With Columbus looking to get above the salary cap floor, they have signed 35-year-old left-winger James van Riemsdyk to a one-year, $900,000 contract. The 35-year-old is entering his 16th NHL season with his fourth team and spent 2023-24 with Boston where he had 11 goals, 38 points and 142 SOG in 71 games played.
Gaudreau was struck and killed by a car while riding a bicycle on Thursday evening. The accident occurred around 8:30 p.m. on Thursday in rural Salem County, N.J., outside of Philadelphia. The 11-year veteran played nine seasons with the Flames and two with the Blue Jackets, amassing 743 career points (243G / 500A) in 763 games.
Weeks after signing fellow 2021 1st-round pick (5th overall) Kent Johnson, Columbus has also agreed to signed Cole Sillinger to a two-year, $4.5 million contract extension ($2,250,000 AAV). The 21-year-old was drafted 12th overall by the Blue Jackets in 2021 and has faced his share of up-and downs since joining the NHL as an 18-year-old in 2021-22. In 77 games in 2023-24 he had 13 goals, 32 points, 46 PIMs and 157 SOG while averaging 16:07 TOI/GP.
Patrik Laine's offseason saga comes to an end after he was traded to Montreal on Monday alongside a 2026 2nd-round pick for Jordan Harris. Harris heads to Columbus after three strong seasons in Montreal and has eight goals and 32 points in 131 career games played. The 24-year-old was Montreal's 2018 3rd-round pick (71st overall).
Marchenko built on a successful first season in Columbus by scoring 23 goals with 19 assists (42 points) in 78 games in 2023-24. The Blue Jackets were not busy in the offseason, so Marchenko will be a prominent part of their top-6 again in 2024-25. He saw a small bump in ice time down the stretch last season, and that will need to remain if he's going to be a 30-plus goal scorer this season.
Johnson's up-and-down tenure in Columbus will continue after the 21-year-old former top prospect signed a three-year, $5.4 million contract ($1,800,000 AAV). The ex-Michigan superstar was Columbus' 2021 1st round pick (5th overall) and took a noticable step backwards in 2023-24 only picking up six goals and 16 points in 42 games after amassing 40 points (16G/24A) in 79 games played the season before.
Greaves spent most of the 2024 season in the AHL, going 30-12-4 with a. 2.93 GAA and .910 SV%. He also impressed during a nine-game stint with the Blue Jackets, where he was 3-6-0 with a 3.49 GAA and .908 SV%. Greaves should open the 2024-25 season in the AHL.
Christiansen spent most of the 2024 season in the AHL, but did appear in 12 games with the Blue Jackets, tallying two assists. During his time in Cleveland (AHL), the 24-year-old blueliner had 13 goals and 33 assists (46 points) in 62 games. He'll likely start 2024-25 in Cleveland.
Sawchenko spent the 2023-24 season with the Canucks' organization, where he played the entire season in the AHL. The 26-year-old netminder was 4-1-0 with a 2.12 GAA and .924 SV% in six regular season games with Abbotsford (AHL) and was 2-4 with a 2.96 GAA and .898 SV% in six AHL playoff games. Expect him to start the 2024-25 season in Cleveland (AHL).
After two years in Colorado, Johnson returns to the Blue Jackets where he played from 2012 to 2018. At age 37, Johnson will likely be nothing more than a No.6 or No.7 defenseman in Columbus this season. He had 16 points (3G / 13A) in 80 games a season ago.
Gambrell spent the entire 2024 season with the Toronto Marlies (AHL), scoring 14 goals with 22 assists (36 points) in 66 games. Gambrell provides the Blue Jackets with some organizational centre depth but will likely start the year in the AHL. The 27-year-old has plenty of NHL experience, playing 233 career games for the Sharks and Senators.
After three successful seasons in Cleveland (AHL), Columbus has signed Cole Clayton to a one-year, entry-level contract on Monday. The 24-year-old joined Cleveland as an undrafted free agent in 2021-22 and had five goals and 20 points in 59 games with Cleveland in 2023-24.
Cleveland (AHL) kept some of its depth on Monday as Columbus re-signed Owen Sillenger to a one-year, two-way contract. The 26-year-old son of Mike Sillinger has yet to make his NHL debut in any of his three AHL seasons but had 11 goals and 40 points in 69 games played with Cleveland in 2023-24.
Columbus made their big splash on Monday by signing 29-year-old Sean Monahan to a five-year deal worth $27.5 million ($5.5M AAV). The 11-year-old veteran is joining his fourth NHL team in Columbus after putting up his highest point production (59 Pts) since 2018-19 with both Montreal and Winnipeg in 2023-24.
Columbus made their first re-signing of the offseason on Friday as they signed Yegor Chinakhov to a two-year, $4.2 million contract extension ($2,100,000 AAV). The 23-year-old took a massive step forward in 2023-24, with 16 goals, 29 points and 110 SOG in 53 games played.
Jakub Lauko will be a healthy scratch in game three, allowing van Riemsdyk to make his series debut. The 34-year-old van Riemsdyk had an up-and-down 2023-24 campaign, scoring 38 points (11G / 27A) in 71 contests.
Pinelli was the 114th overall pick of the Blue Jackets in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. The 19-year-old forward had an impressive season with the Ottawa 67's (OHL), scoring 82 points (48G / 34A) in 68 games.
van Riemsdyk was a healthy scratch for Boston's previous two games but will be drawn into the lineup on Tuesday as he takes the spot of Johnny Beecher. The 34-year-old veteran left-winger has played well despite averaging his lowest TOI (13:29) since his rookie season in 2009-2010, with 11 goals, 38 points, 140 SOG and 20 PIMs in 70 games played.
With Montreal on the second half of a back-to-back Jordan Harris will be a healthy scratch as Jayden Struble returns to the lineup. The 23-year-old's third NHL season will come to an end with three goals, 14 points, 43 SOG, 22 PIMs and a -5 plus/minus after 56 games played.
Voronkov will not play on Tuesday due to an illness and will be replaced by Luca Del Bel Belluz. The 23-year-old Voronkov has 34 points (18G / 16A) in 75 games this season.
