Dubois is not the only decision the Blue Jackets have between now and the offseason
Aaron Portzline of The Athletic: Big changes could be coming after the season for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Head coach John Tortorella is in the last year of his deal and it’s not a guarantee that he’ll be back. Captain Nick Foligno is in the last year of his deal. Both Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins are a year away from being UFAs and who will they want as their No. 1 goalie going forward?
Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen is being patient with the Pierre-Luc Dubois situation.
TSN’s Ray Ferarro said that changes are coming and that the players know it.
Contract talks between the Blue Jackets and the 33-year old Foligno could be tricky. His offense has decreased the past couple of season’s and he’s not going to get the $5.5 million he’s currently making. They’ll make him a respectful offer and he may take a discount to stay.
The Tortorella and Foligno situations will likely wait until after the season.
If the Blue Jackets aren’t in the playoff race and get an offer they can’t refuse, they could move Dubois before the deadline. If not, they can hold on to him. A trade at the 2021 NHL draft seems like a likely scenario. More teams may be able to get involved.
There is basically no chance that both Korpisalo and Merzlikins will sign after the 2021-22 season, and the Blue Jackets won’t let one of them walk for nothing in free agency.
On what is next for the Blue Jackets and Dubois
Sportsnet: Chris Johnston last night when asked what is next between Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella and Pierre-Luc Dubois after Tortorella’s comments yesterday (click here to read Tort’s comments).
“Well commnets like that certainly take things from a simmer to a pretty hot boil, I would say Jeff.
I had a chance this afternoon to speak with Pierre-Luc Dubois’ agent Pat Brisson, and understandable he didn’t want to add any fuel to the fire, he didn’t address those comments directly, but he said this is a situation he’s monitoring closely, and he made it very clear that Pierre-Luc Dubois is willing to work with the team through this period of time and for the foreseeable future. That means playing, and playing well. Columbus opens their season on Thursday in Nashville.
Let’s remember what happened here. This trade request was made some two months ago during negotiations. Pierre-Luc Dubois wound up signing a contract. He did that to help facilitate a deal, and I would say after these comments now it’s probably in everyone’s best interest if that happened sooner than later.”
