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Columbus Blue Jackets free agent tracker 2024: Latest news, updates, signings

Brian Hedger, Columbus Dispatch · The Columbus Dispatch

Sat, Jul 13, 2024 ·

8 min read

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The first opportunity that new Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell had to make over Columbus' roster came Friday and Saturday at the 2024 NHL draft. Now another window has opened.

As of noon July 1, teams could officially sign free agents. The Blue Jackets entered this period with plenty of cap space but no head coach in place .

Waddell told reporters covering the draft in Las Vegas that he doesn't "anticipate a whole lot in free agency."

You can follow whatever player movement does take place here:

Blue Jackets signings

C Sean Monahan

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - FEBRUARY 23: Sean Monahan #23 of the Winnipeg Jets skates with the puck against Kevin Korchinski #55 of the Chicago Blackhawks during the third period at the United Center on February 23, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Johnny Gaudreau is getting a familiar face from his Calgary days to join him in Columbus.

According to TSN, center Sean Monahan has agreed to a five-year contract with the Blue Jackets worth an average of $5.5 million a season against the NHL salary cap. Monahan played eight-plus seasons with Gaudreau in Calgary. He played nine seasons with the Flames in all, compiling a scoring line of 212 goals, 250 assists and 462 points in 656 games.

D Jack Johnson

TAMPA, FLORIDA - JUNE 26: Jack Johnson #3 of the Colorado Avalanche carries the Stanley Cup following the series winning victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Six of the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena on June 26, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Two days after the start of free agency, the Blue Jackets signed defensemen Jack Johnson , 37, to a one-year, one-way NHL contract worth the veteran minimum of $775,000.

Johnson, who played seven years in Columbus previously, has bounced around the league as a journeyman since leaving the Blue Jackets in 2018 as a free agent. He's a depth defenseman with a left-handed shot who should be expected to play no more than half the games and brings Stanley Cup championship experience after winning a title in 2022 with the Colorado Avalanche .

D Jake Christiansen

Sep 25, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, United States; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jake Christiansen (23) looks out into the rink in a pause in play during the first period of the preseason game at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Scheller-The Columbus Dispatch

The Blue Jackets avoided arbitration with defenseman Jake Christiansen , 24, who agreed to a one-year, two-way contract Wednesday, July 10 that guarantees a minimum salary of $400,000 next season. The contract pays Christiansen $775,000 at the NHL level, $350,000 at the AHL level includes a guaranteed total salary of $400,000 for the season.

Christiansen should have a prime opportunity to earn a full-time NHL role as the most experienced left-handed shooting defenseman in the organization's system. After the departures of Jake Bean , Adam Boqvist and Nick Blankenburg , there's a void on the left side of the third defense pairing, which already includes veteran Erik Gudbranson on the right.

Christiansen's competition in training camp will primarily come from aging veteran Jack Johnson, who was signed this offseason as a free agent, plus a handful of top prospects. Christiansen, who's naturally more of an offensive-minded defender, has worked hard to add more defensive bite to his game since signing with the Blue Jackets on March 4, 2020 as a free agent from the Western Hockey League.

Christiansen has contributed one goal, six assists and seven points in 44 NHL games for the Blue Jackets over the past three years, including 0-2-2 in 12 games last season. Christiansen has logged 211 career AHL games over five years and has contributed 40-100-140 in that span, all but nine games of which playing for the Cleveland Monsters. He set single-season AHL career highs last season for the Monsters, recording 13-33-46 in 62 games and earning second-team AHL All-Star honors. He also played in the AHL's all-star game for the second time in his career.

G Jet Greaves

Dec 8, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Jet Greaves (73) stands in net during the second period of the NHL game against the St. Louis Blues at Nationwide Arena.

The Blue Jackets avoided an arbitration hearing with rookie goalie Jet Greaves , who agreed to a two-year contract Friday worth $1.625 million.

The deal includes a two-way NHL/AHL pay scale for next season and pays Greaves, 23, a guaranteed salary of $825,000 in 2025-26, ending again as a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. The average annual charge against the NHL salary cap for both seasons is $812,500. Greaves was one of three Blue Jackets RFAs who filed for player-elected salary arbitration, but reaching his new deal eliminated the need for a hearing.

Greaves originally signed with the Blue Jackets in 2021 as a free agent from the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League. He's put together an AHL record of 61-40-12 with a 2.96 goals-against average and .905 save percentage in 118 games for the Cleveland Monsters over the past four seasons. Greaves has logged 10 NHL games over the past two years for the Blue Jackets, going 3-7-0 with a 3.44 GAA and .912 save percentage. He went 3-6-0, 3.49 and .908 in nine games for the Jackets this past season, before leading the Monsters on a run to the Eastern Conference final in the AHL's Calder Cup Playoffs.

Barring an injury or trade involving Elvis Merzlikins or Daniil Tarasov, Greaves will return to the Monsters next season as their top option in net.

