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Metro Notes: Merzļikins, Greaves, Hughes, Pesce, Lafrenière

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The Columbus Blue Jackets took the ice this morning for practice before their matchup tomorrow night against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Columbus notably had three goaltenders on the ice, and team reporter Jeff Svoboda confirmed that Elvis Merzļikins has resumed skating after nursing an upper-body injury.

It looks like Merzlikins is healthy enough to participate in tomorrow night’s contest with the team announcing they have returned netminder Jet Greaves to their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, after serving on an emergency recall. Greaves suited up in two games for the Blue Jackets on the recall but spent the entire time on the bench with fellow goaltender Daniil Tarasov taking both starts.

It’s anyone’s guess who the Blue Jackets will choose to start tomorrow night’s contest with Merzlikins and Tarasov producing similar numbers to start the 2024-25 regular season. According to Hockey Reference, the two have combined for a 2-3-0 record through five games with a .869 save percentage and a -4.0 goals save above average. The deciding factor may hinge on Merzlikins’ health summary tomorrow morning.

Other Metro notes:

  • The New Jersey Devils sent defenseman Seamus Casey to AHL Utica this morning in exchange for Daniil Misyul despite the former scoring three goals and four points in his first eight NHL contests. Team reporter Amanda Stein revealed additional content for the move mentioning that although defensemen Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce won’t suit up tomorrow night, their return “is imminent”. The two undoubtedly will improve New Jersey’s chances of returning to the NHL playoffs next spring as they currently sit ninth in the NHL in points percentage through eight games.
  • Mollie Walker of the New York Post reported mild injury news for the New York Rangers sharing forward Alexis Lafrenière is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Lafrenière has been one of the team’s best forwards out of the gate with three goals and six points in five games while averaging 17:45 of ice time per night. With it being the last game of the team’s current three-game road trip, he may be on the shelf tomorrow against the Montreal Canadiens depending on the injury’s severity.

Blue Jackets Place Erik Gudbranson On IR, Recall Jet Greaves On Emergency Basis

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have made a pair of roster moves after placing forward Dylan Gambrell on waivers early this afternoon. The team announced they placed defenseman Erik Gudbranson on injured reserve while recalling goaltender Jet Greaves on an emergency basis.

There should be another corresponding roster move before the team’s game tomorrow night against the Buffalo Sabres to give more context to the method of today’s madness. Columbus is down to 12 healthy forwards, seven healthy defensemen, and three goaltenders. Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch reported regular netminder Elvis Merzlikins is dealing with some early-season fatigue which better explains Greaves’ call-up in the crease.

Columbus already has a reasonable in-house candidate to replace the lost minutes of Gudbranson in the form of top prospect, David Jiříček. The young Czech defenseman hasn’t factored into any games yet this season for the Blue Jackets but did score one goal and 10 points in 43 games a year ago. He’s fared much better in the AHL up to this point in his career but consistent playing time at the NHL level could dramatically improve his development.

Aside from defense, nothing should change much in Columbus’ lineup without Gambrell. The organization has the benefit of being at Nationwide Arena for the next three games making a forward call-up from Cleveland that much easier. The team won’t have to travel outside of Ohio until October 26th when they take on the Nashville Predators so they could take a couple of days before they need to make another call-up from the AHL.

Blue Jackets Reassign Seven Players

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Oct. 5: The five players mentioned below were returned to AHL Cleveland this morning, along with goaltender Jet Greaves and center Owen Sillinger, per the team.

Oct. 4: For the second time in the past few days, the Blue Jackets have summoned some reinforcements from AHL Cleveland to get another crack in exhibition play after previously being cut from their training camp roster. Defensemen Cole Clayton and Stanislav Svozil were part of a round of recalls a few days back and are now again on the NHL roster, while centers Luca Del Bel Belluz and Hunter McKown and left wing James Malatesta are joining them today as well, the team announced. The quintet will suit up for Columbus tonight as they take on the Penguins in their final preseason game.

Clayton’s, McKown’s, and Svozil’s standings in the organization were covered during their roster moves earlier this week. But the 20-year-old Del Bel Belluz getting another look this late in camp isn’t wholly insignificant. The 6’0″ pivot was a second-round pick in 2022 and, thanks to his November birthday, was eligible for a full-time AHL assignment last year. The Blue Jackets took advantage, placing the youngster on the farm with Cleveland. He impressed, finishing sixth on the team in scoring with 31 points (9 G, 22 A) in 58 games.

