Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Zach Werenski

Blue Jackets Unlikely To Add At Center This Summer

at CDT | by 2 Comments

It was another strong regular season for the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2017-18. The team had its second-best finish with 97 points behind the strong efforts of all-world goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, blossoming young defensemen like Seth Jones and Zach Werenski, rookie forward Pierre-Luc Dubois and game-changing acquisition Artemi Panarin. Yet, the Jackets were again ousted in the first round and still have yet to advance past that stage of the postseason in their 17-year history. In evaluating what area Columbus needs to improve in next season, some will point to poor special teams or a lack of shots on net. However, the major issue this season was the center position, where everyone not named Dubois had a disappointing campaign. The scoring depth, defensive ability, and face-off success of the group was all lacking this year. Entering the off-season with more than $13MM in salary cap space, many think the Blue Jackets should make a competitive offer to John Tavares or even Paul Stastny or Tyler Bozak in an effort to solve their problems down the middle. As The Columbus Dispatch’s Steve Gorten describes, that is unlikely to be the case.

While on surface level Columbus seems to be in fine shape regarding the salary cap, Gorten feels that GM Jarmo Kekalainen needs to tread carefully when contemplating adding salary to the current roster. In the short term, the team already faces several free agency dilemmas. Restricted free agents Boone Jenner, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Ryan Murray are in need of new contracts and the team is surely to be interested in retaining several impending unrestricted free agents such as Ian Cole, Matt Calvert, and possibly Thomas Vanek. The team’s long-term considerations are more pressing though; Columbus will need to pay Panarin, Werenski, and Bobrovsky after next season, all of whom will command significant contracts in both term and salary.

Given these spending limitations, both this year and in the future, signing a top free agent center is unlikely to be the right move for the Blue Jackets. Instead, Gorten suggests that Columbus stand pat and wait for their current centers to rebound from down seasons. 23-year-old Alexander Wennberg showed 60+ point potential last season, but injuries and long stretches of poor play kept him to just 35 points in 66 games this year, the first season of a six-year, $29.4MM deal. Health may be all it takes to get Wennberg back into that true #1 center range and the 2013 first-rounder may still make his contract look like a bargain and could even end up being a superior player to Dubois. For his part, Kekalainen has trust in the young forward, telling Gorten “I’m 100 percent confident with Wennberg that he’s going to have a great year next year.” What Kekalainen may be more focused on is improvement in the bottom-six, where the Jackets need a return to form from veteran Brandon Dubinsky. The 32-year-old is midway through a six-year, $35.MM deal but did not play to that level this season. Dubinsky was held to just 16 points in what was easily the worst season of his career. A buyout at this point in the contract would be very costly to Columbus, who are left to hope that he can bounce back. Gorten also suggests that the depth down the middle could be substantially bolstered by a prospects like Lukas Sedlak, Alexandre Texier, or Jonathan Davisson taking a step forward in their development, while there is also the off chance that the Jackets could land a potentially pro-ready pivot like Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Isac Lundestrom, or Barrett Hayton at pick #18 in the first round.

Even if all of that doesn’t work out, Columbus will also have options like Jenner and captain Nick Foligno, who they have hesitated to leave at center full-time, but are more than capable of playing the position if necessary. Rather than handcuff themselves with a free agent contract that could cause problems down the road, Gorten seems right in his take that hoping for the in-house options to step up their game seems to better suit the Blue Jackets this off-season.

Zach Werenski Undergoes Shoulder Surgery, Out 5-6 Months

at CDT | by 1 Comment

According to Brian Hedger of NHL.com, Columbus Blue Jackets star defenseman Zach Werenski underwent shoulder surgery this morning and will be out for five to six months. The issue apparently had bothered Werenski since October 30th, when he first suffered the injury. In a statement, Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen explained the decision to undergo surgery:

Zach has been dealing with this injury since early in the season and while he was able to play through it, our medical team determined that surgery was the best option at this time. The surgery went very well and the expectation is Zach will be ready to play by the start of the season or shortly thereafter

Five months would allow Werenski to start the season on time with the Blue Jackets, but it means he will at least miss all of training camp. Columbus is dealing with another early exit from the playoffs, and will be trying to overcome the other top teams in the Metropolitan. Losing one of their top pairing defensemen for any length of time is disruptive to that goal, and if he misses the first whole month of the season they could find themselves in an early hole.

