- Also on the podcast, Friedman and co-host Jeff Marek also brought up the Columbus Blue Jackets as the latest team connected to Jakob Chychrun. While the Blue Jackets aren’t going anywhere this year, they have plenty of young assets that could be of interest to the Arizona Coyotes and expect to be better next season when not dealing with a huge number of injuries. Chychrun looked quite good in his latest game for the Coyotes, recording an assist, eight shots on goal, and a +3 rating in a win over the Carolina Hurricanes.
Blue Jackets Rumors
Yegor Chinakhov Returns To Lineup
- After missing one game, Yegor Chinakhov is getting back into the Columbus Blue Jackets lineup where he can continue his solid start to the year. The 21-year-old has ten points in 18 games, good for third on the Blue Jackets behind only Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner. To make room for him, Liam Foudy will come out. Chinakhov will skate with Cole Sillinger and recent recall Carson Meyer, who is in for Emil Bemstrom.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Columbus Blue Jackets
As American Thanksgiving and the holiday season are upon us, PHR is taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2022-23. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Who are the Blue Jackets thankful for?
Don’t know who Ville Siren is? That’s kind of the point. The Blue Jackets director of amateur scouting isn’t the one that has to face the cameras every day, but he’s arguably just as important to the organization as general manager Jarmo Kekalainen. There isn’t a ton to be thankful for in Columbus right now, as injuries have absolutely ravaged the NHL roster and it looks like they won’t be competing for the playoffs this year.
But with Siren in place, fans can be pretty confident that the team will turn things around eventually, thanks to their strong history in the draft.
When he joined the organization in the summer of 2013, the Blue Jackets had just made four selections in the top 50 picks. Those players ended up being Alexander Wennberg, Kerby Rychel, Marko Dano, and Dillon Heatherington. They did get Oliver Bjorkstrand that year, but otherwise whiffed on most of their picks. Moving forward, Siren has repeatedly plucked NHL talents out of the draft even in rather late positions.
Elvis Merzlikins, Vladislav Gavrikov, Markus Nutivaara, Andrew Peeke, Emil Bemstrom, Daniil Tarasov, and Alexandre Texier were all picked outside of the first round, while Zach Werenski, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Yegor Chinakhov, Cole Sillinger, and Kent Johnson all look like first-round hits. No scouting department is going to hit a home run with every selection but more often than not, Siren’s group seems to have a good sense of where the value lies.
What are the Blue Jackets thankful for?
A changing narrative around the market.
For years, there has been a narrative that players would never choose to play in Columbus. Stars wanted out, free agents wouldn’t sign, and the team would never have real game-changing talent. That is beginning to shift, thanks to the work that Kekalainen has done. Johnny Gaudreau shocked the hockey world by signing a massive contract with the Blue Jackets, Patrik Laine settled down and inked a multi-year extension, and Werenski committed to the program just as another defenseman was looking for a way out.
The Blue Jackets might not be competitive this season but the program that Kekalainen (and John Davidson) have built at least now allows them to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some bigger markets when it comes to acquiring and retaining star-level talent.
What would the Blue Jackets be even more thankful for?
A little bit of health (next season).
Navigate to the Blue Jackets’ CapFriendly page and you will see an injured reserve list that could be a pretty impressive roster on its own. Laine, Werenski, Merzlikins, Jakub Voracek, Jake Bean, Justin Danforth, Nick Blankenburg, and Adam Boqvist are all out of the lineup, meaning the team doesn’t really have a chance to keep pace in the Metropolitan Division
It’s probably not going to turn around this year, but when the Blue Jackets come back in September 2023, they’ll have a roster loaded with young talent that could be ready to make some noise. If you’re hoping for consistency and health, it’s for the 2023-24 season that you want it – after they get a crack at the Connor Bedard sweepstakes.
What should be on the Blue Jackets’ holiday wish list?
Another first-round pick.
There’s a chance here for the Blue Jackets to pick multiple times in three straight first rounds. Adding that kind of talent to an organization in such a short period can create an avalanche (pun intended) of success, with impact players all over the roster. Remember that even outside of Johnson and Sillinger, who are already staples on the NHL roster, Columbus has David Jiricek, Denton Mateychuk, and Corson Ceulemans in the system as first-round talents picked in the last two years.
