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Columbus Blue Jackets Re-Sign Mikko Lehtonen

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed Mikko Lehtonen to a one-year contract, giving the unrestricted free agent another chance to show what he can do at the NHL level. The 2020-21 season was Lehtonen’s first in North America after a long professional career overseas. The financial details have not yet been released.

Lehtonen, 27, was a highly sought after free agent last summer following an outstanding season in the KHL. He was named league defenseman of the year after scoring 17 goals and 49 points in 60 games with Jokerit, leading to a one-year contract with Toronto Maple Leafs. Many believed Lehtonen would get a full-time role on the Maple Leafs third pair and likely run the team’s second powerplay unit, but after Zach Bogosian established himself as a more reliable option on North American ice, Lehtonen was eventually moved to the Blue Jackets.

In Columbus, the savvy defenseman played 17 games, recording three points. He averaged 18 minutes a night for the Blue Jackets in those games, more than six minutes more than during his time in Toronto. With a full offseason and training camp to prepare, and room on the Columbus blueline, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Lehtonen find much more success this time around. While he may not be the breakout KHL star that some were hoping for, he’ll get another chance to show he is an NHL-level defenseman.

Zach Werenski Signs Long-Term Extension With Blue Jackets

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After several difficult years of asset management, capped off by the recent forced departure of Seth Jones, the Columbus Blue Jackets are stepping up do whatever it takes to keep their stars. In the wake of the Jones trade, no player is more important than fellow star defenseman Zach Werenski – and the team just made that clear. The Blue Jackets have signed Werenski to a six-year, $57.5MM contract extension, as first reported by Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston and confirmed by the team. That contract, which begins in the 2022-23 season, will make Werenski the third-highest paid defenseman in the NHL at a $9.583MM AAV, even higher than Jones’ recent deal. The breakdown is as follows:

  • 2022-23: $2MM SB, $8MM salary
  • 2023-24: $2MM SB, $10MM salary
  • 2024-25: $2MM SB, $9.5MM salary
  • 2025-26: $2MM SB, $7.5MM salary
  • 2026-27: $6.25MM SB, $1MM salary
  • 2027-28: $6.25MM SB, $1MM salary

The structure of this deal makes the contract buyout-proof, but that shouldn’t be an issue for the Blue Jackets. Werenski has committed to the team, publicly stating his excitement to remain in Columbus, and that is exactly what the team is hoping for. The team and city have developed a reputation for not being able to retain top talent in recent years, but they are hoping to change that perception. Rewarding players with loyalty (and a lot of money) is a great first step.

While this is certainly a large sum to award Werenski, it isn’t a massive overpay. Perhaps in the shadow of Jones, Werenski has quietly been one of the best offensive defensemen in the NHL since breaking in with an All-Rookie debut season in 2016-17. At 24, Werenski already has 335 games under his belt, in which he has recorded 65 goals and 189 points, among the top blue line scorers in that time. Consistency has been the most impressive part of his offense as well; Werenski recorded double-digit goals and 37-47 points in each of his first four full NHL seasons, including a 2019-20 campaign in which he played only 63 games. This year, he again played at a full-season pace of 16 goals and 47 points.

On top of his elite shot, puck possession, and offensive instincts, Werenski has also developed into a solid defensive player who has been using his 6’2″ frame more effectively of late. This more mature, well-rounded game has allowed Columbus to use Werenski in all situations, leading to a career-high 24:22 time on ice per game this year. That role is only going to increase with Jones gone and Werenski will also be asked to help develop the likes of new additions Jake Bean, Adam Boqvist, and eventually Corson Ceulemans and Stanislav Svozil. Werenski seems ready for the challenge.

Jake Bean Signs Extension In Columbus

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The Columbus Blue Jackets announced today that newly acquired defenseman Jake Bean signed an extension with the team. It’s a three-year deal costing Columbus $2.33MM annually. Here is the breakdown:

2021-22: $1.9M
2022-23: $2.2M
2023-24: $2.9M

This could wind up being an outstanding value for the Blue Jackets. Although Bean is only 23 and has just 44 NHL games under his belt, the 2016 first-round pick has shown flashes of immense upside in his young pro career. In his rookie season in 2020-21, Bean recorded 12 points in 42 games despite playing very limited bottom-pair minutes and without a consistent power play role. At 1.18 points per 60 minutes already without prime power play opportunity and playing with bottom-pair talent, Bean will only go up from there with a top-four role seemingly waiting for him in Columbus. At 20+ minutes per night and put in better scoring opportunities, it would not be a surprise to see the young blue liner push for at least 30+ points.

With all that said, Bean does need to continue to grow in the defensive aspects of the game. It is that development rather than his offensive potential that will dictate his ceiling in Columbus. The re-tooling Blue Jackets need well-rounded, all-situations players and Bean is still working on becoming that.

Columbus Blue Jackets Re-Sign Alexandre Texier

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The Columbus Blue Jackets re-signed young forward Alexandre Texier today, the team announced. It’s a two-year deal paying a total of $3.05MM, meaning it’s got an average annual value of $1.52MM. Texier was a restricted free agent but did not have arbitration rights.

