Welcome back to Columbus Blue Jackets News & Rumors. After some time off to enjoy the summer, we are starting things back up once a week in this space from now all the way through until next summer. Even though things may seem quiet, there’s still plenty to discuss.
Behind the scenes, there’s a situation playing out that will have direct impact with the Blue Jackets. We’ll get you caught up on the latest there and then discuss some scouting staff changes within the team.
The Blue Jackets & Bally Sports
This story isn’t getting as much attention as it should. We’re approaching the end of August and 12 NHL teams including the Blue Jackets do not have 100% certainty as to who will be broadcasting their games. The ongoing situation with Diamond Sports and their bankruptcy leaves everyone with more questions than answers.
And now there’s yet another twist to this story. Diamond Sports is suing its parent company Sinclair Broadcasting for allegedly extracting $1.5 billion from them while being fully aware of its financial state. This is on top of Diamond now calling in mediators as they continue negotiating with creditors and sports teams over the existing contracts (From ‘DSG calls in mediators to resolve RSN standoff for start of NBA and NHL seasons‘, 8/18/2023, Steve McCaskill, SportsProMedia.com.)
Diamond is in the midst of working on a reorganization plan. The deadline for them to turn this in was recently moved up from Nov 9 to Sept 30. In that time, they will need to determine which of media rights to keep, including the Blue Jackets.
In terms of what to watch for in the coming weeks:
- There are renewal negotiations ongoing with some of the biggest carriers Comcast, DirecTV and Spectrum. Decisions on who to keep will come down to how these negotiations go.
- Who will rise up and grab local rights if Diamond relinquishes the rights? Just this week, the NBA’s Indiana Pacers indicated that they project to start the season on Bally Sports. Other teams including the Blue Jackets could follow suit. But will a streaming company offer to take on the rights?
- The key date as mentioned above is Sept 30 when the reorganization plan is due in bankruptcy court. That’s when we will start to have a better idea of where this could all go.
This truly is a wait and see situation. As soon as we find out more, we’ll make sure to share it with you.
Scouting Changes
The Blue Jackets have had some changes to their scouting staff in advance of the 2023-24 season.
Former Cleveland Monsters head coach Mike Eaves has retired, GM Jarmo Kekalainen confirmed. Eaves spent the 2022-23 season as a pro scout after serving as the head coach of the Cleveland Monsters.
In addition, Troy Dumville has accepted a full-time role with the Winnipeg Jets after serving as an amateur scout last season. Kekalainen also confirmed that amateur scout Mike Antonovich is still with the team after going through a minor procedure.
Side Dishes
- Still nothing new to report on negotiations between the Blue Jackets and defenseman Tim Berni. “Status quo,” Kekalainen said of these negotiations. The team has talked with Berni all summer about various contract options but have been unable to reach an agreement yet. Berni is the last remaining RFA the team has. There’s still a month or so until training camp begins.
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- The Traverse City Prospects Tournament will feature four teams this year including the Blue Jackets, host Detroit Red Wings, the Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs. Each team will play three games. The games start on Sept 14.
- The Blue Jackets are still in the market for a potential third goaltender who can backup Elvis Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov. We should start to get some clarity on this situation in the coming weeks. It may take until training camps are well underway to see who might become available.