D Cole Clayton, C Owen Sillinger

Jul. 12, 2022; Lewis Center, OH USA; Columbus Blue Jackets forward Owen Sillinger makes a pass during development camp at the OhioHealth Chiller North in Lewis Center on July 12, 2022. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch

The Blue Jackets agreed to one-year, two-way contracts with defenseman Cole Clayton and center Owen Sillinger. Clayton, 24, and Sillinger, 26, have played for the Cleveland Monsters the past three seasons.

C Dylan Gambrell

After losing several pieces of the AHL Monsters' nucleus to the open market, the Blue Jackets replaced a spot with Dylan Gambrell, a 27-year old center who played last season for the Toronto Marlies — the Toronto Maple Leafs ' AHL affiliate.

Gambrell finished with 14 goals, 22 assistrs and 36 points in 66 games for the Marlies. Originally selected 60th overall in the 2016 by San Jose , he's compiled a 17-23-40 scoring line in 233 NHL games logged for the Sharks and Ottawa Senators — most recently tallying 4-6-10 in 60 games for Ottawa in 2022-23.

Blue Jackets departures

D Jake Bean

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jake Bean (22) skates around Arizona Coyotes left wing Loui Eriksson (21) during the second period of the season opening NHL hockey game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021.

According to TSN, defenseman Jake Bean is signing a two-year deal with the Calgary Flames . The Blue Jackets had decided against offering Bean a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent.

D Adam Boqvist

Mar 24, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Adam Boqvist (27) skates around New York Islanders center Bo Horvat (14) during the second period of the NHL hockey game at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch

After the Blue Jackets bought out the final year of his contract , defenseman Adam Boqvist signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Tuesday, July 9. Boqvist, 23, joined his brother, forward Jesper Boqvist , who also signed with Florida.

Adam Boqvist, selected eighth overall in 2018 by the Chicago Blackhawks , has battled a litany of injuries to start his NHL career. Those health issues limited his ability to stay on the ice and develop with the Blue Jackets, who acquired him prior to the 2021 NHL draft as part of a return package in a deal that sent defenseman Seth Jones to the Blackhawks.

Boqvist, a power play specialist who struggled defensively at even strength, finished his Blue Jackets career with 17 goals, 39 assists, 56 points and a -31 plus/minus rating in 133 games. He started his NHL career with the Blackhawks, notching 6-23-29 with a -10 in 76 games.

D Nick Blankenburg

Mar 3, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Nick Blankenburg (77) passes around Seattle Kraken right wing Jordan Eberle (7) during the second period of the NHL hockey game at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch

After playing parts of three seasons with the Blue Jackets, defenseman Nick Blankenburg signed a two-year contract worth a total of $1.55 million with the Nashville Predators . Numerous injuries sidelined the undersized, gritty defenseman with the Blue Jackets. Should he stay healthy over the course of this deal, Blankenburg could be a steal for the Predators.

RW Carson Meyer

Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Carson Meyer (55) passes the puck up ice against Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim (6) during the 1st period of their NHL game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio on April 7, 2022.

Carson Meyer, 26, will venture outside of the Blue Jackets' organization for the first time in his professional career after signing a one-year, two-way contract Wednesday with the Anaheim Ducks .

After spending the past four seasons playing for AHL Cleveland a nd logging two goals, four assists and six points in 41 NHL games for the Blue Jackets, the Columbus-area product (Delaware) will played next season with either the AHL's San Diego Gulls or Ducks.

Meyer wore an 'A' as an alternate captain last season for the Monsters and finished with 22-15-37 in 55 games. He had 1-1-2 in 14 games with the Blue Jackets. Meyer played split his collegiate career between Miami of Ohio and Ohio State, and is a product of the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets Tier 1 developmental program.

C Brendan Gaunce

Columbus Blue Jackets center Brendan Gaunce (23) tries to hit a rebound off St. Louis Blues goaltender Charlie Lindgren (39) during the second period of the NHL preseason hockey game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021.

Brendan Gaunce, a key center for the Cleveland Monsters and solid NHL fill-in when needed for the Blue Jackets, signed a two-year contract with the Minnesota Wild worth $1.55 million. It's a two-way AHL/NHL contract that will guarantee him at least $550,000 per year if he plays in the AHL.

C Josh Dunne

Josh Dunne, a big center who was important for the Monsters' run to the Eastern Conference finals in the AHL's Calder Cup Playoffs, left the Blue Jackets' organization to sign a two-year contract with the Sabres worth $1.55 million.

D Billy Sweezey

Gritty, physical defenseman Billy Sweezey, a strong locker room presence and leader for the Monsters/Blue Jackets, agreed to a two year, two-way contract with the Boston Bruins , the team he cheered while growing up in that area.

Blue Jackets restricted free agents

Jan 13, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Kirill Marchenko (86) skates up ice past Seattle Kraken defenseman Brian Dumoulin (8) during the first period of the NHL hockey game at Nationwide Arena.

The team extended qualifying offers to the following restricted free agents:

Jake Christiansen, Defense
Jet Greaves, Goaltender
Kent Johnson , Left Wing/Center
Kirill Marchenko , Right Wing
Cole Sillinger , Center

bhedger@dispatch.com

@BrianHedger

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets 2024 free agent tracker

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