillman (released from PTO, to Hartford, AHL)
F Ryder Korzcak (to Hartford, AHL)
F Bobby Trivigno (to Hartford, AHL)
Ottawa Senators (via team release)
F Angus Crookshank (to Belleville, AHL)
F Philippe Daoust (to Belleville, AHL)
F Tarun Fizer (released from PTO, to Belleville, AHL)
D Ryan MacKinnon (released from PTO, to Belleville, AHL)
F Graham McPhee (released from PTO, to Belleville, AHL)
G Leevi Merilainen (to Belleville, AHL)
F Brennan Saulnier (released from PTO, to Belleville, AHL)
D Donovan Sebrango (to Belleville, AHL)
G Mark Sinclair (released from PTO, to Belleville, AHL)
D Djibril Touré (to Belleville, AHL)
Philadelphia Flyers (via team release)
F Alexis Gendron (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Adam Karashik (released from PTO, to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
G Nolan Maier (released from PTO, to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Mason Millman (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Ethan Samson (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Zayde Wisdom (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Will Zmolek (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
Pittsburgh Penguins (via team release)
F Jonathan Gruden (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Rem Pitlick (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Ty Smith (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Taylor Fedun (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Xavier Ouellet (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
Seattle Kraken (via team release)
G Jack LaFontaine (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Jacob Melanson (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Logan Morrison (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Ville Ottavainen (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Tucker Robertson (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Ryan Winterton (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
St. Louis Blues (via team release)
F Mikhail Abramov (to Springfield, AHL)
D Jeremie Biakabutuka (to Springfield, AHL)
F Drew Callin (to Springfield, AHL)
G Will Cranley (to Springfield, AHL)
F Tanner Dickinson (to Springfield, AHL)
D Joseph Duszak (to Springfield, AHL)
D Marc-Andre Gaudet (to Springfield, AHL)
F Andre Heim (to Springfield, AHL)
F Mitch Hoelscher (to Springfield, AHL)
D Austin Osmanski (to Springfield, AHL)
F Nick Ritchie (released from PTO)
D Hunter Skinner (to Springfield, AHL)
D Andy Welinski (released from PTO)
G Vadim Zherenko (to Springfield, AHL)
Vegas Golden Knights (per CapFriendly)
F Jakub Brabenec (to Henderson, AHL)
D Daniil Chayka (to Henderson, AHL)
D Lukas Cormier (to Henderson, AHL)
D Christoffer Sedoff (to Henderson, AHL)
G Jesper Vikman (to Henderson, AHL)
Washington Capitals (per team release)
F Andrew Cristall (to Kelowna, WHL)
This page may be updated throughout the day.
Blue Jackets Claim Spencer Martin Off Waivers From Canucks
The Blue Jackets have added some depth between the pipes as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that they’ve claimed goaltender Spencer Martin off waivers from the Canucks.
Martin came into last season as the backup in Vancouver following a strong showing with their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford in 2021-22 plus an impressive six-game effort with the Canucks that saw him post a .950 SV%. However, the 28-year-old wasn’t able to come anywhere close to duplicating that success as he posted a 3.99 GAA along with a SV% of just .871 in 29 games with the Canucks before eventually clearing waivers in mid-February. He was much better on the farm, however, putting up a 2.43 GAA with a .916 SV% in 16 appearances down the stretch.
That gave Martin the presumptive edge to be Thatcher Demko’s backup again this season. However, those plans changed quickly when Vancouver acquired Casey DeSmith from Montreal earlier this month, a move that pushed Martin to the waiver wire. His removal from the roster should give prospect Nikita Tolopilo, a free agent signing back in March, a spot in Abbotsford’s tandem with Arturs Silovs.
Columbus had plenty of struggles of their own between the pipes last season with Elvis Merzlikins having a year to forget and youngster Daniil Tarasov taking a step back as well. Tarasov is currently dealing with a knee injury and has yet to take part in training camp, creating the opening for Martin to step into as Merzlikins’ backup for the time being. Martin is in the final season of a two-year contract worth the league minimum in both seasons, meaning his cap hit of $762.5K actually checks in below the $775K minimum salary.
All other players that were on waivers yesterday cleared, per Friedman.
Latest On Mathieu Olivier
- Columbus Blue Jackets team reporter Jeff Svoboda wrote on X that forward Mathieu Olivier hit the ice today at Blue Jackets practice for the first time this training camp, having been held out to that point by a leg injury. Olivier, 26, has two years and $1.1MM AAV remaining on his current contract, and is fighting for a depth role on head coach Pascal Vincent’s opening-night roster. The former Nashville Predator scored five goals and 15 points last season to go alongside 81 penalty minutes.
East Notes: Palmieri, Laine, Matheson
The New York Islanders may not have forward Kyle Palmieri available to them to begin the season, head coach Lane Lambert told reporters today (link via Ethan Sears of the New York Post). Palmieri has yet to practice with the team during training camp, and this certainly seems like a more significant injury issue than what the Islanders called “maintenance” almost a week ago.