They have the assets to do it, too. Gustav Nyquist and Gavrikov are both going to be coveted at the trade deadline, and Jack Roslovic might even be available. When teams are tossing around draft picks for marginal improvements for a playoff run, the Blue Jackets will be waiting to add another future asset to the pile.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Columbus Blue Jackets Recall Carson Meyer; Re-Assign Emil Bemstrom
The Columbus Blue Jackets have made a roster swap, sending Emil Bemstrom to the minor leagues while recalling Carson Meyer. Bemstrom played just under 12 minutes in last night’s loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
Meyer, meanwhile, has been on fire with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL, scoring six goals and 18 points in 15 games so far. The Ohio State standout played in 13 games for the Blue Jackets last season and registered just three points but will certainly be bringing some confidence to the lineup after such a hot start.
Selected in the sixth round in 2017, Meyer was good for the Monsters last season too, but not quite to the same level. He had 16 goals and 27 points in 57 games, while racking up 63 penalty minutes. In his chances last year, he was willing to throw himself into anything that moved, racking up 27 hits in those 13 games despite averaging just over eight minutes a night.
Bemstrom is a very different player and one that might not be as well-suited for the bottom six. He has four points in seven games this season but doesn’t add any physicality and isn’t used on the penalty kill at all. If he’s not going to get regular minutes in a scoring role, perhaps heading to the minor leagues is a better option. He has also been banged up, missing some time due to an undisclosed injury.
Because he cleared waivers at the beginning of the season, Bemstrom is still exempt.
Vancouver Canucks Inquired About Jack Roslovic
The Columbus Blue Jackets and Vancouver Canucks have been two of the most disappointing teams in the league to start the year. But over the summer, there were talks between the two teams about a potential Jack Roslovic trade, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline.
Portzline reports the Canucks inquired about Roslovic, looking to add to what was becoming a deep forward core, but the Blue Jackets were reluctant to move him. While Columbus’ subsequent start and Roslovic’s mediocre stat line (one goal, six points in 15 games) may make it look like a poor decision in hindsight, it’s understandable why Columbus wanted to hold onto their assets in an effort to be competitive. Many viewed Roslovic as a potential candidate to center a line between Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine after he broke out for a 22-goal campaign last year, but with Laine never really getting his feet under him, and Roslovic not playing up to the bar he set for himself, that trio has seen just 21 minutes together at even strength, per MoneyPuck.
Columbus Blue Jackets Place Elvis Merzlikins On IR
The Columbus Blue Jackets announced Sunday morning that they have placed goaltender Elvis Merzlikins on IR. In a corresponding move, the team has also recalled winger Trey Fix-Wolansky from the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. Merzlikins suffered a lower-body injury in Tuesday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers. The team had already recalled goaltender Daniil Tarasov on an emergency basis with the news that Merzlikins was expected to be out at least 1-2 weeks. Now with the goaltender on IR, the team could recall a forward as they deal with a rash of injuries.
Merzlikins had been off to a rough start to this season, recording a 4.74 goals-against average and .864 save-percentage in nine games. The injury clearly isn’t good news per se, however a break to rest, recuperate, and gather his thoughts might be helpful to Merzlikins nonetheless. As a replacement, Tarasov really hasn’t been much better this season with a 3.57 goals-against average and .893 save-percentage, but the organization does have high hopes overall for the 23-year-old.
In Fix-Wolansky, 23, the Blue Jackets will find quality depth and someone who has been, in a word, sensational with Cleveland this season, notching 10 goals to go with 12 assists in a mere 14 games. Yes, the NHL does get tougher and the winger has just six games of experience at the top level, all last year, but given the Blue Jackets’ struggles to start this season and their recent injuries, giving Fix-Wolansky a chance in the lineup might be on the horizon.
Snapshots: McDonagh, Samsonov, Tarasenko
If the season were to end today, the Nashville Predators would, for a second straight season, find themselves in the playoffs as the eighth seed out of the Western Conference. Last season, the team was rewarded for its efforts with a 4-0 sweep in the first round at the hands of the eventual Stanley Cup Champions, the Colorado Avalanche. This season, should they make the playoffs, they’ll now have a new weapon: a veteran shutdown defenseman with Stanley Cup pedigree in that of defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who they acquired this offseason from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Though Nashville has had their struggles thus far, McDonagh has been the steady, reliable presence they’d hoped for, helping to keep them in the hunt early on.
However, as The Athletic’s Joe Smith details, there was a time when McDonagh was nearly on his way to the Columbus Blue Jackets this offseason. According to Smith’s discussions with McDonagh and agent Ben Hankinson, a deal to Columbus was rather close. But, on the morning of July 3rd, things began to change. As Smith writes, Lightning GM Julien BriseBois had set that day as a deadline to find a trade partner for McDonagh, who carried a no-movement clause on his contract. If they could not, Smith added, there was a chance McDonagh could have been placed on waivers. Instead, the story goes, Nashville and GM David Poile jumped into the mix that day and made the push to acquire McDonagh. Ultimately, it was the Predators who checked more boxes than any other interested team, McDonagh said.
