Confirmed Signing with Link: [CBJ] Kevin Labanc signs with the Blue Jackets (1 year, $775k)

[Forge]

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[Viqsi]

Would make sense, what with the obvious cap thing and what with all of Jenner, Voronkov, and Brindley injured...

 

[BKarchitect]

Seems like an obvious fit. I don’t like Labanc as a player but good on him for making the most of what was probably his last good chance to stick in the NHL a while longer.

Between JVR and Labanc, the Jackets are just trying to cobble a little short-term offense on the wings together before the seasons starts at basically no cost.

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

Good for him, lots of fans on the devils board wanted the team to sign him

 

[Koivu11]

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

I find it kind of neat when a guy makes it on a PTO - with a different club that you signed it with.

Really means you earned it in pre-season.

 

[Mrfenn92]

Good for him
Nice spot for some early playing time to take advantage of

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

I'm surprised the Devils didn't sign him to be honest, good for him and the Jackets

 

[Zirakzigil]

Seems like a good move for both.

 

[Forge]

I'm surprised the Devils didn't sign him to be honest, good for him and the Jackets

I kind of expected them to, thought they were just waiting to get back stateside. But with their apparent commitment to guys like Bastian and Macdermid, it makes space hard to find most likely.

Also, Columbus could probably offer him a more premium role to try and re-establish value for next year. With the devils there is no PP time, probably minimal top 9 time. So even if the Devils wanted to sign him, I definitely could see how Columbus would be more appealing.

 

[Whaddagoal]

Labanc is probably worth a lot more than 775K.

I don't know why he can't get a job prior to this PTO, but he oozes offense. Don't know what the knock on him is, but he can play (not a 4th liner)

Probably a good middle 6 player on a middle team.

His PTO with us was great.

 

[MMC]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1842603585596715515

 

[CanadienShark]

I like this for Columbus. They've got a few guys I could see him clicking with.

 

[CBJx614]

Should put CBJ over the floor

https://x.com/i/web/status/1842609605748425149

 

[Breakers]

Labanc is probably worth a lot more than 775K.

I don't know why he can't get a job prior to this PTO, but he oozes offense. Don't know what the knock on him is, but he can play (not a 4th liner)

Probably a good middle 6 player on a middle team.

His PTO with us was great.

Oozes offense?

 

[Forsbergaura21]

He would have done better for himself to sign with NJ …more of a chance to get points there. But who knows maybe NJ didn’t offer him a contract..

Good for him either way

 

[Whaddagoal]

Oozes offense?

It is meant to imply he is not a grinder guy on a PTO clinging on for a job. He has skill. I didn't know about that about him until we saw him play preseason PTO.

He's got 225 pts in 478 games played. That's almost as much as Pavel Zacha has who is on a top 6 player contract.

 

[Cas]

It is meant to imply he is not a grinder guy on a PTO clinging on for a job. He has skill. I didn't know about that about him until we saw him play preseason PTO.

He's got 225 pts in 478 games played. That's almost as much as Pavel Zacha has who is on a top 6 player contract.

He takes a lot of stupid penalties, doesn't have any real defensive value, has a good shot but doesn't use it as often as he should, kind of a lazy skater.

He's very frustrating, basically. He does have skill but has to be the third wheel on a line, and not a lot of teams have room in the top six for someone with his skill level, or a 3C who is really quality.

 

[nbwingsfan]

It is meant to imply he is not a grinder guy on a PTO clinging on for a job. He has skill. I didn't know about that about him until we saw him play preseason PTO.

He's got 225 pts in 478 games played. That's almost as much as Pavel Zacha has who is on a top 6 player contract.

Difference is Zacha has been trending up while Lebanc has been trending diwnwards

Plus Zacha can be decent defensively

 

[Brodeur]

I'm surprised the Devils didn't sign him to be honest, good for him and the Jackets

Bit of a numbers game for us. Seravalli said the Devils offered him the same deal but Labanc would have been sent down while Columbus could offer him an NHL spot. So it's understandable that Labanc went with that.

Meier-Hughes-Bratt
Tatar-Hischier-Mercer
Palat-Haula-Noesen
Cotter-Lazar-Bastian
Foote-MacDermid

For better or worse, MacDermid has his roster spot. So adding Labanc would have meant waiving Foote or Bastian. Barring injury, Labanc would have had a difficult time cracking the top 9 and getting PP time. And he doesn't profile as a 4th liner. Some Devils fans wanted Labanc instead of Bastian, but for me that'd be like saying you want a slot receiver instead of a pass blocking tight end but with the intention of using the slot receiver as a pass blocking tight end.

 

[Whaddagoal]

He takes a lot of stupid penalties, doesn't have any real defensive value, has a good shot but doesn't use it as often as he should, kind of a lazy skater.

He's very frustrating, basically. He does have skill but has to be the third wheel on a line, and not a lot of teams have room in the top six for someone with his skill level, or a 3C who is really quality.

As I said in my first post I didn't know the knocks on him so this helps - thanks. As he has his play out west I didn't see him much. Didn't realize the skill history until I saw him play.

Basically wasn't a full rink player?

 

[Brodeur]

He would have done better for himself to sign with NJ …more of a chance to get points there. But who knows maybe NJ didn’t offer him a contract..

Seravalli said the Devils offered him same vet minimum deal but intended to send him to the AHL. Columbus offered him an NHL spot, so it makes sense that Labanc would have preferred that. Even if he had signed with the Devils, it would have taken an injury or two for Labanc to get a top 9 spot and PP time.

 

[Cas]

As I said in my first post I didn't know the knocks on him so this helps - thanks. As he has his play out west I didn't see him much. Didn't realize the skill history until I saw him play.

Basically wasn't a full rink player?

There's a lot of thought his peak was the result of being paired with Thornton when he was getting third line matchups. He hasn't replicated that success when paired with Hertl or Couture in top six time, and his noted warts have always been present.

 

[dgibb10]

Seravalli said the Devils offered him same vet minimum deal but intended to send him to the AHL. Columbus offered him an NHL spot, so it makes sense that Labanc would have preferred that. Even if he had signed with the Devils, it would have taken an injury or two for Labanc to get a top 9 spot and PP time.

Even if he accepted NJDs contract he'd have ended up in CBJ.

If NJD offers him a contract, then sends him down, he then has to go through waivers.

CBJ has the 4th overall waiver priority, they claim him, he plays for them anyway.

 

[BKarchitect]

I can see him scoring 30 points in his first 40 games...and fighting for another NHL job by next fall. That's just who he is. The Jackets will squeeze some juice out of him, but he has no track record of being a well-rounded enough or a consistent enough without prime offensive starts and matchups, to be a truly trustworthy NHL player.

If he could have gotten more than the league minimum, he would of. He got what he has shown over and over again the past 5 seasons have shown he's worth from an on-ice impact.

It's a one-way deal, that's what he earned more than a base salary, with his strong pre-season. Without that pre-season, he's looking at a two-way deal or Europe, to be frank.