In Case You Missed It: Return Of The Reverse Retros, Trade Chatter In Columbus, The Jackets Are Covid-Free*, And More

By Ed Francis on January 26, 2022 at 9:43 am
Joonas Korpisalo could be on the move, and a report indicates that Kevin Stenlund may be going with him.
James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
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Life is busy. Sometimes, a quick catch-up does a lot of good.

Here are the news, notes, and extra tidbits from the last week that might have slipped through the cracks.

REVERSE RETURNS WITH A TWIST

In 2020, the NHL teamed with adidas in releasing alternate jerseys for all 31 (at the time) teams, in what the leagues described as a "collection is a colorful mix of primary and secondary logos, old school and new school striping, and reimagined classics."

When the sweaters were revealed in November of that year, the Columbus Blue Jackets' concept was met with mixed reactions. The jersey was predominantly red, an odd choice for the 'Blue' Jackets. The original logo made a return to the jersey, and that... was about it. 

Will they get it right the second time around? We'll find out. Reports this week surfaces that the 2022-23 season will bring a new reverse retro design for all 32 teams, with some “bending the definition” of the reverse retro concept. In other words, it sounds like designers will just do what they want. That may be a good thing for the Blue Jackets, because they don't have the history of logos that some other franchises have. #BringBackBoomer?

You can listen to the Podcast below.

TRADE TALK IN COLUMBUS

In his 32 Thoughts for the week, SportsNet's Elliotte Friedman mentioned several Columbus players who could be the subject of trade talks as the March deadline nears. One of the biggest needs that any team has is the Edmonton Oilers' need for a goalie. How in the world is team with two of the three or four best forwards in the league on the outside looking in for a playoff spot? From Fried's piece:

If Edmonton does a deal with Columbus, and I’m not convinced Korpisalo is the right move, watch to see if the Oilers also look at Kevin Stenlund. He’s in the AHL on a one-way contract. Big body who can play. Edmonton needs some beef.

Korpisalo, a pending unrestricted free agent, won't net a significant return. Stenlund won't either, but for both? A second or third round pick and a prospect wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility if the Oilers don't go elsewhere for their goalie needs.

More from Friedman, this time about who the Blue Jackets may pursue:

It’s grind time for Jakob Chychrun. There are several teams going hard at this. Florida is there for sure, but I'm not convinced they want to move Anton Lundell. I think Columbus is there. Anaheim, Boston and Carolina have been there. I suspect Colorado is in stealth mode. No doubt there are others. My sense is Los Angeles and the Rangers are out for now -- weird stuff happens, you never know. But we’re past the fact-finding stage and we’ll see when it closes.

Earlier this week, 1OB's Dan Dukart touched on the pros and cons of a deal for Chychrun. My two cents: If the Blue Jackets can get this guy and go into the future with him, Zach Werenski, Adam Boqvist, and Andrew Peeke as a future top four — not to mention Vladislav Gavrikov and Jake Bean — that's appealing. 

TFW KILLIN' IT IN CLE

Since returning from a major injury, Cleveland Monsters' forward Trey Fix-Wolansky has been fantastic in the AHL. In 16 games, TFW has a line of 9g-6a-15p. He also had a hat trick in the Monsters' 7-3 win over the Rochester Americans on Saturday night.

Fix-Wolansky is a 5'8", 180lb winger who can score — hey, that sounds familiar. No, I don't think he's the next Cam Atkinson... but I sure would love for the 22-year-old to get a look at the NHL level later in the season.

KJ IN THE OLYMPICS (KIND OF)

Last week, those in the know thought that Kent Johnson, the Blue Jackets fifth overall pick in last year's draft, would be a part of Team Canada in the 2022 Olympics. Turns out, that's not the case — kind of.

But Johnson will be heading to Beijing with Team Canada, as he is one of six alternates on the squad. What a story it would be for Johnson to go from alternate to breakout player of the games. 

COVID CHECK-IN

When Adam Boqvist cleared the league's COVID-19 protocol earlier this week, it sent the Blue Jackets down to ZERO players who were in the protocol for the first time in six weeks. Here's to hoping this isn't a jinx. 

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