Dean Kukan

Minor Transactions: 12/17/18

December 17, 2018 at 9:24 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Boston Bruins versus the Montreal Canadiens in the middle of December. You can’t get much more classic than that when it comes to the NHL, making tonight some must-see television for hockey fans. The two clubs will take part in one of five games scheduled this evening, before the week really kicks off tomorrow night. As always, we’ll be here keeping track of all the minor moves.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Dean Kukan from his conditioning stint in the AHL, where he registered two points in five games. The 25-year old defenseman will try to work his way back into the Blue Jackets lineup and help push them closer to a 2019 playoff berth.
Zach Sanford is on his way back up to the St. Louis Blues after a very short minor league trip. The young forward was assigned to the San Antonio Rampage on Saturday, but is already back up after the Blues were pummeled by the Calgary Flames yesterday.
Matt Tennyson has been reassigned by the Buffalo Sabres and will be heading down to the AHL to join the Rochester Americans. The Sabres made several adjustments to their defense corps this weekend, including recalling Brendan Guhle and putting Lawrence Pilut on injured reserve. Tennyson has been bouncing up and down all season, and will likely be up again before long.
Cory Schneider has been placed on injured reserve with an abdominal strain, leading to a recall of Mackenzie Blackwood from the minor leagues. Blackwood has good numbers in the minor leagues but has yet to make an appearance at the NHL level.

Minor Transactions: 12/05/18

December 5, 2018 at 8:45 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel put on a show in Buffalo, while the 80’s were alive and well in Columbus last night with the Blue Jackets and Flames combining for 15 goals. After an extremely entertaining Tuesday night, the league has just three games on the docket for this evening. As teams prepare for those games and the upcoming weekend, we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.

Dean Kukan hasn’t played for the Columbus Blue Jackets in some time, so the team has decided to send him to the AHL on a conditioning loan. That loan can last up to 14 days and will give Kukan a chance to get his legs back under him in a real game. The 25-year old defenseman has played in just six contests this season, and would require waivers to be sent to AHL for any longer.
The Buffalo Sabres have sent Matt Tennyson back to the minor leagues, meaning Lawrence Pilut has likely earned himself a longer look in the NHL lineup. Tennyson has still yet to get into a game with the Sabres this season, but has one point in seven contests for the Rochester Americans.
Reid Duke, the first player in Vegas Golden Knights history, has been recalled by the club for the first time during a regular season. The Golden Knights have sent down Daniel Carr in his place, making Duke the 13th forward on the roster. Interestingly, David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that Max Pacioretty actually “tweaked something,” meaning Duke could potentially get into the lineup before long. The 22-year old forward has 13 points in 22 games for the Chicago Wolves this season.

Seth Jones Sidelined Four To Six Weeks With Knee Injury

September 26, 2018 at 2:43 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 1 Comment

Losing an All-Star defenseman at any point is a major blow to a team, but when it happens while two other top defenseman are less than 100%, it becomes a problem. That is what the Columbus Blue Jackets face to begin the 2018-1 season. The team announced that top defenseman Seth Jones sprained his MCL in last night’s preseason game. As a second degree sprain of the ligament, surgery will not be required, but Jones will be out four to six weeks to begin the year. He is expected to return to the Blue Jackets’ lineup in November.

Meanwhile, Zach Werenski is still working his way back from off-season shoulder surgery and has yet to play this preseason, while Ryan Murray is day-to-day with a groin injury. Both players were considered questionable to start the regular season, but will now be pressed into action to help make up for Jones’ loss. While the Blue Jackets’ top-four of Jones, Werenski, Murray, and David Savard is very strong, their depth of Markus Nutivaara, Scott Harrington, Dean Kukan, and Adam Clendening lacks the same optimism. Someone will have to step up and play a capable top-four role for the month or longer that Jones remains sidelined.

No one will truly be able to replicated Jones’ play, however. The 23-year-old set a career high with 16 goals and 57 points last season, among the top scoring defensemen in the NHL. Jones also led Columbus in average time on ice, shots, and power play production. The young blue liner really did it all for the Blue Jackets and the team will undoubtedly struggle in his absence.

