With just 12 days to go until the first round of the NHL Draft, the Blue Jackets continue to hit the news feed. On this week’s News & Rumors, we have a pair of signings to discuss.
The Blue Jackets have decided on a goaltending coach for Elvis Merzlikins. In addition, the team brought back one of their RFA’s. Let’s dive in.
New Goaltending Coach
Who would have thought when the offseason began, the Blue Jackets would have their new goaltending coach in place before their new head coach? That’s exactly what has happened with the signing of former Minnesota Wild standout Niklas Backstrom. He replaces Manny Legace in the vital role of working with Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov.
Backstrom has been with the Blue Jackets’ organization since July 2019. He spent the last four seasons as the team’s European goaltending coach. In his 21 professional seasons, Backstrom has won the William Jennings Trophy, been a Vezina finalist and has been to an All-Star Game. He’s also enjoyed success on the world stage at both the World Championships and in the Olympics.
The Blue Jackets clearly hope Backstrom’s experience will help Merzlikins find his form. It’s well documented the struggles Merzlikins had last season. It’s also well documented the relationship he had with Legace both on and off the ice. In terms of importance, this hire is one of the most important decisions the team had to make.
It’s not overstating it to say that the 2023-24 season will ride heavily on the Blue Jackets’ goaltending. It has to be significantly better than it has been.
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An early offseason takeaway has been the moves made and how they affect the goaltending. Adding two top-four defensemen in Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson should help the goaltending. Also adding a coach in Backstrom who will demand excellence and work should help get the best out of Merzlikins and Tarasov.
It is clear the Blue Jackets are doing what they can to help their goaltenders out. Now it’s up to Merzlikins and Tarasov to do their part to play to their potential. We’ll see if a new and fresh voice will lead to a rebound for Merzlikins in the upcoming season.
Dunne Re-Signs
The Blue Jackets took care of another piece of business with one of their RFAs. On Thursday, the team officially announced the signing of forward Josh Dunne to a one-year, two-way deal. This transaction was first reported on Wednesday by CapFriendly.
The deal sees Dunne get paid $775,000 at the NHL level according to CapFriendly. This is Dunne’s first contract since he signed his ELC in March 2021. He appeared in just eight games during the 2022-23 season.
As for the signing, it’s a tidy piece of business. Dunne will likely start in the AHL depending on how training camp goes. But then he’ll be in the conversation for a callup should injuries start to arise. He’s a center who can play with an edge. He’s also primed to show how ready he is for a more full-time role.
When Dunne was available with the Monsters, he enjoyed a breakout season scoring 20 goals and 37 points in 65 appearances. He took advantage of a depleted Monsters team with most of their players eventually getting time on the Blue Jackets.
With Dunne now signed, the Blue Jackets have a handful of RFAs remaining. These include Mathieu Oliver, Tim Berni, Trey Fix-Wolansky, Carson Meyer and Marcus Bjork.
Side Dishes
- ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski tweeted on Thursday that he asked an NHL executive about the upcoming free agent class. The executive said it was “expletive awful.” Curious to see if that will lead to a more explosive trade market. The Blue Jackets still need to address center ice. There’s no guarantee that whoever they draft third will be ready for the NHL this season.
- The Blue Jackets’ room is crowded as it is. If they’re going to address center and make room for Alex Texier and Dmitri Voronkov, bodies are going to have to be moved out. Waivers status could be a big thing in determining an opening-night roster. If they want to make a big splash at center, money is going to have to be moved out too. No, the Blue Jackets don’t appear to be done with big moves.
- The official draft order was confirmed by the NHL on Thursday. The Blue Jackets as of this writing own seven picks. Those are 3rd, 34th, 66th, 98th, 114th, 156th and 194th.