Columbus Blue Jackets News Clips April 21, 2020 Columbus Blue Jackets PAGE 02 The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets’ signing of Mikhail Grigorenko on hold after NHL rejects the deal PAGE 04 The Athletic: After three seasons in Russia, Mikhail Grigorenko back in NHL with Blue Jackets PAGE 06 The Athletic: NHL voids Mikhail Grigorenko’s contract with Blue Jackets PAGE 07 The Athletic: From Nash to Zherdev to Foligno: The 10 best goals in Blue Jackets history Cleveland Monsters/Prospects NHL/Websites PAGE 13 The Athletic: LeBrun: Alex Pietrangelo on chance to defend, his next deal and uncertain times PAGE 16 TSN.CA: Seravalli: An audit of our 31 bold predictions for the NHL season The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets’ signing of Mikhail Grigorenko on hold after NHL rejects the deal By Brian Hedger – April 20, 2020 It was a good deal while it lasted. The Blue Jackets, however, must wait until July 1 to officially sign Russian forward Mikhail Grigorenko to the one-year, $1.2 million contract for the 2020-21 season. Nearly 12 hours after announcing the signing on Monday, the Jackets issued a news release late Monday night stating the deal was rejected by NHL Central Registry. "The contract subsequently has been rejected ... due to a misunderstanding with regards to the filing window," the statement reads. "We have been in contact with the league and Dan Milstein, Grigorenko’s agent, and the contract will be re-filed on July 1." Grigorenko, who finished his contract with CSKA Moscow this season in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League, is thought to be an unrestricted free agent until a deal is re-filed and accepted. Despite the freeze in the NHL’s 2019-20 regular season for the COVID-19 pandemic, the league hasn't yet postponed its July 1 start of free agency. Regardless of the date, officially signing Grigorenko would be a move that carries little risk for the Blue Jackets and the potential for a nice payoff. It all depends on Grigorenko, a skilled 25-year old forward who has played the past three seasons in the KHL. "I think he’s improved as a hockey player," general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said during a conference call with reporters. "We’ve watched him the last couple years and have had interest in him the last couple years. "He’s improved, but time will tell on the North American side." The first time around in the NHL didn’t exactly work out for Grigorenko, who was selected No. 12 overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2012 draft and made his debut the following season. But the 6-foot-3, 209-pound Grigorenko could never stick in Buffalo, playing parts of three seasons (2013-15) while splitting time among the Sabres, the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League. Grigorenko totaled six goals and eight assists and had a minus-14 rating in 68 career games with Buffalo. He was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche in July 2015 in a package that netted star center Ryan O’Reilly for the Sabres. Grigorenko played two full seasons for the Avs, totaling 16 goals and 34 assists in 149 games before returning to Russia. He was considered a bust, but Grigorenko was still just 22 when he signed with CSKA Moscow. "He went back to recharge his career," said Milstein, who also represents Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov. "He’s a player who can play in all roles, so he became a very universal player. He is mature now, so he’s coming back for an opportunity." The Blue Jackets would be thrilled if that opportunity leads to a longer tenure than one year in Columbus. They already have Gavrikov, who was impressive as a rookie this season, plus three highly-regarded Russian prospects: goaltender Daniil Tarasov (2017, third round) and forwards Dmitri Voronkov (2019, fourth round) and Kirill Marchenko (2018, second round). Grigorenko won’t turn 26 until May 16, so the Jackets see his glass as half-full. "We believe he has a lot of those ingredients that make a player successful over here," Kekalainen said. "He’s had some success over here. He was drafted 12th overall and went back to Europe. (He’s) not the first player to do that and will not be the first player to come back and have success if that’s in order for him, which is something we’re hoping for and projecting." Statistically, there is evidence that might be a possibility. Grigorenko struggled with the Sabres but still excelled at lower levels. The Avalanche gave him his first shot to play