Palmieri has been skating on his own throughout camp but has not come close to appearing in a preseason contest. It does seem unlikely that Palmieri’s absence will stretch into something significantly long-term, but missing the season opener would mean at least a three-week absence from the original undisclosed injury, which is certainly nothing to brush off. It will be a significant hole for the Islanders to fill if he does miss time, given the 32-year-old winger is again ticketed for a top-six role, likely alongside Pierre Engvall and Brock Nelson. Palmieri was limited to 55 games last season due to injury, but he did manage to increase his production pace after a poor 2021-22 campaign, recording 16 goals and 33 points.
More updates from around the Eastern Conference tonight:
- Even after the departure of Mike Babcock and Brad Larsen behind the Columbus Blue Jackets bench, the Patrik Laine at center experiment hasn’t ended yet. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reports that Laine has taken line rushes at center during each of the past two Blue Jackets practices and today was centering the team’s top line between Johnny Gaudreau and Kirill Marchenko. Shifting Laine to center full-time would certainly take the load off rookie Adam Fantilli, who could start the season in a more sheltered third-line role down the middle. It would also relieve the responsibilities of captain Boone Jenner, who was forced into averaging over 20 minutes per game last season thanks to the team’s thin depth down the middle. Laine did play a few games at center last season before an arm injury ended his campaign in late March.
- Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson was a late scratch for tonight’s preseason tilt against the Ottawa Senators, and Sportsnet’s Eric Engels reports the circumstances surrounding said scratch are still unknown. If it’s injury-related, Habs fans can hope it’s only precautionary for their de facto number-one defenseman. If the team has any hopes of making noise with their young core in a suffocatingly tight Atlantic Division, Matheson’s play will be a huge part of it. The 29-year-old notched a career-high 34 points last season despite playing in just 48 games and still managed a +7 rating on a bottom-feeding team.
Training Camp Cuts: 09/27/23
After a busy day yesterday, teams are expected to expand their lists of training camp cuts today. This will be one of the last instances of mostly junior-league players appearing on this list as teams continue to trim down their rosters to solely NHL and AHL hopefuls. Today’s list will be updated as cuts come in, as always.
Columbus Blue Jackets (via team release)
G Nolan Lalonde (to Erie, OHL)
D Ben Roger (released from ATO to Saint Mary’s, USports)
Los Angeles Kings (via team release)
F Sam Alfano (released from ATO to Erie, OHL)
F Easton Armstrong (released from ATO to Wenatchee, WHL)
D Samuel Mayer (released from ATO to Peterborough, OHL)
D Hunter Mayo (released from ATO to Red Deer, WHL)
G Jacob Oster (released from ATO to Oshawa, OHL)
D Chase Pauls (released from ATO to Lethbridge, WHL)
Pittsburgh Penguins (via updated training camp roster)
F Brayden Yager (to Moose Jaw, WHL)
Seattle Kraken (via team release)
D Ty Nelson (to North Bay, OHL)
St. Louis Blues (via team release)
D Michael Buchinger (to Guelph, OHL)
D Quinton Burns (to Kingston, OHL)
D Matthew Mayich (to Ottawa, OHL)
Tampa Bay Lightning (via team release)
F Ethan Gauthier (to Drumondville, QMJHL)
D Dyllan Gill (to Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL)
F Ethan Hay (to Flint, OHL)
D Scott Walford (released from ATO to McGill, USports)
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Columbus Hires Tommy Cross As Development Coach
- A veteran of over 500 games in the American Hockey League, former defenseman Tommy Cross has found his new career off the ice. Spending the last several years in the St. Louis Blues organization, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reporting that the Columbus Blue Jackets have hired Cross as a defensive development coach. In his new role, Cross will primarily be working with Columbus defensemen who have yet to crack the NHL roster.
[SOURCE LINK]
Columbus Blue Jackets Hire Mark Recchi As Assistant Coach
4:48 p.m.: It’s a two-year term for Recchi, notes The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline, which means his deal as an assistant will expire after the 2024-25 season – the same as Vincent’s.
2:45 p.m.: The Columbus Blue Jackets have hired Hall-of-Fame forward Mark Recchi as an assistant coach, the team announced Monday. Recchi fills the assistant coaching vacancy created by Pascal Vincent’s promotion to head coach last week in the wake of Mike Babcock’s forced resignation after an NHLPA investigation found he’d breached player privacy.
After retiring as a player in 2011, Recchi spent the next few seasons in advisory and development roles for the Dallas Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins before earning a promotion to head coach Mike Sullivan’s bench in Pittsburgh immediately after the team’s back-to-back Stanley Cup wins in 2016 and 2017. He served as an assistant there for three seasons before joining the New Jersey Devils in a similar capacity in 2020, although he spent just two seasons there and did not return after the 2021-22 campaign. He did not coach anywhere in 2022-23, although he maintains his role as a minority owner of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, which he’s done since 2007.
