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Kings Activate Corey Perry From Injured Reserve

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2:40 p.m.: Perry has indeed been activated with Kopitar landing on IR, the team announced.

12:25 p.m.: The Kings will have offseason pickup Corey Perry in the lineup tonight for the first time this season, the team’s Zach Dooley relays. He began the year on injured reserve and will need to be activated. Los Angeles does not have an open roster spot and will need to make a corresponding transaction, which will likely be an IR placement for Anže Kopitar, who’s out week-to-week with a foot injury.

Perry, 40, moved to his sixth team in the last seven years when he inked a one-year, $2MM deal with the Kings on July 1. He was one of many of general manager Ken Holland’s pickups in his first offseason in L.A., alongside Joel Armia, Cody Ceci, Brian Dumoulin, and Anton Forsberg. The four-time All-Star is coming off a 19-goal, 30-point showing with the Oilers, his best offensive showing in three years, but sustained a knee injury during an informal skate shortly before training camp that required surgery. He was given a six-to-eight-week return timeline, putting him back in the lineup significantly ahead of schedule.

It’s unclear who’s coming out of the lineup to make way. It could be center Samuel Helenius. He’s the only one of the 12 forwards who played L.A.’s last game that hasn’t appeared in every contest so far this year. Doing so would likely mean shifting Alex Turcotte to the middle to open a spot for Perry on the wing. Even considering his limited ice time in recent years (he averaged 11:56 per game for Edmonton in 2024-25), it would make sense for him to assume fourth-line duties out of the gate as he gets back into the swing of things ahead of schedule and without a conditioning stint.

It’s worth noting Perry is still eligible for all of his performance bonuses – he could double his $2MM base salary by playing at least 50 games and if the Kings make the Stanley Cup Final. Just reaching the 50 GP mark, still well within reach, would get him $1.5MM.

Flames To Reassign Daniil Miromanov

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Oct. 21: Miromanov has cleared waivers and will be on his way to the AHL, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Oct. 20: The Calgary Flames have placed defenseman Daniil Miromanov on waivers per Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960. The move opens a roster spot that could soon be used to activate forward Martin Pospisil from injured reserve. Pospisil has missed the start of the season with an undisclosed injury sustained during the preseason.

This is Miromanov’s first time being placed on the waiver wire. He has stayed on the Flames’ roster since joining the club in the 2024 trade that sent Noah Hanifin to the Vegas Golden Knights. He scored seven points in the final 20 games of Calgary’s 2023-24 season. But he fell hard into the extra defender role last year, playing in only 44 games and otherwise serving as a routine healthy scratch. The minimal minutes were marked by minimal production – just nine points, 12 penalty minutes, and a plus-two.

Miromanov’s role has fallen even further this season. He played in just one of Calgary’s six games to start the season, and didn’t receive any notable stat changes or ice time on special teams. Now, he could be headed to the minor leagues for the first time since 2023. He previously played 89 games and scored a productive 68 points through three seasons with the Henderson Silver Knights. The Calgary Wranglers would certainly welcome that production, should Miromanov clear waivers.

But going unclaimed could be tough for a 6-foot-4, right-shot defenseman. That frame, and a history of strong minor-league scoring, could be enough to tempt a team with roster flexibility to take their chance on reworking his game. Miromanov has tallied 23 points, 38 hits, and 110 blocked shots through 94 games in the NHL.

Canadiens Recall Joshua Roy, Marc Del Gaizo; Reassign Owen Beck

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The Canadiens announced they’ve recalled winger Joshua Roy and defenseman Marc Del Gaizo from AHL Laval. Center Owen Beck was returned to Laval as one of the corresponding transactions. Montreal doesn’t have an open roster spot, though, so they must make a second move to keep their active roster at the 23-man maximum.

The roster shuffling in Montreal comes in the wake of a trio of injuries. Over the weekend, they announced defenseman Kaiden Guhle would miss four to six weeks with a lower-body injury while also ruling forwards Kirby Dach and Patrik Laine out on a day-to-day basis. It would stand to reason that Guhle has or will land on injured reserve as the additional corresponding move.

