Columbus Blue Jackets

Seth Jones' time with the Columbus Blue Jackets may be coming to an end.

Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reported Columbus will likely trade the defenseman this offseason "barring a change of heart by Jones."

Portzline noted two teams reached out to Columbus Sunday.

Those reports come after Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported Jones told the Blue Jackets he does not plan on signing a contract extension and instead intends to become a free agent when his contract expires following the 2021-22 campaign.

Frankly, this is another blow for a Columbus team and market that is starting to develop a reputation as one where notable players are not staying.

Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky and Matt Duchene all signed elsewhere right after the best playoff run in franchise history in 2019 when the Blue Jackets stunned the powerhouse Tampa Bay Lightning with a first-round sweep and pushed the Boston Bruins to six games in the second round.

Columbus also traded Pierre-Luc Dubois after there was some apparent tension with then-head coach John Tortorella.

Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson discussed the situation with Jones in comparison to the one with Panarin, per Portzline:

The No. 1 thing we'd like to do is keep Seth. He has every right in the world to leave if he wants to not extend the contract, but we'll do what's best for our team. We just want players who want to be here.

This is a different scenario (than in 2019). We were in a position (then) where we thought we had a chance to make a pretty good run at (the Stanley Cup). Beating Tampa Bay (in the first round) was great. Losing to Boston in six ... it was a good series, and they lost in seven in the Final.

The Blue Jackets finished in last place in the Central Division during the 2020-21 campaign and may be headed toward a rebuild, especially if they move Jones.

The three-time All-Star is one of the best overall defensemen in the NHL as someone who can anchor the blue line, get involved in the offense and be a factor on the power play. He was an integral part of the 2019 run for the Blue Jackets and is just 26 years old in the middle of his prime.

Losing someone like that would be a blow for the organization, although he could also bring in quite the return in a potential deal.

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones has reportedly informed the team he plans to leave once he hits free agency in 2022. 

"We can tell you that sometime in the last week or so, Seth Jones informed the Columbus Blue Jackets that he will not be re-signing," Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said Saturday on Hockey Night in Canada. "I’m saying 'for now' at this point because I don’t like to deal in absolutes. But it does appear as if he is prepared to test free agency, and we’ll see how Columbus decides to handle this over the next little while."

Jones is under contract through the 2021-22 season. His decision to inform the Blue Jackets of his plans now could give them the opportunity to trade him this summer.

Columbus finished 18-26-12 during the regular season, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2015-16.

“It was just a tough season in general for everybody,” Jones told reporters earlier this month. “Really, nothing went right for us right from the start. Whether it was injuries, or myself not playing well, some other guys not playing well or up to the standard we needed to, we just didn't jell in time."

Jones was noncommittal when asked about his future, though he called testing free agency "a situation that you only get once in your lifetime." It's clear the allure of being recruited is appealing to the 26-year-old, who has made four All-Star teams during his career.

Jones likely would be in consideration to become the highest-paid defenseman in the NHL once he hits the open market. Erik Karlsson ($11.5 million) and Drew Doughty ($11 million) are the only two defensemen in the league who have an AAV of greater than $10 million.

It's possible the Blue Jackets could break the bank and convince Jones to stay, but it's more likely we're hearing the first of several trade rumors about him this summer. 

After a last-place finish in the Central Division this season, John Tortorella's time as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets has come to an end. 

Alex Portzline of The Athletic first reported Saturday that Tortorella told the Blue Jackets he won't return to the team with his contract set to expire this summer. Blue Jackets general manager and alternate governor Jarmo Kekalainen confirmed the news Sunday.

Tortorella released a statement on the decision:

After discussion and consideration of the future direction of the team, Jarmo and I have come to a mutual agreement to part ways. I'd like to thank the Columbus Blue Jackets organization for the opportunity to coach this team and live in the great Columbus-area. It has been a privilege to work with the players, coaches and hockey operations staff, which is one of the best in the League. Also, I want to thank the CBJ fans and the community for the support they've given the team and for the work of the CBJ family in support of the community.