It was a little over two years ago when Texier made his debut in the NHL, bursting onto the scene after dominating the Finnish league as a teenager. He scored three points in eight games for the Blue Jackets in the 2019 playoffs and hopes were high that he would step directly into a top-six role despite his young age. Instead, Texier averaged fewer than 13 minutes in the 36 games he did get into during the 2019-20 season, moving in and out of the lineup as a fringe roster player. He finished the year with six goals and 13 points, not exactly the rookie campaign that was expected.

Unfortunately, his sophomore year didn’t go much better. The 21-year-old had just four goals and 15 points in 49 games this season for the Blue Jackets despite additional minutes and responsibility. His offensive game hasn’t translated at all, though he did get a chance to play center—rather infrequently—under head coach John Tortorella, who is notorious for not trusting young players in the middle of the ice.

Now as the team heads into a new chapter under head coach Brad Larsen and without several key veterans, it will be up to young players like Texier to take the next step in Columbus. A $1.52MM cap hit isn’t insignificant and should mean he’s in the lineup every night, but it also doesn’t guarantee much else. He’ll have to prove he can contribute more regularly at the offensive end of the rink if he wants more ice time and a bigger contract in 2023.

Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Gavin Bayreuther, Tyler Sikura

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After a short vacation to Seattle, Gavin Bayreuther has once again signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The minor league defenseman was selected in the expansion draft as a pending UFA and has signed a two-year contract to return to his previous organization. The deal will be a two-way contract in 2021-22 and a one-way contract in 2022-23. The team has also signed minor league forward Tyler Sikura to a one-year, two-way contract.

Bayreuther, 27, was a confusing selection in the first place, as he has just 28 NHL games under his belt and has scored just three goals. It never seemed like he was destined for the Kraken roster, but perhaps they believed he could be signed and stashed in the minor leagues. For Columbus, that’s exactly what is likely to happen, with him returning to the Cleveland Monsters where he scored 12 points in 14 games this year.

The same can be said for Sikura, who doesn’t even have an NHL game under his belt. He did however scored 21 points in 29 games for Cleveland, and will return as a strong minor league veteran to fill out the system. It’s all about the development of their young talent now in Columbus, so keeping the relationship with the AHL team strong and productive is an important step.

Patrik Laine Accepts Qualifying Offer, Signs With Blue Jackets

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Wednesday: Official now, Laine has accepted his one-year qualifying offer with Columbus. He will be a restricted free agent again in 2022.

Tuesday: The Columbus Blue Jackets recently extended a qualifying offer to Patrik Laine, as they would any other restricted free agent they wanted to keep in the organization. The difference was, because of the way his previous contract was structured, that qualifying offer came with a salary of $7.5MM. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Laine has accepted that offer, meaning he will sign a one-year deal worth $7.5MM for the 2021-22 season. The contract can’t technically be announced until Wednesday.

Still just 23, Laine has turned into something of an enigma in the NHL. Supremely talented, he scored 110 goals in his first three seasons, establishing himself as one of the league’s next great snipers. Some compared him to players like Alex Ovechkin or Steven Stamkos because of his ability to hammer one-timers accurately into the net on the powerplay, giving the Winnipeg Jets a seemingly unstoppable weapon.

But then, things started to deteriorate, to the point where Laine was traded early this season to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was quickly put in the doghouse after a run-in with an assistant coach (one that turned out to be Brad Larsen, who is now the team’s head coach) and he ended up with just ten goals and 21 points in his 45 games with Columbus. There’s no doubting his offensive ability, but his commitment to the defensive side of the game and his sometimes questionable engagement have raised questions about his future.

Auston Matthews, who was compared to him immediately because they went with the first two spots in the 2016 draft, signed a huge long-term contract out of his entry-level deal that made him one of the highest-paid players in the NHL. Laine was given a two-year bridge and traded in the middle of it. Instead of negotiating a long-term deal, he’ll now return to Columbus on just a one-year contract, though one that rewards him handsomely. Next year, he’ll be an RFA again and will need the same qualifying offer, but perhaps things will have changed.

With a new head coach in Columbus and a fresh start that doesn’t have a trade and quarantine involved, Laine could very well get back to dominating the league with that wicked shot. But now just two years away from free agency, it’s hard to know just how long he’ll be with the Blue Jackets.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Boone Jenner Signing Extension With Columbus Blue Jackets

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TSN’s Darren Dreger is reporting that the Columbus Blue Jackets are extending forward Boone Jenner. Dreger reports that it’s a multi-year extension for the long-time Columbus depth forward. The Columbus Dispatch’s Brian Hedger reports that deal is a four-year contract with a cap hit of $3.75MM and will kick in at the end of this season.

Jenner, a defensively-minded middle-six forward, can play both center and wing and sits in the prime of his career at age 28. Playing over 500 NHL games, all for Columbus, Jenner will stick around with the Blue Jackets as they continue to navigate a sort of on-the-fly rebuild. Jenner’s a gritty forward who’ll swallow 17 to 18 minutes of ice time a game, a valuable asset in today’s league. While expecting him to repeat his 30-goal campaign from 2015-16 is extremely unlikely, he does carry some offensive upside and can guide some of Columbus’ up-and-coming forwards.

