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Blue Jackets Sign Dysin Mayo To Two-Way Contract

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The Blue Jackets have signed free agent defenseman Dysin Mayo to a two-way contract, per a team press release. He’ll earn a $775K NHL salary and a $250K AHL salary with a $350K guarantee, according to PuckPedia.

The 28-year-old righty was initially a fifth-round pick by the Coyotes back in 2014. Mayo remained in the Arizona organization until just a couple of years ago, making his NHL debut and playing 67 games in the 2021-22 season after a lengthy pro career spent exclusively in the minors. He was traded to the Golden Knights in the 2022-23 season and has remained in the organization since, playing solely for the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights since his acquisition.

While he was a solely stay-at-home threat earlier in his career, Mayo has produced more offense in Henderson than he did with the Coyotes’ former affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. He’s posted 25 and 19 points respectively in his two full seasons in Henderson, each the highest and second-highest point totals in a single season in his professional career.

Most of Mayo’s NHL appearances occurred during the 2021-22 campaign; he added only 15 appearances the following season for Arizona before dropping off the radar. He has 97 points and 344 PIMs in 426 AHL games, including an 8-11–19 scoring line in 58 games for Henderson last year with a minus-five rating.

Mayo will now provide some veteran defensive depth for Columbus’ affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, while providing an injury replacement call-up option with some NHL experience.

Samuel Kňažko Signs In Czechia

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are losing one of their organizational depth defenseman for the time being. According to a team announcement, defenseman Samuel Kňažko has signed a multi-year contract with HC Vítkovice of the Czech Extraliga.

Kňažko wasn’t the most well-known defensive prospect in the Blue Jackets system. The 22-year-old blue liner was selected with the 78th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft by Columbus, coming from TPS’s U20 SM-liiga program. He never displayed higher-level offensive talent, but he proved to be an efficient puck mover and more than capable in the defensive zone.

He came to North America for the 2021-22 season after transferring to the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds. Kňažko scored five goals and 20 points in 27 games with a +14 rating, with one goal and six points in 26 postseason contests. He even suited up in seven games for Team Slovakia during the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, helping Slovakia to a bronze medal.

Unfortunately, since he started playing in the Blue Jackets organization with their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, his development has stagnated. Since the beginning of the 2022-23 AHL season, Kňažko has scored seven goals and 49 points in 149 regular-season contests with a -27 rating, and three assists in five Calder Cup playoff matchups. He only played in two games for Columbus over that stretch, going scoreless.

Carrying a bevy of defensemen in their pipeline and on their NHL roster, the Blue Jackets likely didn’t prioritize retaining Kňažko this offseason. He’ll join a Vítkovice team that finished 12th in the Extraliga during the 2024-25 season and was quickly eliminated in the wild-card round of the postseason.

Blue Jackets Still Looking For Goalie Depth

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  • The Blue Jackets’ only move goalie-wise this summer was moving out Daniil Tarasov who is now the backup in Florida, leaving incumbents Elvis Merzlikins and Jet Greaves as the presumed tandem. However, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that Columbus is still looking to add a goalie.  Their desired target is someone with some AHL experience but who can hold his own in the NHL if need be.  Ideally, that would be a younger player but GM Don Waddell acknowledged that teams don’t want to give those ones up in a trade.  A waiver claim might wind up being the outcome and while that would mean carrying three goalies, the Blue Jackets are prepared to do so if need be next season.

Blue Jackets Reportedly Nearing ELCs With To Prospects

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  • An impressive development camp may have led to a pair of entry-level contracts for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Although the team hasn’t confirmed the news, Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers reported earlier that the Blue Jackets are working on an entry-level contract with defenseman Will Bishop and forward Nicholas Sima. Columbus drafted neither player, as they were invited to the team’s development camp from the OHL.

