Examining An Upcoming Columbus Blue Jackets Roster Crunch
After a miserable 2022-23 campaign, the Blue Jackets’ mandate for the 2023 offseason was to pursue significant and meaningful upgrades to their roster that could result in the team having a legitimate chance to reach the postseason next spring.
New head coach Mike Babcock’s contract reportedly only carries a two-year term, suggesting immediate results are expected from his hire. Seeing as marquee 2022 free agent signing Johnny Gaudreau turned 30 earlier this month, it’s easy to see why the team’s general manager, Jarmo Kekäläinen, has so earnestly pursued NHL-ready talent for his club.
The team made some big additions this summer, headlined by two experienced blueliners: Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson. They also have quite a few intriguing young players set to take on potentially significant roles for the franchise, such as 2022 top draft pick David Jiříček, 2021 top pick Kent Johnson (who authored an impressive 40-point rookie season), and Kirill Marchenko, who scored 21 goals as a rookie.
In addition to those names, they could end up getting meaningful contributions from rookie players, such as Hobey Baker winner Adam Fantilli (who could even instantly slot in as a top-six center) and Russian import Dmitri Voronkov, a rangy six-foot-three pivot who scored 26 goals and 43 points across 78 KHL games last season. Babcock will have a diverse group of players to choose from for any role he seeks to fill in his lineup, and with franchise defenseman Zach Werenski back from injury, there’s legitimate hope for a major bounce-back season in Ohio.
The byproduct of the number of new players the Blue Jackets have is that competition for spots in the team’s opening-night lineup will be stiff, and Kekäläinen and Babcock will have some important decisions to make this fall that could massively impact the careers of a few players.
Columbus simply has more players who may legitimately merit NHL roles than they have NHL jobs to offer. As a result, some players could end up in the AHL or exposed to waivers when were they employed by another team they’d be preparing to skate in an NHL opening night.
Up front, there are significant training camp battles likely to occur both at center and along the wings. Gaudreau, Laine, and Johnson are locks for top-six roles and Marchenko isn’t far behind them, but after those names, the competition for roles on the third line, fourth line, or spare forward spots is set to be fierce.
Soon-to-be-24-year-old Alexandre Texier scored 11 goals and 20 points in his most recent 36-game NHL season and is returning to the NHL after a productive season playing with the ZSC Lions in Switzerland. Jack Roslovic has had his fair share of inconsistencies in Columbus, but has nonetheless scored 123 points in 206 total games as a Blue Jacket, a 49-point 82-game pace.
They should each be seen as front-runners for roles along the wings of Babcock’s third line, though they’ll have some stiff competition.
Last season, Trey Fix-Wolansky, at the age of 23, scored 71 points in just 61 games for the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. He’ll now need to clear waivers in order to be sent to the AHL, and therefore could be an intriguing name to watch for teams looking to profit off of the number of NHL-relevant wingers the Blue Jackets have.
Another player in contention for a roster spot is 22-year-old Yegor Chinakhov, a 2020 first-round pick. He remains waiver-exempt but has only played seven career games in the AHL. At this stage of his career, it would likely be less than ideal for Chinakhov to spend this season (the last before he’s waivers-eligible) in the AHL.
It’s an important year for Chinakhov to deliver on the faith the Blue Jackets showed in him when they picked him 21st overall, and he’ll have his work cut out for him in the preseason as he tries to beat out Roslovic or Texier for a third-line role.
A second Blue Jackets first-rounder, Liam Foudy, finds himself on the team’s roster bubble. Unlike Chinakhov, he has the disadvantage of being waivers-eligible for the first time in his career.
Foudy faces a make-or-break preseason as he looks to secure a fourth-line role competing against more established names such as Eric Robinson and Mathieu Olivier. While it would be a surprise to see the 2018 18th overall pick’s name on season-opening waivers, the possibility can’t be ruled out.
This immense level of competition along the wings extends to the center position, where the Blue Jackets have a wide-open set of options. The team has flirted with the possibility of trying out Laine as a pivot, and it’s that possibility as well as the presence of players such as Fantilli that could force a player like Roslovic, a longtime center, onto the wing. The most intriguing spot to look out for is likely to be the third-line center role, assuming Jenner and one of Laine or Fantilli each take up a top-six job.