Fortunately for the Blue Jackets, they also have Seth Jones and the rest of an impressive defense corps that can come to the rescue. Just like the Anaheim Ducks signed Francois Beauchemin to help deal with injuries to Sami Vatanen and Hampus Lindholm to begin the year, you can bet that Columbus will ensure their depth is fortified this summer.

The fact that he was dealing with a shoulder injury all season could explain why his point totals dropped from 47 to 37 this season, but certainly should make Columbus fans excited for what comes next. If this season’s 20-year old Werenski—nearly 23 minutes a night and excellent even-strength production—was him at less than 100%, one can only dream about what he’ll be in a few years. Werenski is eligible for an extension on July 1st, and could be locked up long-term this summer.

Columbus Has Key Defensive Decisions To Make This Offseason

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Columbus Blue Jackets are enjoying some of their best defensive depth in team history as they currently have 10 blueliners on their current roster. Not even including the impressive play of their top line of Seth Jones and Zach Werenski, the team has a quality top-six with trade deadline acquisition Ian Cole to pair with David Savard on the second line. The recently extended Markus Nutivaara also makes a quality third pairing with Ryan Murray. Their depth is so great that veteran Jack Johnson finds himself as a healthy scratch lately and can’t seem to break into Columbus lineup on most days.

However, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that the Blue Jackets’ blueline should look quite different next season and much of those changes will revolve around what the team does with three players in particular, including Johnson, Cole and Murray.

Johnson has had a tough year and is wrapping up a seven-year, $30.5MM contract. The 31-year-old asked for a  trade midway through the season as his playing time had dropped this year, but the Blue Jackets found no takers and seems unlikely to return to Columbus considering how little he has been playing of late and now has been a healthy scratch for four straight games.

Cole, who many believed Columbus added as only a trade rental, has made quite a mark on the team’s defense and seems to be a good fit next to the physical Savard and the team is considering bringing him back next season. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen had a hand in drafting him back in 2007 when he was with the St. Louis Blues. According to Portzline, there have been rumors the team has already discussed a contract extension with Cole, but there are questions whether the team can afford him.

As for Murray, the team must make a decision on whether they want to retain the restricted free agent. Murray, who is currently making $2.825MM this year, is an excellent skater and puck mover, but has struggled his entire career with injuries. He’s only played out a full 82-game season once and has never come close after that as 66 games is his next highest. He’s played in just 41 games this year.

If the team signs two of those three players, Columbus should continue to have a strong defensive core in the future.

Columbus Assigns Ryan Murray To AHL For Conditioning Stint

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Columbus Blue Jackets will soon get a boost to their blue line, but they’ll have to wait just a little bit longer. The team announced today that they have activated Ryan Murray from the injured reserve, but have assigned him to the AHL for a conditioning stint. Murray will play at least a game or two for the Cleveland Monsters before returning to the Columbus lineup.

Murray, 24, suffered an undisclosed upper-body injury back in November and has missed the team’s past 34 games. Murray’s early NHL career has been marred by injury, as he missed 22 games last season and all but 12 games in 2014-15 due to various maladies. Even when healthy, Murray has lacked the offensive impact he showed in juniors an in his 24-point rookie season. In the 24 games he has suited up for in 2017-18, Murray has only five points. The 2012 second-overall pick came with, understandably, high expectations that he has yet to reach due to his lack of play time.

Yet, there is still much potential for the smooth-skating defenseman to realize. Although he has been passed up by the likes of Zach Werenski and Seth Jones in Columbus, the Blue Jackets remain committed to Murray and he will surely fill an important role once for the team once he returns. Especially if the Jackets are entertaining ideas of trading away Jack Johnson before the NHL Trade Deadline while still trying to make the playoffs, Murray will be looked upon for solid play and big minutes. The conditioning stint in the AHL will be Murray’s first ever AHL action, after jumping right to the NHL from the WHL, and will hopefully both give him confidence and get him back in game shape and ready to help Columbus down the stretch – they need him.

Minor Transactions: 12/29/17

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

After another wild night in the NHL that saw the Vegas Golden Knights defeat their division rival Los Angeles Kings to secure top spot in the Pacific and second in the entire league, you can be sure there will be some roster movement. As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves throughout the day right here. Make sure to refresh regularly.

