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Ivan Provorov

Blue Jackets Notes: Provorov, Danforth, Keskinen

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The Blue Jackets met with the representative for pending UFA defenseman Ivan Provorov at the combine this week, relays Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription link).  Projected as one of the top blueliners to hit the open market next month, he’s in a position to realistically command a max-term contract which would be seven years with another team or eight if Columbus signs him by the end of June.

However, Portzline notes that thus far, GM Don Waddell has been prioritizing a shorter-term agreement with the 28-year-old.  Presumably, that offer would come with a higher AAV compared to a max-term offer but with over $40MM in cap room, per PuckPedia, they can safely afford to overpay if it got them a more desired term on the deal.  Provorov had 33 points in 81 games this season while logging over 23 minutes a night and at this point, it’s unclear if he’d be amenable to a shorter-term pact.

More from Portzline’s piece on the Blue Jackets:

  • Pending UFA forward Justin Danforth has switched agents. Previously represented by Puck Agency’s Jay Grossman, his new agent is Newport’s Pat Morris.  Danforth played in 61 games this season, notching nine goals and 12 assists while also playing center on a full-time basis for the first time in his career.  Coming off a one-year, $1.1MM deal, Danforth should be able to beat that on the open market next month if he doesn’t wind up re-signing with Columbus which Portzline notes is the veteran’s preferred outcome.
  • The contract that prospect Oiva Keskinen received from the Blue Jackets last month contains a European Assignment Clause for next season.  The 21-year-old is expected to get a chance to crack the NHL roster but he can trigger the return to Tappara in Finland if he doesn’t break camp with Columbus.  A seventh-round pick in 2023, Keskinen had 15 goals and 20 assists in 59 regular season Liiga games but was limited to just a single assist in nine playoff outings.

Blue Jackets Unlikely To Extend Ivan Provorov Before Deadline

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The Blue Jackets don’t expect to have an extension done for pending UFA defenseman Ivan Provorov – or any pending free agent on the roster, for that matter – before Friday’s trade deadline, general manager Don Waddell told Jeff Svoboda of NHL.com on Wednesday.

That doesn’t mean the 28-year-old will be available for trade, though. “If I rip a guy out of this locker room right now that’s playing a role for us on this hockey club, I think that’s pretty devastating to our team,” Waddell told Svoboda. “I think it’s the wrong message from my end to the fans, the coaches and the players.” It’ll take a gargantuan package for Columbus, now firmly entrenched as a conservative buyer, to consider parting ways with Provorov this week amid a tight wild-card race.

It also doesn’t mean Provorov will hit the open market on July 1. The organization will resume contract talks with him and other pending UFAs like Dante Fabbro and Sean Kuraly when their offseason begins, whenever that is. With $43MM in projected cap space for 2025-26 and only eight open roster spots, per PuckPedia, they shouldn’t have much of an issue matching market-value offers for players they’re interested in retaining.

Provorov surely has to be part of the group that Columbus will aggressively try to keep in the fold past this season, even if efforts to date haven’t gotten across the finish line. The Russian lefty has fit nicely with the Jackets since they acquired him from the Flyers two summers ago, especially this season. He’s not producing at the 40-point heights of his early career, but he has a respectable 7-21–28 scoring line through 61 games and is munching significant minutes, averaging 23:28 per game. He’s obviously not getting premier power-play deployment with Zach Werenski starring in that role, but he logs heavy PK usage for the Jackets.

His possession metrics, however, remain underwhelming as they did in his Philly days. While his plus-seven rating stands to be his best since the 2019-20 campaign, the Jackets have been outchanced 512-434 with Provorov on the ice at 5v5, per Natural Stat Trick. His 46.4 xGF% ranks just 16th on the club as well. He earns some benefit of the doubt for starting in primarily defensive minutes at even strength, but the 2015 first-rounder has never shown the ability to be a truly dominant possession force over his nine-year career.

