Latest news with #BlueJackets'
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
USHL presents inaugural Gaudreau Award to Ethan Wyttenbach of the Sioux Falls Stampede
FILE - Blue Jackets' Johnny Gaudreau's family watches a #13 banner being raised during a ceremony before the start of an NHL hockey game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Florida Panthers. Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete, File) SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The United States Hockey League on Saturday named Ethan Wyttenbach of the Sioux Falls Stampede the inaugural winner of the Gaudreau Award in honor of the late Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau. The league established the award to pay tribute to the brothers who died last summer when they were struck by a car while riding their bicycles in their home state of New Jersey. Advertisement "This award was created to honor their legacy and to serve as a shining example of excellence, character, and heart both on and off the ice," said USHL President and Commissioner Glenn Hefferan, who is also a New Jersey native. 'Johnny and Matthew left an immeasurable impact on the communities where they lived and played. They were not only exceptional players and teammates but, most importantly, extraordinary people. Their love for the game was only surpassed by their love for their families.' Wyttenbach was' Sioux Falls top scorer this season despite missing time with an injury. Before getting hurt, he also led the team in community service hours. The league said he spent time filling food bags at Feeding South Dakota, served dinners at the St. Francis House and rung bells for The Salvation Army, along with school visits and youth hockey practices. ___ AP NHL:
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Elvis Merzlikins out for Columbus Blue Jackets vs Buffalo Sabres, Jet Greaves recalled
Elvis Merzlikins will miss the Blue Jackets' game Thursday night against the Buffalo Sabres with an undisclosed injury. Rookie goalie Jet Greaves, who played Wednesday night for the AHL's Cleveland Monsters, was added to the roster with an emergency recall on Thursday afternoon. Merzlikins began the Jackets' morning skate at Nationwide Arena, but left the ice earlier than normal. It's unknown whether his injury occurred at the skate or is something that has lingered for a while. Advertisement More on the Blue Jackets: Columbus Blue Jackets takeaways after Ottawa Senators' shutout: 'We will fight to the end' Merzlikins played in the Blue Jackets' 5-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night at Nationwide Arena but didn't participate in the team's optional practice Wednesday. Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (90) saves a shot during the second period of the NHL hockey game against the Ottawa Senators at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on April 8, 2025. Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason didn't reveal which goalie he'll start against the Sabres, who are making their second-and-final visit to Nationwide Arena this season. Columbus is eight points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with five games remaining. Advertisement The Jackets are also tied in points with the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings, who all need the Canadiens to stumble in at least three of their remaining four games. Daniil Tarasov, Merzlikins' main backup, started Sunday in Ottawa and was quickly replaced by Merzlikins after allowing two goals on the first six shots he faced. Greaves is 2-2-2 with 2.83 goals-against average and .905 save percentage in six starts this season for the Blue Jackets. Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@ and @ This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Elvis Merzlikins out for Columbus Blue Jackets vs Buffalo Sabres
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NHL Waiver Wire: Pickups of the Week
Anyone who's reading this is either participating in the fantasy playoffs, looking ahead to next season, in a roto format, or just plain bored. And if you're still part of that first group, the following player suggestions may come in handy on your quest to cash in. (Rostered rates as of Mar. 28) Forwards Sean Monahan, CLS (Yahoo: 49%): It was a shame when Monahan suffered a wrist injury in January as he had been one of the Blue Jackets' driving forces the first half of the season with 41 points in as many games. He returned on Monday after missing more than two months, and didn't look out of place as he notched two assists, a shot, three hits, and 11 face-off wins on 18:51 as the No. 1 center in all scoring situations. Get Monahan before others realize he's back. Advertisement Anthony Cirelli, TB (Yahoo: 44%): The post-Steven Stamkos era in Tampa has benefited Cirelli, as