Columbus finished the 2020-21 season with an 18-26-12 record after Saturday's 5-4 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Its 48 points were tied with the Red Wings for fewest in the Central Division. 

There was a point this season when it looked like the Blue Jackets were going to be a playoff contender. They were 13-12-7 through 32 games, but they proceeded to lose 14 of their final 19 games. 

Tortorella was hired by the Blue Jackets in October 2015 after Todd Richards was fired following an 0-7-0 start to the season. 

The Blue Jackets made four consecutive trips to the postseason between 2016-17 and 2019-20. They advanced to the second round in 2019, but lost in the opening round three times during that stretch. 

Tortorella is the franchise's all-time leader in games coached (447), wins (227) and playoff games (31). The 62-year-old owns a 673-541-37 record in 20 seasons as an NHL head coach. 

It has been a disappointing season for the Columbus Blue Jackets, and they have now opted to trade their captain as a result.

The Blue Jackets traded Nick Foligno to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday in a three-team deal:

As TSN's Frank Seravalli reported, Toronto will only be on the hook for part of Foligno's salary:

"Really excited for the opportunity!" Foligno said in a text to TSN's Pierre LeBrun. "Bittersweet with how much has been invested in Columbus, but a chance to win a Cup is all you can ask for and I truly feel it’s a great group in Toronto. Now the work begins."

Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen thanked Foligno for his contributions to the franchise in a statement:

Nick Foligno has been everything you'd want in a captain, in a representative of your team and ambassador for your community. His contributions to the Blue Jackets franchise and the impact he and his family have had off the ice is immeasurable. We are grateful for everything he, Janelle, and their family have done for and with us over the past nine years. Given where we are right now, this move made sense for us as an organization and for Nick.

Seravalli previously reported the Maple Leafs, Colorado Avalanche and Washington Capitals were among the teams that could trade a first-round pick to the Blue Jackets in a deal that included Foligno.

While Foligno played the first five seasons of his career for the Ottawa Senators, it will be somewhat jarring to see him suit up for a team outside of Columbus at this point given his status with the franchise.

The Blue Jackets made the playoffs one time in their entire history before he arrived for the 2012-13 campaign. They have made the playoffs five times with him on their roster, including in each of the last four seasons.

They also won their first postseason series in franchise history when they stunned the top-seeded Tampa Bay Lightning with a first-round sweep in 2019.

However, they are just 15-20-8 this season and sitting in seventh place in the Central Division. Foligno is also a free agent after the season, so moving him for draft capital could help facilitate a rebuild.

Columbus also traded David Savard in a deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings and landed a 2021 first-round pick and 2022 third-round pick.

As for Foligno, he was named an All-Star in 2015 and won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy and Mark Messier Leadership Award during the 2016-17 campaign in a testament to what he brings a team beyond his statistics.

The veteran has just 16 points in 42 games this season but could provide leadership and two-way play from the wing for the Maple Leafs. He is a forward who can remain on the ice during the penalty kill and create for others when on the attack.

That could help Toronto win its first Stanley Cup since 1967.

The Columbus Blue Jackets benched Patrik Laine during Monday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes for a verbal dispute with a member of the coaching staff. 

Per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, Laine was disciplined after he "verbally disrespected" a Blue Jackets coach. 

Portzline noted it was "unclear which coach had the interaction with Laine or if it was a single interaction or a series of events."

There was speculation that Laine's benching was the result of his indifference on the defensive end, but head coach John Tortorella denied that was the case. 

"There's a number of things that come into play with that," Tortorella told reporters after Monday's 3-2 win over Carolina. "That'll stay in the locker room." 

Laine played a season-low 11 minutes against the Hurricanes and didn't get into the game during the third period. 

The Blue Jackets acquired Laine from the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 23. The 22-year-old has played in four games with Columbus. He's tied for fourth on the team with three goals scored. 

Columbus' next game is on Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks. Tortorella hasn't said if his star winger will be available to play. 

