Blue Jackets Won’t Retain Mike Haviland, Scott Ford, Aron Augustitus
The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that assistant coaches Mike Haviland and Scott Ford, as well as video coach Aron Augustitus, won’t be returning to the team for the 2026-27 season. This decision will allow recently-extended head coach Rick Bowness to bring on his own staff for his first full season with the team. Among the candidates to earn an assistant role with Columbus will be Cleveland Monsters head coach Trent Vogelhuber per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic.
Notably, these decisions will keep former Blue Jackets player Jared Boll in his assistant coach role. Boll retired from his playing career after the 2017-18 season and joined the Blue Jackets as an assistant development coach in the following year. He held onto that role until he was promoted to the Blue Jackets bench ahead of the 2023-24 season. Boll has played an integral role in developing many of the Blue Jackets’ young stars and should continue to oversee their paths next season.
Haviland will enter the coaching market with a substantial amount of experience under his belt. His coaching career began in the ECHL where he took home two Kelly Cups across four seasons as a head coach – one on each side of the rivalry between the Trenton Titans and Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies. He was promoted to the AHL with the Norfolk Admirals in 2006 and earned the league’s ‘Coach of the Year’ award in 2007. That accolade preceded a move to the Rockford IceHogs, which would represent a path into Haviland’s first NHL coaching role – as an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks. He filled that role for four seasons, including Chicago’s Stanley Cup-winning 2009-10 campaign. Haviland was dismissed by Chicago in 2012 and returned to the AHL for two seasons, before taking on the head coach role at Colorado College for seven seasons. It was that role that Columbus pulled Haviland out of, first to serve as an AHL associate coach for two seasons and then to serve as an NHL assistant for the last two seasons. He will now search for a new gig with the ability to fill numerous roles.
Ford began his coaching career in 2015, after a minor-league career that spanned 552 AHL games and 172 ECHL games. He served as an assistant coach for eight seasons with the Milwaukee Admirals – a run that was briefly interrupted by one season with the Chicago Wolves. Ford earned his first NHL role – and his first NHL regular season game behind the bench – when he was hired as an assistant by Columbus in 2024. His hiring marked a reunion with then-head coach Dean Evason, who coached over Ford from 2012 to 2015, then coached alongside him from 2015 to 2018. Evason, like Ford, is on the open market after being dismissed by the Blue Jackets.
This will also mark a quick change for Augustitus. The 30-year-old coach was promoted to the Blue Jackets’ head video coach role last summer, after four years as an assistant video coach with the club. He first joined the organization in 2018.
Vogelhuber could be the first to take on a role on Columbus’ refreshed bench. The 37 year old has served as Cleveland’s head coach for the last four seasons, after four years as an assistant coach with the team. He has led the Monsters to a winning record, and three playoff appearances, in his time overseeing the bench. He was also named a coach at the 2024 AHL All-Star game. Cleveland’s performances under Vogelhuber have represented a quick turnaround for a team that posted a 68-76-23 record in the three seasons leading up to his promotion.
These changes will mark a turnover of the Blue Jackets’ bench after posting a 40-30-12 record and missing the postseason by six points. Bowness will have his chance to build a staff capable of making up that gap next season. How the Blue Jackets choose to assemble their new bench crew could tip off their plans for Bowness’ future with the club. The 71 year old is currently the oldest head coach in the NHL and came out of retirement to replace Evason earlier this season. He has signed a one-year extension with Columbus but may not have many seasons left beyond that. Columbus’ hires could suggest if a strong staff can support a few more years, or if they will lead to a warm handoff of head coaching duties.
Photo courtesy of Kyle Terada-Imagn Images.
Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag
The regular season has come to an end with half the league heading home and the other half in the playoffs. We’ve already seen some fallout from teams missing the postseason with more to follow while there have been some big performances in the early going of the playoffs as well.
With that in mind, it’s time to open up the mailbag once again. Our last call for questions yielded enough for three columns. The first included the future of Tom Fitzgerald in New Jersey, Edmonton’s trade deadline activity, and some discussion on insured contracts. In the second, among the topics were Darren Raddysh’s next contract, some young Rangers finishing strong, and Steve Yzerman’s future in Detroit. Lastly, the third took a tour around the Pacific Division, while captaincy candidates for St. Louis and what Washington can do to fix their roster were also discussed.
