Jackets breakup, Aho offer sheet top NHL free agency
The much-anticipated breakup of the Columbus Blue Jackets’ star-laden core came quickly.
Once Artemi Panarin completed the exodus of talent leaving Columbus by signing with the New York Rangers a little more than an hour into the NHL’s free-agent signing period Monday, the real intrigue began.
The Montreal Canadiens made the boldest move of the day by signing Carolina restricted free agent Sebastien Aho toa five-year, $42.27 million offer sheet. That leaves the Hurricanes seven days to match the offer or elect to receive Montreal’s first-, second- and thirdround picks as compensation.
The NHL’s new year began in hectic fashion highlighted by Columbus’ three top free agents each signing lucrative sevenyear contracts, Aho landing the first offer sheet since 2013, and the Toronto Maple Leafs swinging two multiplayer trades.
Panarin is headed to the Big Apple after signing a seven-year, $81.5 million contract with the Rangers. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky left Columbus for South Beach after signing a seven-year, $70 million contract with Florida, where he will take over the starting duties after Roberto Luongo retired last month.
And center Matt Duchene acknowledged he considered re-signing with the Blue Jackets before choosing Music City by signing a seven-year, $56 million contract with the Nashville Predators.
“I had a ton of respect for everybody there,” Duchene said of Columbus. “At the end of the day, though, Nashville seemed like a perfect fit.”
The Blue Jackets began restocking their lineup by signing winger Gustav Nyquist to a four-year deal with an average salary of $5.5 million. Columbus also re-signed defenseman Ryan Murray to a two-year, $9.2 million contract and backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo toa one-year contract.
Panarin was free agency’s most highly coveted player. Florida and Colorado both revealed they made offers to sign the NHL’s 2016 rookie of the year, who has topped 20 goals in each of his four seasons and had a careerbest 87 points (28 goals, 59 assists) last year.