Player News - Blue Jackets

Date: Team: Pos:

Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen said he hopes Ryan Johansen takes his recent benching in stride but noted "I' don't really care' if Johansen was unhappy playing in the AHL.

Johansen was a healthy scratch for Springfield during Game 4 of the AHL playoffs and coach Brad Larsen said he didn't feel like Johansen's level of play was where it needed to be. "I think this is probably going to be a disappointment [to him], to say the least, maybe even a bit embarrassing," said Kekalainen, who also noted the fourth overall pick in 2010 will have to earn an NHL spot in training camp next fall. Johansen played in 40 NHL games this season, scoring five goals and 12 points.
May 21 - 4:33 PM

Ryan Johansen spent Game 4 of the AHL playoffs as a healthy scratch for Springfield.

He recorded one assist and a minus-8 rating in the first three games of the series in what ended up as a second-round sweep for Syracuse. "I just felt like his level of play wasn't where it needed to be," coach Brad Larsen said. "We talked after Game 2, and I tried to ramp him up. In Game 3, we just felt like he wasn't all there, like he wasn't invested 100 percent." He didn't require permission from the team's brass to scratch Johansen, but they understood and supported his decision. Johansen played better defensively down the stretch for the Blue Jackets, but he recorded just 12 points in 40 games.
May 20 - 2:10 PM

Ryan Murray is ahead of schedule after undergoing shoulder surgery in mid-January.

The Blue Jackets first round pick and second overall in the 2012 Draft, is in good shape to be ready for the Blue Jackets development camp in the summer. This is great news for the Blue Jackets as they hope Murray will crack their lineup out of training camp although he may need more time as he missed most of last season.
May 12 - 9:12 AM

Boone Jenner has been making a good impression with Springfield of the AHL.

"To me, he's an improved player from what I saw at the end of last season (five games)," coach Brad Larsen said. "And I liked what I saw last year. He's just grown a lot. He's a confidence player, a big strong player. His speed has improved, and that's the No. 1 thing I've recognized. He's not lightning-fast. He'll never be that guy. But he's such a hard worker, and he's got enough speed to be where he needs to be." Jenner has two goals and an assist in six playoff games. He was a stud with the Oshawa Generals of the OHL this season as he had 45 goals and 82 points in 57 games.
May 12 - 9:07 AM

Sergei Bobrovsky is looking to sign a new contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Bobrovsky is coming off his best season to date and is the favorite to win the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goalie. "A new deal could be done this week, or it could be done in August," club president John Davidson said. "You just don't know with these things, but there's a deal to be made there, and it'll get done. We have an affinity for Bob, and Bob likes Columbus." Bobrovsky was outstanding this season as he led the Blue Jackets to the verge of the playoffs after everyone thought they would be the worst team in the NHL. He was 21-11-6 with a 2.00 GAA and a .932 save percentage.
May 12 - 9:05 AM

Marian Gaborik had successful abdominal surgery Thursday.

He will require 3-4 weeks to heal and is expected to spend most of that time in Columbus. Gaborik should be OK in time for training camp after he had a "mesh patch," that was put in place during a sports hernia procedure he had in 2001, adjusted.
May 9 - 6:08 PM

Jared Boll had successful surgery to repair a sports hernia on Thursday.

He'll need 4-6 weeks to recovery and is projected to be fine for training camp next fall. Boll played the final two weeks of the season with the injury.
May 9 - 6:04 PM

Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards was naturally pleased to hear that Sergei Bobrovsky had been nominated for the Vezina Trophy.

"This great news for a lot of different reasons," Richards said. "I'm really happy for Bob because I know the time and effort he put into it. And from a team sense, it's great to have things like this happen because it validates a lot of the really good things this team accomplished this season. You're disappointed you didn't make the playoffs, but when a guy gets singled out for an award like this, it shows that people recognize the good things that happened for us." Bobrovsky should be considered the frontrunner for the award after posting a 2.00 GAA and .932 save percentage in 38 games.
May 9 - 9:06 AM

Sergei Bobrovsky released a statement after being selected as a Vezina Trophy finalist.

"It is a great honor to be a finalist for this award, but I need to thank my teammates and coaches as it would not be possible without them," Bobrovsky said. "I just tried to work hard and get better every day and help the Blue Jackets win games. We missed the playoffs by one point, but it was a good year and I will just try to keep getting better because our goal is to win the Stanley Cup." If Bobrovsky is capable of staying at the elite level he was at during March and April, then anything is possible for the Blue Jackets. Before they get too far ahead of themselves though, they have to re-sign the soon-to-be restricted free agent.
May 8 - 12:04 PM

Sergei Bobrovsky has been selected as a Vezina Trophy nominee.

The award will go to the league's best goaltender and is voted on by the league's general managers. Bobrovsky didn't get off to a particularly inspiring start this season, but he was incredible in the second half of the season and finished with a 2.00 GAA and .932 save percentage. Bobrovsky is a restricted free agent and is likely in line for a big raise. Henrik Lundqvist and Antti Niemi are the other two nominees.
Source: NHL.com
May 8 - 10:42 AM

Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen hasn't made a decision on whether to pursue pending unrestricted free agent Vaclav Prospal.

Kekalainen did add that he's very satisfied with Prospal's performance this season. "He made a big contribution," Kekalainen said. "He always scores. I've seen him since he was a young kid. You always wonder how he does it, but every year he does it. He scores goals and has assists and contributes that way. He's had a great career, and I have a lot of respect for his career and the way he played this year." Prospal had 12 goals and 30 points in 48 games.
May 8 - 9:21 AM

Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen is optimistic that his team will re-sign Sergei Bobrovsky "in the near future."

Bobrovsky is a restricted free agent, so the Blue Jackets aren't in serious danger of losing him, but the question is if they'll be able to sign him to a long-term deal. Bobrovsky is likely seeking a big raise after posting a 2.00 GAA and .932 save percentage in 38 games in 2013.
May 8 - 9:18 AM

Jared Boll will undergo sports hernia surgery this week.

Boll suffered the injury about a month ago but played through it as the Blue Jackets were in playoff contention until the last night of the season. He is expected to be healthy enough for training camp in September.
May 6 - 7:43 AM

The Columbus Blue Jackets are looking to improve their goal scoring in the off-season.

The Blue Jackets were 5-13-4 in games that they gave up more than two goals as they were only 25th in the NHL in goals scored. "It's tough to win games 2-1 every night," GM Jarmo Kekalainen said. "It's going to be easier for us to win more games if we score more goals. Skill and speed are a great part of this game, and that's an area we're going to work on this summer." The Blue Jackets have three first round picks so they do have a lot of options in the off-season. Of course having Marian Gaborik for the whole season won't hurt either.
May 5 - 7:35 AM

The area that Marian Gaborik is scheduled to have abdomen surgery is the same one that he needed hernia surgery for in 2001.

"It began bothering him in the final week or so of the season," one of Gaborik's agents added. Gaborik should be fine for the start of training camp.
May 2 - 9:18 AM


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