Sending down Beck, a center, and replacing him with a winger in Roy could be a promising sign for Dach’s availability against the Flames on Wednesday. He’s on the ice at the team’s practice today, according to Marc Antoine Godin of Radio-Canada. Beck played in back-to-back games for the Habs after his recall on Saturday, but the 21-year-old averaged just 8:22 of ice time per game and recorded a minus-one rating and no points. It’s much of the same story for the 2022 second-round pick, who’s gotten a handful of recalls over the past few years but has never been given a particularly long leash. He’s averaged just 9:45 through 15 career NHL appearances, understandably only managing one assist. He’s posted underwhelming possession numbers (47.3 CF% in 58.8 oZS%) in those sheltered even-strength minutes but has been impactful on the dot, winning 53.7% of his faceoffs.

Beck is in his second full professional season. He had 44 points in 64 games for Laval as a rookie last year and had a goal and an assist through his first three games this season before getting recalled. There’s still hope that the 6’0″ pivot can be a long-term fixture down the middle for the Habs, and they won’t hesitate to let him continue to bake in the minors compared to logging limited NHL action.

As for Roy, the 22-year-old has a more established offensive track record in the NHL. A 2021 fifth-round pick, Roy has made 35 appearances for the Habs over the past two years with a 6-5–11 scoring line. Two-way play remains a concern for the skilled winger, but he’s more of a known commodity. He has earned a longer runway from head coach Martin St. Louis in the past, averaging 11:45 of ice time per game for his career while getting occasional power-play reps. He’s also off to a hot start in Laval with three goals and an assist through four games.

Del Gaizo is elevated to give Montreal an extra defenseman for their four-game road trip through the Pacific Division that kicks off tomorrow. They played the last two games without one on the roster after Guhle’s injury. The 26-year-old is a safe option to stash as a No. 7 and has plenty of recent experience, making 46 of his 55 career NHL appearances with the Predators last season. He was a Group VI unrestricted free agent last summer and signed a two-way deal with Montreal before clearing waivers during training camp on his way down to Laval. The 5’11” lefty has a 2-10–12 scoring line in the NHL with a -1 rating. He’s still looking for his first point in Laval through four games, but has a +2 rating. He can remain up for 30 days or play 10 games until he needs waivers again to head back down.

Senators Recall Olle Lycksell

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The Senators are bringing winger Olle Lycksell back up from AHL Belleville, the team announced. Ottawa had a pair of open roster spots after sending Arthur Kaliyev down to Belleville yesterday.

Lycksell and Kaliyev are essentially yo-yoing as Ottawa’s 12th forward while enforcer Kurtis MacDermid sits in the press box, and captain Brady Tkachuk remains on injured reserve after undergoing surgery on his hand last week. It likely won’t be the last time the Sens make this move. Both of them cleared waivers late in training camp. Players can remain on an NHL active roster for up to 30 non-consecutive days (or play 10 games) until they need waivers again to return to the minors. Swapping them out for each other every few days means delaying when they become waiver-eligible. Lycksell’s counter stood at 12 days before today; Kaliyev’s recall lasted four days.

Lycksell, 26, signed a two-way deal with the Senators over the summer. The four-year veteran was left on Ottawa’s opening night roster despite clearing waivers, but only played in two of five games before being sent to Belleville last Friday. He did not record a point and averaged 10:09 of ice time per game with two blocks and one hit. He’s also pointless with a minus-four rating through two appearances with the B-Sens in the past few days.

Originally selected in the sixth round by the Flyers back in 2017, Lycksell debuted with Philadelphia briefly in 2022-23. He got slightly more extended looks the following two seasons, but never logged more than 20 appearances in a campaign. He had a 1-10–11 scoring line in 45 games with the Flyers in parts of three years, but had much more success during that time with AHL Lehigh Valley, where he was nearly a point per game player. He had 52 goals and 128 points in 134 appearances there, working his way into an AHL All-Star Game appearance last season.

Lycksell reached Group VI unrestricted free agency this past offseason and landed with Ottawa, hoping for more opportunity. The 5’11” Swede has historically been an accurate shooter, but is finishing at just 2.2% during his NHL time. That needs to increase dramatically for him to have any hope of carving out a consistent role.