he's well past his career-high in points (at 52, seven more than 2023-24's peak) and occasionally gets looks on the first power play on top of a lead shorthanded role. And he's been especially productive the last seven contests with six goals on 18 shots alongside an assist and 51 FW. Cirelli may be limited in Yahoo! by only qualifying at C, though is well-positioned within the Bolts' lineup where he can post plenty of counting stats. Kiefer Sherwood, VAN (Yahoo: 39%): Sherwood had quite the night for himself on Wednesday as he accumulated two goals, an assist, four shots, a plus-3, four hits and a block. He's surpassed his personal-best with 32 points, but is probably more recognized in fantasy circles for having already obliterated Jeremy Lauzon's hits record of 383 from last year at 404 with 10 matchups remaining. Combine all that with a secondary PP spot and the flexibility to fit anywhere allows Sherwood to be a reliable fantasy player. William Karlsson, VGK (Yahoo: 16%): Injuries and inconsistency have hurt Karlsson's output to where he's averaging just 0.5 points per game, a mark he's only previously hovered around once (39 in 67 during 2021-22) since joining the Golden Knights. From the four contests since he returned from an extended lower-body absence, he's chipped in with three helpers – two of those PPAs – eight shots, three hits and three blocks. And with Tomas Hertl out, Karlsson has ascended to the lead man-advantage. Even as Vegas's third even-strength center, anywhere in their top-nine is fine. Add Karlsson and then monitor the situation to see what happens when Hertl slots back into the lineup. Morgan Geekie, BOS (Yahoo: 15%): The Bruins lost some talent this season, yet there are a few serviceable forwards remaining. Geekie is enjoying another solid campaign firmly entrenched in the top-six and first power play with 26 goals, 15 assists, 132 shots and 95 hits. He's also found the back of the net four times through five outings to go with a PPA, 10 shots and five hits. Boston probably isn't making the playoffs, but Geekie will be motivated to do well as his contract expires this summer. Advertisement Andrei Kuzmenko, LA (Yahoo: 14%): It's only been 35 days since Kuzmenko originally appeared in this column, and there's good reason for a repeat. The much-moved winger never really meshed with Calgary or Philly, so going to LA wasn't expected to result in anything different. He was scoreless across the opening seven outings, but it was at least promising to be part of the first line and PP. Things finally clicked with him Saturday with a goal and a PPA, another marker on two shots Sunday and a second PPA Tuesday. As long as Kuzmenko sticks within the upper three units or doesn't get scratched/hurt, he'll be okay. Tyler Bertuzzi, CHI (Yahoo: 10%): Bertuzzi has always been skilled around the net with a knack for power-play production, which has been displayed this year in the form of his 20th goal on Wednesday and 18 PPPs. He now resides in the lower half of the depth chart, though he's managed seven points from the last five matchups and still joins forces with Connor Bedard while up a man (four of those seven coming there). As someone who can score and direct a fair share of pucks on target, Bertuzzi makes for a decent mid-roster addition. Bobby McMann, TOR (Yahoo: 9%): Hockey fans love an underdog story, and there's probably no bigger relevant example than McMann, as he toiled in the minors before receiving his first real NHL stint with the Leafs during 2023-24. The 28-year-old has skated with various teammates, including working the last week or so at five-on-five beside John Tavares and William Nylander. This has led to a pair of goal-plus-assist performances to go with six shots and five hits. McMann could eventually end up in a less favorable arrangement. But until then, he's at least worth a flyer. Defensemen Tony DeAngelo, NYI (Yahoo: 18%): When the Isles brought DeAngelo aboard in January, it was assumed his fantasy value would drop off once Noah Dobson returned from injury. And even though he'd miss the scoresheet during Dobson's first four games, he's gone off for nine points, 21 shots and 10 blocks over the last 10. The duo has even coexisted on the top power play of late, including combining for a goal there last Thursday. With this type of production and a 23-plus minute average across this run, DeAngelo needs to be on more rosters. Advertisement Dylan Samberg, WPG (Yahoo: 16%): Samberg is a tricky fantasy commodity as he's solid in secondary stats while not being a traditional scorer, yet almost any Winnipeg blueliner can be considered simply by being on the ice within a top-three attack. He's certainly made a case the last three weeks by registering two goals and four assists in addition to having 20 shots and 24 blocks on 22:20 a night. Samberg is more of a