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Blue Jackets’ Pyotr Andreyanov Signs Five-Year Deal In Russia

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Columbus Blue Jackets goalie prospect Pyotr Andreyanov has signed a five-year deal with CSKA of Russia’s KHL, per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. The deal will carry Andreyanov through his age-23 season in Russia’s top flight. Andreyanov was recently selected 20th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft. Notably, the deal includes an NHL release clause after the fourth season, according to Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers.

This move may come as a shock to many after Columbus selected Andreyanov about 20 spots earlier than many predicted. But sources available to ProHockeyRumors have indicated that the netminder’s plan to sign long-term in Russia was arranged before the draft took place, and comes with a clear intention to move to North America when the deal concludes. That’s excellent news for the Blue Jackets, who land another Russian phenom with this selection.

Andreyanov is lauded as one of Russia’s best goalies in recent memory. He posted a dazzling 23-6-6 record and .942 save percentage through 37 games in the MHL – Russia’s U21 league – this season. That performance gave mere decimals away from breaking the league’s save percentage record among draft-age goalies. That mark is currently held by New York’s Igor Shesterkin (.947).

Andreyanov earned that flashy season on the back of impressive athleticism. He was regarded by many as both the fastest and most controlled goaltender in the class, with an exceptional ability to track the puck and stay locked in between movements. He doesn’t get bogged down by traffic and shows the sly-grin determination to stop every chance that comes his way. Andreyanov is an exceptional goalie talent in many regards – and while his sharp and explosive movements can sometimes land him outside of his crease, there’s a shortlist of other Russians who would place above the CSKA Red Army netminder.

Columbus will add Andreyanov to an already stacked pipeline of goalie prospects. He’ll join compatriot Sergei Ivanov – a 2023 fifth-round pick – at the top of the Blue Jackets’ list. Ivanov posted a .911 save percentage with HK Sochi – often a bottom-ranked club in the KHL – this season. He had a much better save percentage of .943 in 38 KHL games last year. With Andreyanov and Ivanov in the system, the Blue Jackets could soon be relieved of their goalie concerns, once they convince top Russians to come overseas.

Riley Nash Announces Retirement

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Longtime depth center Riley Nash has retired from the NHL, he told Tyler Lowey of Castanet Kamloops.

Nash, 36, was an unrestricted free agent after spending 2024-25 under contract with the Rangers. He didn’t play at all last season while rehabbing what he told Lowey were a “variety of knee injuries” he sustained during the previous year while on assignment to AHL Hartford, spending his final professional season on the non-roster list.

“With three wonderful young kids and the way my body has behaved over the past few years, it was time to take a step back as an older guy and let others chase their dream the same way I did,” he told Lowey. “I consider myself very fortunate to have played in front of my kids over the last few years. They helped me regain the passion and love for the sport I had as a kid. Now was the right time to step away.”

The 6’2″, 187-lb pivot was the No. 21 overall selection in the 2007 draft by the Oilers, although he elected not to sign with one of the two clubs from his native Alberta. After winning an ECAC championship with Cornell in his junior campaign in 2009-10, he saw his signing rights flipped to the Hurricanes for a second-round pick.

Nash signed with Carolina a few weeks later. While he ended up having a true journeyman’s career, he did have some stability early on in the Hurricanes organization. He spent six seasons there, seeing NHL ice in the latter five, recording 31 goals, 50 assists, and 81 points in 242 games before reaching free agency in 2016.

Nash went on to see NHL ice for the Bruins, Blue Jackets, Maple Leafs, Jets, Lightning, Coyotes, and Rangers. He spent nearly a decade as a full-time AHL piece, going from 2013-14 to 2020-21 without seeing a minor-league assignment, frequently anchoring third and fourth lines. His best season came on a high-powered Bruins squad in 2017-18, setting career-highs across the board with 15 goals, 26 assists, 41 points, and a +16 rating while averaging 15:25 per game.

He spent the last few seasons of his career as a complementary AHL piece, serving as an alternate captain for the Charlotte Checkers in 2022-23 before spending his final healthy campaign with the Rangers’ affiliate in Hartford in 2023-24.