Kraken Recall Ben Meyers, Reassign Ville Ottavainen

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The Kraken announced Tuesday that they’ve recalled forward Ben Meyers from AHL Coachella Valley. The Kraken don’t have an active roster spot, so they’ve returned right-shot defenseman Ville Ottavainen to Coachella Valley to accommodate the addition of Meyers.

Ottavainen was a 2021 fourth-round pick and was just recalled from the AHL on Sunday amid news that Brandon Montour was taking a leave of absence and Ryan Lindgren had been banged up in the previous day’s win over the Maple Leafs. However, Lindgren was able to play last night against the Flyers, leaving Ottavainen in the press box.

Even then, most teams would opt to keep a seventh healthy defenseman on the roster (Montour’s personal leave had him placed on injured reserve) for insurance. Seattle doesn’t have that luxury. They’ve been operating with something of a self-imposed roster crunch due to their decision to carry three goaltenders, still carrying veterans Philipp Grubauer and Matt Murray as Joey Daccord’s backups. The Kraken were reluctant to expose Murray to waivers after a strong training camp, but he’s yet to play this season, while Grubauer has made one start and one relief appearance.

Seattle is now dealing with more pressing injury concerns up front. Jared McCann was scratched for Monday’s game with a lower-body injury and is day-to-day. They’re hoping his absence is under a week and thus haven’t placed him on IR, leaving only one press box spot for a healthy scratch in the skater department. As such, they’ve opted to swap out Ottavainen for Meyers to ensure they can still carry a traditional 12 forwards/six defensemen setup if another attacker needs to sit out.

Meyers, 27 in November, has played in parts of four NHL seasons between the Avalanche, Ducks, and Kraken. He saw semi-regular work in Colorado during the 2022-23 season but struggled to produce offensively and has seen his usage dwindle in the years since. He was waived by the Kraken during training camp for the second year in a row and headed to Coachella Valley without incident. He has two goals and a minus-four rating through his first three appearances of the season.

In eight games across multiple call-ups to Seattle last season, Meyers did not record a point and averaged a career-low 8:21 of ice time per game. He has a 6-2–8 scoring line in 75 career appearances, just 0.11 points per game. Since his debut in 2021-22, that’s fifth-worst among all forwards with at least 70 games played. For an undrafted free agent signing out of the University of Minnesota whose main calling card was two-way play, that’s not enough to keep him in the lineup consistently – especially considering he’s below water in both CF% and xGF% at even strength for his career.

With 19-year-old Berkly Catton recording a point in his NHL debut last night in place of McCann, it’s hard to see Meyers entering the lineup unless they want to switch up the fourth-line center position. John Hayden has held that down for the past couple of games after Frédérick Gaudreau landed on injured reserve.

Oilers Could Look To Trade Defenseman

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In today’s episode of 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet raised an intriguing point: The Edmonton Oilers have a glut on the backend, and the team could look to move someone out. With Jake Walman returning from injured reserve, the Oilers have eight defensemen worthy of NHL minutes, and more in the AHL who are viable call up options.  

Although fans may speculate on a bigger move, having locked up the likes of Walman and Mattias Ekholm for the future, a fairly less ground-breaking deal could be in order. Ty Emberson, Alec Regula, and Troy Stecher stand as an abundance of depth right handed blueliners, and perhaps, one of them could be on the way out at some point. 

If the Oilers emphasize size and youth, Stecher, 31, could be worth monitoring as a possible trade candidate especially with an expiring contract. However, at a sub-$1MM cap hit, the veteran brings real value from the right side and can fill in anywhere in the lineup when needed. Meanwhile, Emberson, at just 25, comes in at $1.3MM through next season, still affordable, but a name which has floated around in the past. Acquired from San Jose in the Cody Ceci deal, Emberson has been a solid performer, bringing some needed youth to their defense corps. However, if the Oilers seek to bring in a contributing player rather than a more minute return, it may come at the cost of the Wisconsin native. 