He’s still averaged top-four and top-pair minutes throughout his career, though, and his utility high up in the lineup will get him paid accordingly. AFP Analytics projects an extension in Columbus to cost $6.4MM per season with a five-year term. Columbus would likely be comfortable offering that deal, but if Provorov feels he could garner significantly more on the open market, it’s understandable why his camp would hold off an agreement until he gets a better sense of comparables.

Metropolitan Notes: Provorov, Devils, Michkov, Capitals

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While there’s believed to be mutual interest in a contract extension between the Blue Jackets and pending UFA defenseman Ivan Provorov, there hasn’t been much traction in discussions, reports Pierre LeBrun in a recent piece for The Athletic (subscription link).  He adds that Columbus and Provorov’s camp exchanged offers back in January but they were not close to an agreement while it’s believed that they haven’t circled back on talks since then.  Provorov was widely viewed as a prominent trade candidate heading into the season but with the Blue Jackets continuing to be in the mix for a playoff spot, it would be risky for them to move him now, even though they’d be running the risk of losing him for nothing this summer in free agency.  It wouldn’t be surprising to see the two sides at least have a follow-up discussion about a possible new deal in the days leading up to Friday’s trade deadline.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • While the Devils have been known to be looking for centers for most of the season, Gabriel Trevino of NJ Advance Media relays that they’re also looking to add scoring help although a move is unlikely to come until right before the deadline. He adds that New Jersey is in a spot where they’re open to accepting rentals or longer-term fits.  However, while the latter would cost more to acquire, defenseman Simon Nemec is not someone the team intends to move despite the fact he has spent the bulk of the year in the minors, something he hasn’t been happy  They’re projected to have less than $1.7MM in cap room available on deadline day, per PuckPedia, so they’ll need to get creative if they’re going to add an impact player to their roster.
  • The NHL announced that Flyers winger Matvei Michkov has been named Rookie of the Month for February. He’s the first rookie this season to get the nod twice after also winning in October.  Michkov had ten points in seven games last month while he’s the rookie leader in goals (19) league-wide while being tied for the lead in points with 44.
  • The Capitals are looking to add depth both up front and on the back end before Friday’s trade deadline, reports David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period (Twitter link). With Washington leading the way in the Eastern Conference, it’s understandable that their preference would be to avoid doing anything to shake up the core of their group.  They have $3.65MM remaining in their LTIR pool, per PuckPedia, meaning that if they want to make a couple of additions while still leaving room for injury replacements, they’re going to be primarily looking at low-cost pickups.

LeBrun Notes: Provorov, Hurricanes, Canucks

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In his latest rendition of ’NHL Rumblings’ (Subscription Article), Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic touched on several topics including the future of Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman, Ivan Provorov. Provorov is in the final year of a six-year, $40.5MM contract and is believed to be a top trade chip heading into deadline season.

There is some growing belief in Columbus that the Blue Jackets and Provorov may opt to turn toward extension talks rather than a trade. This does not indicate that the Blue Jackets wouldn’t receive adequate value for Provorov in any hypothetical trade but simply that he is content with the city and the organization.

Provorov’s agent, Mark Gandler of International Sports Advisors Co., was quoted in the article saying, “Ivan is happy to be in Columbus, happy to play there. He thinks that the team is going to go places. It’s clear that the team is better than it was last year. Personally, I have all the confidence in the world in (general manager) Don Waddell’s ability. He’s an experienced manager who knows what he’s doing. I think the team is going to improve every year.”

The Yaroslavl, Russia native will have family in the area should he continue his relationship with the Blue Jackets organization. Provorov’s younger brother, Vladimir Provorov, recently committed to The Ohio State University and will begin play there during the 2027-28 NCAA season.

