Sergei Bobrovsky may not have been in Toronto long, but he is already sounding like a player whose voice carries real weight in the room. Elliotte Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts Podcast that the veteran goaltender does not speak often, but when he does, people pay attention.
“I’ve heard has become one of the biggest voices in that room, that when he talks, mountains move,” Friedman said.
Auston Matthews also had strong praise for the two-time Stanley Cup champion, calling it an “absolute treat” to have Bobrovsky around. Matthews highlighted the goalie’s professionalism, preparation and experience as the things that have stood out most so far.
That kind of presence is exactly what a Maple Leafs team chasing a bigger step forward would want from a veteran addition.
In Columbus, the Adam Fantilli situation is still unresolved, and the Blue Jackets have now gone four straight days of training camp without the 21-year-old. Fantilli is coming off a career-best season that produced 24 goals and 59 points, which makes this one of the biggest restricted free-agent holdouts left on the board.
Darren Dreger said both sides are leaning on comparable contracts in their negotiations, though he does not see real bad blood between Fantilli, agent Pat Brisson and the Blue Jackets. His expectation is that a deal will get done before the regular season starts.
Friedman pointed to Cutter Gauthier’s recent contract as something that could actually help Columbus more than Fantilli in the market-setting process. The size of that deal gives the Blue Jackets another reference point as they try to pin down Fantilli’s next number.
Another Columbus name drawing attention is Kirill Marchenko, and the trade talk around him comes with a big catch: the next contract. Dreger said the acquisition cost could already be steep, and teams interested in Marchenko would also have to be comfortable with a deal that could land around $12 million per season.
That kind of price tag changes the picture for teams like the Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens, all of whom already have major money tied up elsewhere.
Friedman added that Columbus may want to see Fantilli’s contract situation resolved before seriously moving Marchenko. The Blue Jackets could also have to take salary back in any deal, which makes it even more important that they do not create another cap headache.
There is also a sense that Columbus may simply wait and see once the season opens before making a final call. “Depending on who you talk to, you get different opinions on wether or not Columbus really wants to do this and especially now. I think most people believe that Columbus wants to start the season and go and then decide what they want to do…”
Meanwhile, Kevin Hayes has brought an abrupt close to his playing career. The former NHL forward announced his retirement after appearing in just five games for Kazan Ak-Bars in the KHL.
Hayes had signed with the club after failing to land an NHL deal over the offseason, but his time there was short-lived. He finished with no points and a minus-one rating before deciding to step away from the game.
“I have decided to end my hockey career,” Hayes said in a statement released through the KHL. “I can no longer play at the level I am capable of because my body does not allow me to perform at my best. And I cannot accept not being in top form.”
It is a sudden ending for Hayes, whose professional hockey run is now over.
In Other News...
Blue Jackets Roster Battle Starts Getting Real In First Preseason Look
The Blue Jackets are finally moving from camp skates to something closer to a real evaluation, with their first preseason game against the Red Wings set to give the staff a useful early look at a roster still taking shape. With only a limited number of exhibition games on the calendar and some restrictions on who can play, these openers carry a little more weight than usual, especially for a club trying to separate established pieces from the prospects pushing to matter.
That makes the first game a useful snapshot of a defense battle that has been building since camp began, while also creating room for younger players to show they belong in the conversation. Mathieu Olivier, Conor Garland, Denton Mateychuk, Ivan Provorov and Dante Fabbro are all expected to get in, so the Jackets should have enough regulars on the ice to make the matchup meaningful without losing sight of the bigger question: which players keep giving the coaching staff reasons to keep them around when the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Offseason Plan Hinges On Two Crucial Contract Decisions
The Blue Jackets summer has turned into a waiting game, with front office plans being shaped less by outside trade chatter than by two key contract tracks. Columbus is working through a long-term extension for center Cole Fantilli, and the talks matter because of what they mean for the roster around him. Until that deal gets sorted out, the club is holding off on some of its other decisions while trying to keep its salary picture flexible.
Kirill Marchenko adds another layer to the puzzle. The winger is entering the final year of his contract, and his next deal could force Columbus to confront how much room it really has to maneuver under the cap. With both negotiations hanging over the offseason, the Blue Jackets trade posture and broader team-building plans may stay in limbo a little longer than they would like. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets No. 10 Brings Back More Franchise Eras Than Fans Realize
A simple sweater number can end up carrying a lot more history than fans expect, and No. 10 has done exactly that for Columbus. Over the years, the Blue Jackets have passed it from one era to another, with Serge Aubin, Trevor Letowski, Duvie Westcott, James Wisniewski, Marin Gbork, Mark Letestu, Jack Skille and Alexander Wennberg all taking a turn wearing it while the franchise kept searching for the right fit.
What makes the list especially interesting is how many of those names have since moved into new chapters, whether behind the bench or into other post-playing roles, turning a single number into a kind of time capsule for the organization. And even as the jersey history itself is easy to trace, the broader story of some of those former No. 10s still leaves room for a deeper look at how their Blue Jackets stops shaped what came next. [Read more 🡒]