Finally, Regula is currently on injured reserve, but pending return, could be a trade option simply as he has made the least impact with Edmonton of the bunch. The 25-year-old was claimed off waivers last season, and did not play due to injury, but has skated in two games so far. All things considered, Regula is likely a step behind Stecher and Emberson in the organization, unless the team values his size and sees the former standout Red Wings prospect as a developmental project. GM Stan Bowman seems to like the former Blackhawk, especially as he earned a two-year two-way deal last summer despite not playing at all in the organization. 

The Oilers have two veterans with ample NHL experience playing in AHL Bakersfield, Cam Dineen and Josh Brown, both capable players if called upon. Therefore, with all of this in mind, it will be interesting to see what Bowman does when Regula returns, and if the team could seek a forward in return for one of their extra defensemen. 

Injury Notes: Gostisbehere, McCann, Liljegren

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This afternoon, Carolina Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour told Michael Russo of The Athletic that the team believes Shayne Gostisbehere’s injury is not serious, and that he remains with the team on their trip west. 

The offensive defenseman has been off to a dynamite start so far, with 7 points in just 5 games. Just two days ago, Gostisbehere left in the Canes’ win over Los Angeles due to a lower-body-injury. 

Despite the good news, Gostisbehere will be absent tonight vs Vegas, as Charles-Alexis Legault is expected to make his NHL debut. The 6’4” defenseman was drafted in the fifth round of the 2023 draft by Carolina, turning pro last season with AHL Chicago, where he was a steady presence in 63 games for the Wolves. 

Elsewhere across the league:

  • The Seattle Kraken announced earlier today that key forward Jared McCann would not play in tonight’s game at Philadelphia, due to a lower-body-injury. It is expected that the 29-year-old will be day-to-day, thankfully not worse as Seattle is currently missing Kaapo Kakko, Frederick Gaudreau, and Ryker Evans due to injury. In McCann’s place, top prospect Berkly Catton has made his NHL debut.
  • Max Miller, San Jose’s beat reporter, noted earlier today that defenseman Timothy Liljegren returned to the ice as a normal participant. The Swede remains on the team’s injured reserve, having been placed last week with an upper-body injury, however, he seems to be ramping up for a return on Thursday as the Sharks travel to take on the Rangers. 

East Notes: Rangers, Mikkola, Malenstyn

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Earlier today, Rangers Head Coach Mike Sullivan told Mollie Walker of the New York Post that Vincent Trocheck is still not skating. Although they sit in the middle of the pack at .500, it has not been the smoothest of starts for New York, in a year where the group faces real pressure to turn the corner from a turbulent 2024-25. 

Trocheck appeared in the Rangers’ first two games before being injured vs Buffalo. Earlier it had been announced that the forward is week-to-week. Despite now being 32, Trocheck has been very reliable, being an 82-game player in his first three seasons in New York. Now the team hopes to have their vital center back soon. 

More injury news has come out of New York, as Colin Stephenson of Newsday confirmed that Noah Laba left tonight’s game vs Minnesota after taking a puck to the face. The rookie forward was helped off the ice, however, Stephenson went on to update that Laba has returned to the game. 

Elsewhere across the league:

  • David Dwork of The Hockey News noted earlier today that Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola has returned to practice. Mikkola left Saturday’s game in Buffalo with an upper-body injury. The wear-and-tear of back to back Stanley Cups is certainly a possibility this year, for a Panthers group which has lost four straight games, already sorely missing Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk. Thankfully Mikkola appears ready to help the team get back on track.
  • The Buffalo Sabres announced today that forward Beck Malenstyn will be absent for the next few days due to a personal matter. The team did not elaborate, however, Head Coach Lindy Ruff’s comments suggest it is likely due to paternity leave. 26-year-old Josh Dunne, an organizational depth forward, has drawn into the Sabres lineup in place of Malenstyn. 

Central Notes: Hague, Duchene, Foligno

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The Nashville Predators were dealt a blow in the preseason when defenseman Nicolas Hague suffered an upper-body injury, but the team has adapted well to his absence. The club is off to a solid 2-2-2 start, a notable improvement from where they began last year, and now they’re set to get Hague back from his injury. The Tennessean’s Alex Daugherty noted today that it’s been four weeks since Hague was originally ruled out and prescribed a four-to-six week recovery timeline, and he added that one shouldn’t be surprised if Hague returns to the lineup at some point this week. Later in the day, Daugherty reported that Hague was on the ice for the Predators’ practice, further underscoring the likelihood that his return is coming sooner rather than later.

