Blue Jackets defenseman Damon Severson has popped up in recent trade discussions, relays Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. The 30-year-old still has six years left on his contract with a $6.25MM cap charge. He logged over 19 minutes a game this season and posted 25 points in 70 appearances but notably, he was a healthy scratch down the stretch as Columbus made their late push for the playoffs. Given that limited usage late, it’s not too surprising that the Blue Jackets appear to be exploring if there are any trade options with Severson even though they’re set to potentially lose two key blueliners in pending UFAs Ivan Provorov and Dante Fabbro. Notably, Severson has a full no-trade clause so even if a trade gets agreed on, the veteran will have the final say on if it happens.
Blue Jackets Rumors
Blue Jackets, Hurricanes Interested In Rasmus Andersson
The Blue Jackets and Hurricanes are among the teams calling the Flames to have trade talks surrounding defenseman Rasmus Andersson, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports. Pagnotta mentioned the Senators as well – it’s not the first time in the past few months they’ve been tied to Andersson – but Ottawa is also reportedly on his six-team no-trade list.
Calgary and Andersson have already begun preliminary talks on an extension. He’s entering the final year of his contract at a highly team-friendly $4.55MM cap hit and becomes eligible to sign a new deal on July 1 to keep him in Calgary past 2025-26. However, those talks haven’t been particularly productive in their initial stages, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff last week. As a result, they’re listening to trade interest, but as has been the case for a while now, they’re in no particular rush to move him and could wait until next season’s trade deadline to get the value they want if they’re no closer to an extension.
That means defense-needy teams, particularly those looking for added puck-moving depth, will have Calgary general manager Craig Conroy on speed dial until Andersson’s situation is resolved. Carolina and Columbus fit that bill, with Andersson’s cheap initial cap hit before a potential extension kicks in still providing both clubs a fair amount of flexibility to pursue other avenues of roster improvement this summer.
The Hurricanes’ defensive depth will have a few notable changes next season, regardless of whether they successfully land Andersson or not. They’re not offering pending UFA Dmitry Orlov a new contract, and it remains to be seen if veteran Brent Burns, a top-pairing staple alongside Jaccob Slavin in recent seasons, will be back with the club. If he is, it’ll presumably be in a reduced role after a tough 2024-25 campaign for the 40-year-old. Rookie Alexander Nikishin has likely been penciled in as Orlov’s replacement on the left side with Slavin and Shayne Gostisbehere after looking good in limited postseason action, but rookie righty Scott Morrow is a less surefire insurance option for Burns, at least out of the gate. If they’re not yet ready to entrust the 22-year-old with regular NHL minutes, it would make sense to pursue Andersson.
Unlike the Blue Jackets, the Hurricanes might be willing to make a deal without a guarantee of an extension, particularly if it’s done this summer. They have Morrow coming eventually, even if it’s not next season, and are still firmly entrenched in win-now mode.
Columbus’ interest similarly stems from the unknown future of a pending UFA. While things appear close on a deal for top-pairing righty Dante Fabbro, the same can’t be said for lefty Ivan Provorov, who might be forced over to his off-side if he stays anyway with up-and-comer Denton Mateychuk positioning himself for top-four minutes in the near future. Andersson, a legitimate needle-mover, would give the Blue Jackets a highly intriguing right side with Fabbro and Damon Severson in the mix as well while coming in at a much cheaper cost than a new deal for Provorov would require, at least initially.
Regardless, it might behoove the Flames to wait until the season starts to see if Andersson can bump his value. He’s coming off his worst offensive campaign in four years, although he did still produce 31 points in 81 games while averaging 24 minutes per night. His -38 rating paired with career-worst possession impacts doesn’t do much to help his case either, although a few teams could have confidence in that showing being an outlier from the 28-year-old.
Dante Fabbro, Blue Jackets Discussing Long-Term Extension
The Blue Jackets have progressed in extension talks with pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Dante Fabbro, Andy Strickland of FanDuel Sports Network reports Monday. Strickland adds that it’s expected to be a long-term deal if finalized.