You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter/X or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on the weekend.
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Prospects Whose Signing Rights Expire This Year
Every year, there are two pivotal dates for draft picks who are still on teams’ reserve lists and haven’t signed their entry-level deals. If they’re not signed by then, their exclusive draft rights expire, and they become free agents or, in some rare cases, can re-enter the draft if they’re young enough.
The first date circled on the calendar is June 1. This is the decision date for players who were drafted out of the Canadian Hockey League and most European countries’ programs, Russia and Switzerland (players drafted from there have their signing rights held indefinitely). For CHLers, it’s two years from their draft date, and for Euro players, it’s four years from their draft-eligible date, with a minimum of two years if they were selected as overagers.
Aug. 15 is when NCAA-bound players who wrapped up their senior or final collegiate season in 2025-26 become UFAs if they’re not signed.
Just because a team loses its exclusive signing rights to a player doesn’t mean they can’t still join the organization. It’s commonplace to see a good chunk of names on this list opt to stay with the organization that drafted them on an AHL or ECHL contract.
Here’s who each club risks losing this year if they don’t get a deal done:
Anaheim Ducks
June 1 – F Ethan Procyszyn (2024, 3-68), D Tarin Smith (2024, 3-79)
Aug. 15 – F Kyle Kukkonen (2021, 6-162)
Boston Bruins
Aug. 15 – F Andre Gasseau (2021, 7-213), F Oskar Jellvik (2021, 5-149), D Mason Langenbrunner (2020, 5-151), G Philip Svedebäck (2021, 4-117)
Buffalo Sabres
June 1 – F Gustav Karlsson (2022, 6-187), G Ryerson Leenders (2024, 7-219), F Joel Ratkovic Berndtsson (2022, 7-202)
Aug. 15 – F Stiven Sardaryan (2021, 3-88)
Calgary Flames
June 1 – F Hunter Laing (2024, 6-170)
Carolina Hurricanes
June 1 – D Simon Forsmark (2022, 4-101), F Nils Juntorp (2022, 6-188), G Jakub Vondras (2022, 6-171)
Chicago Blackhawks
June 1 – F Riku Tohila (2022, 7-199)
Colorado Avalanche
none
Columbus Blue Jackets
none
Dallas Stars
none
Detroit Red Wings
June 1 – F Maximilian Kilpinen (2022, 4-129), G Landon Miller (2024, 4-126)
Aug. 15 – F Kienan Draper (2020, 7-187), F Dylan James (2022, 2-40)
Edmonton Oilers
June 1 – F Petr Hauser (2022, 5-141), F William Nicholl (2024, 7-196), D Albin Sundin (2024, 6-183)
Florida Panthers
Aug. 15 – G Tyler Muszelik (2022, 6-189)
Los Angeles Kings
none
Minnesota Wild
Aug. 15 – D Ryan Healey (2022, 4-121), F Rieger Lorenz (2022, 2-56), F Charlie Stramel (2023, 1-21)
Montreal Canadiens
June 1 – D Owen Protz (2024, 4-102)
Aug. 15 – F Jack Smith (2020, 4-102)
Nashville Predators
June 1 – D Kasper Kulonummi (2022, 3-84), G Jakub Milota (2024, 4-99)
Aug. 15 – F Adam Ingram (2022, 3-82), F Sutter Muzzatti (2023, 5-143), F Ben Strinden (2022, 7-210)
New Jersey Devils
Aug. 15 – D Charlie Leddy (2022, 4-126), F Samu Salminen (2021, 3-68)
New York Islanders
none
New York Rangers
none
Ottawa Senators
June 1 – D Filip Nordberg (2022, 2-64)
Aug. 15 – F Tyson Dyck (2022, 7-206)
Philadelphia Flyers
June 1 – F Santeri Sulku (2022, 7-197)
Aug. 15 – F Owen McLaughlin (2021, 7-206)
Pittsburgh Penguins
June 1 – F Max Graham (2024, 5-139)
Aug. 15 – F Cruz Lucius (2022, 4-124)
San Jose Sharks
June 1 – F Carson Wetsch (2024, 3-82)
Seattle Kraken
June 1 – D Alexis Bernier (2024, 3-73)
St. Louis Blues
June 1 – F Antoine Dorion (2024, 7-209), D William McIsaac (2024, 5-145)
Tampa Bay Lightning
June 1 – D Jan Golicic (2024, 4-118), F Kaden Pitre (2024, 6-181), F Noah Steen (2024, 7-199)
Toronto Maple Leafs
June 1 – D Nathan Mayes (2024, 7-225)
Aug. 15 – F Joe Miller (2020, 6-180)
Utah Mammoth
June 1 – D Ales Cech (2024, 5-153)
Aug. 15 – D Cal Thomas (2021, 6-171)
Vancouver Canucks
none
Vegas Golden Knights
Aug. 15 – D Noah Ellis (2020, 6-184)
Washington Capitals
Aug. 15 – G Chase Clark (2021, 6-183), D Joaquim Lemay (2021, 4-119)
Winnipeg Jets
none
Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag
The trade deadline has come and gone with a sequence of moves that have given some teams a boost for the stretch run. Now, the focus shifts to either the playoff race or the race to the bottom as some rebuilding teams will be looking to help their odds heading into next month’s draft lottery. With that in mind, it’s a good time to open up the mailbag once again.