2022 first-rounder Cole Sillinger had a brutal sophomore campaign but scored 31 points as a rookie and is still viewed as a crucial part of Columbus’ long-term future. But a variety of factors could lead to him starting the year with AHL Cleveland.
First and foremost, there were many who believed that Sillinger would have been better served last season regaining his confidence in the AHL with the Monsters, where he ended up playing in 11 total games. (compared to 64 in the NHL) That attitude could lead to Columbus opting to start Sillinger off in Cleveland, hoping that he’ll force his way into the NHL roster with some strong play and re-emerge in the NHL with sky-high confidence.
Sillinger is waivers-exempt, so the team could prefer to begin his season in the minors in order to avoid having to place a player such as Fix-Wolansky, Justin Danforth, or a defenseman on waivers.
The addition of Voronkov could also push Sillinger to the AHL, assuming the Russian is able to quickly translate his KHL success to the smaller North American ice surfaces.
A potential battle between Voronkov and Sillinger for an opening-night job down the middle of Babcock’s lineup could be the most intriguing storyline to track during the Blue Jackets’ preseason.
On defense, Columbus faces an arguably even more crowded situation. The top three defensemen are set in stone, with Werenski, Provorov, and Severson guaranteed to play top-four roles. Beyond them, the team has a group of five players competing for what is likely to be just four open NHL jobs: Andrew Peeke, Erik Gudbranson, Jake Bean, Adam Boqvist, and Jiříček.
Jiříček, 19, was exceptional in the AHL last season (he scored 38 points in 55 games, leading all regular under-21 defensemen in scoring on a points-per-game basis) and appears more than ready for an NHL role. But handing Jiříček an NHL job could mean placing one of those names on season-opening waivers, or forcing Kekäläinen to carry eight defensemen on his roster when the team already, as mentioned, has an abundance of capable forwards and a few who would need to be waived if they don’t earn NHL jobs.
While a battle between young centers such as Sillinger and Voronkov could end up a highlight of the preseason, the situation of the Blue Jackets’ defense means the ultimately higher-stakes lineup competition is on Babcock’s blueline, where the threat of waivers potentially looms large for some experienced players.
The NHL preseason isn’t a time generally associated with high-stakes battles. The games don’t count for the standings and the priority for many players is simply preparing themselves for the rigor that comes with the regular season. But for the many players who find themselves on their team’s roster bubble or competing for an open lineup spot, the preseason carries an immense importance for the future of their career.
With a new head coach, many Blue Jackets players will have a blank slate to prove themselves and earn a role this fall. That presents numerous opportunities for not only Blue Jackets players, but also the 31 other teams who could be eyeing up a Columbus skater they hope will end up on the season-opening waiver wire. The training camp battles set to play out at every skater position in Columbus are likely to make the team’s training camp and preseason one of the league’s most interesting this fall.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Dillon Simpson Retires, Begins Coaching Career
Veteran defenseman Dillon Simpson has announced his retirement from professional hockey and revealed his new role as an assistant coach with the University of North Dakota hockey program, according to a release from the Fighting Hawks. The son of former Edmonton Oiler Craig Simpson, his decision to step away from active professional play marks the conclusion of a career that spanned nine seasons in the minors and nearly 500 AHL games.
Simpson’s professional journey began in 2011 after being selected in the fourth round by the Edmonton Oilers as an over-ager after a decent freshman season at North Dakota. He would spend the entirety of his pro career in the Oilers and Columbus Blue Jackets after turning pro in 2014. He did only ever play three NHL games, all coming with Edmonton in the 2016-17 season, but grew into a respected leader and shutdown defender at the AHL level.
Post-retirement, Simpson, 30, returns to the school he captained during his senior season and accumulated 75 points and a +22 rating across four seasons and 156 appearances.