Zach Werenski On Track To Be Ready For Season

August 14, 2018 at 7:39 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

Considering Zach Werenski played with an injured shoulder for almost the entire 2017-18 season, imagine how good he could be if he is at 100% for all of the upcoming campaign. That is the goal for the young Blue Jackets blue liner, who recently sat down with Columbus beat writer Brian Hedger. Werenski continues to recover from off-season surgery, but says that his goal is to “be there for Game 1”.

Werenski suffered the injury of note all the way back on October 30th, 2017. The sophomore defenseman nevertheless played in 77 games and recorded 37 points, even though he played with a brace for much of the year. Werenski then underwent corrective surgery in early May and had his left arm immobilized for much of the summer. However, the 2015 eighth overall pick is already ahead of schedule in his rehab and training. Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen shared a recovery timeline back in June that assumed Werenski would miss most of training camp, but the young defender tells Hedger that he hopes to back toward the start of training camp. Werenski has already begun shooting drills and is essentially back to his regular off-season training minus taking any contact. While the offensive rearguard is obviously motivated to be ready for the season for his teammates, coaches, and fans, he also admits to Hedger that playing in the teams opener, a road game against the Detroit Red Wings in his home state of Michigan, is an added personal boost. “Suffer now, but I’m going to be able to play in my hometown in front of my family and friends ” has been Werenski’s mantra this summer and so far things seem to be going well.

Should Werenski suffer even a small setback that leaves him unable to start the season, the Blue Jackets are less equipped to deal with his absence than they would have been last year. With Jack Johnson, Ian Cole, and even others like Taylor Chorney now gone via free agency, Columbus is relatively thin on the blue line after their superstar young pairing of Werenski and Seth Jones. Ryan Murray or Markus Nutivaara would likely be the replacement on the top pair with Jones while the other skates with David Savard, leaving the Jackets with a bottom pair featuring two of Scott Harrington, Gabriel Carlsson, Dean Kukan or new addition Adam Clendening. Count the Blue Jackets as being right there with Werenski in hopes that he is able to go from day one.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Columbus Blue Jackets

August 12, 2018 at 3:52 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 1 Comment

Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Current Cap Hit: $73,890,832 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Zach Werenski (one year remaining, $925K)
F Pierre-Luc Dubois (two years remaining, $894K)
F Sonny Milano (one year remaining, $863K)

Potential Bonuses

Dubois: $2.5MM
Werenski: $800K
Milano: $400K

Total: $3.7MM

The Blue Jackets got a big boost from Dubois who should provide the team with a top center for quite a long time as the 20-year-old had a solid rookie campaign as he posted 20 goals and 48 points. Those numbers should exponentially increase as he gets older, bigger and more comfortable in the league. It wouldn’t be surprising at all to see him develop into a 60-70 point player this year already. And with two years remaining, he will continue to be a bargain for some time.

Werenski had a mixed bag of a season as he saw his points totals drop from his rookie season (47 points) to his second season (37 points). Yet his goal totals increased from his rookie season (10) to his sophomore season (16). However, Werenski underwent surgery for a shoulder injury that had been causing him pain since October, suggesting he played injured all season. A fully healthy Werenski could give the team one of the top young defensemen in the league.

Milano arrived with much fanfare, but he struggled finding a permanent place in the lineup, as he often received relatively few minutes on the third line due to his struggles on defense. However, Milano showed flashes of scoring ability as the 22-year-old posted 14 goals in 55 games. With a year under his belt, Milano might be able to take those numbers to a much bigger level if he can prove he can play a two-way game for coach John Tortorella.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

G Sergei Bobrovsky ($7.43MM, UFA)
F Artemi Panarin ($6MM, UFA)
D Ryan Murray ($2.83MM, RFA)
G Joonas Korpisalo ($900K, RFA)
F Lukas Sedlak ($825K, RFA)
F Alex Broadhurst ($725K, RFA)
F Markus Hannikainen ($675K, RFA)
D Scott Harrington ($675K, RFA)
F Anthony Duclair ($650K, RFA)

The biggest news all offseason is the fact that Panarin has told Columbus general manager Jarmo Kekalainen says he’s not ready to discuss an extension. Despite the GM’s attempt to speak to Panarin to convince him to stay, it looks like Panarin wants to head elsewhere once his contract expires at the end of the season and he becomes a unrestricted free agent. The 27-year-old winger posted a career-high 82 points after being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks, but seems to be looking to play in a city with a more diverse market. While there have been rumors that Kekalainen has been looking into trading options, little has come from it. The team may opt to wait until the trade deadline, but that could also lessen the return.