Hague was first seen back on the ice on Oct. 11, per team reporter Brooks Bratten, for an optional morning skate. He was originally injured during the team’s second preseason game against the Florida Panthers. At that time, Hague was paired with team captain Roman Josi on the club’s first pairing. Josi was paired with Adam Wilsby during the team’s most recent game, and Hague could end up claiming that spot back from Wilsby when he’s ready to make his Nashville debut. The 6’6 blueliner has played in 364 career NHL games and won the Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023. Nashville acquired him (and a conditional 2027 third-round draft choice) in June, sending Colton Sissons and Jeremy Lauzon to Vegas in return.

Other notes from the Central Division:

  • Dallas Stars forward Matt Duchene missed the team’s practice today, reports the Dallas Morning News’ Lia Assimakopoulos. Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan expressed confidence that Duchene would be able to play tomorrow when the Stars host Duchene’s former team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, but added that Duchene has been battling an upper-body injury suffered last week. Duchene is one of the Stars’ key offensive producers; he led them in scoring last season with 82 points in 82 games.
  • Chicago Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno returned to practice today after stepping away to tend to a personal matter, reports NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis. Foligno’s leadership has helped the Blackhawks to a surprisingly strong start to their season. The team, which was projected by many media outlets to be among the NHL’s worst for 2025-26, has gone 3-2-2 to start the season, good for 13th in league standings. Foligno has been a core veteran for the club since arriving in 2023, scoring at least 15 goals and 35 points in each of his two seasons there.

Summer Synopsis: Columbus Blue Jackets

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With the regular season now upon us, the bulk of the heavy lifting has been done from a roster perspective.  Most unrestricted free agents have found new homes, the arbitration period has come and gone, and the trade market has cooled.  Accordingly, it’s a good time to take a look at what each team accomplished over the offseason.  Next up is a look at the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Blue Jackets were a heartwarming story last year after being underestimated, as they made a playoff push before narrowly missing out. The team improved by 23 points from the previous year, and while they likely won’t see that same jump again, only a slight improvement is needed to make the playoffs. Such progress boosts internal confidence, but it also raises expectations for the group, which could add pressure for the young players to handle.

Draft

1-14 – D Jackson Smith, Tri-City (WHL)
1-20 – G Pyotr Andreyanov, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL)
3-76 – D Malte Vass, Färjestad BK J20 (J20 Nationell)
5-160 – F Owen Griffin, Oshawa (OHL)
6-173 – D Victor Hedin Raftheim, Brynas (SHL)
7-198 – F Jeremy Loranger, Sherwood Park (BCHL)

The Blue Jackets drafted Smith with the 14th overall pick and are hoping that he fills out and can continue to develop on the defensive side of his game to become a top-four defenseman. Smith is a natural athlete and a very talented skater who could become a two-way defender at the NHL level. He has good patience with the puck and shows a lot of good instincts on the offensive side of the game. Defensively, his gap control and defensive instincts need some work, but if the Blue Jackets are patient in his development, he should be an NHL defenseman.

With their second first-round pick, the Blue Jackets drafted a goaltender. There’s a lot to like about Andreyanov, who has been dominant in the MHL thanks to his athleticism and tracking skills. Andreyanov is aggressive in the crease but stays calm under pressure, making tough saves look easy. He’s not very tall at 6’1″, which could limit his potential, but it’s not completely disqualifying. Goaltenders are hard to predict, which makes taking one in the first round a gamble, but for a team that has struggled to develop goalies, it’s a worthwhile risk for Columbus.

The Blue Jackets selected another defenceman in the third round, choosing Vass from Sweden. The stay-at-home defender isn’t flashy, but he plays with high energy, can hit, block shots, and kill penalties. He has solid instincts in the defensive zone and effectively defends in front of the net, which should make him a favorite among his goales. His skating might be an issue in the NHL, but if he can improve there, he could become an NHL regular.