short-term option with the potential for longer usage if he can keep picking up a passable amount of offense. Philip Broberg, STL (Yahoo: 15%): Broberg was first featured here right after starting the season with nine points across 11 appearances and immediately before being sidelined for nearly a month. The scoring hasn't continued to be prolific, though you may have noticed his goal and three assists on Tuesday – or the six total points over the last five supplemented by eight shots, six PIM, eight blocks and a plus-8. Broberg assumes a significant workload and offers enough potential to warrant more coverage. Marcus Pettersson, VAN (Yahoo: 8%): It looks like Pettersson just needed a few contests to get used to his new surroundings after coming over from Pittsburgh at the end of January, as since then, he's supplied an assist from seven of 13 along with 12 shots, 12 hits and 33 blocks. He may not skate next to Quinn Hughes (or regular partner Kris Letang while on the Pens) and lacks man-advantage duty, but he's still a reliable cross-category contributor. Let's get Pettersson into double-digits. Goaltenders Jake Allen, NJ (Yahoo: 20%): Since Jacob Markstrom returned, he's gone 2-5-1 with a 3.87 GAA and .847 save percentage. During that same stretch, Allen has posted a 3-1 record alongside a 1.77/.943 line. There's no questioning Markstrom's status as Jersey's No. 1, though their prized offseason acquisition shouldn't be pushed heading into the playoffs as the club is pretty much locked in as the Metropolitan Division's third seed. And that would leave more opportunities for Allen to produce solid fantasy numbers behind a decent attack and a defense that's top-10 at suppressing shots. Advertisement John Gibson, ANH (Yahoo: 15%): Going for Gibson comes with its drawbacks, the main one being his extensive injury history having come back last week from another physical setback. But let's consider Lukas Dostal has been erratic in 2025 while only winning two of his last eight appearances to go with a 3.55 GAA and .886 save percentage. Gibson has earned victories in both of his recent starts, though neither the Preds nor Bruins could be considered offensive juggernauts. And the Ducks rank last for allowing pucks on net, so any of their goalies represent risky recommendations. The team isn't going anywhere this season and Dostal clearly represents the future, but they may want to use Gibson more the rest of the way to showcase him for a possible summer trade. Players to consider from past columns: Macklin Celebrini, Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, Logan Stankoven, Gabriel Vilardi, Dylan Guenther, Rickard Rakell, Juraj Slafkovsky, Cole Perfetti, Nick Schmaltz, Dylan Cozens, Jake DeBrusk, Marco Rossi, Dylan Strome, Jonathan Huberdeau, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Quinton Byfield, Brock Nelson, Kent Johnson, Valeri Nichushkin, Adam Fantilli, Logan Cooley, Pavel Dorofeyev, Matvei Michkov, Connor McMichael, Matthew Knies, JJ Peterka, Pavel Zacha, Josh Norris, Matty Beniers, Leo Carlsson, Pavel Buchnevich, William Eklund, Jordan Eberle, Nino Niederreiter, Troy Terry, Will Cuylle, Patrick Kane, Nazem Kadri, Mason McTavish, Boone Jenner, Taylor Hall, Jamie Benn, Elias Lindholm, Matthew Coronato, Mathieu Olivier, Jake Neighbours, Ryan Hartman, Chandler Stephenson, Trevor Moore, Vladislav Namestnikov, Stefan Noesen, Connor Zary, Jonathan Drouin, Ryan Donato, Marco Kasper, Yegor Sharangovich, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Shane Wright, Blake Coleman, Yegor Chinakhov, Will Smith, Michael Bunting, Brayden Schenn, Ryan Strome, Viktor Arvidsson, Kyle Palmieri, Mackie Samoskevich, Dawson Mercer, Dmitri Voronkov, Warren Foegele, Eeli Tolvanen, Filip Chytil, Anton Lundell, Dylan Holloway, Teuvo Teravainen, Jaden Schwartz, Conor Garland, Tyler Toffoli, David Perron, Mason Marchment, Ryan O'Reilly, Jack Roslovic, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Alexander Wennberg, Pius Suter, Patrik Laine, Ross Colton, Kaapo Kakko, Barrett Hayton, Alex Killorn, Jack Quinn, Anders Lee, Jiri Kulich, Alex Laferriere, Zachary Bolduc, Pontus Holmberg, Maxim Tsyplakov, Fabian Zetterlund, Brett Howden, Aliaksei Protas, Aaron Ekblad, Neal Pionk, Jackson LaCombe, Filip Hronek, Brandt Clarke, Seth Jones, Lane Hutson, Luke Hughes, Bowen Byram, Cam Fowler, Travis Sanheim, Matt Grzelcyk, Justin Faulk, Mason Lohrei, Simon Edvinsson, Alex Vlasic, Brady Skjei, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Owen Power, Jared Spurgeon, Radko Gudas, Esa Lindell, Jordan Spence, Erik Gustafsson, Jamie Drysdale, Darren Raddysh, Nick Blankenburg, Declan Chisholm, Sean Durzi, Artyom Levshunov, Alexander Romanov, Conor Timmins, Shakir Mukhamadullin, Zac Jones, Olen Zellweger, Ivan Provorov, Cam Talbot, Ilya Samsonov, Mackenzie Blackwood, Lukas Dostal, Kevin Lankinen, Charlie Lindgren, Samuel Ersson, Scott Wedgewood, Elvis Merzlikins, Marc-Andre Fleury, Sam Montembeault, Jonathan Quick, Karel Vejmelka, Scott Wedgewood, Casey DeSmith, Dan Vladar, Vitek Vanecek, Calvin Pickard, Joel Hofer, Tristan Jarry, Joonas Korpisalo, Spencer Knight, Petr Mrazek, Daniil Tarasov
