It is the middle of January, and the Columbus Blue Jackets hold a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. If that’s not the best storyline of the NHL season to date, we’re not sure what is.
The Blue Jackets play a big divisional game on Tuesday night when they host the Philadelphia Flyers at Nationwide Arena. How big is the game?
Entering Tuesday, the Flyers trail the Blue Jackets by three points in the standings. It’s a true four-point game. The Flyers can end Tuesday one point behind or five points behind the Blue Jackets.
Given that it’s the sixth game in 10 days for the Flyers, the Blue Jackets have an opportunity to take advantage of the schedule against a potentially tired team. Should the Blue Jackets win, that would mark their first five-game winning streak since 2020.
We start this week’s edition of Blue Jackets News & Rumors with a contract extension for someone who worked hard to earn it.
Aston-Reese Extends
On Monday, the Blue Jackets announced an extension for one of their pending UFAs. Given his recent travels, it’s an earned contract.
The Blue Jackets signed Zach Aston-Reese to a one-year contract extension with an AAV of $775,000. He was originally claimed off waivers from the Vegas Golden Knights.
On the season, Aston-Reese has 4-7-11 in 42 games. But it’s what he’s been able to provide down the lineup that has stood out. Here’s what GM Don Waddell had to say about the signing.
“Zach has been a great addition to the Blue Jackets on the ice and in the dressing room. He brings speed, grit and versatility to our forward group and we are excited that he will continue to be a part of our club.”
Aston-Reese has provided value both defensively and on the penalty kill. He can occasionally chip in some offense when the opportunity arises.
The takeaway here for the Blue Jackets is being able to lock in a depth player at a minimal cap hit. Although the Blue Jackets have ample cap space, they have to save a lot of it for their young core when they need new contracts.
Being able to lock in Aston-Reese fills a bottom-six need and gives stability to a player who has been an important part of the locker room. This was a tidy piece of business by Waddell.
Jenner Update
At an event on Monday night in downtown Columbus, GM Don Waddell provided a few important updates. He said that captain Boone Jenner is ahead of schedule in his recovery.
Waddell told the Hockey Writers in Pittsburgh that Jenner is scheduled to see the doctor on Jan 19. On Monday, he took it a step further saying that there is a chance he could return to play not only before the Stadium Series game, but after the 4-Nations break in February.
Couple #CBJ news items tonight per GM Don Waddell.
— Mark Scheig (@mark_scheig) January 13, 2025
-Sean Monahan will wear his brace for two weeks and then see where things go. Not day-to-day, but not long term either.
-Boone Jenner is ahead of schedule. If all goes well, he could return right after the 4-Nations break.
Considering how bleak the outlook was when the injury first happened, this is welcomed news for a Blue Jackets’ team that is slowly starting to get closer to having a healthier lineup.
Waddell said Jenner’s return after the 4 Nations would happen if all goes well. Jenner has been skating on his own in the Ice Haus. Should he get clearance at the upcoming appointment, he could start taking body contact.
Monahan Update
Waddell also gave an update on Monahan. He said Monahan’s wrist brace will be worn for two weeks. Then his status will be determined after that based on how he heals.
In Waddell’s words, “it’s not day-to-day but it isn’t long-term either.” That is welcomed news in the sense that the Blue Jackets avoided the worst-case scenario.
While Monahan is now expected to miss a handful of games upcoming, his return can be measured in weeks as opposed to months or longer especially if a fracture was involved. Waddell confirmed the injury was not a fracture.
Side Dishes
- Entering Tuesday, the Blue Jackets are 8-2-1 in their last 11 games. They’ve averaged 3.91 goals per game and are operating at 45.8% on their power play. Both of those lead the NHL.
- The Blue Jackets also lead the NHL in six-goal games this season with 10.
- Zach Werenski has points in 16 consecutive home games entering Tuesday. He’s the seventh defenseman to have a streak that long and the first since 1992-93.