Other notes from LeBrun:

  • LeBrun reiterated the Carolina Hurricanes’ interest in Anaheim Ducks netminder John Gibson. The most recent connection between the Hurricanes and Gibson came in a separate article from LeBrun nearly a month ago. Carolina isn’t enthusiastic about Anaheim’s asking price for Gibson which has the organization turning toward short-term options. LeBrun cites Utah Hockey Clubs’ Karel Vejmelka, Ottawa Senators’ Anton Forsberg, and Calgary Flames’ Dan Vladar as viable trade candidates moving toward deadline season.
  • LeBrun also shared that the Vancouver Canucks were already looking for a top-four defenseman before losing defenseman Filip Hronek for the next several weeks. Hronek’s injury has increased Vancouver’s motivation to acquire a defenseman and LeBrun asserts there should be a solution long before the deadline. The Canucks are looking for more consistency from their roster as they’ve only managed a 4-2-2 record since the calendar turned to December.

Morning Notes: Provorov, Kucherov, Dahlin

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Aaron Portzline of The Athletic writes that Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov could play tonight when the team takes on the Winnipeg Jets. Provorov left Friday night’s game against the Vancouver Canucks with what was called an upper-body injury, which was later revealed to be an injury to his thumb. Photos circulated online of the 27-year-old’s thumb, and it certainly looked painful, however, Portzline is hearing that it’s possible he could play.

Provorov is an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season and has two goals and seven assists in 26 games so far this year. He will likely become a trade candidate at some point later in the season as the Blue Jackets are unlikely to be a playoff team.

In other morning notes:

  • Tampa Bay Lightning star forward Nikita Kucherov could return to the lineup today when the team takes on the Canucks (as per NHL.com). The 31-year-old has missed two games due to an undisclosed injury and hasn’t played since November 29th. Tampa had a quiet week last week with just two games and would be fortunate if that is all the time the reigning Art Ross Trophy winner misses. Kucherov is having another stellar season with 12 goals and 22 assists in just 22 games.
  • Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin missed last night’s game against Utah due to back spasms (as per NHL.com). The 24-year-old missed Thursday night’s game against Winnipeg and only played a single shift in the third period of Tuesday night’s game against Colorado before he left. Dahlin dealt with a back issue during training camp in September and missed five days before rejoining the team for practice. Despite the issue, the former first-overall pick is still having a good season with six goals and 13 assists in 25 games.

Metropolitan Notes: Provorov, Rangers, Stillman

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It appears the Blue Jackets may be without a key defenseman for the foreseeable future.  Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch notes that Ivan Provorov left Friday’s game with an upper-body injury.  The injury occurred early in the second period when he dove for a puck with his hand hitting the boards; his thumb took the brunt of the impact.  There’s no word yet on how long he might miss.  Provorov has nine points in 26 games so far this season while logging over 23 minutes a night of playing time.  A pending unrestricted free agent, he’s widely expected to be a key trade chip for Columbus in the second half of the year as long as this injury doesn’t keep him out for an extended period of time.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • With the Rangers trading Jacob Trouba to Anaheim yesterday, they now find themselves without a captain. However, don’t expect that vacancy to be filled right away.  Head coach Peter Laviolette told reporters including NHL.com’s Dan Rosen (Twitter link) that the team is not planning to name a new captain.  They’re open to appointing another alternate (to join Adam Fox, Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin, and Mika Zibanejad) but that won’t happen right away.  New York has now moved its last three captains in midseason swaps with Trouba joining Ryan McDonagh and Ryan Callahan in that category.
  • The Hurricanes announced that they have re-assigned defenseman Riley Stillman to AHL Chicago. The 26-year-old has been sent back and forth a few times in recent weeks but he hasn’t seen any game action yet with Carolina.  Stillman has been limited to just six games with the Wolves after starting the season on injured reserve and has two assists in those outings.  With the move, the Hurricanes now have two vacancies on their active roster for the time being.