Our last call for questions had enough queries for three columns. Among the topics in the first were Artemi Panarin’s situation before his eventual trade to Los Angeles, what a possible extension for Nikita Kucherov, and the new rule about players playing in the minors before being recall-eligible. The second went over the potential extent of the Rangers’ rebuild this season, predicting which rental Blackhawks would have the most value, and if the time was right for the Flyers to go into a bigger rebuild. Lastly, topics in the third included how Dallas could reach the Stanley Cup Final, if an off-ice shakeup is needed in Winnipeg, and top forward prospects for the upcoming draft.
You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter/X or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on the weekend.
Trade Deadline Primer: St. Louis Blues
With the Olympic break approaching, the trade deadline is about a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We begin our look around the league with teams that have clear plans at the extremes of the standings, this time with Blues.
The Trade Deadline will mark a fork in the road for the St. Louis Blues. The 2025-26 season has not gone according to plan, with the Blues sat last in the NHL Central Division and battling for last in both goals scored and goals allowed. Even with the bright spots of a solid blue-line and well-performing youngsters, the Blues have struggled to manage anything inspiring, sticking the team with the question of whether to replace or rebuild. The question will carry more weight than usual, as the answer will not only define the next few seasons, but also the first years of Alexander Steen‘s reign as the Blues’ general manager set to begin next season. With that change in sights, St. Louis will begin to blaze their trail this March.
Record
20-28-9 (8th in NHL Central Division)
Deadline Status
Sellers
Deadline Cap Space
$20.52MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 48/50 contracts used per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2026: STL 1st, STL 3rd, STL 4th, DAL 4th, STL 5th, PIT 5th, STL 6th, STL 7th
2027: STL 1st, STL 3rd, STL 4th, ANA 4th, STL 5th, STL 6th, STL 7th
Trade Chips
With a potential seller’s market ahead, many of the trade rumors swirling around the Blues have focused on their top-line veterans. Franchise center Robert Thomas has become a popular name, as teams wonder if the 26 year old’s prime will be wasted on a Blues team years away from Stanley Cup contention. Thomas is a top-end playmaker who posted 60 assists in each of the last two seasons. He continues to lead the Blues in points-per-game this season, with 33 points in 42 games.
But moving Thomas would represent a monumental shift for the Blues franchise – and leave them with a future search for a replacement first-line center. The team would be less scathed by moving scoring-winger Jordan Kyrou, who ranks second on the team in points-per-game with 32 points in 47 games. Kyrou offers an explosive bit of tempo and play-driving that could entice needs in need of a boost on offense, while not dragging down the Blues’ future structure. The same can be said for Pavel Buchnevich – third in points-per-game – who has been on-and-off the trade block through the last few seasons.
The Blues’ price on all three of their high-scorers is said to be sky-high – seen as the price to pay for breaking up the lineup, in addition to buying star talent. Costs might be a bit cheaper on the Blues’ veterans who have dwindled in impact. Defenseman Justin Faulk has continued to stand up to a nightly, number-one role with 11 goals and 30 points in 57 games. But at the age of 33, Faulk is a hard name to bet on through the next few seasons. The same goes for former Stanley Cup legend Jordan Binnington, who has posted a dismal .864 save percentage in 32 games this season. A change of scenery could bring the best out of either player, while only costing a few future assets.