Perhaps more concerning is the contract situation with Bobrovsky. The 30-year-old goaltender is also in the final year of his contract. While there is no talk of leaving Columbus, the Blue Jackets have to be somewhat concerned about the veteran goaltender’s asking price. He will be 32 years old when his next contract takes effect, but Bobrovsky wants term, the team could be paying him until he’s 40 years old and it’s extremely likely that the goalie will take less money than the $7.43MM he’s making on this contract. However, that’s a lot of money to be handing out to an aging goaltender. Bobrovsky’s numbers are still good as he posted a 2.42 GAA and an impressive .920 save percentage in 63 games. However, his struggles in the playoffs isn’t working for him either. Regardless, the team could find itself in quite the contract negotiations in the coming summer.

Duclair is another interesting player, who signed a one-year deal after disappointing in both Arizona and Chicago. The 22-year-old opted to sign a minimum “show me” contract to prove he belongs in the NHL, but he’s struggled to produce over the years after a successful season back in 2015-16 when he potted 20 goals. Since then, he’s managed to post just 16 goals in two seasons. If he can find his game in Columbus, the Blue Jackets could still retain him as he’s a restricted free agent.Read more

Two Years Remaining

F Josh Anderson ($1.85MM, RFA)
D Dean Kukan ($725K, RFA)

With two years remaining on his deal, the team likes what it sees in Anderson, but still hopes to see even more offense. The 24-year-old did collect 19 goals this year, two more goals than his previous season and in 15 less games, so he’s improving. He also has managed to almost cut in half his penalty minutes. However, the team will need to see more offense if he wants to stay on after two years for any significant salary. Kukan, on the other hand, might be ready to take a full-time role with Columbus after the 25-year-old split time between Columbus and Cleveland of the AHL.

Three Years Remaining

F Brandon Dubinsky ($5.85MM, UFA)
F Nick Foligno ($5.5MM, UFA)
D David Savard ($4.25MM, UFA)
F Riley Nash ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Oliver Bjorkstrand ($2.5MM, RFA)

While many feel that Dubinsky still has some gas left in the tank, it’s looking more and more like his contract could prove to be an anchor to the team’s long-term salary cap success. After posting at least 12 goals and 40 points for the previous four seasons, Dubinsky tallied just six goals and 10 assists and his productivity may be at an end for the 32 year old. Unfortunately, he has three more years at $5.85MM, which are numbers handed to a second-line center, not a fourth-liner. Another poor season could see Columbus try to dump his contract as quickly as possible. Foligno is in a similar boat as he had one of the worst seasons of his career as he posted just 15 goals and 33 points. The 30-year-old also could be in decline unless he can have a bounce-back season.

The hard-hitting Savard proved to have a solid season after being separated from long-time partner Jack Johnson, but found his game after being paired with trade deadline acquisition Ian Cole. While his offensive numbers decreased (23 points down to 16 points this year), the 6-foot-2, 227-pound Savard was a solid presence on the blue line and hopefully has a few more years left in the tank. Nash should provide some veteran depth on the team’s bottom-six.

Bjorkstrand finally was handed a full-time position with Columbus as he played 82 games last season, but the 23-year-old winger delivered, posting 11 goals and 40 points with the potential to be a breakout candidate.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Cam Atkinson ($5.88MM through 2024-25)
D Seth Jones ($5.4MM through 2021-22)
F Alexander Wennberg ($4.9MM through 2022-23)
F Boone Jenner ($3.75MM through 2021-22)
D Markus Nutivaara ($2.7MM through 2021-22)

Much of the success of Columbus and its future will fall on the shoulders of Atkinson, who had a breakout season in 2016-17 with 35 goals and 62 points and was rewarded with a seven-year, $41.13MM extension. He responded with a disappointing season as he tallied 24 goals and 46 points in 65 games. He did deal with multiple injuries that may have had an effect on that season, but Atkinson must step up and prove he was worthy of that contract which kicks in this year if Columbus has any chance to take that next step and go deeper into the playoffs.

