NHL News: Columbus Blue Jackets, St. Louis Blues, Minnesota Wild, and the Anaheim Ducks
Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen gave Mike Babcock his phone. The Blues add two on PTOs. No seriously injured Wild entering camp.
Jul 1, 2023; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen speaks after hiring Mike Babcock as the new head coach during a press conference at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Robertson-USA TODAY NETWORK

Kekalainen gave Babcock his phone

Greg Wyshynski: Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen said that Mike Babcock checked out his phone as well.

“Personally I had no problem with it but I can see how it might put someone in an uncomfortable situation.”

Greg Wyshynski: There were some who were critical of the Blue Jackets hiring Babcock from the moment his name was rumored. John Davidson to those people: “Maybe they were right.”

The Blues add two on PTOs

St. Louis Blues: The Blues signed forward Sam Bitten and defenseman Andy Welinski to PTOs.

No seriously injured Wild entering camp

Michael Russo of The Athletic: Minnesota Wild coach Dean Evason on if every player who was hurt in the playoff is healthy entering training camp.

“Ummmmmmm, yeah, pretty much, everybody is. There’s a couple of bumps that we might not see at the start of the training camp, but I don’t want to state them at this time because if it doesn’t transpire then I don’t want to leak that somebody’s been a little bit banged up.”

Evason adds that nobody is seriously injured and Joel Eriksson Ek and Kirill Kaprizov are ready to go. There may be a couple that miss a couple of days of practice.

30 years of Ducks hockey in Anaheim