COLUMBUS, Ohio — A collection of notes, insights, ruminations and did-you-knows gathered throughout the week that was for the Columbus Blue Jackets:
Three Blue Jackets players — Kirill Marchenko, Sean Monahan and Zach Werenski — are playing at a point-a-game pace through 20 games. The Blue Jackets are playing at a .500 clip, far outpacing the dire projections that they would once again be among the dregs of the NHL.
But the most surprising development over the first six weeks of the season has been the emergence and elevation of winger Mathieu Olivier, who has already set a career-high in goals (six) despite ranking among the league leaders in penalty minutes (35) and fighting majors (three).
The only player in the NHL with six even-strength goals and more penalty minutes than Olivier is Utah’s Jack McBain.
Former NHL heavyweight John Scott, now host of the “Dropping the Gloves” podcast, called Olivier “the best in his business” and urged NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to create the Bob Probert Award to honor the league’s most productive tough guy.
I am now captain of the Mathieu Oliver fan club #cbj pic.twitter.com/m2QNMmpyDM
— John Scott (@johnscott_32) November 19, 2024
The person least surprised by all of this? Olivier.
“You would be right (to say that),” Olivier said. “People can watch me play and think what they want. I knew I could take a step on both sides of the ice and become the big, impact player that I’ve always wanted to be.
“The Tom Wilson-type objective is something that should be the goal. Am I going to get there eventually, consistently over the years? We’ll see. There’s a lot of work to do, obviously. I’m not there yet. I’m not saying I’m Tom Wilson at all, but the goal of being a player like him is something to strive for.”
Olivier has aspired to be like Wilson, the Washington Capitals’ notorious power forward, since joining the Blue Jackets three seasons ago in a trade with Nashville, and there have been brief stretches in each of the last two seasons when you could start to see it.
But two developments over the summer helped Olivier take a big stride in that direction.
First, he spent less time in the gym and more time on the ice, with a focus on puck-handling and puck possession. He also worked on “cognitive training” exercises that he said have made a big difference, though he declined to say exactly what that entailed.
“(It was) mental stuff that, maybe over the years you get a few concussions, and you have some stuff that’s out of whack,” Olivier said. “It’s nothing crazy, but it’s really helped.”
The second positive for Olivier was the hiring of coach Dean Evason, who came in with two new assistant coaches and a vow that every player had a fresh slate, that previous reputations and roles were next to meaningless in Evason’s eyes.
That’s Olivier, though his performance early in the season has earned him a promotion to the third line. That’s how Olivier, who sat and watched during special teams play for much of his NHL career, has become a staple on the penalty kill.
“I do feel (Evason’s confidence),” Olivier said. “It’s a new start for everyone on the team. I had some experience with (assistant coach Scott Ford) in the past, but everybody’s starting from scratch with these guys.
“I’m glad they see me in that role, that elevated role. My job is to perform to that level now, and keep going.”
Olivier’s timing couldn’t be better. He’s can become an unrestricted free agent for the first time after this season and is almost certainly looking at a significant raise from his current $1.1 million salary.
By the sounds of it, Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell doesn’t want Olivier to reach the end of the season without a new contract. Waddell wouldn’t go name by name through the list of Blue Jackets who are pending UFAs — there are nine — but he did make it clear that he sees Olivier as a keeper.
In fact, Waddell said, they’ve already head initial conversations with Olivier’s agent, Philippe Lecavalier, toward a new contract.
“They’re ready to talk when we are, so we’re going to get after here pretty soon,” Waddell said.
As for Olivier?
“As a player, you’re aware of it, but the challenge is to stay within the day-to-day aspect of it,” Olivier said. “Right now, I’m focused on being a Blue Jacket and really making this work here. I want to keep this going, and I want to stay a Blue Jacket.
Item No. 2: Trading Jiricek?
The Blue Jackets sent 20-year-old defenseman David Jiricek to AHL Cleveland last week. It should surprise nobody if the next transaction regarding Jiricek is a trade.
