Nutivaara to have hip surgery

General manager Jarmo Kekalainen thinks rookie Markus Nutivaara has the potential to be a topfour defenseman for the Blue Jackets.

That’s assuming the youngster makes a complete recovery from hip surgery, which could be performed as soon as today.

Kekalainen said Nutivaara was bothered by a hip problem for a good part of the season, and he confirmed Monday that the six games the 22-year-old missed in January were because of the injury. The team expects Nutivaara to be ready by late August, a few weeks before training camp.

“His hip had been nagging him all year, and that’s why there were some maintenance days and games that he sat out, just so he could get through the season down the stretch,” Kekalainen said.

The puck-moving defenseman registered two goals and five assists in 66 regularseason games, but he was at his best in the two games at the end of the opening-round playoff series against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Nutivaara, a healthy scratch in the first three games, recorded a goal and an assist in the pair of elimination games and was impressive at both ends of the ice.

The 6-foot-1, 186-pounder needs to get stronger and better in one-on-one situations defensively, but the Blue Jackets love his first-pass ability and willingness to jump into the play.

“He was out of the lineup, and he gets back into the lineup and made a huge impact” in the final two playoff games,” Kekalainen said. “I truly believe he’s just scratching his potential as an NHL defenseman.”

Intriguing prospect

The Blue Jackets’ defensive corps is the strength of the team. It could deeper if Vladislav Gavrikov opts to sign with the club. The sixth-round draft pick in 2015 has spent the past three seasons with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League.

The blueliner is 6-3 and 220 pounds. He had a strong KHL playoff, contributing a goal and four assists in 15 games.

“If he wants to sign with us now, there’s a very good chance of him stepping right in and playing for us,” Kekalainen said.

‘Big summer’

Defenseman Ryan Murray missed the final six weeks of the season with a broken right hand. He will be ready for training camp, but he probably will be fighting for a job on a deep blueline.

Murray is among the NHL leaders in bad luck, having suffered a series of injuries that have hampered his development.

“I think it’s a big summer for him and us,” Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson said. “He knows he wants it, and he’s seen some people go by him (on the depth chart). He’s a competitive kid.”

World championships update

Center William Karlsson, a Swede, is the only Blue Jacket who has committed to playing in the world championships, which begin May 5.

Kekalainen thinks that goaltender Joonas Korpisalo and forward Markus Hannikainen have good shots at playing for Finland.

Lukas Sedlak turned down an offer from the Czech Republic due to an oblique strain. Goaltending prospect Elvis Merzlikins will play for Latvia, while minor-league defenseman Dean Kukan is set to play for Switzerland.