The Blue Jackets are in fourth place in the Central Division with a 6-5-3 record this season.

Columbus Blue Jackets center Pierre-Luc Dubois may soon have a new home, which would end a fractious relationship between player and team.

"Columbus is closing in on a trade involving Pierre Luc Dubois," TSN's Darren Dreger reported Friday. "It's a complicated process that could be resolved as early as tomorrow. Teams have been told they're out. Hard to say who's in, but it's believed Winnipeg is among them."

Pierre LeBrun of TSN listed the teams that have inquired about Dubois:

LeBrun mentioned the Anaheim Ducks in particular, tweeting that they "are still trying on Dubois as well. They've been on it from the beginning." He then added later in the evening that the three finalists appeared to be the Ducks, Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens.

Jackie Spiegel of Sporting News provided a timeline of key moments between Dubois and the Blue Jackets, most notably those involving Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella.

The coach and Dubois had "notable clashes" last season, per Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch. This included a public spat on the bench during a play-in series against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Dubois and the Jackets agreed to a two-year, $10 million contract extension before the season, but word soon emerged that he had requested a trade. Tortorella confirmed that in an interview with 97.1 The Fan's Rothman and Ice.

"He wants out. He spoke to the team as we do here," Tortorella said, per Sean Leahy of NBC Sports. "It's a little bit different [situation] than [Artemi Panarin] and [Sergei Bobrovsky]. This is a 22-year-old kid; [it] doesn't happen that often. He has been honest with the group. I wish he was a little bit more honest as far as reasons why. Still haven't really gotten to that, but I think he needs to speak on that. I won't."

On Thursday, Tortorella benched Dubois for more than the last two periods against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

"[Dubois] doesn't get benched for one shift of last night's game," Tortorella said, per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. "This has eroded and it kept on eroding in the first five games."

Portzline called it "a wandering, aimless, effortless span of time in which Dubois didn't battle for the puck and took nearly 10 seconds to skate from the corner of the rink to the Blue Jackets bench for a line change."

And now it appears Dubois' days with Columbus are numbered. He will be a healthy scratch Saturday against Tampa Bay, per Portzline.

Dubois, the third pick in the 2016 draft, has 66 goals and 93 assists in three-plus seasons with the Blue Jackets. He has one goal in five games this year.

Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella said ahead of the 2016 World Cup of Hockey that he would bench any player who chose to kneel during the playing of the national anthem.

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling in protest of police brutality and racial injustice during the 2016 NFL preseason, and the practice has reemerged as a mainstream topic in the aftermath of George Floyd's May 25 killing in Minneapolis police custody.

Tortorella has changed his stance during the past several years—particularly after observing recent protests in Columbus, Ohio, per The Athletic's Aaron Portzline:

"When I stand for the flag and the national anthem, my reflection is solely on the men and women who have given their lives defending our country and constitution and freedom, along with those who are serving today. I have learned over the years, listening and watching, that men and women who choose to kneel during this time mean no disrespect toward the flag."

Tortorella added: "I do believe in our right to peaceful protest. Why do we have to choose sides during this time? Can we not share a moment of unity and reflection prior to the national anthem dedicated to protesting the racial injustice in our world?"

Tortorella's son, Nick, is an Army Ranger.

Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri spoke out Tuesday urging the NHL to publicly support player protests:

"In years past, leagues were able to prevent players from speaking up about controversial issues," Kadri told TSN's Rick Westhead. "Now that everybody is coming together and one voice turns into 10, turns into 100 turns into 1,000, I think we as people and players can use that as leverage."

Worldwide protests have been ongoing following Floyd's killing. The 46-year-old black man was pronounced dead at a local hospital after since-fired officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds.

Chauvin is facing second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter charges. The other three officers involved in Floyd's arrest—Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao—have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. 

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's announced Wednesday that he will soon issue an order to ban large gatherings in the state, which will include athletic events moving forward without spectators, as the coronavirus outbreak continues.