full time in the NHL, but his offensive production still lagged. His best season was 2016-17, when he totaled 10 goals and 13 assists in 75 games in his final NHL season before going to Russia. Grigorenko rediscovered his offensive touch there, becoming one of CSKA’s top players. He had a scoring line of 17-35-52 in 55 games last season and 19-22-41 in 47 games this season. He also helped Russia win bronze medals in the past two world championships and won an Olympic gold with Gavrikov in 2018. Grigorenko met with Kekalainen in Russia twice in the past year and spoke by phone recently with Gavrikov, former Blue Jackets defenseman Fedor Tyutin and coach John Tortorella. "He could be making three times the amount of money in Russia, but he chose to come to North America to continue what he began," Milstein said. "He’s got unfinished business here." The Athletic: After three seasons in Russia, Mikhail Grigorenko back in NHL with Blue Jackets By Aaron Portzline – April 20, 2020 COLUMBUS, Ohio — Earlier this season, Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen traveled during one of his trips abroad to watch Mikhail Grigorenko and CSKA play a marquee KHL matchup against St. Petersburg SKA. “I was going to meet with (Grigorenko) afterward, but the coach (Igor Nikitin) put a curfew on him after the game, so he couldn’t leave the hotel,” Kekalainen said. “So I didn’t meet with him. We texted each other. We talked again after the season and now … well, here it is.” The Blue Jackets ended a near two-year pursuit of Grigorenko, a former NHL first-round draft pick, by signing him to a one-year, one-way contract worth $1.2 million on Monday. He will be an unrestricted free agent when the deal is up. Current Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov and former defenseman Fedor Tyutin both spoke with Grigorenko about the organization, the city, the coaching staff, etc., before the signing was finalized. “Mikhail could have made many times more (money) staying in Russia,” agent Dan Milstein said. “He could have waited for other (NHL) teams or for the environment (relating to the coronavirus pandemic) to improve. “But he feels this is a great opportunity to show the team and everybody the hockey player he has become in the last three years, and he wants to stay here (NHL) a long time.” Grigorenko, 25, can play all three forward positions, Kekalainen said, and is at home on the half-wall during the power play. “He has a lot of tools that can make him successful in the NHL,” Kekalainen said. “He found his offensive side again in the KHL with a couple of really good years. He played for Russian in the (2019) World Championships, even when they had all of their NHL guys playing. “He’s going to get a good opportunity to provide some offense, which is something I think we need. He can play center, too, which is intriguing for us.” Grigorenko was the 12th overall pick by Buffalo in 2012 but spent the next three seasons bouncing between the NHL, AHL and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He was traded in 2015 to Colorado, part of the blockbuster trade that sent center Ryan O’Reilly from the Avs to the Sabres. In two full seasons with the Avs, Grigorenko totaled 16-34-50. Colorado did not extend a qualifying offer after the 2016-17, allowing him to return to Russia as a free agent. The two knocks on Grigorenko back then were his average skating and his lack of physicality in board battles. He’s 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, but he played much smaller. Grigorenko appeared to rescue his game with three strong seasons in Russia. He’s played at nearly a point-a-game clip (.91) over the last two seasons (93 points in 102 games), winning a title with CSKA in 2019. But he’ll start from square one in the NHL. “He’s going to have to prove himself all over again,” Kekalainen said. “Like everybody else, it’s up to him to earn his ice time from (coach John) Tortorella. “He one-times the puck pretty good. He can see the ice and make plays. He’s got good hands. He’s a big guy. He’s got all the ingredients. It’s up to him to put it all together.” The Athletic: NHL voids Mikhail Grigorenko’s contract with Blue Jackets By Aaron Portzline – April 20, 2020 COLUMBUS, Ohio — The contract signed by the Blue Jackets and Mikhail Grigorenko was voided by the NHL on Monday just a few hours after the club announced the 25-year-old forward’s return to North America. As first reported by TVA Sports’ Ren Lavoie, Grigorenko was not eligible to sign a contract for 2020-21 until July 1.