Fabbro isn’t Columbus’ top pending UFA in terms of market value, even among defensemen. That honor goes to the minute-munching Ivan Provorov. Yet getting a commitment from Fabbro is a highly important piece of business as well.
Perhaps no pending UFA saw their stock rise in-season as much as Fabbro. The soon-to-be 27-year-old was claimed off waivers from the Predators early in the season after failing to land a regular job in their lineup in his sixth full NHL season. Initially, the only hope was that Fabbro could provide some needed right-side depth on the Jackets’ blue line after losing veteran Erik Gudbranson for most of the season early on due to a shoulder injury.
Instead, Fabbro was given a trial in top-pairing duties at even strength alongside Norris Trophy finalist Zach Werenski and never left. The Werenski-Fabbro pairing was just one of seven league-wide to play over 1,000 minutes together at 5-on-5. Among the seven, they were the fifth-best at controlling play with a 54.4% share of expected goals, per MoneyPuck. It was Werenski’s best play-driving season with his primary partner since his second year in the league, when he and Seth Jones posted a 54.9 xGF% back in 2017-18.
Individually, Fabbro solidified himself as one of the best right-shot options available on the open market this summer behind Panthers pending UFA Aaron Ekblad. He made 62 appearances for Columbus after the waiver claim, posting a 9-17–26 scoring line and a +23 rating while averaging 21:39 per game. All were career highs, even when including his brief six-game sample with Nashville before the move. He also featured alongside Provorov on Columbus’ top penalty kill unit for most of the season, aside from when Gudbranson was healthy.
He would have been an extremely desirable target if he decided to test free agency as virtually the only defensively responsible righty with legitimate puck-moving ability and a recent history of substantial possession impacts in a top-four role. Instead, he’ll likely continue to play a key role with the Blue Jackets as they enter 2025-26 well-armed with the tools to enter a playoff contention window and end a five-year postseason drought.
Fabbro was projected to land a four-year deal worth around $4.5MM per season on the open market, according to AFP Analytics. A long-term deal that eats up more of the 2016 first-rounder’s prime will likely come in closer to the $5MM-$6MM range, though. With over $40MM in cap space to burn this summer, that shouldn’t impact their ability to make a competitive offer to retain Provorov while also leaving space to acquire one of the market’s top forwards.
Werenski Earns 2024-25 All-Star Team Honors
D Zach Werenski (Blue Jackets) – As one of the more unheralded members of the All-Star Team, Werenski came into his own during the 2024-25 campaign. He scored 23 goals and 82 points in 81 games, averaged 26:45 of ice time per game, and finished with 131 blocked shots. Being one of the prime reasons that the Columbus Blue Jackets nearly qualified for the postseason, it’s unsurprising Werenski received so many Norris votes and was named one of the league’s top defensemen.
Denton Mateychuk Earns All-Rookie Nod
D Denton Mateychuk (Blue Jackets) – Although he didn’t share similar point production to Hutson, Mateychuk had a quietly productive campaign for the Columbus Blue Jackets, scoring four goals and 13 points in 45 games, averaging 18:02 of ice time a night. Much of Mateychuk’s value came on the defensive side of the puck, securing a 91.4% on-ice save percentage at even strength despite starting 57.4% of his shifts in the defensive zone.
Blue Jackets Expected To Pursue Mitch Marner
With more than $40MM to spend and only a few notable holes to fill on the roster, the Columbus Blue Jackets will have difficulty being outspent on players this summer. Keeping that in mind, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic expects General Manager Don Waddell to be very involved in Mitch Marner’s market.
Unfortunately, the Blue Jackets’ ability to spend won’t alienate all of their competition this offseason, as a report from yesterday indicated the Anaheim Ducks are contemplating a record-breaking offer for Marner’s services. Still, Columbus has even more financial flexibility than Anaheim, making their pitch the most worthwhile part.