Following the news, the Columbus Blue Jackets announced Wednesday afternoon that home games will be closed to the public: 

DeWine said a 53-year-old man from Stark County who had not traveled outside the United States was categorized as Ohio's first COVID-19 case contracted through "community spread."

"Community spread is a game-changer," DeWine said. "You're going to see us taking more aggressive actions now. Please know that we're doing this to protect Ohioans and protect our healthcare system."

The Blue Jackets were originally planning to keep Thursday's game against the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins and Saturday's matchup with the Nashville Predators "open to ticketed fans that wish to attend."

Elsewhere in the NHL, the San Jose Sharks had three home games postponed after Santa Clara County banned large gatherings in response to the area's first coronavirus-related death.

Santa Clara County has implemented a mandatory ban on all large gatherings.

The ban, which will begin at midnight on Wednesday, will span 3 weeks and apply to events with more than 1,000 attendees.

The ban will apply to San Jose Sharks games planned for San Jose’s SAP Center.

— John Shannon (@JShannonhl) March 10, 2020

On Monday, there was a joint statement released by the NHL, NBA, MLB and MLS detailing that "all team locker rooms and clubhouses will be open only to players and essential employees of teams and team facilities until further notice."

The first MLS game was postponed earlier Wednesday when the Seattle Sounders announced they had postponed their March 21 home match against FC Dallas. Washington Governor Jay Inslee banned public gatherings exceeding 250 people in and around Seattle. MLS released a statement Wednesday evening:

COVID-19 cases have exceeded 115,000 worldwide and 1,000 in the U.S., per CNN. More than 4,200 people have died worldwide.

The Columbus Blue Jackets announced Tuesday they will continue to play home games as scheduled despite Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's recommendation that all sporting events in the state go on without spectators in response to the coronavirus outbreak, per ESPN.com:

"The Columbus Blue Jackets are aware of the recommendation by Governor DeWine. We have been in contact with the National Hockey League and, given the facts before us, it has been determined that our scheduled games, including this Thursday vs. Pittsburgh and Saturday vs. Nashville, will go on as scheduled and be open to ticketed fans that wish to attend."

Gov. DeWine recommended Tuesday that all colleges cancel in-person classes and that sporting events and concerts be held sans fans, per Jeremy Pelzer and Laura Hancock of Cleveland.com. He also recommended that people refrain from visiting prisons. 

"We're now at a critical time here in Ohio in regard to the coronavirus," he said. "The decisions that we make as individuals in the next few days, the next several weeks will really determine how many lives are going be lost in Ohio."

Per CNN.com, over 113,000 people have been infected and over 4,000 people have died as a result of the coronavirus. According to the New York Times, there are three confirmed cases in Ohio.

Numerous events in Ohio have been canceled or otherwise adjusted due to the coronavirus.

Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden canceled primary-night rallies in Cleveland, per the Associated Press.

The Arnold Sports Festival took place from Thursday through Saturday in Columbus without fans, although spectators were allowed on Sunday.

The Mid-American Conference also announced that its women's and men's basketball tournaments in Cleveland will be held without spectators. 

"Only credentialed institutional personnel, student-athlete family members, credentialed media, television and radio crews, and official team party members will be permitted for attendance for the tournaments," the conference said in a statement.

Upcoming scheduled sporting events in the state include the NCAA Division I men's basketball First Four round on Tuesday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 18 as well as NCAA men's tournament games in Cleveland later that week.

As far as whether those games may be impacted, the NCAA released a statement Tuesday:

"The NCAA continues to assess how COVID-19 impacts the conduct of our tournaments and events. We are consulting with public health officials and our COVID-19 advisory panel, who are leading experts in epidemiology and public health, and will make decisions in the coming days."

The Blue Jackets have five home games remaining on their regular-season ledger, starting with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday. Matchups with the Nashville Predators on Saturday and Washington Capitals on Thursday, March 19 follow. They finish out the string with a March 30 date with the New York Islanders and an April 2 game versus the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Columbus currently occupies the first wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, so postseason games are also possible but not guaranteed as five teams within five points of each other fight for two wild-card positions.