COLUMBUS, Ohio — A collection of notes, insights, ruminations and did-you-knows gathered throughout the week that was for the Columbus Blue Jackets:
Item No. 1: Two big hits
Under new general manager Don Waddell and new coach Dean Evason, the Blue Jackets plan to limit the information they make public regarding injured players. Not just the specific malady — that’s nothing new in the NHL — but how long a player is expected to miss.
The news regarding captain Boone Jenner and power forward Dmitri Voronkov at the end of the week was not good. Both players will open the season on injured reserve, and one source said that each player’s absence might best be measured in months, not weeks.
“It’s gonna be a while, for sure,” Waddell told The Athletic. “Boone is going to see another specialist next week. But they’re both going to be gone for a while, for sure.”
Jenner, who was playing left wing on the top line with center Sean Monahan and right winger Kirill Marchenko, was hurt when he lost an edge during a skating drill in practice on Friday, wiping out and slamming awkwardly into the wall.
Voronkov, who was alternating between the second and third lines, was injured on the first shift of a preseason loss to Pittsburgh last Thursday in Nationwide Arena when he was checked hard and high by Penguins’ forward Sam Poulin.
The ramifications will be felt in many ways. Jenner, first and foremost, is the Blue Jackets’ captain, but he’s also a 20-plus-goal scorer, tremendous on faceoffs, a demon on pucks along the wall and a world-class battler for positioning and loose pucks in front of the net.
Voronkov, at a towering 6-foot-5, delighted the Blue Jackets by committing to an offseason workout regiment that dropped his weight from 240 pounds to 225. He looked quicker in training camp and wasn’t so visibly tired after long practices. He had been alternating between the second and third lines.
And, of course, their losses will impact Waddell’s roster decisions between now and the NHL’s 5 p.m. ET Monday deadline to set the 23-man.
On Saturday, the Blue Jackets signed veteran NHL forward Kevin Labanc, 28, to a one-year, $775,000 contract to help fill out their lineup card. Labanc, who spent eight seasons with San Jose before hitting free agency this summer, had been in training camp with New Jersey on a player tryout agreement.
There could be more moves coming over the next two days, but by 2 p.m. on Sunday, Waddell will know if the waiver wire is going to bear fruit. That’s the last day for clubs around the league to put players on waivers and get them cleared (or claimed) before Monday’s deadline.
Waddell has been talking to his fellow GMs throughout training camp in his search for an NHL forward, but that’s gone into hyperdrive the last few days. He’s not in the best position to make a trade, obviously, but there’s some poker play involved here, too.
The trade talks have presented some intriguing names, Waddell said, but he’s not sure he wants to part with any significant future commodities (think draft picks) to secure a player, especially if that player could become available on the waiver wire later Sunday.
“The amount of people I’m talking to right now who are trying to sell me on things… ” Waddell said. “I have a feeling there’s going to be a few of these guys (who are being discussed), who don’t get moved and may get waived (on Sunday).
“I have to be smart about the assets we’re willing to give up, too. One player is probably not going to make a big difference. We’re not trading for Connor McDavid. There are guys we like as a staff, but are you going to give up a second- or third-round pick? I don’t think that makes a lot of sense.”
The addition of Labanc gives the Blue Jackets 13 forwards. If they don’t acquire a player via waivers or trade on Sunday or Monday, then the forward spots could be set. Dylan Gambrell, James Malatesta and Mikael Pyyhtiä, in some order, would have earned the 11th, 12th, and 13th roster spots.
The Jackets sent Owen Sillinger, another player in that conversation, back to AHL Cleveland on Saturday.
“Pyyhtiä has a skill level such that he could player higher up in the lineup,” Waddell said. “The other two guys (Gambrell and Malatesta) will probably fill a role on the fourth line. We like what we’ve seen from them in camp.”
Item No. 2: Mateychuk to AHL
Waddell indicated that the Blue Jackets would likely open the season with eight defensemen, and that Denton Mateychuk, one of the standouts in training camp, would likely be the final player cut. Look for him to be sent to AHL Cleveland on Sunday.
“(Mateychuk) doesn’t need to play eight to 12 minutes in the NHL, and he’s not going to play in our top four right away,” Waddell said. “He needs to play in the American League. He needs to play pro hockey, and we’ll see how things go. He could be here in 15 games or 30 games.
“I’ve learned over the years that if you start a young player here and he goes into a little bit of a tailspin — which a lot of these guys do — it can be tough. It’s better to send them down at the beginning of the year, let them thrive and then bring them back when they’re ready to go.”
Mateychuk’s demotion means that the Blue Jackets will keep Jake Christiansen, Jordan Harris and David Jiricek for at least the start of the season. Christiansen and Harris, acquired in the Patrik Laine trade with Montreal in August, would require waivers to go to AHL Cleveland.
The Jiricek situation is delicate, of course.
There was much frustration from the player and his agent, Allan Walsh, over his handling last season, not just that he was sent to AHL Cleveland after spending most of the first half of the season in Columbus, but how the player was treated.
They bristled when he was told early in the season to “get a place in Columbus,” a conversation that typically indicates to a player that they are viewed as an NHL lineup fixture. Four days later, he was sent back to AHL Cleveland to play a game.
There were other matters, too, creating a toxic relationship that bubbled under the surface most of the season. The arrival of Waddell and Evason this summer provided the opportunity for a fresh start.
We’ve got ourselves ANOTHER first NHL goal. 😳
Congratulations, David Jiricek! #NHLFaceOff pic.twitter.com/mtCk27h8yh
— NHL (@NHL) October 15, 2023
When training camp opened, Jiricek was paired with veteran Ivan Provorov, appearing to form the Blue Jackets’ second defensive pair.