There remain some concerns over his defensive game, but it was a strong initial showing on the scoresheet for Del Bel Belluz, who likely warranted a late first-round selection in his draft year. He made his NHL debut in Columbus’ final game of the 2023-24 season against the Hurricanes, scoring his first NHL goal in 9:35 of ice time.

Meanwhile, Malatesta got a bit of a longer look at the NHL level last season, with a rash of injuries creating opportunities for some of Columbus’ younger forwards. The 21-year-old Montreal native didn’t look entirely out of place, posting two goals and two assists for four points with a -1 rating in 11 games. He managed 12 shots on goal and a whopping 41 hits – nearly four per game – while averaging 10:13 per night. The 2021 fifth-round pick is a strong skater and a true energy winger, playing much bigger than his 5’9″, 190-lb frame would indicate. He had 12 goals and 22 points in 56 games for Cleveland last year in his first taste of professional hockey.

2024 Salary Arbitration Tracker

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It has been a quieter year on the salary arbitration front across the NHL.  After 23 players filed last summer, just 14 did this time around.  As expected, most have settled so far with a few hearings still pending.  Here’s a rundown of who has settled and who still needs to sign.

Updated 7/30/24, 1:07 p.m.

Contracts Settled

D Jake Christiansen (Blue Jackets) – one year, $775K (two-way agreement)
F Connor Dewar (Maple Leafs) – one year, $1.18MM
F Jack Drury (Hurricanes) – two years, $3.45MM
D Ty Emberson (Sharks) – one year, $950K
G Jet Greaves (Blue Jackets) – two years, $1.625MM (two-way in 2024-25, one-way in 2025-26)
F Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Sabres) – five years, $23.75MM
F Beck Malenstyn (Sabres) – two years, $2.7MM
D J.J. Moser (Lightning) – two years, $6.75MM
F Joe Veleno (Red Wings) – two years, $4.55MM
F Oliver Wahlstrom (Islanders) – one year, $1MM
F Kirill Marchenko (Blue Jackets) – three years, $11.55MM
F Martin Necas (Hurricanes) – two years, $13MM
D Ryan Lindgren (Rangers) – one year, $4.5MM

Contracts Awarded

D Spencer Stastney (Predators) – two years, $1.675MM (two-way in 2024-25, one-way in 2025-26)

Scheduled Hearings

none

A reminder of some of the arbitration rules for the upcoming potential hearings:

  • A player and team can settle on a deal at any point before the hearing starts.
  • Once the hearing has taken place, the arbitration decision must be issued by email within 48 hours.
  • Arbitration awards can only be one or two years in length. (Players who are in their final year of restricted free agency are only entitled to a one-year agreement from an arbitrator.)
  • The team decides on the awarded term as these were all player-elected filings.
  • The team can walk away from the arbitration decision if a contract with an average annual value of more than $4.74MM is awarded.

Worth noting is that teams who have someone file for arbitration will receive a second buyout window three days after their final contract is settled or awarded.  The window lasts for 48 hours and the only eligible players to be bought out in this timeframe are those who have an AAV of $4MM or more and were on that team’s reserve list at the trade deadline back in March.

Columbus Blue Jackets, Jet Greaves Avoid Arbitration

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Saturday: The Blue Jackets have officially announced the contract.

Friday: The Columbus Blue Jackets and goaltender Jet Greaves have avoided arbitration according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Friedman reports it will be a two-year contract for Greaves and he will earn $800K on a two-way agreement in 2024-25, and the contract will become a one-way deal in 2025-26 with a salary of $825K.

Greaves was not widely regarded as a top organizational prospect by the Blue Jackets after the team signed him as an undrafted free agent from the OHL’s Barrie Colts in 2022. Greaves split time between Columbus’ AHL and ECHL affiliates during the 2021-22 season where he posted a 12-12-3 record in 29 games for the Cleveland Monsters and a 10-5-0 record in 15 games for the Kalamazoo Wings. Greaves posted similar save percentages between the two leagues but produced a better goals-against average in the AHL with a 2.84 compared to a 3.05 in the ECHL.

Thanks to a quality rookie season in the AHL, Greaves spent the entirety of the 2022-23 season with the Monsters and earned a 19-16-5 record in 43 games while posting a .899 SV% and 3.08 GAA. The young netminder also made his NHL debut with the Blue Jackets last year where he stopped 43 of 46 shots against the Toronto Maple Leafs in a loss.

