Trades made, one that wasn’t, bolster Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets feel they are a better team right now than they were on Saturday night. For good reason. The Jackets and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen were very active as the NHL trade deadline approached Monday afternoon, making three trades in the final two days — all while keeping one of their key veteran players.

Columbus not only added forward help by trading for Thomas Vanek and Mark Letestu, but it added blue line strength by acquiring defenseman Ian Cole.

Columbus also decided to hold on to defenseman Jack Johnson — a pending free agent — who previously asked for a trade.

Vanek, Cole and Letestu are also scheduled to be free agents following this season.

“When the trade request went public, I said … we would only trade Jack Johnson if it made a lot of sense for the future of the organization,” Kekalainen said after the trade dust had settled.

“If not, we would rent him to ourselves, so to speak, for the rest of the year. … Jack has been a big part of our team and he’s going to be a big part of our team.”

Said Johnson: “Now, it’s just we have to go out and win a Stanley Cup. That’s it. Plain and simple. All the distractions, all the rumors — blah, blah — they’re gone. It’s just, ‘Let’s go win a Stanley Cup.’ “

For a team struggling to score, getting Vanek from Vancouver may have immediate effect.

Vanek is a 10-time 20-goal scorer who has 17 goals — four off the power play — and 41 points in 61 games this season.

Coach John Tortorella joked that despite the fun some folks were having on this new union on social media, he wasn’t going to try and change the way Vanek plays. He’s not known for his defense.

“I don’t go on reputation, I go on what I see,” Tortorella said. “I’m not going to turn Thomas Vanek into a checker. I want him to score some goals for us.”

To get Vanek, the Jackets sent Jussi Jokinen and Tyler Motte to Vancouver. Jokinen cleared waivers Monday afternoon; Motte played 31 games with the Jackets this year but had been at AHL Cleveland.

Vanek was leaving Denver — where he was to play with the Canucks — with plenty of bags packed figuring he would be dealt before the deadline. He is expected to practice with the Jackets on Wednesday in Los Angeles.

“It’s exciting, it’s a team on the up who has shown what they’re capable of the past two years,” said Vanek, who went to Florida at the trade deadline last year.

“Any time you have goaltending like the Jackets do, you have a chance. I’m very excited to play.”

For Letestu, getting back into the Columbus lineup for the first time since leaving the Jackets as a free agent in 2015 came Monday night after getting a expedited U.S. work visa.

Letestu, wearing his No. 55, was given his old stall in the home locker room.

“It was more just, ‘Welcome Back. We’re happy to have you’,” Letestu said when asked if he had conversations with the team on what role he will play.

“It’s familiar, like riding a new old bike. I got a little bit of muscle memory in there going to the right change stall. It’s fun to be back. It’s comfortable.”

Cole officially came to the Jackets from the Senators yet never suited up for them after being part of the big three-way deal between Ottawa, Pittsburgh and Vegas last week.

In fact, Cole never left Pittsburgh and drove to Columbus on Monday.

Cole knows quite a bit about the Blue Jackets from his battles with them the past few years with the Penguins.

“It’s a little strange, but in playing professional sports, these things happen,” said Cole, who won the Stanley Cup twice with the Penguins before being dealt last week.

“I’m going to try and make the most of it, go on a run here and play for as long as we can. … Hopefully, we can make some noise.”