In his article, Portzline hinted at the fact that the Blue Jackets have pursued Marner before. After the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs, when the Blue Jackets eliminated the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning in the opening round, the team’s top two talents, Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, departed via free agency.
Columbus’s General Manager at the time, Jarmo Kekäläinen, immediately contacted the Toronto Maple Leafs when Marner’s entry-level contract expired that same summer. Portzline doesn’t believe the Blue Jackets’ trade interest got to the point of exchanging names, as Marner signed a six-year, $65.41MM contract closer to training camp.
If Columbus ultimately signs Marner, they’ll have two of the most defensively responsible wingers in the league. Marner has finished in the top 10 of Selke Trophy voting in three out of the past five years, while Kirill Marchenko finished with a higher CorsiFor% and on-ice save percentage compared to Marner this season at even strength.
Bringing in Marner would also allow the Blue Jackets to bring in another star talent since the tragic death of Johnny Gaudreau on August 29th of last summer. Columbus embarked on a remarkably competitive season in honor of their late teammate, and adding a player of Marner’s talent would certainly boost the team’s morale level.
Unlike some of the other teams with an abundance of cap space this summer, the Blue Jackets would allow Marner to stay on a competitive roster, while also having a much smaller media presence compared to Toronto.
Ultimately, only time will tell what crest Marner will wear on his jersey next season. He won’t have a shortage of suitors, as several teams outside of Anaheim and Columbus have the available capital to make a run at his services.
Blue Jackets Notes: Provorov, Danforth, Keskinen
The Blue Jackets met with the representative for pending UFA defenseman Ivan Provorov at the combine this week, relays Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription link). Projected as one of the top blueliners to hit the open market next month, he’s in a position to realistically command a max-term contract which would be seven years with another team or eight if Columbus signs him by the end of June.
However, Portzline notes that thus far, GM Don Waddell has been prioritizing a shorter-term agreement with the 28-year-old. Presumably, that offer would come with a higher AAV compared to a max-term offer but with over $40MM in cap room, per PuckPedia, they can safely afford to overpay if it got them a more desired term on the deal. Provorov had 33 points in 81 games this season while logging over 23 minutes a night and at this point, it’s unclear if he’d be amenable to a shorter-term pact.
More from Portzline’s piece on the Blue Jackets:
- Pending UFA forward Justin Danforth has switched agents. Previously represented by Puck Agency’s Jay Grossman, his new agent is Newport’s Pat Morris. Danforth played in 61 games this season, notching nine goals and 12 assists while also playing center on a full-time basis for the first time in his career. Coming off a one-year, $1.1MM deal, Danforth should be able to beat that on the open market next month if he doesn’t wind up re-signing with Columbus which Portzline notes is the veteran’s preferred outcome.
- The contract that prospect Oiva Keskinen received from the Blue Jackets last month contains a European Assignment Clause for next season. The 21-year-old is expected to get a chance to crack the NHL roster but he can trigger the return to Tappara in Finland if he doesn’t break camp with Columbus. A seventh-round pick in 2023, Keskinen had 15 goals and 20 assists in 59 regular season Liiga games but was limited to just a single assist in nine playoff outings.
Contract Negotiations Begin Between Blue Jackets, Daniil Tarasov
According to a new article from Daria Tuboltseva of RG, the Columbus Blue Jackets have started contract negotiations with Daniil Tarasov. Tarasov’s three-year, $3.15MM contract concluded at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
The Blue Jackets are in the driver’s seat for the negotiations. After a quality 2023-24 campaign, Tarasov had the worst season of his brief NHL career this past season, making him a candidate to be non-tendered this offseason if Tarasov doesn’t agree to Columbus’s offer.
In her interview with Tarasov, Tuboltseva quoted Tarasov saying, “Negotiations are ongoing. My agent is talking to the team’s management. There’s nothing concrete yet — just early discussions. The NHL season is still going, and the final is ahead. A lot will be decided later.”