Greaves was once again assigned to the minor leagues out of training camp for the 2023-24 campaign and performed markedly better. In 46 games for Cleveland, Greaves achieved a 30-12-4 record while recording a .910 SV% and 2.93 GAA. In his first trip through the Calder Cup playoffs, Greaves picked up eight wins and a .926 SV% while pushing the eventual champion Hershey Bears to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals.

He was also given more of a chance with the Blue Jackets this past season as Greaves suited up nine NHL games and recorded a .908% against the likes of the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Carolina Hurricanes. Greaves will easily crack Columbus’ lineup to start the season if the team is willing to carry three goaltenders on the roster. However, with Elvis Merzlikins expected to be the team’s starter with Daniil Tarasov backing him up, there is all indication that Greaves will start with the Monsters to start the 2024-25 campaign.

14 Players Elect For Salary Arbitration

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Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and originally produced by the National Hockey Leaguer Players’ Association, 14 players have elected for salary arbitration this summer. The deadline for team-elected arbitration is tomorrow. Friedman also notes the arbitration hearings will happen between July 20th and August 4th. To add context, not every one of these players will appear for a hearing with their respective teams as they may continue to negotiate on a new contract. However, each player who elects for salary arbitration is now prohibited from negotiating with other teams or signing an offer sheet. Here is a list of the players that have elected for arbitration:

F Beck Malenstyn (Buffalo Sabres)
G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Buffalo Sabres)
F Martin Necas (Carolina Hurricanes)
F Jack Drury (Carolina Hurricanes)
D Jake Christiansen (Columbus Blue Jackets)
G Jet Greaves (Columbus Blue Jackets)
F Kirill Marchenko (Columbus Blue Jackets)
F Joe Veleno (Detroit Red Wings)
D Spencer Stastney (Nashville Predators)
F Oliver Wahlstrom (New York Islanders)
D Ryan Lindgren (New York Rangers)
D Ty Emberson (San Jose Sharks)
D J.J. Moser (Tampa Bay Lightning)
F Connor Dewar (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Teams Interested In Acquiring Jet Greaves From Blue Jackets

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AHL All-Star netminder Jet Greaves is heading toward restricted free agency this summer without a contract in hand, leading some teams to express interest in acquiring his signing rights from the Blue Jackets, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports.

Greaves’ 2023-24 season was a breakout campaign for the third-year pro, who Columbus signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022. He excelled in the starting role for AHL Cleveland, posting a .910 SV% and 30-12-4 record in 46 games to guide the Monsters to their first playoff appearance in five years.

That showing earned the 23-year-old a bit of an extended NHL run when injured affected either Elvis Merzļikins or Daniil Tarasov. He made eight starts this season and one relief appearance, compiling an above-average .908 SV% with a 3.49 GAA. Despite his limited action, his 3.9 goals saved above expected led all CBJ netminders, per MoneyPuck.

He’s been even more lights-out with Cleveland during their Calder Cup Playoffs run, putting up a .951 SV%, 1.39 GAA and one shutout in six playoff contests thus far. The Monsters are 6-1 through their two best-of-five series wins, and Greaves is now gearing up for a best-of-seven Eastern Conference Final against the regular-season champion Hershey Bears beginning Thursday.

It makes sense that there’s a fair amount of optimism that he could be ready for a full-time backup role as soon as next season. As of now, though, there’s not a clear path toward consistent playing time in Columbus, with Merzļikins and Tarasov both under contract. Merzļikins will be on the trade block this summer, but with three years remaining on his contract at a $5.4MM cap hit, it may be a challenge for incoming front-office hire Don Waddell to move him.

The Blue Jackets are at no risk of losing him for nothing – he’s an RFA, after all, and they’ll retain his signing rights with a qualifying offer next month. But if his trade market rises with a month to go until QOs are due, they’ll likely be able to fetch a decent trade return for his signing rights if he doesn’t want to stay in the Blue Jackets organization.

Blue Jackets Recall Jet Greaves On Emergency Loan

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The Blue Jackets added goalie prospect Jet Greaves from AHL Cleveland on an emergency recall Sunday, per a team release. He could back up Daniil Tarasov in tomorrow’s contest against the Avalanche if starter Elvis Merzļikins, who head coach Pascal Vincent said missed practice today for maintenance purposes, cannot dress.

