The Three Best Free Agent Signings by Jarmo Kekalainen

NHL free agency kicks off tomorrow (July 13th), giving teams a chance to add key pieces to their roster. There are some big names headed to the market this summer, perhaps none greater than Pittsburgh Penguin legend Evgeni Malkin. But for the Blue Jackets, a team in transition, I don’t expect them to make a big splash this summer. The roster is very young and I expect another year of development, perhaps with some decisions to be made next summer.

That doesn’t mean the next few weeks of the offseason won’t be news-worthy for the club, as they have some key restricted freeagents to lock up. I also expect some moves to be made to tweak the roster, as the logjam on both forward and defense will need addressing. If anything, I think they may look to add a veteran depth defenseman, the kind of move that won’t make headlines, but might help stabilize the back end. Read: Laine deal has to work for both sides.

Traditionally, the Blue Jackets don’t have a long history of making big name free agent signings. Perhaps most notable is the Nathan Horton signing in 2013, which did not work out. But, while this team is primarily built via the draft; in general I think GM Jarmo Kekalainen has done a nice job adding depth to his roster via free agency, with his best signings becoming key depth pieces. To attract the bigger names on the market, you have to have a team ready to compete; and the window for the CBJ is still most likely 2-3 years away.

Today, we’ll take a look back at three of the best free agent signings Jarmo has ever made, and their impact with the club.

When the Blue Jackets announced the signing of Dublin native Sean Kuraly last summer, it left many fans scratching their heads. For a team with plenty of depth, it seemed an unnecessary move, and many questioned the term given to him. After all, many said: what the team really needs are high end centers, not more depth.

The Blue Jackets signed Kuraly to a four year contract, carrying a cap hit of $2.5m AAV. One year later, this looks like an extremely intelligent move that has already been well worth every penny. Kuraly spent parts of five seasons with the Boston Bruins, and while he didn’t post huge offensive numbers (26 goals, 68 points in 270 games played), he was an effective forechecker who drove play for the Bruins’ bottom six.

Right out of the gate, Kuraly brought energy and leadership to the Blue Jackets lineup. He would go on to post career highs in both goals (14) and points (30), along with 62 minutes in penalties. As advertised, he drove the play when he was on the ice and gave the team plenty of physical play on the fourth line. He became the team’s most trusted defensive zone specialist, was strong in the faceoff circle, and killed penalties. He and Eric Robinson were two of the most consistent forwards for the team all season, and it was their line that seemed to help several other players get their games moving this year.

We can debate all day long about the term given to Kuraly or the AAV, but in my opinion he’s been well worth both figures. You need depth guys to win, and Sean has provided depth and a calm, physical presence to a group that needed some leadership. It’s even better when you find guys like this who know and love the area. Read: CBJ Offseason Gameplan.

This was an important acquisition for a team that has traditionally been thin up the middle. At least for the next three years, we know we can count on our fourth line to provide quality minutes, as long as Kuraly is in the lineup.

The “Other” Bruins center could mean a couple of players. Gregory Campbell was a free agent signing by the Blue Jackets in 2015, and he fared pretty well in his one season with the club. But in this case, we’re talking about the signing made in the summer of 2018: Riley Nash.

A veteran center and former first round pick, Nash was coming off of a 15 goal, 41 point season with the Boston Bruins and was looking to cash in. The fit was obvious for the Blue Jackets, who inked the right hand shooting center to a three year, $8.25m deal.

While his production was never very good, Nash provided the Blue Jackets with a quality depth center, who took on the tough defensive assignments and gave the team safe minutes. In three years with the club, he would play in 179 games in Union Blue, scoring 10 goals and 33 points.

Often playing like a third defenseman on the ice, Nash went about his job quietly and did all of the little things well. It’s safe to say, you rarely noticed him out there … for better or worse. He just consistently made the safe plays and went about his business. He was a favorite of John Tortorella and was a key part of the fourth line that helped the club sweep the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2019.

Nash was eventually traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the 2021 trade deadline, in exchange for a conditional 7th round pick. That pick became a 6th rounder once Nash played in half of Toronto’s playoff games … and was then dealt this past deadline to Florida in the trade that sent Max Domi to Carolina, in exchange for prospect Aidan Hreschuk. The fact that Nash is included on this list makes it evident that the Blue Jackets typically aren’t big free agent spenders. But make no mistake – this was a deal that worked out well for both sides.