New York Times
16-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Blue Jackets look nervous, panicked vs. Rangers as they fall out of playoff spot
COLUMBUS, Ohio — After Thursday's shutout loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, Columbus Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason reasoned that his struggling club needed 'something good to happen early' in Saturday's game against the New York Rangers. But like so much else over the last two weeks, the opposite happened. Advertisement The Blue Jackets are suddenly playing with an almost unbearable level of panic and fragility, and it took only 1:43 for the Rangers to expose it on Saturday. The Jackets botched the same play twice, fell behind early yet again, and lost 4-0 before a beyond-capacity crowd of 18,464 in Nationwide Arena. Who are these guys? And where did the upstart Blue Jackets go? That's two straight shutout losses, and three shutouts in their last five games. Yes, the Blue Jackets, one of the NHL's highest-scoring clubs all season, now can't buy a goal. This was the fifth time in six games that the Blue Jackets have allowed the first goal of the game. This from the club that has been one of the NHL's top score-first clubs all season. By losing five of their last six games, the Blue Jackets are no longer holding on to a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Both the Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens leapfrogged the Blue Jackets with wins on Saturday, landing New York in the second wild-card spot and the Jackets in 10th place. Since the Blue Jackets' win in the Stadium Series game at Ohio Stadium, they haven't looked the same. Evason has recognized it, too. 'I'll be honest with you, there was some frustration at the end (of the game),' Evason said. 'You could tell that we were frustrated. When you get frustrated, you kind of throw some blame around, and we haven't done. We've stuck together. That's what our message was after (the game) and will be again moving forward. 'The guys care so much, right? They're trying to do the right thing. Maybe they haven't been through it (a playoff race), but who cares? Now we've been through it a little bit here. We have to continually stay together and battle and believe that we're going to get the job done.' It's the Blue Jackets' youth that has carried them offensively most of the season, and it's that youth that is being tested now. These games are not being played at a playoff-level intensity, but they are definitely ramped up from earlier in the season. Advertisement Every inch of ice is contested. Pretty plays don't win games. Ugly goals get the job done. The Blue Jackets' top line — center Adam Fantilli, with wingers Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko — are all three new to a playoff push. So are the two wingers, Dmitri Voronkov and Yegor Chinakhov, who flank veteran Boone Jenner on the second line. But nobody wants to hear about a learning curve at this point in the season. 'We don't want any excuses,' Fantilli said. 'It's hockey. We're all good players here. We have to be better. I'm pointing the finger at myself first. I have to be better. I have to make better plays. If I create something, maybe it's a different game. 'It doesn't matter if it's my first time or my tenth time going through this, I need to be playing at the top of my game. Right now, it's not good enough.' The Blue Jackets' best chance to score came at 8:12 of the second period, when Voronkov was one-on-one with Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin. Voronkov, whose hands belie his size, made a nifty move to get Shesterkin lunging and missing at the puck. But with an open net to shoot upon, Voronkov's shot from seven feet away sailed across the crease, hit the far post and caromed out of harm's way. 'Two games in a row we don't score a goal,' Marchenko said. 'Not good enough. We have good chances. We have shots on the net the last two games. We don't have goals. Maybe we need to work harder. 