It’s an interesting revelation given that Tarasov lost his role as the team’s backup toward the end of the season in favor of younger netminder Jet Greaves. The Russian goaltender concluded the 2024-25 season with a 7-10-2 record in 20 games with a .881 SV% and 3.54 GAA.
While already having Elvis Merzlikins and Greaves signed through next year, one could reasonably assume that the Blue Jackets will offer Tarasov no more than a league-minimum contract on a one-year deal. Tarasov didn’t give them confidence to re-sign him to a multi-year deal, and it may be the most he could find on the open market, anyway.
Still, that would be a healthy pay cut for Tarasov who made an AAV of $1.05MM for the last three years. He has not indicated if he’d return to the KHL if he doesn’t re-sign with Columbus, but it may be the most advantageous option for his professional career.
Sean Monahan Wins 2025 Masterton Trophy
The NHL has announced the winners of a few awards and trophies this week, including the Selke and Ted Lindsay. Today, the league announced that Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan is this year’s recipient of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded annually “to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.”
Monahan, 30, signed a five-year contract with Columbus in free agency last season. One of the reasons for doing so was having a chance to reunite with his close friend and longtime Flames linemate, Johnny Gaudreau. Yet Monahan’s and the entire NHL season were overshadowed when Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were struck and killed by a drunk driver while cycling near their New Jersey home in late August, weeks before training camp began.
The Blue Jackets responded by staying in the playoff race until the final days of the regular season, a far better finish than anyone expected. That success was fueled in large part by Monahan, who recorded a career-high 0.70 assists per game and 1.06 points per game while also earning Selke votes for the second time in his 12-year career. He logged 57 points in 54 games, on pace to lead Columbus in scoring if not for missing nearly 30 games in the second half of the season with a wrist injury.
This year’s other finalists were Wild goaltender Marc-André Fleury, whose 2024-25 season was the last of a Hall-of-Fame career spanning 21 seasons, and Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog, who returned to the ice in the postseason after a nearly three-year absence due to a knee injury.
While the 2025 NHL Awards ceremony will be held before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, the league has been surprising the winners of other honors in the days leading up to it.
Blue Jackets’ Cayden Lindstrom Commits To Michigan State
June 5: Lindstrom confirmed to Portzline he’ll play for the Spartans next season (article link). Lindstrom returned to play four games for Medicine Hat in the WHL finals en route to a championship, recording two goals and two assists, but went pointless in three Memorial Cup games for the Tigers.
March 29: Things haven’t gone as planned for Blue Jackets prospect Cayden Lindstrom this season. Felled by a back injury dating back to before the draft last year, he has yet to suit up in 2024-25 and isn’t expected to. But instead of remaining with WHL Medicine Hat for 2025-26, it appears he’ll be on the move, as Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Lindstrom is likely to play at Michigan State next season.
Lindstrom was the fourth overall pick back in June and while many high draft picks sign their entry-level deals in the days and weeks after that, he was a notable exception. As a result, he remains eligible to play in the NCAA next season.
It’s a decision that might seem a bit surprising at first, but given his injury history, it does make some sense. Major junior teams play 68 games per season and after missing all of this year, more game volume might seem like the way to go. Meanwhile, the NCAA regular season is only 34 games long which will allow Lindstrom more time for off-ice workouts and time with the training staff to try to limit or prevent any possible recurrence of this back trouble.
Last season, Lindstrom played well in limited duty, notching 27 goals and 19 assists in just 32 games for the Tigers which helped make him one of the first players off the board despite the injury concerns. While that’s not necessarily enough to say that he has nothing left to prove at that level, that type of dominance suggests that he might be better suited playing against older competition which he’ll get at MSU should he officially join them. He can’t do so until at least August 1st.
Portzline notes that several other schools, including Ohio State, also pursued Lindstrom’s services. Columbus likely would have preferred that he landed there to keep him closer to the team but instead, Lindstrom will join a Spartans program that had eight NHL-drafted prospects on it this season, some of which could soon be making the jump to the pros.