Metropolitan Notes: Provorov, Nash, Hurricanes, Makiniemi

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Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov is one of the more intriguing pending UFA blueliners from the 2025 free agent class.  With Columbus still in their rebuild, it’s expected that he’ll be on the move at some point.  However, in his latest column for The Athletic (subscription link), Pierre LeBrun reports that the team is telling interested parties that they’re not willing to move the 27-year-old just yet.  The Blue Jackets are off to a respectable 8-9-2 start and aren’t ready to start subtracting from what’s already a fairly young group this early in the season.  That’s expected to change as we get closer to the March 7 trade deadline and when that time comes, LeBrun suggests to expect a first-round pick to serve as the asking price for Provorov’s services.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Still with Columbus, when Don Waddell took over as President and GM for the Blue Jackets, one of the first moves he made was elevating Rick Nash to assistant GM. While that’s an important step for any aspiring manager, Nash told Daily Faceoff’s Anthony DiMarco that he’s “not in any rush” to ascend to a GM position just yet.  He has worked in Columbus’ front office since 2019 and it wouldn’t be shocking if he were next in line for the top job with the Blue Jackets when Waddell either moves on or wants to have just the President title down the road.
  • The Hurricanes have returned winger Jackson Blake and goaltender Spencer Martin to the minors, per the AHL’s transactions log, though these are almost certainly just paper moves to bank additional cap space. Blake has five goals in 19 games with Carolina in his first full professional season which is a solid start for the 21-year-old.  Martin, meanwhile, has played in four NHL contests so far in 2024-25, putting up a 3.25 GAA with a .868 SV%.  He has been much better in similarly limited action with AHL Chicago, however, compiling a 2.32 GAA and a .920 SV% in his first three outings.
  • Flyers goaltender Eetu Makiniemi is set to undergo sports hernia surgery next week, relays team reporter Bill Meltzer (Twitter link). The procedure will keep him out for three to four months.  The 25-year-old had a successful tryout in training camp, earning a one-year, two-way deal to play with AHL Lehigh Valley where he had a 3.03 GAA and a .899 SV% in five appearances.  With the injury, the only recallable goaltender Philadelphia has left is veteran Cal Petersen.

Utah Inquiring On Ivan Provorov, Other Teams Interested

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In today’s rendition of Early Trading with TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, the insider shares that the Utah Hockey Club general manager, Bill Armstrong, has been working the phones to fill the void left by Sean Durzi and John Marino’s injuries. Specifically, LeBrun reports Armstrong has checked in on Columbus Blue Jackets’ defenseman Ivan Provorov although other teams remain interested.

It would be surprising to see Provorov moved at this point in the regular season unless Don Waddell receives an offer he can’t refuse. The Russian defenseman would be a dream trade candidate for any rebuilding team’s general manager. He’s a top-four defenseman set to hit unrestricted free agency next summer with no trade protection in his contract. Assuming he’ll head for greener pastures next offseason, nobody would fault the Blue Jackets for taking him down to the wire of the trade deadline season to reap the best possible return.

The NHL’s newest franchise might be the one to make that offer early in the year out of pure desperation. Durzi and Marino’s surgeries will keep them out for much of the regular season, putting glaring holes in Utah’s blue line. They currently sit fourth in the Central Division standings through seven games and have a legitimate pathway toward the Stanley Cup playoffs should the Colorado Avalanche and Nashville Predators continue their struggles out of the gates.

Not only does Utah need to add a top-four blue liner but they also represent a strong trade partner for Columbus. Armstrong has spent the last couple of years stockpiling draft capital during his tenure with the Arizona Coyotes and has 26 draft selections in the next three NHL Drafts. Utah may hesitate to part with a first-round pick for Provorov but has several second-round selections to dangle.

Utah could also help the Blue Jackets in areas outside of the draft. Forward Michael Carcone is an obvious low-cost trade chip. He’s only managed three games with Utah to start the 2024-25 NHL season but is coming off a year in which he scored 21 goals in 74 contests. Columbus has been one of the highest-scoring teams to start the year and Carcone should add to this strength with increased usage.

They could also help Columbus get over the salary cap floor with the existing contract of defenseman Shea Weber. Utah has Weber’s $7.857MM salary on LTIR but the Blue Jackets have the financial flexibility to activate him for the rest of the 2024-25 season. Carrying all of Weber’s salary and retaining a decent chunk of Provorov’s would allow Columbus to move out other pending unrestricted free agents at the deadline without having to take back much salary in any future trade.

