Latest news with #JetGreaves
USA Today
21 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Columbus Blue Jackets trade Daniil Tarasov to Florida Panthers for fifth-round pick
A door for Blue Jackets rookie Jet Greaves to land a full-time roster spot in 2025-26 as one of their top two goalies appears to have opened. The Blue Jackets have traded backup goalie Daniil Tarasov to the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers for a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft, which will be held June 27-28 in Los Angeles. Tarasov, a pending restricted free agent, played sparingly in 2024-25 as Elvis Merzlikins' backup and struggled. He needed a conditioning stint in the AHL to regain his timing after several poor outings led to long stints without playing. The Blue Jackets hold the 14th and 20th picks in the draft's first round June 27, followed six picks on June 28 in rounds 2-7. Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@ and @ Get more on the Columbus Blue Jackets with our Cannon Fodder podcast
New York Times
21 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Columbus Blue Jackets trade Daniil Tarasov to Florida Panthers for draft pick
It was clear early last season that Columbus Blue Jackets coaches had lost confidence in goaltender Daniil Tarasov, allowing him to sit for long stretches of games and then calling up Jet Greaves from the minor leagues when starter Elvis Merzlikins needed a rest. It made for an uncertain future in Columbus for Tarasov, and it came to an end on Thursday. Advertisement The Blue Jackets traded Tarasov to the Florida Panthers for a fifth-round pick (No. 160 overall) in this weekend's NHL draft, the first of what could be several moves for second-year Columbus general manager Don Waddell over the next week or so. 'On behalf of the Blue Jackets, I'd like to thank Daniil for his contributions to our organization over the past four years,' Waddell said in a statement. 'He is an outstanding young man, and we wish he and his family well in the future.' The Blue Jackets were playing to extend a qualifying offer to Tarasov, a restricted free agent, but it has been clear since the end of last season — when Greaves went on a hot streak in the final week of the season — that Greaves had supplanted Tarasov on the depth chart. It could be part of a dramatic change at that position for the Blue Jackets. Merzlikins still has two years remaining on a contract that carries a $5.4 million cap hit but he's been, statistically, one of the worst goaltenders in the NHL over the last three seasons. It's unclear if Waddell could trade him — it would take a creative package — or the club could consider a contract buyout. Daniil Tarasov = brick wall 🧱 👉 | #CBJ — Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) May 4, 2023 The trade must have pleased Tarasov. Not only does he get a change of scenery and a chance to stay in the NHL, but he's in line to be Sergei Bobrovsky's backup with the Panthers, who have won two straight Stanley Cup championships. Bobrovsky and Tarasov are both from Novokuznetsk, Russia. Tarasov has often spoken openly about his admiration for Bobrovsky, who spent seven seasons with the Blue Jackets — winning two Vezina trophies as the NHL's top goaltender, along with a franchise-record 213 games — before departing after the 2019 season. Advertisement The trade also make sense on another level: Florida GM Bill Zito, who was an assistant GM in Columbus before taking the job with the Panthers in 2020, was part of the Blue Jackets management group that drafted Tarasov with a third-round pick (No. 86 overall) in 2017. Tarasov, 26, was 19-34-6 with a .898 save percentage and 3.44 goals-against average in 65 games for the Blue Jackets, including 61 starts. On Jan. 18, Tarasov made 26 saves in the Blue Jackets' 1-0 overtime loss to the New York Rangers in Madison Square Garden, becoming the first NHL goaltender to earn his first career shutout and suffer a loss in the same game. (Photo of Daniil Tarasov: Jason Mowry / Getty Images)
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
3 best trade destinations for Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins
The post 3 best trade destinations for Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins appeared first on ClutchPoints. After missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs once again, it's time for the Columbus Blue Jackets to make a move involving a player who has previously requested a trade out of town: goaltender Elvis Merzlikins. Advertisement Merzlikins was selected 76th overall in the 2014 NHL Draft and arrived in North America in 2019 after playing for HC Lugano in Switzerland. He was eventually named to the NHL's All-Rookie Team in 2020 and re-signed the following year to a five-year, $27 million contract. However, both Merzlikins and the Blue Jackets have largely struggled during his tenure, leading to understandable frustration. He did show some improvement this past season, posting a 26-21-5 record. Still, his 3.18 goals-against average and .892 save percentage left much to be desired. On the other hand, there will be those who will argue that his stats could be better on a stronger team. The Blue Jackets also have Daniil Tarasov, who has shown promise, along with young goaltender Jet Greaves, who impressed in limited action with a 7-2-2 record, a strong 1.91 goals-against average, and a .938 save percentage. Merzlikins, who has two years left on his contract, has a 10-team no-trade clause. Currently, it doesn't appear that Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell is entertaining the thought of a contract buyout or a trade for his goaltender. Advertisement 'No, not at all,' Waddell said of a potential Merzlikins contract buyout earlier this month via The Columbus Dispatch. 