Nash concludes his pro career with 628 NHL appearances, scoring 63 goals, 113 assists and 176 points with a -11 rating in 13:09 of ice time per contest. He also scored 193 points in 312 AHL games in parts of seven seasons.

All of us at PHR wish Nash the best in retirement.

Blue Jackets To Let Aidan Hreschuk Reach Free Agency

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Despite owning his rights, the Columbus Blue Jackets are not expected to sign Boston College defenseman Aidan Hreschuk by the August 15 deadline, reports The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline.

Hreschuk, 22, was originally drafted in the third round (94th overall) in 2021 by the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes then traded Hreschuk’s rights to Columbus in a minor league deal that brought Tyler Inamoto to Carolina in 2022. However, it appears the 5’11”, 180-pound left-handed defenseman will be looking to break into the professional ranks with yet another organization.

In four seasons at Boston College, Hreschuk appeared in 146 games and posted 38 points and a plus-34 rating. Known for his physical presence, Hreschuk’s upside is within the defensive zone. At the time he was drafted, Elite Prospects had this to say about the defender in their 2021 draft guide:

“Hreschuk looks to jump into the rush, takes passes in motion from the point, and brings some defensive value. He’s a strong single variable defender, thanks to his mobility and physicality. He drives the play to the perimeter and throws the odd hit. Physicality translates across the defensive end.”

The Blue Jackets currently have a wealth of young defensive prospects on their roster or in their system — including first-round picks Denton Mateychuk (2022) and Jackson Smith (2025), as well as 2024 second-rounder Charlie Elick — making the decision to part with Hreschuk understandable.

If Columbus does not sign Hreschuk by August 15, the Long Beach, CA native will become a free agent.

Zac Dalpe Announces Retirement

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Longtime minor-league forward Zac Dalpe, who appeared in parts of 12 NHL seasons with numerous clubs over the past two decades, has announced his retirement via an open letter published on the Charlotte Checkers’ website.

Dalpe, 35, scored 16 goals, 16 assists, and 32 points with a -37 rating in 168 career regular-season games with the Blue Jackets, Panthers, Wild, Canucks, Sabres, and Hurricanes, who drafted him No. 45 overall back in 2008. He made 16 playoff appearances, 13 of which came in Florida’s run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2023.

The versatile center/winger spent more time in the AHL with Charlotte than anywhere else, including as their captain for the last four seasons while under contract with the Panthers. They were also the Hurricanes’ minor-league affiliate when he was in Carolina’s system. He scored 131 goals and 238 points in 362 games there across seven campaigns, sitting third in franchise history in goals.

“Pulling that Checkers sweater over my head and walking through the redline club on the way out to the bright lights will always be stapled in my head,” Dalpe said in his letter, which is truly worth a full read. “It started here and now it shall end here. I’m proud of what I got to do, but more importantly, I’m so proud of who I got to do it with. I appreciate every single person that was along for the greatest ride of my life. A Canadian kid got to be a hockey player for 15 years.”

While Dalpe never won a Stanley or Calder Cup, he was a two-time AHL All-Star and was part of the league’s All-Rookie Team back in 2010-11. He finishes his career with 220 goals, 172 assists, and 392 points in 574 AHL games. Only seven players have spent more seasons in the league than Dalpe’s 16.

Before turning pro, Dalpe was a star at Ohio State, where he scored 70 points in 76 games in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. He was a CCHA First Team All-Star in his second and final collegiate season.

All of us at PHR wish Dalpe the best in the next phase of his life and career and congratulate him on such a lengthy run of high-end play in the pros.

Image courtesy of James Guillory-Imagn Images.

Blue Jackets Re-Sign Dmitri Voronkov

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The Blue Jackets have taken care of their top remaining restricted free agent, announcing that they’ve re-signed forward Dmitri Voronkov to a two-year contract.  The deal carries a $4.175MM cap charge.  He was eligible to file for salary arbitration by today’s 4:00 PM CT deadline.  GM Don Waddell had the following to say about the signing:

We are very pleased to reach this agreement with Dmitri as he is an important part of our young core. He has size, strength and excellent hands and has a chance to be a very special player. We look forward to his continued growth and development as a Blue Jacket.