Jenner is another player who has seen his numbers drop significantly after a big season. Jenner posted a 30-goal season back in 2015-16, but has been unable to duplicate that season. The 25-year-old has managed just 31 goals in the past two years combined, but provides much-needed physicality as he has posted more than 200 hits in each of the last four seasons. Wennberg is another center who struggled with injuries all season and had a down year. After posting a 59-point season in 2016-17, he managed just 35 points and found himself playing on the team’s third line for quite a while. However, if he can remain healthy, he could easily work his way back to the team’s No. 2 center position.

Jones had a breakout season for the Blue Jackets and could, along with Werenski, be two of the top defensemen in the league. The 23-year-old boasted career highs in goals (16), assists (41) and points (57) and he continues to improve and could find himself to be a Norris Trophy candidate as soon as next year if he keeps up his play.

Buyouts

D Fedor Tyutin ($1.46MM for 2018-19 and 2019-20)
F Scott Hartnell ($3MM in 2018-19 and $1.25MM in 2019-20 and 2020-21)

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

None

Best Value: Jones
Worst Value: Dubinsky

(Excluding entry-level contracts)

Looking Ahead

Columbus’ biggest problems are right in front of them and the success of their franchise may come down to Panarin’s situation. If the team trades him, they need to walk away with a solid return, so the team can move forward. Obviously, if Kekalainen can convince him to re-sign with the franchise, that would be the best-case scenario, but the team should look to trade him as soon as possible otherwise they will find themselves in similar situations to that of Erik Karlsson in Ottawa or Max Pacioretty in Montreal, as both of their values continue to shrink daily.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Columbus Signs Defenseman Adam Clendening

July 1, 2018 at 1:04 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

The Blue Jackets continue to add to their defensive depth, now adding journeyman blue liner Adam Clendening to their ranks. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reports that it is a one-year, two-way deal for Clendening and adds that he will be paid $700K at the NHL level and $300K at the AHL level, with a $400K final salary guaranteed. Clendening is expected to compete for a job in Columbus with fellow new addition Tommy Cross and returning prospects Dean Kukan and Gabriel Carlsson.

Clendening, 25, is on his seventh NHL organization already and has never been able to secure a full-time role. Selected 36th overall in 2011, the former Boston University standout has just 86 NHL games under his belt and was allowed to walk into free agency when he went unqualified by the Chicago Blackhawks. Even if he doesn’t make an impact at the highest level for the Blue Jackets, Clendening is an excellent minor league defender that can put up big point totals and log huge minutes.

The Cleveland Monsters, Columbus’ AHL affiliate, have fallen on tough times recently and need help turning things around. After winning the Calder Cup in 2016, the team finished second-last in the entire league with just 25 wins. That included ranking in the bottom three in both goals for and goals against, something that Clendening will try to change next year.

Blue Jackets Sign Defenseman Tommy Cross

July 1, 2018 at 11:55 am CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

The Columbus Blue Jackets are bringing in a familiar face in former USHL Junior Blue Jackets player Tommy Cross. The 28-year-old defenseman, a long-time Boston Bruins depth player, is also a good friend of Cam Atkinson from the pair’s time at Boston College. TSN’s Frank Servalli reports that it is a two-way deal for Cross, paying him the minimum $650K at the NHL level.

The 28-year-old has shown off his offensive game over the past couple of years with the Bruins’ AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins. In two seasons, he’s combined for 20 goals and 71 points. However, the blueliner has not had any success cracking the Bruins lineup, even with the team’s rash of injuries in the last couple of years. He hasn’t appeared in a regular season game in two years, although he did make an appearance in a Bruins’ playoff game in the 2016-17 season.

The two-way deal should allow Cross to play a major role for the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters and would have to challenge both Dean Kukan and Markus Nutivaara for playing time at the NHL level.

Columbus Sends Several Players To World Championships

April 26, 2018 at 2:01 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Every year when a team is eliminated in the first round, calls come in from the various World Championship teams to see if they are willing (and healthy enough) to suit up for their respective countries. For the Columbus Blue Jackets, many players in the organization received those calls.

Brian Hedger of NHL.com relays the list from GM Jarmo Kekalainen. Ryan Murray (Canada), Pierre-Luc Dubois (Canada), Cam Atkinson (USA), Dean Kukan (Switzerland), Markus Nutivaara (Finland), Alexandre Texier (France) and Matiss Kivlenieks (Latvia) will all be playing in the tournament.

