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Markus Nutivaara

Blue Jackets Notes: Dzingel, Wennberg, Nutivaara, Nash

April 28, 2019 at 1:29 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 1 Comment

Ryan Dzingel may have wished that he signed a contract extension with the Ottawa Senators after all.

The winger opted against signing a contract extension before the trade deadline, which forced Ottawa to send him to the Columbus Blue Jackets instead. However, the 27-year-old hasn’t fared very well under head coach John Tortorella. He posted just 12 points in 21 games and has been scoreless in five playoff games. In Game 1 of Columbus’ second-round series against Boston, Dzingel only got 11:06 of ice time in an overtime game, the lowest among all forwards. That eventually prompted Tortorella to play Alexander Wennberg, who has long sat in Tortorella’s doghouse, in favor of Dzingel for Game 2, leading to what many believe was a healthy scratch, writes the Ottawa Sun’s Don Brennan.

While there was no confirmation that Dzingel was a healthy scratch, Brennan doubts that he is injured as he was one of the last players to leave the ice at the most recent optional skate. In fact Dzingel’s stock, which was quite high at the trade deadline, has dropped significantly and could have a major effect on his next contract. It is looking less and less that the speedy winger who played at Ohio State University will sign a long-term deal in Columbus next year and despite a 26-goal regular season, his suitors seem to be dropping.

  • Speaking of Wennberg, the center, who had been a healthy scratch for seven straight games, fared quite well on the ice Saturday, playing 16:11 on the third line with Alexandre Texier and Oliver Bjorkstrand, according to NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda. Wennberg could have proven that he belongs back in the lineup permanently as the center was crucial on the penalty kill that held the Bruins to just one goal on four chances.”The kill did a really good job,” Wennberg said. “Personally, it was good to be back out there. I tried to make good reads and have a good stick. It’s good to be out there.”
  • In the same article, Svoboda reports that defenseman Markus Nutivaara could be close to returning to the lineup. While Tortorella won’t talk about lineup changes, Nutivaara skated with the team during an optional practice before Game 2 on Saturday and while he didn’t play Saturday, he could be ready to return to the lineup shortly. Nutivaara suffered an undisclosed injury in Game 2 of their series with Tampa Bay after being boarded by Nikita Kucherov and suspended for a game.
  • Riley Nash, who took an explosive hit from former teammate Zdeno Chara in the first period of Saturday’s game, seems to be OK, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline. Nash looked shaken up, but was back on the ice not long after the hit. “That was a big hit,” Tortorella said. “It took him a few minutes on the bench, and next thing you know, he’s ready to go. He played a really good game, too, probably one of our most patient guys with the puck, especially on the wall play of our end zone.”

Boston Bruins| Columbus Blue Jackets| Injury| John Tortorella| Ottawa Senators Alexander Wennberg| Alexandre Texier| Markus Nutivaara| Nikita Kucherov| Oliver Bjorkstrand

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Snapshots: Blackhawks, Team Canada, Nutivaara

April 27, 2019 at 1:57 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 4 Comments

Although the Blackhawks finished 30th in the league in goals allowed this season, Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times cautions that there may not be big changes coming to their back end this summer.  He notes that GM Stan Bowman has confidence in his existing group and hopes that head coach Jeremy Colliton will be able to establish some more significant changes to their current strategies, something he wasn’t completely able to do after taking over for Joel Quenneville early in the season.  Veterans Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook are signed for at least the next four seasons with no-move clauses so there isn’t a lot of flexibility to work with; they will have to rely on both of them to pick up their level of play for next season.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Canada has added several players to their team for the upcoming World Championships. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter links) that Maple Leafs center John Tavares, Golden Knights winger, and Penguins goalie Matt Murray have all agreed to participate.  Meanwhile, Sportsnet 650’s Rick Dhaliwal adds (Twitter link) that Canucks defenseman Troy Stecher will also be taking part in the tournament which gets underway on May 10th.
  • Blue Jackets defenseman Markus Nutivaara resumed skating today for the first time since sustaining an upper-body injury back in the second game of their opening round series against Tampa Bay, notes Adam Jardy of the Columbus Post-Dispatch. He ranked fifth in average ice time on the back end in Columbus this season, logging nearly 18 minutes a night.  There’s no word on his timetable for a return; the 24-year-old indicated he was unsure if he’d be able to return in this series.  Adam Clendening will remain in the lineup in his absence.

Chicago Blackhawks| Columbus Blue Jackets| Pittsburgh Penguins| Snapshots| Team Canada| Toronto Maple Leafs| Vancouver Canucks| Vegas Golden Knights John Tavares| Markus Nutivaara| Matt Murray (b. 1994)

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Adam McQuaid, Ryan Murray Remain Out For Blue Jackets

April 24, 2019 at 5:26 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

For anyone hoping to see Adam McQuaid face off against his former team this postseason, you’ll have to wait a while longer. As the Columbus Blue Jackets departed for Boston today to face the Bruins in their second-round series, Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch reports that neither McQuaid nor fellow defenseman Ryan Murray made the trip. There is no clear timeline for either’s return, but they will at least miss the first two games in Boston.