Trade Needs
Young Potential: No matter if their goal is to compete in one year or five years, the Blues’ sights will be firmly on the future. Their new era is beginning to come into focus, built on the backs of budding potential like Philip Broberg, Dylan Holloway, Jimmy Snuggerud, Dalibor Dvorsky, Otto Stenberg, and Joel Hofer. But, even with a likely top-five pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, St. Louis seems to lack a game-breaker to lead them into their new era. Finding that talent on the trade market could be enough to swing Thomas or Kyrou away from the only NHL club they’ve ever played for. For St. Louis, trade talks should begin with the other team’s top prospects and draft capital. Landing a hopeful star like centers Michael Hage and Shane Wright, or goalie Jesper Wallstedt, would give the Blues lineup pieces to build around over the next few seasons. It would also take the weight off of the shoulders of Dvorsky, or a future draft pick, to try and carry the team through quiet years ahead. It seems clear that, no matter how the chips fall at the Deadline, the Blues’ priority will be building up for what’s to come.
A Massive Return: St. Louis is approaching the Spring with more on the trade block than they’ve had in many years. Their focus will be on building up the first few years of Steen’s reign, though more than that, the team feels on the precipous of a blockbuster deal. How high will the bidding war ride for a player like Thomas or Kyrou, two stars in their prime who would undoubtedly bring tough-to-find value to any new destination. Could the Blues land multiple star prospects to join an already-loaded pool? Or could they stock their cupboard of draft picks full. More than that, how will the heat of trades impact a St. Louis club that also has Brayden Schenn, Cam Fowler, Colton Parayko, and Pius Suter eyeing the tail-end of their careers? Even with an existing foundation for the future, now could be the Blues best chance to go full scorched-earth and tear down their existing structure – in the name of giving Steen plenty of firepower to build the team he wants to see through the rest of the 2020s.
Photo courtesy of John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images.
Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag
The NHL has passed the halfway point of the season which means the trade deadline is less than two months away. In fact, with the Olympic break also carrying a trade freeze, we’re only a couple of weeks away from a soft deadline. With that in mind, it’s a good time to open up the mailbag once again.
Our last call for questions yielded enough queries for three columns. Topics in the first included a possible sleeper candidate to move before the trade deadline, discussing when the right time for Chicago to move Connor Murphy, and some standings predictions. Included in the second were thoughts on the Atlantic Division and the potential for Nazem Kadri and Jordan Binnington to be moved. Lastly, the third looked at possible trade candidates if the Kraken sell at the deadline, player development, and the worst contracts in the league, among other topics.
You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter/X or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on the weekend.
Marc-Andre Fleury Reportedly Generating Interest
Dec. 24th: Speaking on The Kevin Karius Show on Sports 1440, Frank Seravalli suggests that the Oilers are unsurprisingly one of the teams that have checked on Fleury’s availability. Additionally, on the chances of Fleury eventually playing through the last half of the regular season with Edmonton, Seravalli said it’s “70/30.”
Dec. 23rd: The 2024-25 season may not have been the last with ‘Flower’ after all. Yesterday evening, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported that a few teams have reached out to netminder Marc-André Fleury to gauge his interest in returning for a 22nd season.
As LeBrun noted in his report, it’s relatively unsurprising that teams have reached out to Fleury. The league averaged a .899 SV% in 2022-23 and a .898 SV% in 2023-24, respectively, before dropping to a .893 SV% last year and maintaining the same level this season. Given that he averaged a .902 SV% from his age 37 to age 40 season with the Minnesota Wild in 123 games, Fleury could theoretically provide stability for a team between the pipes.
Still, as much as a few teams may want Fleury on their roster for the final half of the regular season, there’s no guarantee the 41-year-old netminder will reciprocate that interest. If Fleury does return, it will almost assuredly be for a perceived contender for a chance to win the fourth Stanley Cup ring of his legendary career.
However, this season, three out of four teams from last year’s Conference Finals have a SV% below .890 through the holiday season, giving Fleury a few options to pick from.
The Carolina Hurricanes make some sense, but already have three netminders on the roster, meaning one would have to go, at least. The team has relied on rookie netminder Brandon Bussi for much of the season, with inspiring results, but may want an additional veteran presence. Technically, the team already has one in Frederik Andersen, but the 36-year-old netminder hasn’t played since early December and has a .875 SV% through 14 starts this season.