Trade Acquisitions

F Charlie Coyle (from Colorado)
G Ivan Fedotov (from Philadelphia)
F Brendan Gaunce (from Minnesota)
F Miles Wood (from Colorado)

The Blue Jackets acquired both Coyle and Wood from the Colorado Avalanche in what was essentially a cap dump. Columbus was more than happy to add the two veterans to their roster and can now slot them in alongside their young up-and-comers. Coyle is a solid middle-six forward who isn’t afraid to go to the net or get physical. While his defensive impact isn’t significant, he possesses good offensive instincts and some skill to back it up. He is in the final year of a six-year contract and is counting $5.25MM against the salary cap. Based on his level of play, Coyle is expected to get a slight raise in free agency next summer, with AFP Analytics projecting him to earn a three-year deal worth $5.28MM.

Wood was a more long-term acquisition since he still has three years remaining on his contract after this season at $2.5MM annually. Wood is a bottom-six player and won’t score many goals; he’s also not exactly an analytics darling, but he has endured pretty tough deployments for much of his career. On the positive side, the 30-year-old skates with a lot of pace and is a strong forechecker. The length of his original contract (six years) that he signed with Colorado was a bit of a head-scratcher, and it was no surprise to see the Avalanche cut ties this summer.

Columbus acquired Fedotov to serve as backup for Jet Greaves and Elvis Merzlikins. The Blue Jackets clearly had worries about their goaltending entering this season, and although Fedotov has some flaws, he provides Columbus with a third option.

UFA Signings

F Hudson Fasching (one year, $775K)*
D Dysin Mayo (one year, $775K)*
D Christian Jaros (one year, $775K)*
F Isac Lundestrom (two years, $2.6MM)
F Owen Sillinger (one year, $775K)*

*-denotes two-way contract

The Blue Jackets didn’t make much noise in free agency, opting to sign depth players and make trades for players like Coyle and Wood. Fasching faced a lot of bad luck last year and is a reasonable gamble on a two-way contract. He probably won’t score much and may not see much NHL ice time, but since the risk with his contract is minimal, Columbus thought it was worth taking a chance. He’s 30 years old, so at this point in his career, he’s unlikely to surprise anyone, but he makes a decent, versatile option in Columbus and will likely be used as such.

Lundestrom is another worthwhile gamble given the low cost to acquire. He isn’t likely to make a significant impact offensively, which is a generous way to describe his scoring contributions. He has one season with 16 goals, but it’s unfair to expect him to post more than 20 points a season. He plays with a lot of pace and can play center, but his faceoff skills aren’t great, and his underlying numbers are an eyesore. Columbus hopes that a change of scenery can help the 25-year-old unlock more in his game, but it seems like wishful thinking at this point. Again, the cost is low, and having speedsters in the bottom six never hurts, so we’ll see if this works out for the Blue Jackets.

RFA Re-Signings

D Daemon Hunt (one year, $775K)*
D Mikael Pyyhtia (one year, $775K)*
F Dmitri Voronkov (two years, $8.35MM)
F Hunter McKown (one year, $800K)*

*-denotes two-way contract

The Blue Jackets only signed one notable RFA in Voronkov, who is still developing towards his NHL potential after a solid season last year that saw him score 23 goals and 24 assists in 73 NHL games. The 25-year-old is under contract for two more years, and if he continues to improve, he might cash in during the summer of 2027. Voronkov is big and skilled, with pretty good hands for a player who can play a remarkably rugged style. He certainly looks the part of a top-six forward, and if he can work a bit on his mobility and consistency, he could become a regular 60-point player.

It seems Voronkov will see plenty of first-line minutes this season, including significant time on the top-unit power play, which should help him continue to build his value in the first year of his new contract. If all goes well this year, Voronkov could very likely sign a big multi-year deal next summer.