Used heavily in shutdown situations, Simpson spent the last four seasons in a leadership role for the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, including serving as the team’s captain for the last two. He fell out of a regular role last season thanks to an early-season injury, however. Simpson skated in 29 games in 2022-23, recording a goal and an assist. He never won a Calder Cup but remained an integral part of AHL Bakersfield and Cleveland’s systems for nearly a decade.
PHR extends its best wishes to Simpson in his retirement and hopes for the best in his coaching career.
Blue Jackets Sign Aaron Dell And Nicolas Meloche To Tryout Agreements
It appears PTO season is upon us across the NHL with several veterans inking tryouts in recent days. The Blue Jackets are the latest team to get in on the fun as CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that they’ve inked goaltender Aaron Dell and defenseman Nicolas Meloche to tryout agreements.
Dell is no longer a full-time NHL backup but has seen action at the top level in each of the past seven seasons, spanning 130 total appearances where he has a 2.92 GAA along with a .905 SV%. Last year, he got into four contests with San Jose and fared relatively well, compiling a 2.71 GAA with a .913 SV%.
The 34-year-old has spent most of the last two years at the AHL level. With San Jose’s farm team last season, Dell played in 38 games but struggled as his 3.14 GAA was his highest single-season mark at that level while his .898 SV% was his lowest output.
Not surprisingly, his struggles affected his ability to secure a guaranteed contract this summer, resulting in this news. However, he should have a chance to land a deal from Columbus in the coming weeks. Daniil Tarasov is now waiver-eligible and should be a full-timer with the Blue Jackets, leaving only Jet Greaves in the mix with AHL Cleveland. A good showing in camp could allow Dell to be the other half of that tandem next season.
As for Meloche, things did not go as planned last season. After playing in 50 games with the Sharks in 2021-22, he had a strong enough market to get a one-year, one-way deal worth $950K from Calgary with the expectation that he’d land a spot on their back end. That didn’t happen.
Instead, after a tough showing in training camp landed him on waivers, the 26-year-old went unclaimed and was assigned to the minors, spending the entire season at the AHL. Meloche put up 21 points in 64 games with the Wranglers, matching his career best at that level but evidently, it wasn’t enough to land a guaranteed deal.
Meloche’s path to a contract isn’t as strong as Dell’s. Columbus made two big splashes on the back end this summer with the acquisitions of Damon Severson and Ivan Provorov while there are already eight blueliners on NHL contracts that are likely ticketed for Cleveland. Even if he can’t land a contract with the Blue Jackets, however, a strong showing in camp could allow him to catch on somewhere else.
Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Nate Schnarr To PTO
The Columbus Blue Jackets have inked a professional tryout deal with forward Nate Schnarr, as confirmed by CapFriendly yesterday evening. Schnarr, 24, finds himself looking to earn a spot in the Blue Jackets organization after struggling to adjust to the pro game over the past few seasons.
Despite spending all four seasons of his pro career on an NHL contract, Schnarr is still looking to make his NHL debut. A third-round selection of the Arizona Coyotes in 2017, Schnarr exploded onto the scene as a prospect in the 2018-19 campaign after leading the OHL champion Guelph Storm in points with 102 in 65 games.
He hadn’t posted eye-popping point totals in juniors before that, though, which signaled he may have trouble carrying over that offensive explosion to the pros the following season. He played just 22 games in the minors with the Coyotes in 2019-20 before he was shipped to the New Jersey Devils as part of the five-asset return for Taylor Hall.
Schnarr’s been traded again in each of the past two seasons, ending up with the Montreal Canadiens before finishing out 2022-23 as a member of the Los Angeles Kings organization. Last season was the worst of his pro career to date, recording just four goals and five assists for nine points in 45 AHL games split between the Laval Rocket and Ontario Reign. He recorded just two points in 18 games with Ontario after the trade to the Kings, leading the team to opt not to issue him a qualifying offer this summer and let him become a UFA.