Waddell is not in a hurry to trade Jiricek, but he’s listening to offers. As of the middle of last week, a team source told The Athletic that no official offers were on the table for Waddell to consider, but that also can change in a blink. And with so many GMs circling, it can escalate quickly.
So what would the return look like?
It’s likely that the Blue Jackets would be looking to trade offers that include similarly-aged players as Jiricek, players who were recent top draft picks and are still in their entry-level deals. They’re not interested in players who are in their unrestricted free-agency years.
Two trades over the last 10 months provide a template.
On Jan. 8, 2024, the Philadelphia Flyers traded disgruntled prospect forward Cutter Gauthier (No. 5 overall in 2022) to the Anaheim Ducks for defenseman Jamie Drysdale (No. 6 overall in 2020) and a second-round pick in 2025.
Then, this summer (Aug. 22), forward Rutger McGroarty (No. 14 overall in 2022), who refused to sign with the Winnipeg Jets, was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins for forward Brayden Yager (No. 14 overall in 2023).
It’s important to note that Jiricek has not requested a trade and has not expressed an unwillingness to play for Columbus, as Gauthier and McGroarty did with their teams. He made his season debut with AHL Cleveland on Saturday, generating one shot on goal and an even rating in the Monsters’ 4-1 win over Milwaukee.
Item No. 3: Lindstrom’s back
The Blue Jackets revealed last Wednesday that Cayden Lindstrom, the club’s No. 4 overall draft pick this past summer, had back surgery to relieve symptoms caused by a herniated disc in his lower back. The procedure is called a lumbar microdiscectomy.
Waddell said doctors expect Lindstrom to make a full recovery and are optimistic that, after a month or so of rest, he can resume skating and training and return to play yet this season.
#CBJ GM Don Waddell with an update on Jackets 1st round pick Cayden Lindstrom who had a procedure on his back yesterday. Lindstrom will have minimal activity for 30 days before resuming his work to get back to playing. He will remain in Columbus during that time. pic.twitter.com/xCBzVVptWX
— Dave Maetzold (@DMaetzMedia) November 20, 2024
Upon hearing this news, hundreds of amateur back surgeons in Columbus and the rest of the hockey world expressed concern that Lindstrom’s back would never be 100 percent and/or that the Blue Jackets erred in selecting Lindstrom so high last June.
The Athletic contacted a surgeon in Columbus who performs this procedure to answer some of the basic questions about Lindstrom’s surgery. Dr. Elizabeth Yu, an orthopedic surgeon at Ohio State who specializes in treating spinal diseases and disorders, took time out of a busy schedule to have this email exchange:
In layman’s terms, what does a microdiscectomy procedure entail, and what ailment does it remedy?
The lower back, or lumbar spine, is composed of the vertebral bone and the discs that are the cushion between the bones. As we age, the discs begin to degenerate and can sometimes herniate and cause pressure on a spinal nerve. This can cause leg pain. A lumbar microdiscectomy is a procedure that removes the herniated portion of the disc to take pressure off the nerve and help alleviate the nerve pain down the leg.
How many of these procedures have you performed? What is the typical success rate, and what is considered a success?
I have been in practice for over 10 years and have done several hundred of these procedures. The success rate is over 90 percent for improvement of the nerve pain down the leg when the advanced imaging correlates with the patient’s clinical complaints.
What is the recovery time for this procedure? When is a reasonable amount of time for a patient to be cleared to participate in a physical game such as hockey? And would you have concerns about a patient continuing to play hockey?
My protocol for the recovery timetable for this procedure is six weeks of restricted activity to allow the body to heal from surgery. After this, I encourage patients to participate in physical therapy, and, if they are in a physical sport, to resume training with the goal of returning to the game.
How likely is a microdiscectomy patient to require further back surgery later in life? Do the chances increase that a spinal fusion will be necessary?
There is a risk of re-herniation. It does not necessarily mean the patient needs another surgery. If they are unable to improve with nonoperative treatment options, such as spinal injections, medication and/or physical therapy, another lumbar microdiscectomy would be recommended. If a patient continues to re-herniate their disc at the same level, a spinal fusion is recommended to stop the recurrence.