Departures

F Justin Danforth (signed with Buffalo, two years $1.8MM)
F Christian Fischer (retired)
D Jordan Harris (signed with Boston, one year $825)
D Jack Johnson (unsigned free agent)
F Luke Kunin (signed with Florida, one year $775K)
D Sean Kuraly (signed with Boston, two years $3.7MM)
F Kevin Labanc (signed in KHL)
F James van Riemsdyk (signed with Detroit, one year $1MM)
G Daniil Tarasov (traded to Florida)
F Trey Fix-Wolansky (signed with New York Rangers, one year $775)*

*-denotes two-way contract

The Blue Jackets didn’t experience any significant losses this past summer, mostly losing depth players through free agency. One of the more effective players Columbus lost was van Riemsdyk. His exit was a bit surprising since he was a good fit and was very valuable in limited minutes last season, recording 16 goals and 20 assists in 71 games. While no one will mistake JVR for a speedy skater, he remains an effective net-front presence and is expected to score around 0.5 points per game while playing about 12 minutes each night.

Kuraly was another more well known player who left Columbus. The 32-year-old won’t put up many points, with just six goals and 11 assists in 82 games last season, but he will make an impact and often faces tough zone starts. Kuraly has only surpassed 30 points once in his career, but in Boston, he will probably play fourth-line minutes most of the season unless the team suffers major injuries. He isn’t a significant loss for the Blue Jackets and was one of several low-scoring forwards Columbus let go this offseason.

Speaking of low-scoring forwards, Kunin left the Blue Jackets this summer and found that the demand for his services as a free agent was tepid at best. The Blue Jackets acquired the 27-year-old at the NHL Trade Deadline, sending a fourth-round pick to the San Jose Sharks in the deal, which, in hindsight, was an overpay. Kunin’s contributions were relatively limited in 12 games with the Blue Jackets; he registered no points and was a -4. He did throw 24 hits during that time, but didn’t leave enough of an impression to warrant a longer look. With Florida, Kunin won’t be asked to do too much and should settle into a fourth-line role where he can play to his strengths.

Goaltender Tarasov will join Kunin in Florida after being traded to the Panthers for a fifth-round pick. The Blue Jackets did well to get anything for the goalie, as they were likely to non-tender the 26-year-old. Tarasov has been below league average during his brief NHL career, but has shown signs of being a dependable backup, which is what the Panthers are counting on. He will back up Sergei Bobrovsky, whom he idolized growing up, creating an interesting dynamic this season and offering Tarasov some comfort and motivation. He has good size and mechanics, and now he has a chance to put everything together behind a much stronger team.

Salary Cap Outlook

The Blue Jackets enter the season with just under $15MM in available cap space, which roughly amounts to $65MM at the NHL Trade Deadline. While it’s unlikely they’ll use all of that, they will certainly retain flexibility whether they’re in contention or not. Columbus is positioned well for the long term, as it’ll have plenty of room to re-sign Cole Sillinger next summer.

Key Questions

How will the goaltending perform?

Jet Greaves seems to be on the verge of becoming a solid NHL starter, and the Blue Jackets need that. Columbus hasn’t had reliable goaltending since 2021-22, and although Greaves has shown above-average performance in the last three seasons, his sample size is small. Heading into this season, Greaves has appeared in 21 NHL games, with a .924 SV% and a 2.62 GAA, along with a 10-9-2 record. The limited sample size makes it hard to judge, but it will be interesting to see how he performs over a full NHL season. If he can keep up these numbers in 40-50 games, the Jackets could stay in the playoff hunt for much of the year.

Will the young core step up?

Columbus has a group of talented young players on the verge of NHL stardom. Kirill Marchenko, a sizable forward, has consistently improved over his three NHL seasons and nearly reached a point-per-game pace last year with 74 points in 79 games. If he continues to develop this season, he could become an 80–90-point scorer.

Besides Marchenko, the Jackets have Kent Johnson, Adam Fantilli, and Voronkov, who all scored around or over 50 points last season. If each of those players takes another step, the Blue Jackets could improve on their seventh-ranked offense from last season.

Is the defense good enough?

The Blue Jackets know what they have in Zach Werenski and Ivan Provorov, but beyond that, they face many questions. Damon Severson has been a disappointment since signing a big deal in the summer of 2023, Jake Christiansen and Denton Mateychuk are still figuring out how to be regular NHL players, and Dante Fabbro was a waiver wire pickup less than a year ago. It’s a strange mix, and one that could leave many questions that will be answered over the next six months.

Photo by Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

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