He’s extremely unlikely to earn an NHL role with Columbus off a PTO, but Columbus has brought in potential targets for their minor-league affiliate on tryouts over the past few seasons. At minimum, Schnarr will look to convince the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters to sign him to a contract, although ideally, he’d receive a two-way deal from the Blue Jackets with the option of being called up to make his NHL debut. Columbus has the space to do it; they have 44 out of the maximum 50 active contracts with only one unsigned RFA remaining, defenseman Tim Berni.
Schnarr must impress to stand out amongst a crowded core of existing Blue Jackets prospects and veterans destined for AHL assignment. Per CapFriendly’s projections, the Blue Jackets have 13 forwards under contract slated for assignment to the minors, while the Monsters have four additional forwards signed to AHL deals. 2022 draft choice Jordan Dumais is listed under CapFriendly’s “minors” category for Columbus at the time of writing but is not yet eligible for AHL assignment given his age – he must be returned to juniors if not on the NHL squad, per the NHL/CHL transfer agreement.
Update On This Year’s August 15 Free Agents
Most NHL free agent business is dealt with in the early summer months. There is one important date later each year, however. August 15 marks the date when NHL teams lose their exclusive signing rights to most college-drafted players if they’ve graduated (or completed without graduating) college and are not yet signed to an entry-level contract.
Earlier this month, we published a list of players slated to hit the UFA market yesterday if not signed to an ELC within the coming days. However, the guidelines the NHL uses to determine a college graduate are some of the most complex sets of rules relating to contractual obligations in pro sports. That means it’s often impossible to glean a full list of players whose rights have expired (or not expired) until after the August 15 deadline has passed.
This year was no different, as CapFriendly issued multiple updates today on their X account regarding the list of August 15 free agents they’d made public earlier in the month. Three players who were slated to expire actually remained on their team’s reserve list: Calgary Flames 2018 fourth-round pick F Demetrios Koumontzis, Ottawa Senators 2018 seventh-round pick F Jakov Novak, and Senators 2018 second-round pick D Jonny Tychonick.
On the flip side, 12 players they expected to remain on teams’ reserve lists hit the free-agent market yesterday. With that in mind, we have a revised, accurate list of players who became unrestricted free agents yesterday. Asterisked players were not originally expected to come off their team’s reserve list.
Anaheim Ducks
*F Trevor Janicke (2019 fifth round, 132nd overall)
Arizona Coyotes
F John Farinacci (2019 third round, 76th overall)
*F Anthony Romano (2019 sixth round, 176th overall)
Boston Bruins
*D Dustyn McFaul (2018 sixth round, 181st overall)
Calgary Flames
*F Joshua Nodler (2019 fifth round, 150th overall)
Carolina Hurricanes
F Kevin Wall (2019 sixth round, 181st overall)
Chicago Blackhawks
F Jake Wise (2018 third round, 69th overall)
Colorado Avalanche
*F Matt Stienburg (2019 third round, 63rd overall)
Columbus Blue Jackets
D Robbie Stucker (2017 seventh round, 210th overall)
Detroit Red Wings
F Robert Mastrosimone (2019 second round, 54th overall)
*F Ethan Phillips (2019 fourth round, 97th overall)
Edmonton Oilers
F Skyler Brind’Amour (2017 sixth round, 177th overall)
Minnesota Wild
*D Marshall Warren (2019 sixth round, 166th overall)
New Jersey Devils
*D Case McCarthy (2019 fourth round, 118th overall)
*F Patrick Moynihan (2019 sixth round, 158th overall)
New York Islanders
D Christian Krygier (2018 seventh round, 196th overall)
F Jacob Pivonka (2018 fourth round, 103rd overall)
New York Rangers
*F Eric Ciccolini (2019 seventh round, 205th overall)
*F Riley Hughes (2018 seventh round, 216th overall)
Ottawa Senators
*F Luke Loheit (2018 seventh round, 194th overall)
Philadelphia Flyers
F Jay O’Brien (2018 first round, 19th overall)
San Jose Sharks
D Arvid Henrikson (2016 seventh round, 187th overall) Originally drafted by the Montreal Canadiens
Toronto Maple Leafs
D Ryan O’Connell (2017 seventh round, 203rd overall)
Winnipeg Jets
G Jared Moe (2018 sixth round, 184th overall)
Of the list above, Krygier and Pivonka are remaining in the Islanders organization on confirmed AHL contracts for 2023-24, although they remain eligible to sign with another NHL team should one come calling. All others are either returning to school for 2023-24, have contracts signed in other leagues, or are not signed for next season.