Meanwhile, the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, who are 27th in the league with a .882 SV%, may be of interest to Fleury if he wants to return. Unfortunately, most of that average hangs on starter Sergei Bobrovsky, who has a .888 SV% through 27 games played this season. There’s little chance of Fleury usurping Bobrovsky in the starter’s crease, but he may provide more stability than Daniil Tarasov as a backup.
Lastly, the Edmonton Oilers have been the most infamous team in the league this year when it comes to goaltending struggles. Edmonton is last in the league with a .875 mark, but has seemingly addressed a portion of this issue by acquiring Tristan Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins a few weeks ago. Still, given that Jarry is out for the next few weeks, and the Oilers have received putrid results from Calvin Pickard and Connor Ingram, Fleury could round out the goaltending room.
Additionally, the General Manager of the Oilers, Stan Bowman, has a brief history with Fleury dating back to his time with the Chicago Blackhawks. In one of his last moves with the organization, Bowman acquired Fleury from the Vegas Golden Knights in the summer of 2021 before resigning from his post with the Blackhawks three months later.
Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag
Thanksgiving is the time when we typically get a sense of who the contenders are, which teams could find themselves as sellers, and what the trade market could start to look like. With that in mind, it’s a good time to open up the mailbag.
Last time, we had two columns worth of questions. The first talked about the CBA change that eliminated ‘paper transactions’, a prediction for an underperforming team, and if New Jersey could find a way to get the Hughes brothers all on the same team. Meanwhile, included in the second was what could be next for the Flyers, guessing the type of impact Jonathan Toews would have in Winnipeg, and if we could see a shift to more short-term contracts thanks to the projected bigger jumps in the salary cap.
You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter/X or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on the weekend.
Jarred Tinordi Seeking Opportunity
Insider Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet shared earlier today that Jarred Tinordi has been cleared after a knee surgery in the summer, and he is now hoping to resume his career. The defenseman spent 2024-25 with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers before the injury, and last played in the NHL with the Blackhawks two seasons ago.
Drafted 22nd overall by Montreal in 2010, Tinordi, 6’6”, once projected as a reliable stay-at-home top four defenseman, but things did not quite pan out. Son of NHL defender Mark Tinordi, Jarred had the pedigree to go along with strong reach and defensive upside. A physical force on the London Knights, he recorded just 30 points in his OHL career, and as the game evolved into the 2010s, players in his mold seldom appeared as high draft picks any longer.
Unable to break through with the Canadiens, Tinordi was dealt to Arizona in early 2016, in a controversial trade involving All-Star-to-be, John Scott. He appeared in just seven games with the ‘Yotes, spending 2016-17 with AHL Tucson. His one goal on the season went into the history books however, the first in the Roadrunners’ home debut as a franchise.
After a stop in the Penguins’ system, Tinordi signed with the Predators, set to serve as captain of their affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals. By this point, he was a strong AHL player with leadership qualities, but any sustained NHL future seemed out of the picture. Tinordi worked his way up to the Preds lineup in 2019-20, appearing in 28 games and scoring his first NHL goal, at age 27, a sign of his resilience. One year later, in 2021, he was waived, leading to short stops with the Bruins and Rangers. Tinordi, then 30, was picked up by the Blackhawks.
No less than a decade of grinding away between the AHL and NHL, across six different organizations, Tinordi’s determination paid off in 2022-23 as he became a full time NHLer for Chicago. The veteran played in 96 games for the Hawks, and while the numbers were not pretty, especially suiting up for a rebuilding team, Tinordi brought needed physicality and leadership to a team in darker times.
Tinordi caught on with Calgary last season, on a two-way deal, where he served as an alternate captain with the Wranglers before the injury. Now healthy, NHL opportunities are not likely for the defender who will turn 34 in February, especially coming off knee surgery, and with the game faster than ever. Yet considering everything he has been through, it would be nice to see an AHL team pick up the veteran to continue his tenure in North America. In September it was speculated the Blackhawks organization might have interest. Regardless of what comes next, Tinordi was able to carve out a long career despite not meeting initial expectations, with 205 games at the highest level.
Image credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports