Blue Jackets' Luca Pinelli: Inks entry-level contract
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Pinelli reached an agreement with the Blue Jackets on Tuesday, signing a three-year, entry-level deal beginning with the 2024-25 season.
Pinelli had a fabulous season in the OHL for the Ottawa 67's in 2023-24, registering 48 goals and 34 assists in 68 games. At this point it isn't clear if Pinelli will return to the OHL for one final season or make the jump to the AHL in 2024-25.
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Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski: Four points in finale
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Werenski produced two goals and two assists in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Hurricanes.
The blueliner had at least one point in each period and helped set up Luca Del Bel Belluz for the 20-year-old's first career goal as well as Johnny Gaudreau's game-winner. Werenski had five multi-point efforts in his final 14 games of the campaign, and his big performance in the Blue Jackets' finale gave him his sixth career season season with double-digit goals. The 26-year-old wraps up 2023-24 with 11 goals and 57 points in 70 contests.
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Blue Jackets' James Malatesta: Reassigned after finale
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Malatesta was reassigned to AHL Cleveland on Tuesday.
Malatesta scored in the first period of Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Hurricanes. He earned four points over 11 contests at the NHL level. The 20-year-old winger is set to join the Monsters for their playoff run.
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Blue Jackets' Luca Del Bel Belluz: Scores in debut, then sent down
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Del Bel Belluz was reassigned to AHL Cleveland on Tuesday.
Del Bel Belluz scored in his NHL debut -- on his first shot -- in a 6-3 win over the Hurricanes. The 20-year-old will return to Cleveland to help its Calder Cup playoff run.
Blue Jackets' Mikael Pyyhtia: Drops back to AHL Cleveland
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Pyythia was reassigned to AHL Cleveland on Tuesday.
Pyythia earned an assist in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Hurricanes. The 22-year-old winger will return to the AHL affiliate after posting two helpers across 17 outings at the NHL level this season.
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Blue Jackets' David Jiricek: Sent down Tuesday
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Jiricek was reassigned to AHL Cleveland on Tuesday.
Jiricek played in the Blue Jackets' last seven games of the season, picking up just one assist in that span. He had 10 points over 43 outings at the NHL level this year, positioning him well to take a full-time job with the Blue Jackets in 2024-25.
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Blue Jackets' Nick Blankenburg: Drops to AHL
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Blankenburg was reassigned to AHL Cleveland on Tuesday.
Blankenburg played versus the Hurricanes on Tuesday in the Blue Jackets' season finale. He'll now bolster the Monsters' defense corps. Blankenburg had one goal and no assists over 12 NHL appearances this season.
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Blue Jackets' Jet Greaves: Sent down after finale
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Greaves was reassigned to AHL Cleveland on Tuesday.
Greaves stopped 38 of 41 shots in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Hurricanes. He'll now head back to the Monsters with the Blue Jackets' season over, giving the AHL team reinforcements for the Calder Cup playoffs. Greaves went 3-6-0 with a 3.49 GAA and a .908 save percentage over nine NHL outings.
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Blue Jackets' Luca Del Bel Belluz: Summoned from AHL
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Del Bel Belluz was recalled from AHL Cleveland on Tuesday.
Del Bel Belluz will make his NHL debut in Tuesday's regular-season finale against Carolina because Dmitri Voronkov (illness) is unavailable. The 20-year-old Del Bel Belluz has nine goals and 30 points in 55 AHL outings this campaign.
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Blue Jackets' Dmitri Voronkov: Dealing with illness
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Voronkov is under the weather and will miss the season finale against Carolina on Tuesday, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports.
Voronkov is expected to be replaced by Luca Del Bel Belluz, who is being recalled from AHL Cleveland. With Voronkov's absence, he will end his rookie season having notched 18 goals and 16 assists, including eight power-play points, in 75 appearances.
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Blue Jackets' Daniil Tarasov: Unavailable for season finale
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Tarasov (upper body) won't be in the lineup Tuesday against the Hurricanes, per Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site.
Tarasov will miss his sixth straight contest. He will finish the 2023-24 season with a record of 8-11-3, a 3.18 GAA and a .908 save percentage over 24 appearances. Jet Greaves will be backed up by Elvis Merzlikins (lower body) in Tuesday's home game against Carolina.
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Blue Jackets' Adam Boqvist: Won't return for season finale
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Boqvist (upper body) won't play in Tuesday's season finale against the Hurricanes.
Boqvist will miss a 16th straight game to close out the season. He'll finish the year having collected one goal and 10 points through 35 outings in a bottom-four role.
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Blue Jackets' Yegor Chinakhov: Not playing Tuesday
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Chinakhov (upper body) won't play Tuesday against Carolina, Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site reports.
Chinakhov will miss his 17th consecutive contest. He will conclude the 2023-24 campaign with 16 goals, 29 points, 110 shots on net and 43 hits in 53 games.
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Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: Returning Tuesday
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Merzlikins (lower body) will serve as the backup to Jet Greaves on Tuesday at home against Carolina, per Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers.
Merzlikins had a disappointing season but didn't get much help from his offense all year. The 30-year-old recorded an .897 save percentage and a 13-17-8 record in 41 appearances. His status for the 2024-25 campaign is somewhat unclear. Although he is signed through 2026-27, the netminder requested a trade in January after seemingly losing the starting gig. He didn't end up getting dealt, and all parties may have put that behind them, but it'll be something worth monitoring during the summer. There is a good chance he'll open the 2024-25 campaign as Columbus' No. 1 goaltender should he remain with the franchise.
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Blue Jackets' Boone Jenner: Won't play in season finale
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Jenner (personal) won't be in the lineup for Tuesday's game versus Carolina, Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site reports.
Per Blue Jackets reporter Dave Maetzold, coach Pascal Vincent said Monday that it would be up to Jenner as to whether or not he would play against the Hurricanes, and the 30-year-old vet has evidently decided to stay out of the lineup for the final game of the season. Jenner will finish the campaign having picked up 22 goals and 35 points through 58 contests.
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Blue Jackets' Jet Greaves: Facing Hurricanes
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Greaves will patrol the home crease versus Carolina in Tuesday's season finale, Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site reports.
Greaves has gone 2-6-0 in limited NHL action this season, but he's posted a decent .906 save percentage behind a poor Blue Jackets team over that stretch. He'll try to secure his third career NHL victory in a rough home matchup with a red-hot Hurricanes squad that's won five straight games.
Blue Jackets' Malcolm Subban: Sent to minor-league affiliate
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Subban was demoted to AHL Cleveland on Monday.
Subban's demotion suggests Elvis Merzlikins (lower body) may end up being available for Tuesday's season finale against Carolina. Subban has appeared in just one NHL contest this year -- he surrendered three goals on 35 shots en route to a 3-0 loss to the Hurricanes on April 7.
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Blue Jackets' Trey Fix-Wolansky: Returned to AHL affiliate
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Fix-Wolansky was reassigned to AHL Cleveland on Monday.
Fix-Wolansky has likely seen his last NHL action of 2024-25. If he isn't recalled for Tuesday's season finale against Carolina, the 24-year-old winger will finish the year having collected three points through 11 appearances with the Blue Jackets.