Notably, this is the official confirmation that the Flyers’ exclusive signing rights of O’Brien have lapsed. As compensation for not signing a first-round pick to their entry-level contract, the Flyers will receive a compensatory second-round pick from the league in the 2024 NHL Draft.
August Free Agency Update: Metropolitan Division
As even most mid-tier free agents are now off the market, it’s a good time to look at how each team has fared on the free agent market this offseason. We’re publishing a list of one-way signings (i.e., likelier to start the season on the NHL roster) by team, per division, to keep you updated on NHL player movement since the new league year began on July 1.
Asterisked players denote a restricted free agent. Double-asterisked players denote the contract starts in the 2024-25 season. Next up is the Metropolitan Division. You can check out the list of Atlantic Division signings here.
Carolina Hurricanes
**F Sebastian Aho (eight years, $9.75MM cap hit)
D Dmitry Orlov (two years, $7.75MM cap hit)
F Michael Bunting (three years, $4.5MM cap hit)
G Frederik Andersen (two years, $3.4MM cap hit)
F Jesper Fast (two years, $2.4MM cap hit)
D Anthony DeAngelo (one year, $1.675MM cap hit)
G Antti Raanta (one year, $1.5MM cap hit)
*D Dylan Coghlan (one year, $850K cap hit)
F Brendan Lemieux (one year, $800K cap hit)
D Caleb Jones (one year, $775K cap hit)
Columbus Blue Jackets
none
New Jersey Devils
F Michael McLeod (one year, $1.4MM cap hit)
F Nathan Bastian (two years, $1.35MM cap hit)
*D Kevin Bahl (two years, $1.05MM cap hit)
F Tomas Nosek (one year, $1MM cap hit)
New York Islanders
**G Ilya Sorokin (eight years, $8.25MM cap hit)
D Scott Mayfield (seven years, $3.5MM cap hit)
F Pierre Engvall (seven years, $3MM cap hit)
G Semyon Varlamov (four years, 35+ contract, $2.75MM cap hit)
*F Oliver Wahlstrom (one year, $874.1K cap hit)
F Julien Gauthier (two years, $787.5K cap hit)
New York Rangers
*D K’Andre Miller (two years, $3.872MM cap hit)
D Erik Gustafsson (one year, $825K cap hit)
G Jonathan Quick (one year, 35+ contract, $825K cap hit)
F Blake Wheeler (one year, 35+ contract, $800K cap hit)
F Nick Bonino (one year, 35+ contract, $800K cap hit)
F Tyler Pitlick (one year, $787.5K cap hit)
F Riley Nash (two years, $775K cap hit)
Philadelphia Flyers
*F Noah Cates (two years, $2.625MM cap hit)
F Garnet Hathaway (two years, $2.375MM cap hit)
*D Cameron York (two years, $1.6MM cap hit)
**G Samuel Ersson (two years, $1.45MM cap hit)
F Ryan Poehling (one year, $1.4MM cap hit)
D Marc Staal (one year, 35+ contract, $1.1MM cap hit)
Pittsburgh Penguins
G Tristan Jarry (five years, $5.375MM cap hit)
D Ryan Graves (six years, $4.5MM cap hit)
F Lars Eller (two years, $2.45MM cap hit)
F Noel Acciari (three years, $2MM cap hit)
G Alex Nedeljkovic (one year, $1.5MM cap hit)
*F Drew O’Connor (two years, $925K cap hit)
F Matthew Nieto (two years, $900K cap hit)
F Andreas Johnsson (one year, $800K cap hit)
G Magnus Hellberg (one year, $785K cap hit)
D Ryan Shea (one year, $775K cap hit)
F Vinnie Hinostroza (one year, $775K cap hit)
*D Ty Smith (one year, $775K cap hit)
Washington Capitals
**F Tom Wilson (seven years, $6.5MM cap hit)
*D Martin Fehervary (three years, $2.675MM cap hit)
F Max Pacioretty (one year, $2MM cap hit)
F Matthew Phillips (one year, $775K cap hit)
Johnny Gaudreau “More Comfortable” In Columbus Ahead Of 2023-24
The first season for star winger Johnny Gaudreau in Columbus didn’t go quite as planned after he signed a seven-year, $68.25MM deal with the club in 2022. While he still managed some strong offensive production with 21 goals, 53 assists and 74 points in 80 games, injuries completely derailed what looked like a promising rebound season for Columbus, and they once again finished near the bottom of the league. After yet another busy offseason for Columbus with the intention of inching toward playoff contention, Gaudreau told NHL.com’s Adam Kimmelman he’s “more comfortable” with his new environment in Columbus ahead of 2023-24 and is looking forward to getting the Blue Jackets back on track.