But Jiricek, by all accounts, did not have a great camp. In six preseason games, he had zero points and a minus-5 rating. There were worrying signs last week when Evason moved Christiansen and Provorov to the right side of the ice, prompting many to wonder if they were looking at different options.
“It got better as camp went on, but (Jiricek) started really slow,” Waddell said. “It’s gotten better.
“The one thing I keep going back to, and Dean and I have talked about it all through our camp evaluations. … He was such a good player last year for Cleveland. I know it was the AHL, but it’s playoff hockey and he was probably the best player down there.”
Jiricek and the coaching staff had a series of meetings last week to confront what they’d seen throughout training camp and the preseason.
“We know he has skill,” Waddell said. “There’s so much to like about his game, his potential. But he has to play within his limits and also within our system. If he does that, I think he’s going to be fine.
“The coaches worked with him every day last week. They’re doing more video work with him. He protects himself a little bit because he’s not the best skater. He protects himself, and in our system, you can’t do that. You have to trust that you’re going to get help from a forward.”
The Blue Jackets want their defensemen — and not just offensive-minded Zach Werenski — to engage in the play offensively, to carry the puck low and to stay there when there’s a play to be made. But the challenge is to thread the space between aggressive and reckless.
Waddell said he kept Walsh aware that coaches were going to turn it up a notch on Jiricek. It’s important, he knows, for all parties to be on board. Part of that is Jiricek’s willingness to accept constructive criticism from a GM and coach who have long NHL resumes.
“We made it clear to (Jiricek) that if we’re not trying to help him, we’re not doing our job,” Waddell said. “But he’s got to help himself, too.”
Item No. 3: Snacks
• Labanc signed a contract on Saturday morning, then spent the day getting his car packed and saying goodbye. He has a wife and young son who will be joining him in Columbus soon, but he drove from New Jersey to Columbus with his mother, Anika, with an expected arrival time of 5 a.m. Sunday. “The last couple of days have been a whirlwind, just trying to figure out what the next steps are going to be,” Labanc told The Athletic. “One thing leads to another, Columbus calls, and next thing you know you’re on your way to Ohio. We’re kind of scrambling, but I’m really excited. It’s gonna be a lot of fun. I think it’s a great group of guys.”
• Labanc, 28, has been a double-digit goal scorer for much of his career, including a 17-39-56 outburst in 2018-19 with the Sharks that stands as a career-high. He fell on hard times last season — two goals in 46 games, along with a bunch of healthy scratches — when he was in the final year of a four-year, $18.9 million contract. You could say he arrives in Columbus hoping to get his career back on track, and he’ll certainly get an opportunity. He had six goals in four preseason games with New Jersey, but it wasn’t enough to land a contract with the Devils. He was part of the group that stayed behind when the rest of the club headed to Czechia for the Global Series against Buffalo.
• What does Labanc know about Columbus? “Sneaky good town. I’ve heard it’s a beautiful place with a lot to offer, and a lot of guys who stick around after they’re done playing. I’m always in a good mood when we’re going there. The best chicken parm that I’ve had in the entire NHL is at the restaurant near (Nationwide), I think it’s called Martini. That’s my favorite chicken parm place in any road city.”
• At the end of a long camp, the Blue Jackets took Saturday and Sunday as off days. But they were busy on Saturday — a golf tournament (players vs. coaches and staff) in the early morning at owner John P. McConnell’s course, Double Eagle, then a trip to Ohio Stadium to watch Ohio State vs. Iowa in the afternoon. The football game was part team bonding, part site visit, as the Blue Jackets will play the Detroit Red Wings in Ohio Stadium on March 1, 2025, the NHL’s latest Stadium Series event.
• With so many former University of Michigan players on the Blue Jackets’ roster, we asked around about what they might be wearing to Saturday’s Ohio State game. Might anyone be bold enough to wear maize and blue? Werenski does have that fantastic U of M-inspired suit, right? The consensus: nobody planned to wear Michigan colors, but they damn sure weren’t going to wear scarlet and gray.
• Here’s your Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering trivia question: Ohio Stadium has a capacity of 102,780 for football, but it’s unclear (yet) how many seats will be available for the Blue Jackets-Red Wings game on March 1. Which NHL outdoor game has drawn the largest attendance?
• The Blue Jackets gave Pyyhtiä every chance to earn a lineup spot. He played in seven of the eight preseason games, most of any player in camp. Adam Fantilli, Mathieu Olivier, Jake Christiansen and Jiricek each played in six. Fantilli (4-2-6, plus-4) and Johnson (2-4-6, plus-2) were the offensive leaders in camp, while Olivier (4-0-4) tied with Fantilli for the lead in goals.
• Blue Jackets prospect Cayden Lindstrom began light skating this week, not with the group, but on his own. Waddell watched him skate on Saturday and said “it’s going well.” The Blue Jackets have been extremely patient with Lindstrom, and he’s likely to remain in Columbus for several weeks until he’s able to power skate, take contact, and simulate play without discomfort or setback. He won’t be sent to his junior club, Medicine Hat of the Western Hockey League, for a while yet. “We’re not going to throw him into a situation where he’s going to have a setback.”
• Waddell said in August that Lindstrom would be signed to an entry-level contract at some point during training camp, but that’s not going to happen. “The agent (Daren Hermiston) and I did talk (recently),” Waddell said. “He’s not pushing it. He knows my feelings. I want to get this kid healthy. A signing isn’t going to happen in the next day or so.”
• Trivia answer: The Winter Classic between Detroit and Toronto at Michigan Stadium drew 104,173 fans on Jan 1, 2014. The NHL, per Ohio State, is still working on the specifics of how many tickets can be sold to the event. Some more seats could become available once they build the rink and survey the site. Stay tuned.
(Photo of Dmitri Voronkov: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