  • Gabriel Carlsson has been sent back to the minor leagues by the Columbus Blue Jackets, which could signal a return for Zach Werenski. Werenski had been skating as part of the scratch pair for a few days alongside Dean Kukan, who is the other option to enter the lineup in Carlsson’s absence. The Blue Jackets take on the struggling Ottawa Senators tonight.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Calvin Pickard from the minor leagues, announcing that Curtis McElhinney has a lower-body injury. McElhinney was the backup last night when the Maple Leafs took on the Arizona Coyotes and didn’t enter the game, but was expected to start in the second half of a back-to-back against the Colorado Avalanche tonight. Instead, it seems likely that Pickard will make his Maple Leafs debut against his old team.
  • After recording an assist in his return to action for the the Iowa Wild last night, Zach Parise has been recalled by the Minnesota Wild. His conditioning stint was not expected to be very long, but he remains on long-term injured reserve as he continues to work his way back. It’s not clear when he’ll be activated by the Wild, but it was a good step towards recovery yesterday for the veteran forward.
  • With Lee Stempniak not ready to go for the Carolina Hurricanes, the team has recalled Lucas Wallmark from the minor leagues. Wallmark played eight games for the club last season, but hasn’t yet suited up this year. In 20 AHL contests, Wallmark has 23 points and continues to prove that he can nearly score at will in the minor leagues.
  • Dalton Prout, having cleared waivers, has been assigned to the minor leagues by the New Jersey Devils. Prout could be called back up in case of injury, but for now will need to ply his trade in the minor leagues.
  • With Martin Hanzal dealing with a minor injury, the Dallas Stars have recalled Jason Dickinson from the AHL. Dickinson, 22, has played five games for the Stars this season but is still looking for his first point.
  • Washington has once again sent Madison Bowey and Jakub Vrana to the minor leagues, but it is likely just a paper transaction. Both players have full-time roles with the Capitals, and are only sent down on off days as a cap saving measure.

Injury Notes: Wennberg, Martin, Folin, Vilardi

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Columbus Blue Jackets might be without one of their young centers, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline. The scribe writes that head coach John Tortorella didn’t acknowledge what the injury is, but said Alexander Wennberg is “probably out a while.”

The team already with multiple injuries at the center position with Brandon Dubinsky out as well as the fact that Wennberg himself has already missed significant time with injuries. The 23-year-old center had a breakout year last season when he put up 13 goals and 59 points, but this year has already missed several weeks with an upper-body injury in November. He has four goals and 12 assists in 30 games this season and hasn’t been as effective this year, often playing on the team’s third line.

Portzline also tweets that defenseman Zach Werenski is still out with no updates. In other injury news around the league:

  • San Jose Sharks defenseman Paul Martin’s two week conditioning stint is up (it actually expires Sunday) and he has been recalled. However, it doesn’t look like he will be placed into the Sharks lineup anytime soon. An Associated Press article in the New York Post reported Friday night that Martin had a setback from his recovery from ankle surgery, although the injury is not a recurrence of the same injury. However, there is no timeline for his return. Martin played four games with the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL, the first four games he’s ever played in the AHL in his entire career. The 36-year-old defenseman had one assist in that span.
  • Fox Sports Jon Rosen tweets that Los Angeles Kings’ defenseman Christian Folin remains out after being placed on injured reserve Tuesday due to a lower-body injury. According to Rosen, Kings’ head coach John Stevens said, “He hasn’t really started skating again yet, but we’ve got the break coming here. We want to just let everything settle down, get him going again after the break. I would hope he starts skating after the break, but we’ll see.”
  • Rosen also tweets that Los Angeles Kings’ 2017 first-round pick Gabriel Vilardi, who has been out with a back injury since the start of the season, is expected to be cleared to play in games for the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL on Dec. 28. Vilardi was the 11th-overall pick after scoring 29 goals for the Spitfires last season and has missed the entire year so far.

Rangers Notes: Skjei, Kreider, Lundqvist

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

New York Rangers Brady Skjei isn’t relying to just continue on after his rookie season. Afterall, the 23-year-old came off a solid rookie year in which he put up 39 points, yet still found himself sitting on the bench when the team was down. That especially was evident in the playoffs against Ottawa when the team sat him at the end of Games 2 and 5 to preserve one goal leads (unsuccessfully).

According to New York Post’s Larry Brooks, Skjei is determined to work on his defensive game and, in particular, working on his net-front play. “I’ve got to be physically stronger in front of the net and make the right plays when they’re there.” Brooks writes that Skjei spent the summer working with Ryan McDonagh on his defense and his conditioning, which received praise from head coach Alain Vigneault.

“I mean, Mac’s testing scores were over the roof and you could tell the influence and impact of Brady working out with him,” Vigneault said. “In my time here, Brady’s testing has improved, improved and improved and now he’s right near the Mac level as far as fitness scoring.”

Skjei’s improvements should bode well on a team with one of the best defenses in the league. After adding Brendan Smith at the trade deadline a year ago, the team signed top free agent Kevin Shattenkirk to the defense. However, with Skjei’s skating and offensive skills, he should thrive in New York as his 39 points last year was the second-best for a rookie defender in the league behind Columbus’ Zach Werenski.

  • In the same article, Brooks adds that Vigneault is putting a lot of pressure on the Rangers’ Chris Kreider to step up even more this year. Kreider led the team in goals scored last year with 28, but the head coach would like to see more consistency out of him. Vigneault refers to the third period of Game 6 against the Ottawa Senators last year when Kreider scored a goal 53 second into the period to narrow their deficit. The coach referred to Kreider as a “beast” and would like to see that more often. Kreider finished fourth on the team in points as he had 53 total. Now about to enter his prime, Vigneault believes he can take his game up to another level. “Like I said [on Thursday], he’s not a kid anymore. It’s his turn now. He’s got to become a real good voice in the room. We expect more from him and I know we’re going to get it.”
  • Dan Rosen of NHL.com writes that Henrik Lundqvist is more enthusiastic about this season after he helped lead Team Sweden to a gold medal at the IIHF World Championships earlier this summer. The positive experience was better than having to sit home all summer thinking about the team’s early playoff exit and his struggles last season. “I think going into this year, ending on that high note [at the Worlds], that’s definitely something I bring with me to start this year, feeling good about what I did,” Lundqvist said. “I use it as energy and motivation and a boost of confidence.”

Snapshots: Methot, Karlsson, Marchessault

at CDT | by 5 Comments

The Ottawa Senators were put in a rough predicament when Dion Phaneuf turned down the team’s request to waive his no-trade clause. The organization is very high on Cody Ceci, and considering the depth of forwards they needed to protect, they were forced to expose Marc Methot. Many mock drafts have the veteran defender headed to Vegas, including our own. Some have even contemplated whether Methot could find himself in a captaincy position in Nevada. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun explains how difficult a decision that was for Pierre Dorion and his staff, and how they tried to trade Phaneuf up until the last minute. Ottawa could theoretically try to bribe Vegas with the #28 pick, but considering that the team only has 4 picks overall, that seems unlikely. The more probable scenario is that Ottawa merely takes the blow and moves on.

  • The Blue Jackets truly want to hang onto their youngest talents, according to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch. They are supposedly surrendering their 1st round selection to Vegas in order to keep Josh Anderson and Joonas Korpisalo. What makes nearly no sense is the apparent fact that this deal also warns the Knights off of veteran defenseman Jack Johnson. Johnson is an average defender, and with the rise of Zach Werenski and others he doesn’t seem to be a pivotal piece any longer. Vegas will probably choose William Karlsson or Ryan Murray as low-risk claims and run away happy from this deal. The valuation of a first-rounder is probably the lowest in ages, and the anxiety surrounding the protection lists has seemingly reduced their value even further.
  • Harvey Fialkov of the Sun Sentinel has Jonathan Marchessault headed to Vegas, based on the reports he’s been hearing. Defenders Jason Demers and young forward Reilly Smith are also available as high-value options for the Knights. According to Marchessault himself in an interview on TVA Sports, Tallon wasn’t able to negotiate a protection deal with Vegas. He was certainly being shopped in the lead up to Sunday. The entire Florida protection list was confusing, but Marchessault’s exposure was a truly unforced error by GM Dale Tallon. The 30-goal scorer will almost certainly find a home in Vegas’ top six, and the loss of this quality of player for absolutely nothing is perplexing the entire league. It’s certainly possible Marchessault has a down year after a career one, but asset management was completely blown in this case, and Vegas looks to reap that reward.