McQuaid, 32, has yet to play this postseason after suffering a concussion late in the regular season. The veteran defender was acquired by the Blue Jackets from the New York Rangers at the trade deadline, but many still remember him most from his time with the Bruins. McQuaid, ironically a Columbus draft pick, spent the first nine years of his career in Boston before he was traded this past off-season. At the time, Boston was dealing from a position of strength, but ended up struggling with injuries on the back end all season and could have used McQuaid. Now, they could face the physical stay-at-home defender in the playoffs, that is if he can get healthy. Not only would McQuaid sure up the Blue Jackets’ bottom pair and provide insight into the Bruins’ inner workings, he would also provide the playoff experience sorely lacking from the roster. McQuaid has appeared in 68 playoff games and two Stanley Cup Finals, including winning it all with the Bruins back in 2011.

Murray, like McQuaid, is no stranger to being injured. The 2012 No. 2 overall pick has only played in more than 66 games in a season once in his six-year NHL career and finds himself on the sidelines again this postseason with a back injury. Murray has actually had a career campaign, recording 29 points in just 56 games and +20 rating that led all Columbus defensemen. Yet, Murray has been out since early February and it grows harder to imagine a comeback with each missed game. If Murray is able to return versus Boston or perhaps later in the playoffs, it would give the Blue Jackets a major boost and make them an even more dangerous puck-moving team.

Fortunately, Hedger notes that Markus Nutivaara did make the trip and is not expected to miss any further time with the upper-body injury that cost him the final two games of the first round sweep. He joins Seth Jones, Zach Werenski, and David Savard as a very capable top-four unit for Columbus. However, with McQuaid and Murray still out, the Blue Jackets could struggle matching up their bottom pair against the Bruins. Scott Harrington played very well against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but will have to keep up with that level of play if he and Dean Kukan (or Adam Clendening or Vladislav Gavrikov) want to defend against a deep Boston team.

Boston Bruins| Columbus Blue Jackets| Injury| New York Rangers| Tampa Bay Lightning Adam Clendening| Adam McQuaid| Dean Kukan| Markus Nutivaara| Ryan Murray| Scott Harrington| Seth Jones| Zach Werenski

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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.

Columbus Blue Jackets| Injury| Newsstand Adam Clendening| Dean Kukan| Markus Nutivaara

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Metropolitan Notes: Columbus’ Defense, Maatta, Butcher, Kreider

September 1, 2018 at 5:28 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 4 Comments

With losses of both Jack Johnson and Ian Cole this offseason, the Columbus Blue Jackets will have some changes on their defense. Those changes could alter the entire defense, as head coach John Tortorella said recently in a Q&A with The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required). In fact, Tortorella said he will have to consider whether he’s ready to break up his two star defensemen in Seth Jones and Zach Werenski. At the moment, he’s not ready to do so.

“It certainly makes me think about it, and I have thought about it this summer,” Tortorella said. “I’m going to let it play out. Right now I’m going into the season with ‘Z’ and Jonesy together, and we’ll see what comes of that second pair.”

Jones had a breakout season a year ago, while Werenski had an off year, but dealt with a shoulder injury that hampered him all season. However, Tortorella hopes that others will fill in for the team’s offseason losses, including Markus Nutivaara and Ryan Murray.

“I think (Markus) Nutivaara has improved tremendously,” Tortorella said. “I think (Murray) looked different to me in the playoffs. He can’t even grow a beard yet, he’s just got this stuff all over his face, but he looked different to me. He had more of a game face than I’ve seen since I coached him. He was really good in the playoffs. Can he take those minutes? I know he wants to. I know he’s pissed at me that I don’t give him enough time at certain times, but hopefully, he stays healthy and plays with an attitude.”

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins look to be breaking up their top-four as well as the team promised to give top minutes to free-agent signee Jack Johnson, which will force the team to make some changes, according to Pittsburgh Post Gazette’s Jason Mackey in a Penguins’ chat. While the team has no intention of breaking up their top defensive pair of Brian Dumoulin and Kris Letang. That means the likely second line will be Johnson and Justin Schultz, which will likely force Olli Maatta out of the top four. Maatta, who tied a career-high in 29 points last season, will likely be moved to the third pairing next to Jamie Oleksiak.
  • The Athletic’s Ryan Clark’s (subscription required) writes a Q&A interview with New Jersey Devils defenseman Will Butcher, the second-year defenseman has said he’s spent his offseason working on his shot. “My huge emphasis this summer has been on my shot from one-timers to just getting it off quicker,” Butcher said. “Just try to shoot the puck more. Look to shoot the puck more than pass.” The 23-year-old posted impressive numbers in his first year in the league, putting up five goals and 39 points last season. An impressive shot could improve his goal numbers in the future.
  •  When New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider returned from a two-month break when he was recovering from a blood clot, the 27-year-old had lost 15 pounds, which actually proved helpful to him, according to The Athletic’s Shayna Goldman (subscription required). In fact, Kreider played some of his best hockey upon his return, which could fit in well around head coach David Quinn’s new system. The scribe writes that Kreider found the perfect balance between his size, speed, strength and skill, which could carry over to this season, especially now that he’s out of Alain Vigneault’s system that focused only on his speed.

