Roster questions many for Jackets
As Blue Jackets players have reflected the past few days on the season that just ended, they also have pondered how this offseason will impact their future.
“There is a lot of uncertainty,” team captain Nick Foligno said. “There are a lot of guys unsigned. It’s a different year, for sure, for our club. It will set the tone for where we’re headed. That’s not to put any pressure on anybody here or anything. It’s just the reality of sports. This is a big offseason for our team, but it’s a big offseason for the players who are here, too.”
General manager Jarmo Kekalainen, assistant GM Bill Zito and director of hockey administration Josh Flynn, who manages the salary cap and contract negotiations, must massage the roster to best position the Jackets to win a playoff series next season for the first time.
The Jackets ended the 2017-18 season about $3.6 million under the NHL’s $75 million salary cap, which commissioner Gary Bettman said at the board of governors meeting in December is expected to be between $78 million and $82 million for 2018-19.
Eight players on their season-ending roster — forwards Thomas Vanek, Mark Letestu, Matt Calvert and Alex Broadhurst, defensemen Ian Cole, Jack Left wing Artemi Panarin has one year left on his contract and is one of the biggest pieces of the financial puzzle that the Blue Jackets will begin addressing this summer.
Johnson and Taylor Chorney, and goaltender Jeff Zatkoff — will become unrestricted free agents on July 1, meaning they can sign with any team.
Three others — forwards Boone Jenner and Oliver Bjorkstrand, and defenseman Ryan Murray — will be restricted free agents. Although they could sign an offer sheet with another team, the Jackets would have seven days to match that contract and keep the player.
And of course, there’s the task of re-signing left wing Artemi Panarin and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to contract extensions. Both players are cornerstones of the roster, and like coach John Tortorella, have one season left on their contracts.
Kekalainen said Friday the Jackets haven’t begun
discussions with the agents of Panarin (Dan Milstein) and Bobrovsky (Paul Theofanous). Although securing them longterm is a priority, Kekalainen said, there’s no date by which the organization would like to re-sign them.
“Hopefully, there’s a will for those guys to stay here,” Kekalainen said. “We either have to agree on a contract, or if they choose they don’t want to play in Columbus, there’s not much you can do. We’re certainly hoping that’s not the case with those two.”
Asked what the Jackets’ approach would be if Panarin and Bobrovsky are reluctant to sign a contract extension after July 1, the earliest they can do so, Kekalainen responded, “Well, I’d rather not even think about that option.”
Bobrovsky’s $6.5
million salary for 201718, which will drop to $6.2 million for 201819, was ninth-highest among NHL goalies. However, his salarycap hit of $7.425 million ranked second, behind only the Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist ($8.5 million).
Panarin’s $6 million salary was tied for 16th most among left wings in the league. His cap hit, also $6 million, was tied for 10th most.
Complicating the matter for the Jackets is that they finished the season with their thirdhighest-paid player, Brandon Dubinsky ($5.85 million), playing minimal minutes on the fourth line.
Dubinsky, who will turn 32 on Sunday, has three years left on his contract. It would cost the Jackets $11.7 million to buy out the remainder. They’re still paying former players Fedor Tyutin ($1.458 million
Under contract PLAYER Sergei Bobrovsky Artemi Panarin Cam Atkinson Brandon Dubinsky Nick Foligno Seth Jones Alexander Wennberg David Savard Markus Nutivaara Josh Anderson Eric Robinson Zach Werenski Joonas Korpisalo Pierre-Luc Dubois Sonny Milano Lukas Sedlak Dean Kukan Markus Hannikainen Scott Harrington for two more seasons) and Scott Hartnell ($1.25 million for three more seasons).
Johnson, who was a healthy scratch all six games of the playoffs, likely won’t be resigned. His 2017-18 salary was $5 million, and the 31-year-old wants a long-term contract. The Jackets gave extensions to defensemen Markus Nutivaara (four years, $10.8 million) and Dean Kukan (two years, $1.45 million) in March, and will look to keep Cole.
The Jackets’ brass also must consider the resources they’re willing to devote to free-agent additions and trades, such as the one with the Chicago Blackhawks last summer that netted Panarin for winger Brandon Saad.
Asked whether the Jackets have enough talent to win a playoff series, or if they need to upgrade, Tortorella said, “I’ll put it this way: We were a good enough team to beat Washington this year. They found a way to win, and we did not.”
At the same time, he echoed Kekalainen’s sentiment.
“It’s a hard question. Do we settle with this group? No, we’re always going to try to improve,” Tortorella said, noting that can be accomplished in part with players currently in the organization. “If there’s a free-agent fit, that’s where management steps in and makes that decision.”