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Blue Jackets Sign Nick Blankenburg

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One of Kent Johnson’s Michigan teammates is joining him on the Columbus Blue Jackets. After the team inked the 2021 fifth-overall pick, Columbus announced they also signed the captain of the Michigan Wolverines, Nick Blankenburg. Blankenburg, 23, went undrafted and chose to sign with Columbus as a college free agent. His entry level contract is a one-year deal, lasting for the remainder of the 2021-22 season, and he is expected to join the team alongside Johnson on Monday.

Blankenburg is a veteran of four seasons at the University of Michigan, where he has collected 68 points in his 133-game career. Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen referred to Blankenburg as “a talented, smart, really competitive player with great leadership qualities” and stated that the Blue Jackets organization is “thrilled to welcome him.”

While Blankenburg is a bit undersized, standing at five-foot-nine and 175 pounds, it’s not his physicality that has earned him an NHL contract. Blankenburg is a right-shot defenseman who flashed offensive upside in his most recent season as a Wolverine and could help the Blue Jackets as a puck-mover. It remains to be seen if Blankenburg has a true NHL future, but his signing today should afford him the opportunity to make his case to Columbus’ management team that he deserves to be in their future plans as they rebuild their squad.

Blue Jackets Sign Kent Johnson

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The stretch run of this Blue Jackets season looks set to become significantly more exciting. The team announced that they have signed top prospect Kent Johnson to a three-year entry-level contract. Johnson is expected to join the team on Monday and is expected to make his NHL debut in the team’s Wednesday contest against the Montreal Canadiens, according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic.

Johnson, 19, was the fifth overall selection in the 2021 draft, coming off of a freshman season at the University of Michigan where he posted 27 points in 26 games. Johnson is a dazzling playmaker who has become one of the most consistently creative players outside of the NHL this season. In his sophomore season at Michigan, which recently ended in an overtime loss to the University of Denver, Johnson improved his production, posting 37 points in 32 games. Johnson has experience at both winger and center, so while he has been utilized more as a winger it will be interesting to see how Columbus coach Brad Larsen chooses to deploy him.

Additionally, the unique package of skills Johnson brings to the game caught the attention of Hockey Canada’s Olympic selectors, and Johnson represented his country at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, where he collected five points in four games. Johnson won’t turn 20 until October, but if his skill and playmaking ability at the college level (and his brief showing at the Olympics) is any indication, he should make the Blue Jackets’ on-ice product a lot more exciting sooner rather than later.

Kent Johnson Could Turn Pro After His NCAA Season Concludes

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6:55 pm: According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, seven or eight Michigan University players are expected to turn pro after their NCAA season comes to an end (link). Most notable among them are Sabres’ number one overall draft choice in 2021, Owen Power; the second overall selection in 2021 and the first draft pick in Seattle Kraken history, Matty Beniers; and the fifth overall choice in 2021 by the Columbus Blue Jackets, Kent Johnson. Another premier name on the highly-talented Michigan team, Luke Hughes, who was selected fourth overall in 2021 by the New Jersey Devils, is not expected to turn pro and will return to Michigan next year. The NCAA men’s hockey championship game is scheduled for Saturday night at 8:00 pm ET.

Kirill Marchenko, Ivan Morozov Linked To NHL

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At the end of this month, many contracts in the KHL will expire, making a whole wave of players free agents eligible to sign in other professional leagues. For some, it appears as though NHL contracts are on the horizon. A report from Leonid Zakhvatov of Match TV in Russia indicates that both Kirill Marchenko and Ivan Morozov will sign entry-level contracts with their respective NHL clubs, leaving the KHL behind.

Marchenko, 21, was selected 49th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2018, a team that has patiently awaited his arrival in North America. The young forward has shown an ability to score even in limited KHL minutes while playing with SKA St. Petersburg the last few seasons, adding 12 goals in 39 games this year despite averaging under 12 minutes of ice time.

He actually hasn’t played with the KHL club since January though, heading to the VHL instead for the affiliate’s playoff run, where he added four goals in ten games so far. Marchenko is playing a lot more there, but is in danger of being eliminated tomorrow as SKA is down 3-1 in their semi-final series.