West Notes: Oilers, Ceci, Binnington

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The Edmonton Oilers’ decision to let Philip Broberg go and to trade Cody Ceci has opened up a hole in their top four that Josh Wegman of The Score believes should be filled via trade before the NHL trade deadline. This week, the Oilers have been checking in on multiple veteran defensemen who remain free agents, but Wegman believes they will seek a better solution before the playoffs.

Wegman lists Marcus Pettersson, Jakob Chychrun, and Ivan Provorov as potential targets as all three men are pending unrestricted free agents. He also believes that the Oilers could look for a longer-term solution and seek a player with some years left on their contract such as  Mike Matheson, Connor Murphy, or Radko Gudas. The Oilers have been linked to former Oilers Tyson Barrie and Justin Schultz this week, as well as former Bruins defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. While all of those defensemen have had solid NHL careers, they are not great options for a Stanley Cup-contending team looking to round out their second defensive pairing.

In other Western Conference notes:

  • Jim Matheson of The Edmonton Journal doesn’t believe that defenseman Cody Ceci will remain in a San Jose Sharks uniform for very long. The recently traded defenseman has one year left on his current contract with a cap hit of $3.25MM and will likely be dealt to a contending team before next year’s NHL trade deadline. Ceci has never been an analytics darling and probably shouldn’t be a top-four defenseman on a contending team, but as a bottom-pairing defender, he could bring a lot of value to a team looking to add some experience to the backend of their lineup.
  • St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington was reportedly very happy with the recent moves made by Blues general manager Doug Armstrong (as per Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com). Binnington told Zeisberger that the successful offer sheets to Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg showed current Blues players that Armstrong had faith in the group, which will motivate the club as they head into training camp. Binnington added that the additions to the Blues should help make the team more competitive next season as they will be a faster group that is harder for opponents to play against.

East Notes: Jarry, Chychrun, Provorov

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Elliotte Friedman noted on the 32 Thoughts podcast that Pittsburgh Penguins netminder Tristan Jarry is likely available via trade this summer. The 29-year-old signed a five-year $26.875MM contract last summer with the Penguins and put up pedestrian numbers in another inconsistent season and eventually lost the starter role to recently re-signed Alex Nedeljkovic.

Jarry’s contract might have looked unmovable just a few months ago, but given the goalie market and the fact that he is a two-time All-Star, a move seems very possible. Whether the Penguins want to make that move or not is another story, but the fact that they didn’t start him in the final 13 games of the regular season is certainly not a vote of confidence. Jarry went 19-25-5 last season with a .903 save percentage and a 2.91 goals-against average. His underlying numbers were a tick better as he posted 2.6 goals saved above expected (as per MoneyPuck).

In other Eastern Conference notes:

  • Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia is reporting that the Ottawa Senators are gauging what the trade market looks like for defenceman Jakob Chychrun. The 26-year-old has one year left on his contract at $4.6MM and will be a prime trade target for many teams looking to improve their backend. Ottawa is reportedly looking for a first-round pick, as well as a second-round pick or a high-end prospect in exchange for Chychrun, a steep price for what could be a one-year rental. Chychrun had a good offensive season last year with 14 goals and 27 assists in 82 games; however, he was -30. Chychrun turned the puck over with alarming frequency last season, committing 73 turnovers, however, his possession numbers were very good with a CF% of 51.2% at even-strength.
  • Aaron Portzline of The Athletic lists Ivan Provorov as a potential trade chip for the Columbus Blue Jackets this summer as newly hired general manager Don Waddell tries to improve the struggling team. The 27-year-old Provorov has one season left on his contract with a cap hit of $4.75MM ($2MM retained by Los Angeles) and should receive interest if Columbus decides to move him. Portzline says he would be surprised if Provorov spends the year with the Blue Jackets, given his contractual status and the fact that the Blue Jackets have defenseman Denton Mateychuk turning pro. Mateychuk could be ready to tackle the top four minutes very shortly which could facilitate Provorov’s trade, however, it is important to note that Waddell has a history of being patient with young players and might opt to keep Mateychuk in the AHL for extra seasoning.

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