Tortorella, Blue Jackets Discuss Extension

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch reports that Jackets’ head coach John Tortorella has spoken with Columbus management about an extension. The Blue Jackets’ 108 point season in 2016-17 shocked nearly everyone, setting the franchise record for most points in a season. They also had the second longest winning streak in NHL history, at 14-0-0, before settling back into a more pedestrian clip. They were felled by the eventual champions from Pittsburgh in an incredibly disadvantageous divisional matchup in the first round. Still, Tortorella turned the team around to see 16 more wins overall while guiding the growth of many standouts, such as rookie Zach Werenski and sudden goal-scoring force Cam Atkinson.

Tortorella coached the 2003-04 Tampa Bay Lightning to a Game 7 victory over the Calgary Flames in the Stanley Cup Final to earn his only championship behind the bench. He coached for 4 seasons with the New York Rangers and 1 disappointing season in Vancouver before landing in Columbus. Tortorella is league-renowned for his abrasive demeanor in press conferences and preaching a hard-nosed style of play. There is a solid chance Tortorella takes home the Jack Adams at the NHL Awards – he is nominated alongside Toronto’s Mike Babcock and Edmonton’s Todd McLellan.

If Tortorella were extended, it is unclear for how many years the contract would be. His current deal expires at the end of the 2017-18 season, and he is still being compensated by the Canucks after his termination there. Portzline suggests that a contract could be in excess of $2 MM.

Evening Notes: Navy Outdoor Game, #3 Pick, Blue Jackets

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Prior to Gary Bettman’s official league announcement on the news sure to come Monday, it has been revealed by AP’s Steve Whyno that Washington will host Toronto at an outdoor game next season. The affair will take place on March 3, 2018 at the Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The contest will be the first outdoor affair held at a venue utilized by a branch of the armed forces. Considering the large amount of folks in the greater D.C. area with government employment ties, and the dear respect for veterans around the country, such an arrangement makes a great deal of sense for the National Hockey League. Whether outdoor games are becoming a novelty or not, opportunities such as these are almost certain bets to make money for the league. The Capitals and Maple Leafs are certainly not historic rivals, but both undoubtedly draw revenue.

  • Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believes the Stars’ Jim Nill is serious about moving the #3 pick. If they decide to do so, he says their focus will assuredly be on acquiring a dynamic defender. The Ducks’ dire injury situation likely takes them out of such discussions temporarily, which leaves Columbus and Minnesota as the most likely trade partners. 30 year-old Jack Johnson is entering the final year of his contract, and 23 year-old Ryan Murray will need to re-negotiate after 2017-18. Murray is obviously more enticing, and the fit is certainly there for a deal’s foundation. However, if neither intrigues the Stars, David Savard could be a target – if GM Jarmo Kekalainen is willing to add. His $4.25 MM salary is reasonable and he is still a young defender with room to improve. It’s difficult to see the Jackets moving on from either Zach Werenski or Seth Jones (so recently acquired). The Wild would likely need to move the dynamic Mathew Dumba or stalwart Jonas Brodin, neither of which seems particularly likely. Marco Scandella simply isn’t going to get the job done, and something substantial would need to be added to Jared Spurgeon for Dallas to accept. Of course, it’s always possible a dark horse team enters the discussions if they really like a player at that drafting position.
  • Speaking of Kekalainen, Friedman also secured some interesting soundbytes from Columbus’ astute manager. He confidently stated that he “expect(s) zero problems (with the cap) next year.” Considering how close the team is to the ceiling, and RFA center Alex Wennberg needing a new contract, there isn’t a ton of room to maneuver. It does seem like a trade could be on the horizon. Offensive flair is their most glaring need at the moment, and they will not be the only team on the hunt for a marquee scorer. There is help on the way from Grade A prospects Pierre-Luc Dubois and Oliver Bjorkstrand, both of whom look physically ready to successfully enter the league next season. Bjorkstrand in particular will be under additional pressure to perform, as this will be the final year as his Entry-Level Contract. The ability of Columbus to draft and develop consistently well has placed them in the enviable position of all-around depth as they look towards future transactions.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top