Morozov, meanwhile, was the 61st pick in 2018, this time by the Vegas Golden Knights. He too was playing with SKA the last few seasons and saw a demotion to the VHL squad this year, before ending up with HC Sochi for the end of the year. The complicated year for Morozov is especially curious, given how well he had previously shown at the highest level. In 2020-21 he scored 31 points in 55 regular season games, added seven more in 15 playoff contests, and then was named to the Russian World Championship team. This year, in 22 KHL games combined between SKA and Sochi, he had five goals and 11 points.

Both players represent no sure thing but could be quick risers through the system and contribute at the NHL level in 2022-23, should the contracts be finalized. In fact, technically either one would even be eligible to play in the postseason this year, though it would mean burning the first year of the entry-level deal.

Brad Larsen Exits COVID Protocol

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April 4: The Blue Jackets have their head coach back, as Larsen has cleared the protocol and will be back behind the bench this evening. McCarthy is still in it and now Vincent has joined him, meaning Mcudden and Boll will still be running the forwards and defense when the Blue Jackets take on the Boston Bruins.

March 29: The Columbus Blue Jackets will be without head coach Brad Larsen and assistant coach Steve McCarthy this evening, as both have been placed in the league’s COVID protocol. In their absence, the Blue Jackets will be led by associate coach Pascal Vincent. The team is at home to face the New York Islanders this evening.

Larsen, 44, was hired as head coach of the Blue Jackets last summer after serving previously in an assistant role and has posted a 32-29-5 record so far behind the bench. In fact, Columbus has done better this season than many expected after the trade of Seth Jones and other key players, and specifically, the play of Patrik Laine has been an impressive turnaround. The relationship between the two has resulted in plenty of media speculation on several occasions, and yet Laine is currently having the best offensive season of his career with 49 points in 47 games.

With Larsen and McCarthy out, Vincent will serve as head coach, while Jared Boll and Kenny McCudden will run the defense and forwards respectively.

Blue Jackets Recall Jake Christiansen And Carsen Meyer

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  • The Blue Jackets have recalled two players from the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. Defenseman Jake Christiansen and forward Carson Meyer have been elevated to the main squad. Christiansen’s recall is a regular one, while Meyer’s is an emergency recall, per Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers. Christiansen, 2s2, is an undrafted player who is looking like a savvy pickup for the Blue Jackets, as he has 42 points in 54 AHL games for the Monsters, which leads the team. He also has gotten into four NHL games this year and has a goal. Meyer, 24, was a 2017 sixth-round pick and has 16 goals and 27 points in 57 AHL games this year.

Owen Sillinger Signs AHL Contract

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If you’re the Columbus Blue Jackets, why not take a chance on another player named Sillinger? The Cleveland Monsters, Columbus’ AHL affiliate, have signed undrafted college free agent Owen Sillinger to a professional tryout contract for the rest of this season and an AHL deal for 2022-23.

Sillinger, 24, recently finished his senior season at Bemidji State University, where he dominated with 17 goals and 47 points in 39 games. He also happens to be the older brother of Blue Jackets’ rookie phenom Cole Sillinger, and son of long-time NHL forward Mike Sillinger, who also spent time in the Columbus organization.

While Owen doesn’t have quite the same profile as Cole, he’s still a talented forward that will help the Monsters next season. He served as captain of Bemjidi State this season, playing with their other brother–Lukas Sillinger–another undrafted talent.

An AHL contract means he can’t be recalled to the Blue Jackets, but does at least bring him into the organization and gets them an even closer look at his skill. The team–or some other team–could potentially turn that contract into an entry-level deal if they feel he could contribute at the next level.

The Monsters have also signed Robbie Payne to another AHL contract for 2022-23. Payne has six goals and 11 points in 19 games for Cleveland this season.

Snapshots: IIHF, Boqvist, Hathaway

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The IIHF has referred two cases to their newly-created independent Ethics Board for review, to determine if the actions of an IIHF National Association or an individual associated with the IIHF could constitute an ethical conduct violation. The first case involves the Russian Ice Hockey Federation’s alleged instruction of KHL teams to take demonstrative actions in support of the Russia-Ukraine war.

The second is the involvement of IIHF Life President Rene Fasel with Russia and the KHL, along with public statements about the war. Currently, no disciplinary action has been brought. Earlier this year, the IIHF suspended the Russian and Belarusian teams from several international competitions.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated Adam Boqvist from injured reserve after he missed the last 11 games. The 21-year-old defenseman has had a strong debut in Columbus after a trade from the Chicago Blackhawks, scoring ten goals and 19 points in just 40 games.
  • Garnet Hathaway has a little less spending money this month, after earning a $2,000 diving/embellishment fine from the league today. The incident that caused the fine happened on a March 18 game against the Carolina Hurricanes, following a warning that Hathaway received earlier this year.