The 24-year-old was a fourth-round pick by Columbus back in 2019, going 114th overall.  While Voronkov showed some promise with Ak Bars Kazan of the AHL, the Blue Jackets had to wait a while to get him as he spent four more years in their system after being drafted before making the jump to North America in 2023.

Voronkov had a slow start to his rookie season in 2023-24 but adapted well as the season went on.  He spent a good chunk of that year playing center and did relatively well offensively in a secondary role, tallying 18 goals along with 16 assists and 55 penalty minutes in 75 games despite averaging just 13:27 per night.

His performance gave the Blue Jackets enough confidence to move him into more of a regular top-six role last season.  However, with the addition of Sean Monahan and the decision to move Adam Fantilli back down the middle, Voronkov was predominantly on the wing in 2024-25.  He played in 73 games for Columbus in 2024-25, tallying 23 goals along with 24 assists while his playing time jumped up to nearly 17 minutes per game.

Voronkov found himself in trade speculation last month when the Blue Jackets were showing interest in defenseman Noah Dobson.  It’s believed that Voronkov was the forward that New York was coveting as part of the package for the blueliner, who ultimately went to Montreal.

With the signing, Voronkov becomes the third highest-paid forward on the Blue Jackets for the upcoming season, joining Monahan and center Charlie Coyle, who was acquired from Colorado last month.  The deal buys both sides more time to assess if Voronkov has another level to get to offensively, one that could push him toward a significantly higher pay day in 2027 when the salary cap could be closer to the $113MM mark.  When the contract expires, Voronkov will still have one RFA-eligible season left with arbitration eligibility.

With the signing, Columbus has two remaining restricted free agents to re-sign, defenseman Daemon Hunt and winger Mikael Pyyhtia.  Neither player is eligible for arbitration this summer.

Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.

Luke Kunin Garnering Interest From Around The League

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A new contract could be closing in soon for centerman Luke Kunin, who has garnered interest from multiple teams since hitting the open market on July 1st, per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. Kunin kicked off last season with the San Jose Sharks, and was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 2025 second-round pick at the Trade Deadline.

Kunin has carved out a role as a utility third-liner over the course of his eight-year pro career that carried into his year with both San Jose and Columbus this season. He started the year with 11 goals, 18 points, and a minus-24 through 63 games as the Sharks’ third-line center. The Blue Jackets opted to move him to fourth-right wing, and he’d finish the year with no scoring and a minus-four through 12 games in Columbus.

Through a bleak stat line, Kunin did manage the second-most hits of his career (187) this season. He ranked second on the Sharks in hits (162) prior to his move, and then posted the second-highest hits-per-60 minutes of ice time (10.19) in Columbus behind only Mathieu Olivier (15.48). He also recorded a career-high 77 blocked shots this season. That physical presence has become the defining piece of Kunin’s pro style, and would surely be what teams are looking to buy on the open market.

Kunin was once the 15th-overall pick in the draft, hearing his name called in 2016 by the Minnesota Wild after a strong year with the US U18 National Team Development Program. Kunin’s sharp-edged physicality defined his game even as a teenager, though he earned lofty praise after scoring 70 points in 69 games over two years at the University of Wisconsin. He turned pro once his sophomore year came to a close, and managed to score eight points in his first 12 AHL games. He followed that with 19 points in 36 games through the first-half of the 2017-18 season – enough to earn a call-up to the Minnesota Wild mid-season.

Kunin has since appeared in 434 games across eight seasons in the NHL. He’s recorded 73 goals, 142 points, and a minus-97 across his full career – spanning three years with the Minnesota Wild and Sharks, two years with the Nashville Predators, and one year in Columbus. He is a cost-effective bruiser available on the open market, though likely won’t bring more than a third-line role to his next landing spot.

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