The appearance will be a first for Dubois, who just last season was competing for Canada at the World Junior Championship. 2017-18 saw a huge leap in his development, as he went from an inconsistent junior year to a reliable top-line center on a playoff team. With four points in his first taste of the NHL postseason, Dubois is set up for a long career of impressive moments. The 19-year old could add another one by playing a big role on Team Canada.

For Atkinson, it will be only his second appearance at the tournament despite some great seasons over the past half decade. Though he was only able to play in 65 games for the Blue Jackets this year, he once again showed that he can be a top offensive producer and earned himself a seven-year extension. Atkinson’s small stature hasn’t slowed him down against top competition, and he’ll likely be asked to play a big role for USA Hockey over the next few weeks.

The tournament starts on May 4th, in Denmark.

Minor Transactions: 3/17/18

March 17, 2018 at 5:10 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

All eyes will be on Tampa tonight as the Lightning host the Bruins in a match-up with major playoff implications. Boston trails Tampa Bay by four points for the lead in the Atlantic Division and top seed in the Eastern Conference, but also holds a game in hand. A win for the Bolts would give them considerably more wiggle room, while a win for the B’s would put them in striking distance of the coveted top spot when they square off with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday. Outside of this clash of titans though, there are nine other game on the docket on a busy Saturday, yet they might all be caught up in Bruins-Lightning, as it’s been all quiet on the transactions front:

The Dallas Stars are back to just two goalies, having reassigned Mike McKenna to AHL Texas. McKenna was briefly called up as a precaution, but did not see any action with Dallas. The veteran journeyman has made 29 AHL appearance this season though, posting a 2.64 GAA and .908 save percentage. Despite those pedestrian numbers, he will remain the next man up for the Stars should injury befall Ben Bishop or Kari Lehtonen down the stretch or (potentially) in the postseason.
The Columbus Blue Jackets will have recently-extended defenseman Dean Kukan back in the lineup, as the team announced that they have activated him from injured reserve. Kukan had missed the past 12 games with an upper-body injury that landed him on IR back in mid-February. It remains to be seen if Kukan will stay in Columbus or instead see some guaranteed game action with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, where he has 15 points in 32 games this year.
The Tampa Bay Lightning announced they have recalled goaltender Louis Domingue from the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. After stopping 26 of 28 saves for the Crunch Friday, the belief is that Domingue will share backup goaltending duties with veteran Peter Budaj, who only recently came back from injury. The belief was that Domingue, who has played eight games for the Lightning, has been stronger in goal than Budaj has been. Domingue has a 5-2-0 record with a 3.07 GAA and a .907 save percentage, while Budaj has a 3-3-1 record with a 3.76 GAA and a .876 save percentage in eight games. The transaction leaves Tampa Bay with just one final recall remaining for the rest of the season as this is the team’s third of four.

Dean Kukan Signs Two-Year Extension With Columbus

March 14, 2018 at 1:03 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Columbus Blue Jackets have locked up one of their young defenders, inking Dean Kukan to a two-year extension. Kukan was set to become a restricted free agent this summer, but will now be under contract through the 2019-20 season. The deal will be one-way, and pay Kukan an average annual value of $725K.

This will be the first one-way deal of Kukan’s career, a nice reward for the development he’s shown over the last few years. Originally signed out of the SHL in 2015, Kukan was a relative unknown that had gone undrafted but had impressed at two World Championships with Switzerland. He made his NHL debut that season, but spent all of last year with the Cleveland Monsters in the AHL.

Playing in 10 NHL games this season, Kukan seems destined to replace one of the Blue Jackets’ pending free agents in the lineup on a more regular basis next year. Ian Cole, Jack Johnson and Taylor Chorney are all scheduled to become unrestricted free agents, while Ryan Murray and Markus Nutivaara are also RFAs.

Kukan is a solid defender that can be relied upon in the defensive zone and get the puck up quickly to his teammates, though perhaps lacks a bit of creativity and aggressiveness on the offensive side. With players like Zach Werenski and Seth Jones giving the Blue Jackets more than enough offense from the back end, Kukan can focus on the defensive side and carve out a role for himself.

The Blue Jackets have quite a bit of cap space heading into the summer, and getting players like Kukan locked in on relatively inexpensive deals will help them maximize that financial asset. He’ll cost just a touch more than the minimum salary for next season, just like Scott Harrington who is signed for just $650K.

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