Of note, Gaudreau mentioned he’s already met with incoming head coach Mike Babcock and said they “got off to the right footstep there” in regard to their view for the team, believing Columbus “[needs] that hard-nosed coach that’s going to push us in practices and in games.” Some questions were raised about their potential relationship in the public discourse after the Babcock hiring was reported, given the latter’s affinity for a more physical, checking game that doesn’t quite align with Gaudreau’s individual skillset. Gaudreau addressed those concerns directly with Kimmelman, however:
I played for Bob Hartley, another guy who is very demanding and Sutter the same way. So I’ve had success under those coaches. They want their teams to win.
Success is a conservative word for Gaudreau’s final season with the Calgary Flames, spent under Sutter. While the now ex-Flames coach certainly butted heads with Gaudreau publically at times, the diminutive winger exploded for 40 goals and 115 points in Calgary in 2021-22.
That monster scoring year certainly didn’t come alone – he had a pair of stellar linemates in Elias Lindholm and Matthew Tkachuk to help him out. But if Gaudreau feels he’s better suited to recapture that form under Babcock, it could certainly cause a domino effect for a pair of potential linemates in 2023 third-overall pick Adam Fantilli and winger (maybe turned center) Patrik Laine. Babcock will be looking for a healthy Laine to provide an elite goal-scoring complement to Gaudreau, something that’s certainly a possibility after he’s produced near a point-per-game pace in Columbus over the past two years despite battling injuries.
Zach Werenski Has Met With Mike Babcock
- The Columbus Blue Jackets need a giant refresh button after a disappointing and injury-laden campaign last season. No one needs it more than their number one defender, Zach Werenski, who’ll be ready to go after missing all but 13 games last season with a shoulder injury. Today he told reporters, including BlueJackets.com’s Jeff Svoboda, that he’s met with incoming head coach Mike Babcock and is feeling revitalized ahead of an important transitional season for the club. Werenski said the conversation “kind of fired me up a little bit. I think from that point on, I just wanted to get to training camp and get the season going.” The 26-year-old left-shot defender registered eight points in his limited action last year and skated over 23 minutes per game.
Blue Jackets Won't Replace Kenny McCudden
- The Blue Jackets aren’t planning to replace former coach Kenny McCudden, notes Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (Twitter link). McCudden spent the past eight seasons as a skills coach with Columbus but resigned earlier this month to join Washington as an assistant coach. Mike Babcock (head coach) and Niklas Backstrom (goalie coach) are the newcomers to their coaching staff, joining holdovers Pascal Vincent (associate coach) and Steve McCarthy (assistant coach).
Laine Open To Playing Center Next Season
- Late last season, the Blue Jackets experimented with lining up Patrik Laine at center, a move that was short-lived as he suffered a season-ending triceps strain later that week. However, he told NHL.com’s Craig Merz that he’s open to moving down the middle once again next season. Columbus has added Adam Fantilli and Dmitry Voronkov this summer while youngsters Cole Sillinger and Kent Johnson are also young centers. But if they want to ease those players in on the wing, moving Laine to center for at least a little while next season could be a reasonable approach to take.