'We're not looking at it at all.' 'Until things kind of burst there in March, if you think about the outdoor (Stadium Series) game and how he stole that game, he won us more games than he lost us,' Waddell said. 'Things didn't go well for a couple of weeks in March, and it also didn't go well for our whole team. So, overall, I think he made big strides, and more importantly … as a teammate to the rest of the guys.' That being said, there are other NHL cities where Merzlikins could not only gain a fresh start in his career but even realize his full potential, and Waddell may not have a choice. What other NHL cities could Merzlikins get his new start with? Trade Destination No. 1: Vegas Golden Knights Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images One of the most consistently strong teams in the Western Conference, the Golden Knights have already secured the future of starter Adin Hill by having signed him to a multi-year contract extension during the 2024-25 season. Advertisement However, they're unlikely to bring backup goaltender Ilya Samsonov, who had been signed to a one-year contract last offseason, back for another round with the team. Additionally, Akira Schmid likely isn't going to get it done as Hill's full-time backup. Playing on a strong club like Vegas would not only insulate Merzlikins, but would also take some of the pressure off his shoulders that he felt as the starter in Columbus. Hill is their main man in net, but they'll need a capable backup who can slot in to play 30-35 games a season. Merzlikins needs a fresh start in a new city, and there have been few destinations more popular than Sin City in recent years. Trade Destination No. 2: Anaheim Ducks With the rumors surrounding the uncertain future of goaltender John Gibson with the team, especially with his starting position all but officially supplanted by Lukas Dostal, Merzlikins could slot in nicely behind Dostal if the Ducks ultimately moved on from Gibson. Advertisement With new head coach Joel Quenneville behind the bench, the Ducks hope to consider themselves a young team on the rise. Not only would the change of scenery and reduced pressure help Merzlikins, playing under a proven coach like Quenneville would also prove beneficial. Trade Destination No. 3: Philadelphia Flyers The Flyers did not get the kind of goaltending that they needed for much of this past season from both Samuel Ersson and Ivan Fedotov, continuing in the longstanding history of Philadelphia goaltending that falls short. Unless something changes in his career trajectory, Merzlikins won't be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame or or have his jersey number retired and hanging from the rafters in an NHL venue. However, he has shown that he can still deliver solid goaltending at times. Advertisement The Flyers recently hired former Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet to lead the way for their club only two seasons after he led that team the top spot in the Pacific Division. Playing under Tocchet and his playing system could prove beneficial for Merzlikins, who could form a tandem with Ersson while Fedotov gains necessary playing time and experience in the American Hockey League. Related: 4 best trade destinations for Ducks' John Gibson Related: 3 best trade destinations for Avalanche's Martin Necas
Montreal Gazette
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Montreal Gazette
Rocket pepper Monsters, but they avoid elimination in best-of-five AHL playoff series
Laval Rocket By The Columbus Blue Jackets, you might remember, came dangerously close to making the NHL playoffs this season, winning their final six games while the Canadiens were stumbling their way to the finish line. The wonderfully named Jet Greaves is a big reason why there were some anxious moments in Montreal. Now, the 24-year-old goaltender is doing his best to make life miserable for the Laval Rocket. Greaves, now playing for Cleveland — the Blue Jackets' AHL affiliate — was magnificent Sunday afternoon, leading the Monsters to a 3-1 victory over the Rocket at Place Bell before a capacity 10,243 spectators. Greaves stopped 36 shots, including 18 in the third period, as Cleveland staved off elimination in the best-of-five series, narrowing its deficit to 2-1 heading into Tuesday night's fourth game at Laval. The Rocket won the opening two games of this series, both on the road last week, beating Greaves seven times over 120 minutes. But it was a different story on Sunday while facing a team desperate to continue its season. Dylan Gambrell scored twice for Cleveland. Roman Ahcan scored a shorthanded goal in the third period — providing the visitors with a 3-0 lead — while adding two assists. Laurent Dauphin, who produced a team-leading 26 goals this season, scored the Rocket's lone goal with fewer than seven minutes remaining in regulation time. 'He (Greaves) is a good goalie,' said Dauphin, who had a team-high seven shots. 