How concerned would you be about the overall health of a person’s back if this surgery is required at 18 years of age?
Counseling patients on the importance of a healthy back and proper body mechanics is something that is relevant regardless of age.
Item No. 4: Snacks
• With Saturday’s come-from-behind 5-4 shootout win over Carolina, the Blue Jackets reached the 20-game mile marker with a .500 points percentage (9-9-2) for the first time since 2021-22. The Jackets were 5-11-4 last season and 7-12-1 in 2022-23. With wins over Boston (5-1 on Monday), Tampa Bay (7-6 in OT on Thursday), and Carolina, the Jackets have won three in a row for the first time since March 11-16, 2022 — a span of 205 games — when they beat Minnesota, Vegas and Ottawa.
• Don’t look now, but goaltender Elvis Merzlikins is starting to put it together again. Merzlikins stopped 32 of 36 shots in Saturday’s win, earning a fourth consecutive win for the first time since his first four outings of the 2021-22 season. WIth wins over Pittsburgh, Boston, Tampa Bay and Carolina, Merzlikins is now 6-5-1 with an .894 save percentage and 3.08 goals-against average.
• Blue Jackets center Sean Kuraly played in his 500th NHL game on Saturday, quite a milestone for fifth-round pick (No. 133 overall) by San Jose in 2011. As BlueJackets.com reporter Jeff Svoboda noted, Kuraly’s former AAA Blue Jackets teammate Jack Roslovic, now playing for the Carolina Hurricanes, is on pace to hit 500 games later this season. Another Columbus kid, Connor Murphy of the Chicago Blackhawks, is two games short of 700 in his career.
“We’ve been inspired by the (local) players who have come before us,” Kuraly told Svoboda. “There’s groups of kids trying to do the same thing I’m doing. I’m certain there will be plenty more to do it and to do it much better. I think (the previous) guys are proud of inspiring someone like me. I think I can be proud of inspiring the next wave.”
• Werenski’s five-point performance last Thursday vs Tampa Bay — he had two goals, including the OT winner, and three assists in a 7-6 win — marked the first time a Blue Jackets defenseman has totaled five points in a game. The six Columbus forwards to hit five points in a game: Espen Knutsen (0-5-5 vs. Calgary on March 24, 2001), Geoff Sanderson (4-1-5) and Andrew Cassels (1-4-5 at Calgary on March 29, 2003), David Vyborny (1-4-5 vs. Colorado on Feb. 28, 2004), Artemi Panarin (0-5-5 at New Jersey on Dec. 8, 2017), and Johnny Gaudreau (2-3-5 at San Jose on March 14, 2023).
• The last NHL defenseman to score five points in a game was Tampa Bay’s Darren Raddysh, who had 0-5-5 in a 7-0 win over Philadelphia on March 9 of last season.
• Sunday Gathering trivia question: Only six times in 23-plus seasons has a Blue Jackets defenseman totaled four or more points in a game. Four of those six instances belong to Werenski. Name the other two defensemen to total four or more points in a game for Columbus.
• Gavin Brindley, the Blue Jackets’ second-round pick (No. 34 overall) in 2023, had quite the AHL debut on Saturday for Cleveland. He assisted on goals by Trey Fix-Wolansky and Ole Julian Bjørkvik Holm and had a plus-2 rating in the Monsters’ win. Brindley, who made his NHL debut in the Blue Jackets’ final games of last season, had been out since suffering a broken finger during training camp.
• AHL Cleveland’s Rocco Grimaldi carried an eight-game point streak into Sunday’s game vs. Milwaukee. Grimaldi has 5-10-15 during that stretch, claiming to second in the AHL in scoring (6-13-19) despite playing in only 12 games. Grimaldi signed a player tryout contract with Columbus in September.
• Trivia answer: Other than Werenski, the two Blue Jackets defensemen with four-point games are Deron Quint and Seth Jones. Quint had 3-1-4 at Florida on March 9, 2001 (the inaugural season), while Jones totaled 1-3-4 at Vancouver on March 31, 2018.
(Photo of Mathieu Olivier and his son: Samantha Madar / Imagn Images)