'It's a battle for the playoffs. Everybody wants to be in. Everybody tracks (pucks) and plays the body. It's harder for all guys, but we can do it. We play all season in a good way. We need to stay in this way now.' The Blue Jackets' current stretch without scoring a goal — 129 minutes, 31 seconds — is their longest stretch of the season. The second-longest? A 95-minute, 7-second stretch just one week ago in the first three games of a road trip following the outdoor game. Mika with the steal + Laf puts it away. — New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 15, 2025 But the numbers are ugly in the other direction, too. The Blue Jackets have allowed a goal on the first shot of the game in two straight games and three times in their last six outings. The one they coughed up on Saturday was a two-man effort. Veteran defenseman Damon Severson had the puck stripped off his stick by Rangers' forward Mika Zibanejad in the neutral zone, sending it into the Blue Jackets zone with enough pace to reach the corner. That's not an easy read for a goaltender on the first touch of the game, and Blue Jackets' starter Daniil Tarasov ended up in no-man's land. Advertisement Zibanejad got to the puck first, and zipped it off his backhand to Alexis Lafreniére for the easy tap-in before Tarasov could get back in position. 'Puck just came back. Tarry just missed it,' Severson said. 'I think he expected it to come off the boards a little quicker and it didn't, and then it was out of his trapezoid and he kind of got caught there. 'I was going back, battling with the guy (Zibanejad) and it was kind of a cluster of bad things that could happen.' And right like that, the Blue Jackets were down. Evason was exasperated that the harm was done mostly by the Blue Jackets, not the Rangers. 'To have that first goal go in in the manner it went in?' Evason said. 'There's nothing there. It's not like they're coming. There's nothing there. It ends up in our net. We need one of those to come our way, but we need to work toward that as well.'
New York Times
04-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Blue Jackets, Mathieu Olivier closing in on long-term contract
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Mathieu Olivier has emerged as perhaps the NHL's most feared fighter this season, but he's also provided an unexpected offensive impact for the Columbus Blue Jackets, making him a rare talent in today's league. With so few comparable players around the league, it was a challenge for Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell and Olivier's agent, Philippe Lacavalier, to reach terms on a new deal. Advertisement But it sounds like they've done it. 'We're getting really close,' Waddell told The Athletic on Monday. 'We're hoping to get it wrapped up in the 24 hours or so.' A team source said it will be a multi-year contract, likely four years or more. The Blue Jackets wanted to get Olivier signed by the NHL's trade deadline on Friday, and they certainly didn't want him to hit free agency in July. 'He's an unrestricted free agent who would be welcomed by 31 other teams,' Waddell said, 'and I have to take all of that into account in trying to sign him. So it's been time-consuming, but in a positive way.' Waddell and Lecavalier made significant progress in negotiations last week, Waddell said. But by Thursday, he put talks on hold to focus on the Blue Jackets' home-and-home with the Detroit Red Wings, including Saturday's Stadium Series game in Ohio Stadium. After the Blue Jackets practiced on Monday, Olivier made clear his desire to stay put in Columbus. 'I've said this multiple times: I love Columbus. My family loves Columbus. Everything about it works well with our family and our values,' Olivier said. 'The direction the organization is going is great. The guys we have in this room, what we're building… I take a lot of pride in that , and I want to see it through with these guys in here. There's nothing I'd like more.' The Blue Jackets acquired Olivier on June 30, 2022, trading a fourth-round pick to the Nashville Predators. He spent most of the previous season playing for Nashville's farm club, AHL Milwaukee. The reason then-GM Jarmo Kekalainen wanted Olivier was his toughness. The Blue Jackets, at that point, were getting routinely abused by opponents with no way to fight back. But Olivier has bloomed in a way nobody could have imagined. With 12-9-21 in 60 games, Olivier has already set career-highs in goals and points. He's also third in the NHL with 99 penalty minutes, second in hits (228), and first in fighting majors (11). Advertisement The 12 goals are the most impressive, however, and they've allowed coach Dean Evason to play Olivier on the Blue Jackets' third line. In his first 168 NHL games, Olivier scored 13 goals. He's one short of that already this season, with 22 games to play. Repeatedly, when asked to talk about Olivier's fighting prowess and goal-scoring, his fellow teammates have mentioned that Olivier has also emerged as one of the vocal leaders in the dressing room. The Blue Jackets entered play on Monday in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, holding the top wild-card spot. They've won four straight games coming out of the 4 Nations Face-Off, and open a four-game road trip on Tuesday in Tampa Bay. (Photo of Mathieu Olivier: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
