11. Only Vegas has fewer home games remaining than Columbus, as the Blue Jackets begin an enormous swing through Western Canada. Fourteen of their final 15 are against teams in playoff position or legitimately still alive. But they’re gutting it out, currently in the East’s final post-season spot despite an injury list longer than your right leg. GM Jarmo Kekalainen said Cam Atkinson is the closest to return, although it won’t be on this trip. Kekalainen doesn’t feel his players get enough credit.
“We had high expectation for ourselves,” he said this week. “People forget that the last three years, we had the fourth-most wins. Only Tampa Bay, Boston and Washington had more. Our core is pretty good. At the beginning of this year, with the players we lost, we had to go through the aggravation of people calling us out. They’re worthy of more respect. I felt really strongly about the group.” Jarmo pulls no punches.
12. Kekalainen jokes that he calls head athletic trainer Mike Vogt “Dr. Death. I tell him to get away from me.” But, he adds, “Everyone has injuries. You have to deal with them.” I asked him if there was anyone who particularly raised their game when absolutely necessary, but he won’t go there. “I don’t want to lift anyone above the group. This is about everybody doing everything they can.”
13. Other than the injuries, the only negative around the team is a deteriorating relationship with Josh Anderson. The winger will not play again this season due to injury. He’s a restricted free agent, eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2021. Even though he can’t play for anyone else until September, there were rumblings another team was interested in getting a leg up on trying to acquire him now. Kekalainen would not discuss that, but did say, “We always consider all options. He’s got arbitration rights. He’s a great player, and we miss him. But we have to look at what’s best for the franchise.”