Alain Vigneault| Columbus Blue Jackets| David Quinn| John Tortorella| New Jersey Devils| New York Rangers| Pittsburgh Penguins Brian Dumoulin| Chris Kreider| Ian Cole| Jack Johnson| Jamie Oleksiak| Justin Schultz| Kris Letang| Markus Nutivaara| Olli Maatta| Ryan Murray| Seth Jones| Will Butcher| Zach Werenski

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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.

Columbus Blue Jackets| Detroit Red Wings| Free Agency| Injury Adam Clendening| Dean Kukan| Gabriel Carlsson| Ian Cole| Jack Johnson| Markus Nutivaara| Ryan Murray| Scott Harrington| Seth Jones| Taylor Chorney| Zach Werenski

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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 Blue Jackets| John Tortorella| Salary Cap Deep Dive 2018 Alexander Wennberg| Anthony Duclair| Artemi Panarin| Boone Jenner| Brandon Dubinsky| Cam Atkinson| Dean Kukan| Erik Karlsson| Fedor Tyutin| Ian Cole| Jack Johnson| Joonas Korpisalo| Josh Anderson| Markus Hannikainen| Markus Nutivaara| Max Pacioretty| Nick Foligno| Oliver Bjorkstrand| Pierre-Luc Dubois| Salary Cap

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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.

AHL| Boston Bruins| Columbus Blue Jackets Cam Atkinson| Dean Kukan| Markus Nutivaara| Tommy Cross

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Young Talent Fills Finland’s World Championship Roster

April 30, 2018 at 1:01 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Finland has announced their final roster for the upcoming World Championship, and it is filled with young NHL talent. The Dallas Stars will be quite pleased with the results, as both Miro Heiskanen and Julius Honka will be present on defense. The entire group is as follows:

Affiliated NHL organization in parenthesis

Goaltenders:

Ville Husso (St. Louis Blues)
Eero Kilpelainen
Harri Sateri (Florida Panthers)

Defensemen:

Miro Heiskanen (Dallas Stars)
Julius Honka (Dallas Stars)
Niko Mikkola (St. Louis Blues)
Markus Nutivaara (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Tommi Kivisto
Miika Koivisto
Ville Pokka (Ottawa Senators)
Juuso Riikola

Forwards:

Sebastian Aho (Carolina Hurricanes)
Marko Anttila
Mikael Granlund (Minnesota Wild)
Pekka Jormakka
Kasperi Kapanen (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Sakari Manninen
Saku Maenalanen
Mika Niemi
Olli Palola
Janne Pesonen
Mikko Rantanen (Colorado Avalanche)
Veli-Matti Savinainen
Antti Suomela
Teuvo Teravainen (Carolina Hurricanes)

Heiskanen’s presence on the team is especially noteworthy given that he is only 18 years old still, and made it over other top young players like Olli Juolevi. The third pick in the 2017 draft, Heiskanen is an incredibly mobile two-way defender that should be an impact player in the NHL before long. The Stars will watch to see if he and Honka get any time together and can start to build chemistry, as the pair could be used together for years to come.

For Rantanen, a good performance at the Worlds would be just another feather in his cap for the 2017-18 season. After scoring 20 goals last season on a dreadful Colorado team, he and Nathan MacKinnon formed one of the league’s most dangerous duos this season and racked up the accolades. Rantanen finished with 84 points, a huge total for a 21-year old winger still learning how to best use his big frame in the NHL.

Carolina Hurricanes| Colorado Avalanche| Columbus Blue Jackets| Dallas Stars| Florida Panthers| Minnesota Wild| Ottawa Senators| St. Louis Blues| Toronto Maple Leafs Harri Sateri| Julius Honka| Kasperi Kapanen| Markus Nutivaara| Mikael Granlund| Mikko Rantanen| Miro Heiskanen| Sebastian Aho| Teuvo Teravainen| Ville Husso| Ville Pokka

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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.

Columbus Blue Jackets Cam Atkinson| Dean Kukan| Markus Nutivaara| Matiss Kivlenieks| Pierre-Luc Dubois

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