Joonas Korpisalo To Undergo Hip Surgery

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When Joonas Korpisalo wasn’t moved at the deadline, a few eyebrows were raised around the league, given his status as a pending unrestricted free agent. The Columbus Blue Jackets have essentially explained why, announcing that Korpisalo will undergo hip surgery and is expected to miss the next six months. Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen released a statement:

This is an injury that Joonas has been dealing with for some time and it has now gotten to the point where surgery is the best option. We are disappointed for him as he has worked extremely hard to be able to play, but this is the best course of action.

Korpisalo, 27, now heads into the offseason with an uncertain future. A six-month timeline would suggest he could be ready for the start of next season but he now will be without a contract, unless he re-ups with the Blue Jackets at some point before hitting the open market. In just 22 appearances this season, Korpisalo has registered a career-worst .877 save percentage and 4.15 goals-against average. He is among the worst in the league at goals saved above average, ahead of only Philipp Grubauer in that category. While this injury explains at least part of that, it also complicates his future, as a return to his previous form is anything but a guarantee.

This isn’t even the first goaltender to require hip surgery for the Blue Jackets this season. Daniil Tarasov, essentially the team’s third-string option, also underwent surgery and was given a six-month timeline in February. That leaves Elvis Merzlikins and Jean-Francois Berube as the NHL options for the rest of the season, while Jet Greaves and Cam Johnson continue in the minor leagues.

Carolina Hurricanes Acquire Max Domi In Three-Team Trade

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The Carolina Hurricanes were able to make a last-second addition, acquiring Max Domi from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a complicated three-team trade just ahead of today’s deadline. The Florida Panthers are playing salary broker, retaining some of Domi’s remaining contract in order for him to fit into the Hurricanes cap situation. The deal will look like this:

To Columbus: Aidan Hreschuk
To Florida: Egor Korshkov, 2022 sixth-round pick (TOR)
To Carolina: Max Domi (50% retained CBJ, 25% retained FLA), Tyler Inamoto

None of Hreschuk, Korshkov, or Inamoto are currently signed to NHL contracts.

It’s a bit of an odd trade for the Blue Jackets, but they will end up with arguably the best prospect of the bunch out of the deal in Hreschuk. Selected 94th overall in 2021, the 19-year-old defenseman currently plays at Boston College where he registered eight points in 37 games as a freshman. He was actually ranked even higher than that by several lists going into the draft, but ended up slipping almost all the way out of the third round, likely because of concerns over his size. The 5’11” defenseman is a product of the U.S. National Team Development Program and isn’t someone to overlook though, as he is very physical and engaged when playing in his own end.

Florida meanwhile will get a chance to bring a former top prospect back to North America, as Korshkov is a restricted free agent playing in the KHL. Originally selected 31st overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016, he eventually returned to Russia to play in 2020-21. This season for Yaroslavl he has scored 11 goals and 22 points, and would need a new contract if he’s going to play for Florida. A big, rangy forward, Korshkov isn’t overly physical but can use a powerful shot and surprisingly strong mobility to contribute in a depth role, if convinced to return.

Inamoto, 22, went back to play his fifth year at Wisconsin this season, where the fifth-round pick recorded just two points in 26 games. While he’s an interesting one to follow in a Carolina system known for its unique scouting group, Domi is obviously the prize here.

The 27-year-old pending UFA has nine goals and 32 points this season for the Blue Jackets, his second in Columbus since a trade from the Montreal Canadiens. Now joining his fourth NHL organization, the 12th overall pick from 2013 has 99 goals and 307 points in 482 career games. There’s no doubt that Domi can contribute on the offensive end, add some toughness and grit, too often in his previous stops he has had an inconsistent game that bordered on irresponsible defensively. It has made him a frustrating player for coaches and fans alike, given his obvious talents, but could potentially be a nice under-the-radar pickup for the Hurricanes as they push for the Stanley Cup.

If he can fit into their structure, Domi will provide another bit of firepower among a forward group that’s already one of the deepest in the league. The gamble didn’t cost them a ton, especially given how many other interesting prospects remain in the Carolina system.

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