'We have to give him credit, but maybe we need more guys in front and try to play with his vision.' Greaves, 24, went undrafted before signing with Columbus as a free agent in February 2022. He went 7-2-2 with the Blue Jackets this season with a 1.91 average, .938 save percentage and two shutouts. Although only a modest 6-feet and 190 pounds, he won five consecutive games for Columbus between April 10-17 as the team attempted in vain to secure the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference, falling just short. Named after martial artist and actor Jet Li, Greaves goes by Calvin when he's at his parents' Cambridge, Ont., home; Jet actually is his middle name. He has 21 NHL games on his resumé — including 20 starts — over three seasons and has gone 10-9-2 with a 2.62 average and .924 save percentage. That includes nine games last season when the Blue Jackets were coached by Pascal Vincent, who landed in Laval after being fired by Columbus. While there was no disputing Greaves's legerdemain on this day, the Rocket did itself no favours, squandering four power plays while also allowing the shorthanded goal. 'That doesn't help to win hockey games,' Vincent acknowledged. 'Our power play has to be better. We have to be more dynamic. We have to move the puck. We have to be in motion. We have to take away the goalie's eyes. There's lot of things we can do better. There's a few things we know we need to do. It's doable. It's fixable right away. That's one part, but we need to be better.' While coaches rarely will tinker with a winning lineup, Vincent did precisely that, starting Cayden Primeau in goal — after Jacob Fowler produced a shutout in Friday's second game — while inserting Oliver Kapanen at centre between Joshua Roy and Owen Beck. Both players were with the Canadiens during their opening-round loss to Washington before being loaned on Saturday to the Rocket. 'We have good players,' Vincent said. 'We couldn't use Primeau before. We knew if he was coming back he was playing a game. Kapanen played in the playoffs with Montreal. As soon as he was available he was playing for us. He's a good player. They were really hard decisions but, for the goalies, it was planned a long time ahead.' Primeau couldn't be faulted for any of Cleveland's goals, while Kapanen played a strong game, directing five shots at Greaves. Primeau, who backed up Jakub Dobes after Samuel Montembeault was injured in the third game against the Capitals, was playing for the first time since April 18, against Belleville. Primeau said he learned he was starting well in advance. 'It was a weird scenario, weird situation,' he said. 'You want to play as many games in the playoffs. I felt good, but I didn't really love my rebound control. I felt good after a couple minutes.' While the Rocket had an abundance of scoring opportunities, it also started sluggishly and didn't have great pace to its game before finding its groove well into the first period. Laval, which finished first overall this season in the AHL, will undoubtedly want to pounce on the Monsters more quickly on Tuesday and avoid having its season come down to a deciding fifth game, also at home, this Friday. 'We've just got to shoot more and it's going to go in sometime,' said Joshua Roy, who had four shots himself. 'I think we need to bring more traffic to the net.' If the Rocket didn't already realize this, it's beginning to comprehend the last win in a series generally is the most difficult to achieve.
Ottawa Citizen
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Rocket pepper Monsters, but they avoid elimination in best-of-five AHL playoff series
Article content The Columbus Blue Jackets, you might remember, came dangerously close to making the NHL playoffs this season, winning their final six games while the Canadiens were stumbling their way to the finish line. Article content The wonderfully named Jet Greaves is a big reason why there were some anxious moments in Montreal. Now, the 24-year-old goaltender is doing his best to make life miserable for the Laval Rocket. Article content Article content Greaves, now playing for Cleveland — the Blue Jackets' AHL affiliate — was magnificent Sunday afternoon, leading the Monsters to a 3-1 victory over the Rocket at Place Bell before a capacity 10,243 spectators. Article content Article content Greaves stopped 36 shots, including 18 in the third period, as Cleveland staved off elimination in the best-of-five series, narrowing its deficit to 2-1 heading into Tuesday night's fourth game at Laval. Article content The Rocket won the opening two games of this series, both on the road last week, beating Greaves seven times over 120 minutes. But it was a different story on Sunday while facing a team desperate to continue its season. Article content Dylan Gambrell scored twice for Cleveland. Roman Ahcan scored a shorthanded goal in the third period — providing the visitors with a 3-0 lead — while adding two assists. Laurent Dauphin, who produced a team-leading 26 goals this season, scored the Rocket's lone goal with fewer than seven minutes remaining in regulation time. Article content Article content 'He (Greaves) is a good goalie,' said Dauphin, who had a team-high seven shots. 'We have to give him credit, but maybe we need more guys in front and try to play with his vision.' Article content Greaves, 24, went undrafted before signing with Columbus as a free agent in February 2022. He went 7-2-2 with the Blue Jackets this season with a 1.91 average, .938 save percentage and two shutouts. Although only a modest 6-feet and 190 pounds, he won five consecutive games for Columbus between April 10-17 as the team attempted in vain to secure the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference, falling just short. Article content Named after martial artist and actor Jet Li, Greaves goes by Calvin when he's at his parents' Cambridge, Ont., home; Jet actually is his middle name.