It’s important retention for Columbus. Jenner is a strong faceoff man and he’ll likely continue to post between 20 and 35 points per season for the duration of his next deal. Drafted 37th overall in 2011 by the team, he’s been a reliable contributor over the years and will continue to be an integral part of the team’s emotional core for years to come.

Sean Kuraly Signs With Columbus Blue Jackets

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have added some forward depth, signing Sean Kuraly to a four-year contract according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia tweets that the deal will be worth a total of $10MM. The $2.5MM AAV is more than double that of Kuraly’s previous contract with the Boston Bruins, implying that Columbus could have greater plans for the center than just a fourth line role.

This contract was one of the more easily anticipatable free agency deals this summer. Kuraly is a Dublin, Ohio native and Miami University grad, making his connection to Columbus obvious. For a team whose inability to retain talent in recent years has become an unfortunate focal point, it makes sense that they would commit long-term to a player who very much wants to play in the city. This is also not the first time that the Blue Jackets have targeted a Bruins fourth-line center in free agency; Riley Nash was the player that Kuraly replaced in Boston after he departed for a raise and greater role in Columbus, a move the team likely considered a success.

At 28, it may not seem that Kuraly has more room to grow. However, at times with the Bruins he flashed top-nine ability and arguably played better off the fourth line than on it. That is not to say that Kuraly isn’t an accomplished checker and smart two-way asset, but he could have the chance to produce at a much higher level if handed an elevated role by the Blue Jackets. In 2018-19 and 2019-20, Kuraly recorded back-to-back seasons of over 20 points despite not playing full seasons and being limited almost exclusively to a fourth line role. 30+ points per year is not out of the question for the newest pivot in Columbus.

Columbus Blue Jackets Extend Eric Robinson

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed Eric Robinson to a two-year contract extension, according to PuckPedia. The deal will carry an average annual value of $1.6MM.

Robinson, 26, still had one year left on his previous contract that will pay him $975K this season, but will now be locked up through 2023-24. He’ll earn $1.5MM in 2022-23 and $1.7MM in 2023-24, reaching unrestricted free agency at the end of the deal. An undrafted free agent signing out of Princeton in 2018, Robinson has now played 120 NHL games. He registered eight goals and 18 points this season, filling out a bottom-six role nicely.

This new deal bets that he can continue in that role, but for a team that is going through a transition period after the trade of Seth Jones it doesn’t come with much risk. At worst, he struggles to improve his offensive production and stays on the fourth-line, at best he provides a little extra secondary scoring for a reasonable price. For a player that has worked extremely hard for everything he’s earned as a professional, not a bad gamble to take.

Seth Jones Traded To Chicago Blackhawks

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July 27: The Jones extension has been officially announced. The full breakdown is as follows:

  • 2022-23: $750K salary + $9.25MM signing bonus
  • 2023-24: $7.5MM salary + $5.0MM signing bonus
  • 2024-25: $7.5MM salary + $5.0MM signing bonus
  • 2025-26: $5.5MM salary + $5.0MM signing bonus
  • 2026-27: $7.0MM salary + $1.0MM signing bonus
  • 2027-28: $2.5MM salary + $5.0MM signing bonus
  • 2028-29: $2.5MM salary + $5.0MM signing bonus
  • 2029-30: $2.5MM salary + $5.0MM signing bonus

The deal includes a full no-movement clause as well.

July 23: The Columbus Blue Jackets have dealt Seth Jones to the Chicago Blackhawks. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman is reporting that defenseman Adam Boqvist is part of the return to Columbus. TSN’s Darren Dreger is reporting that the Blackhawks are also signing Jones to an eight-year extension worth $9.5MM per season. Elliotte Friedman reports that the full deal is Jones heading to Chicago along with the 32nd overall tonight and a 2022 sixth-round pick, with Boqvist, 11th overall, a second-round pick, and a 2022 first-round pick coming in return.

It’s a new beginning for Jones, who’s coming off one of the worst seasons in his career. Scoring 28 points in 56 games, Jones was unusually suspect defensively, and his regression was a decently large reason that Columbus suffered the way they did this season. It remains to be seen how Jones will fit in Columbus, but if he can get back to his former performance, he could help solidify an evolving defense core in Chicago. After Chicago acquired Seth’s brother, Caleb Jones, from the Edmonton Oilers in the Duncan Keith trade, it’s possible that the two brothers could form a pairing in Chicago’s top four along with Calvin de Haan and Connor Murphy.

Columbus is getting a decent haul of assets here too. They’ll now be selecting twice in the top 15 picks of tonight’s 2021 NHL Entry Draft, and they’ll be selecting three times in the first round overall. Boqvist is also an extremely important young addition to the Columbus blueline. It’s likely that Boqvist, who’s seen his advanced metrics skyrocket since his rookie season, will be ready for more responsibility with Columbus next season. He put up nice offensive numbers with 16 points in 35 games this season, and could replace Jones as Zach Werenski’s partner on Columbus’ top pairing.

ESPN’s Emily Kaplan was the first to report the trade.

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