In Columbus, Recchi’s responsibility will chiefly be managing the team’s forward group and their power play. Therefore, it’s natural to assume this hire will play a significant role in the scoring development of Columbus’ young talent, namely 2023 second-overall pick Adam Fantilli, who projects to make the jump to the NHL in 2023-24 after just one season at the University of Michigan. Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko are some other Blue Jackets forwards under the age of 24 expected to log significant time on the team’s power play units this season.
Vincent had a lengthy statement on the addition of Recchi to his staff for his first year as an NHL head coach:
Mark Recchi has been part of the National Hockey League for over three decades and brings an incredible amount of experience to our staff. He is a Hall of Fame player who won three Stanley Cup championships, which combined with his coaching experience, will make him a great resource for our players. We are excited to have him in Columbus. I’m thrilled that we have added a person of [his] talent and insight to our coaching staff. Mark adds a wealth of knowledge as a player and a coach, both in development and as an assistant, to our group that will be instrumental in helping our organization grow on and off the ice. His expertise in the offensive zone and on the power play, specifically, will be a huge benefit for our club.
Over the past three seasons, the Blue Jackets’ power play has sat near the bottom of the league. Their 17.8% conversion rate with the man advantage is tied for 24th in the league over that span with the Arizona Coyotes. If Columbus is to compete in a difficult Eastern Conference and make the significant points gain needed to secure a playoff berth this season, Recchi’s work with the power play (and scoring chance generation in general) will certainly play a large role.
Columbus May Seek AHL Waiver For Mateychuk, Dumais
The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline recently shared that the Columbus Blue Jackets may seek a waiver from the CHL-NHL Agreement for prospects Jordan Dumais and Denton Mateychuk. This waiver would allow for Columbus to send the prospects to the AHL, rather than their respective juniors leagues, if they don’t make the NHL roster. This comes in the wake of Shane Wright (OHL) receiving a waiver and Matthew Savoie (WHL) likely being rejected for one.
While there’s certainly an argument in his favor, the Blue Jackets may struggle to win in favor of Mateychuk, who’s spent part of the last four seasons in the WHL. Players are eligible for AHL, rather than CHL, assignment if they’re 20 years old before December 31st, something that Savoie and Wright miss by just a few days. Mateychuk, on the other hand, misses this mark by over six months, stacking the odds against him. The WHL recently rejected Savoie’s request for this waiver despite him arguably having a better case for the exemption than Shane Wright. This sets a precedent in western Canada that Columbus will have to overcome if they want to send Mateychuk to the AHL.
But while Mateychuk faces an uphill battle, there’s no certainty what Dumais will receive. In a year that’s seen a flurry of AHL waiver requests, nobody has yet to request from the QMJHL. Columbus will now be pulling the third league into the conversation, likely helping their chances at bringing light to the CHL-NHL agreement. Dumais doesn’t turn 20 until April and has played an uninterrupted three years in the QMHL, holding him back from either the age or seasons played requirements that can earn a player AHL eligibility. He likely carries the weakest case of the four players, but there’s no arguing his prowess over the juniors league. Dumais has recorded back-to-back 100-point seasons in the QMJHL, netting a staggering 140 points last year. While points don’t impact the CHL-NHL agreement, they could be a strong variable in the arguments for how Dumais has outgrown the league.
Whether Columbus receives this waiver for either player is yet to be seen. But they become the third NHL team to request something along these lines in just the last month. Regardless of the outcome, their involvement continues to lift up the question of if, and how, the CHL-NHL agreement could be redesigned for the modern hockey landscape.
Training Camp Cuts: 9/23/23
The preseason is now officially underway after the Coyotes and Kings played their first of two contests in Australia overnight. Technically, it was the first of three games on the docket for Arizona as they also have split-squad games set for today against St. Louis. With the exhibition season now going, teams will start to begin paring down their rosters in the coming days. We’ll keep tabs on any of today’s cut activity here.
Arizona Coyotes (via PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan)
F Ben Boyd (to St. Mary’s, USports)
F Josh Prokop (to University of Alberta, USports)
F Elliot Ekefjärd (Almtuna, HockeyAllsvenskan)
D Justin Kipkie (to Victoria, WHL)
D Ryder Thompson (to Portland, WHL)
Buffalo Sabres (via team release)
F Ethan Miedema (to Kingston, OHL)
G Scott Ratzlaff (to Seattle, WHL)
Carolina Hurricanes (via team release)
G Jakub Vondras (to Sudbury, OHL)
Columbus Blue Jackets (via team release)
D Nicholas DeAngelis (released from tryout)
F Kocha Delic (released from tryout)
D Gunner Kinniburgh (released from tryout)
D Joe Leahy (released from tryout)
F Sean McGurn (released from tryout)
F Tyler Peddle (to Drummondville, QMJHL)
F Luca Pinelli (to Ottawa, OHL)
F Nate Schnarr (released from tryout)
F Jakin Smallwood (released from tryout)
F Aidan Spellacy (released from tryout)
F Oasiz Wiesblatt (released from tryout)
Seattle Kraken (via team Twitter)
D Eric Jamieson (to Everett, WHL)
G Tyler Palmer (to Everett, WHL)
D Caden Price (to Kelowna, WHL)
This post will be updated as further cuts come in.