This is the fourth recall of the season for the 23-year-old Greaves. All four have come under emergency conditions and lasted only a few days, filling in whenever Merzļikins or Tarasov were unavailable. Over his three NHL showings this year, all starts, he has a 1-2-0 record with a decent .907 SV% and 3.38 GAA. Behind the Blue Jackets’ porous defense, that’s been good enough for a remarkable 5.0 goals saved above expected in his short stint, per MoneyPuck. He’s performed similarly well in the minors, recording a .907 SV% and 27-12-4 record with one shutout in 43 appearances for Cleveland.

Greaves, undrafted, landed his first NHL deal with the Blue Jackets in February 2022 after beginning the year on a minor-league pact with Cleveland. He’s now in the final season of that entry-level contract, which carries a cap hit of $758K. The Cambridge, Ontario native will remain waiver-exempt through 2025-26 and is slated for restricted free agency this summer.

Metropolitan Notes: Capitals, Konecny, Palat, Greaves

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Taking the ice for practice this morning, Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network provided several updates to injured members of the Washington Capitals. He reports that forward T.J. Oshie skated once again, but is still considered week-to-week, while Nic Dowd and Martin Fehervary both skated in non-contact jerseys and are confirmed to miss the team’s next game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

All three players currently find themselves on the team’s injured reserve and have limited Washington’s depth up and down the lineup. However, even with all three members having been out since at least February 22nd, the Capitals have earned a 2-2-1 record in that stretch, maintaining their position near the Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

The largest concern will surround Oshie, who has only managed to suit up in 38 games for Washington this season. Dealing with injuries in the past, Oshie still has another year left on his contract after this season for $5.75MM. In those 38 games, his production continues to tail off towards the end of his career, as he has only managed 10 goals and 18 points up to this point.

Other Metro notes:

  • Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny could return to the lineup as soon as Thursday after Sam Carchidi of Philly Hockey Now reports Konecny was a full participant in practice this morning. Konecny, who has missed the last six games for the Flyers, will be as important a return as any to Philadelphia’s lineup, as he still leads the team in scoring even after having missed time. Still thriving under head coach John Tortorella, Konecny has scored 27 goals and 54 points for the Flyers this season, leading the team in the latter category by a margin of nine points.
  • Missing last night’s game with a lower-body injury, team reporter Amanda Stein is reporting that New Jersey Devils forward Ondrej Palat was also absent from the team’s practice this morning. Currently on a three-game losing streak, the loss of Palat will do nothing to help the Devils’ hopes of qualifying for the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs. In 51 games for New Jersey this season, Palat has scored nine goals and 24 points, which is a similar pace to his production last year.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent down goaltender Jet Greaves to their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, per a team announcement. Greaves was able to play in one game for the Blue Jackets after being recalled on March 4th, stopping 26 of 31 shots in the team’s loss against the Penguins last night.

Blue Jackets’ Kent Johnson Out For Season With Torn Labrum

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have placed sophomore forward Kent Johnson on injured reserve and announced he’s expected to miss the remainder of the season, set to undergo surgery to address a torn labrum in his left shoulder. The Blue Jackets also recalled goaltender Jet Greaves on an emergency basis, with Elvis Merzlikins out day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Johnson suffered the injury in Columbus’ February 28th game against the New York Rangers but he didn’t miss any shifts, playing to the last minute and getting involved in the team’s only goal – though not getting credited with an assist. Johnson was on a 19-game streak without a goal prior to his injury, recording three assists and a -4 in that stretch. His season will now end with just six goals and 16 points in 42 games – a significant step down from the 16 goals and 40 points he managed in 79 games as a rookie last year.

The news of Johnson’s injury is a gut punch to a Blue Jackets lineup already down star rookie Adam Fantilli, who suffered a calf laceration in the team’s January 28th game against the Seattle Kraken. The 2023 third-overall pick will battle to return before the end of season, with his prognosis at the time designating an early April return.

Merzlikins will now miss even more ice time, after losing games to injury and a scratching earlier in the season. He’s served as the team’s de facto starter, recording 12 wins and a .904 save percentage in 35 games. The Blue Jackets will once again need to turn to Daniil Tarasov and Greaves to man the net. Tarasov has a modest .888 in 14 games, while Greaves saved 71 of the 76 shots he’s faced in just two games.

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