- After Ilya Samsonov suffered a knee injury in a game against the Boston Bruins two weeks ago, many wondered how the Toronto Maple Leafs would resolve their issues in net, down both of their regular netminders. Toronto managed to bide their time, relying on Erik Kallgren, until Murray’s return this Tuesday, however they will need that pair to stay healthy for now, as Samsonov does not appear close to return. According to TSN’s Mark Masters, who spoke with Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe, Samsonov did not skate Friday. As Keefe says, Samsonov is still healing and not yet at the point to push himself every day and make the push to return. Fortunately for Toronto, the comments don’t appear to point to any setback in Samsonov’s recovery, even if his return is not clear.
- NHL.com’s Chris Pinkert reports that St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko will not play tonight due to illness. It doesn’t appear that the illness is in any way COVID related. Skating in his place will be Alexey Toropchenko, who will play alongside Pavel Buchnevich and Robert Thomas. The 23-year-old Toropchenko has just one goal in 11 games this season, but a chance to skate in the Blues’ top-six could reignite the winger.
Blue Jackets Recall Billy Sweezey
As the injuries continue to pile up in Columbus, the Blue Jackets have had to dip deeper into their depth chart with some players getting their first NHL opportunities. Today, that’s the result for defenseman Billy Sweezey as the team announced they’ve recalled him from AHL Cleveland.
The 26-year-old undrafted free agent has taken a slower route to the NHL. After playing out his college career at Yale, he signed a minor-league deal with Pittsburgh in 2020. That was enough to get him a minor-league pact with Columbus last season where he put up 11 points in 70 games along with 114 penalty minutes. Those numbers don’t jump off the page but GM Jarmo Kekalainen thought highly enough of him to commit a two-year, two-way deal for this season, one that pays him the league minimum at the NHL level in both seasons.
This season, Sweezey has been a bit more involved offensively with five assists through his first 14 games with AHL Cleveland which has helped him earn this recall. Columbus is currently without Zach Werenski, Jake Bean, Adam Boqvist, and Nick Blankenburg who are all on injured reserve and while David Jiricek has done well in the minors so far, the Blue Jackets are trying to manage his NHL action as his contract would slide a year as long as he plays in nine or fewer games. With Sweezey’s recall, the team now has seven healthy defenders on their active roster.
Jake Bean Placed On Injured Reserve
The hits keep coming for the Columbus Blue Jackets. While they still haven’t given an exact timeline for defenseman Jake Bean, he has been moved to injured reserve and is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury.
Bean, 24, had just recently set a season-high with more than 26 minutes against the Philadelphia Flyers and was poised to take on a much bigger role for the Blue Jackets with Zach Werenski (and Nick Blankenburg and Adam Boqvist) sidelined. Instead, he hits the shelf along with nearly half of the Columbus roster and won’t get a chance to step into a top position on the team’s blue line.
In the second season of a three-year, $7MM deal, Bean is coming off a career year with 25 points in 67 games. This time around had six through 13, before leaving early in a rematch with the Flyers on Tuesday.
With head coach Brad Larsen saying it doesn’t look good for Bean earlier today, it seems like this will be more than just a short stint on the injured reserve list. The team is at least at home for the next five games, meaning they can probably operate with a 22-man roster for the time being.
It will be interesting to see if these injuries lead to another opportunity for top prospect David Jiricek, who has played two games with the Blue Jackets so far. The sixth-overall pick has five assists in seven minor league games.
Elvis Merzlikins Out With Lower-Body Injury
It’s Joonas Korpisalo and Daniil Tarasov for at least the next little while, as Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Brad Larsen updated Elvis Merzlikins’ timeline today. The netminder will be out for 1-2 weeks with a lower-body injury. Jake Bean, who was also being evaluated yesterday, still doesn’t have a firm recovery timeline but it is “not looking good,” according to Larsen, who spoke with reporters including Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch.
Merzlikins hadn’t been doing well this season anyway, posting a .864 save percentage in nine appearances behind one of the worst teams in the league. The 28-year-old goaltender allowed two goals on 17 shots before leaving on Tuesday, and has a whopping 4.74 goals-against average on the year.
Korpisalo, who has been the better of the two goaltenders so far, will take the lion’s share of the starts while Merzlikins is out. Now 28, Korpisalo’s current .910 save percentage would rank as his best since 2019-20, should he maintain it all season. Tarasov, called up yesterday under emergency conditions, has a .893 in five appearances for the Blue Jackets tonight.
Emil Bemstrom, who is also dealing with an injury, is a game-time decision for tonight’s match against the Montreal Canadiens.