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News & Notes
One specific area that the Blue Jackets should look to improve this off-season is their defensive depth. When looking at this year's pending unrestricted free agents, Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea stands out as an interesting potential target for them to consider.
When Sergei Bobrovsky decided that he didn’t want to play for the Columbus Blue Jackets any longer, fans were gutted. How could the best goalie to ever wear the Union Blue want to leave? He owns just about every organizational record there is for goalies, including games played, wins, goals-against, saves, shutouts, minutes played, and points scored.
First up will be the 2026 NHL buyout window. The first buyout period this year starts 48 hours after the Stanley Cup playoffs end. So, with Carolina ending it last night, clubs will start the process of figuring out if they wish to buy a player out, and that process must conclude by June 30th at 5pm ET.
According to BetMGM's odds, the CBJ are listed at +5000 to win the 2027 Stanley Cup. That's the 16th-best odds in the league. Other teams at +5000 are the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers.
After being drafted 1st overall, Nash went on to sign his first NHL contract, a deal that was signed minutes before the deadline. That contract, at the time, was the most lucrative ever signed by an NHL rookie, valued at $1.2 million per season, with bonuses and incentives ranging from $8 million to $12 million.
When looking at this year's pending UFAs, one players who stands out as a potential option for the Blue Jackets to consider is Minnesota Wild forward Vladimir Tarasenko.
Adam Fantilli is the future of the Columbus Blue Jackets, and with him needing a new deal, many fans are worried that he won't get signed before July 1st, leading to an offer sheet that the CBJ won't be able to afford.
I'm here to tell you that there's nothing to worry about. At least, that's my humble opinion.
Former Columbus Blue Jackets forward and Cleveland Monsters Captain Ryan Craig has been promoted by the Vegas Golden Knights to be their next head coach. He replaces John Tortorella, who just took the VGK to the Stanley Cup Final. It was announced on June 16 that Tortorella would not be back to coach Vegas.
One way that the Blue Jackets could look to improve their group this summer is through free agency. There are some interesting pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs) who could hit the market on July 1, and one of them is Dallas Stars forward Michael Bunting.
Former Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Markus Nutivaara will continue his post-retirement playing career for the second straight season.
After playing 35 games for Kärpät of Liiga, he moved on to play three games for Kölner Haie of the DEL in Germany.
"The league has completed its review of Mike Babcock's tenure in Columbus, and of certain alleged conduct associated therewith. Our investigation has concluded that, even in the light least favorable to Mr. Babcock, there is no current basis to restrict his employment in the league."
The Columbus Blue Jackets seem to be on everyone's tongue this offseason.
Everyone is the media expects and hopes GM Don Waddell does something to bolster the lineup. From trading up to trading down, to trading players, everything seems to be on the table.
When looking at this year's pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs), one player who could be an intriguing addition to the Blue Jackets' roster is Seattle Kraken forward Eeli Tolvanen.
The Blue Jackets have announced that they have signed defenseman Corson Ceulemans to a one-year, two-way contract extension. At the NHL level, the 6-foot-2 defenseman will have an $850,000 cap hit. He will have an AHL salary of $95,000.
Jake Christiansen has a lot to prove next season if he wants to remain a member of the CBJ. He'll be a UFA at the end of 26-27, and will be playing for his future.
Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft is on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo, where the CBJ will own pick #14.
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