Item No. 2: Waiver request?
For now, Blue Jackets forward
Jordan Dumais and defenseman
Denton Mateychuk are in training camp to make the NHL roster. But if they don’t make the cut — and let’s be honest, the odds are stacked against them — the only option is to return them to their junior clubs.
Dumais and Mateychuk are both 19 years old, too young to play in the American Hockey League, at least according to the NHL’s agreement with the Canadian Hockey League, which oversees major junior hockey in Canada.
If the Jackets don’t keep them in Columbus, Dumais would go back to Halifax of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, for whom he had 54-86-140 in 64 games last season. Only
Connor Bedard had more points (143) in the three CHL leagues.
Mateychuk, meanwhile, would go back to Moose Jaw of the Western Hockey League, where he has averaged a point a game over the last two seasons.
The Blue Jackets may have been resigned to this before it was learned that
Seattle has gained an exemption to send forward Shane Wright to its AHL affiliate if he doesn’t make the Kraken, according to the Seattle Times.
Pressed on the issue following the NHL prospects tournament in Traverse City, Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen said he would consider asking for a waiver for either or both of Dumais and Mateychuk depending on how they play in camp. The Blue Jackets might want the option of sending them to AHL Cleveland to play this season.
“We respect the contract in place between the NHL and the CHL, but we’re going to have some talks and see what may be the best course of action for us in those cases,” Kekalainen said. “Both of them have proven that they’ve accomplished everything you can accomplish at the junior level.
“Dumais has actually played more games (172) in junior than Shane Wright (141), so … it’s an interesting case.”
This rule only affects elite players, but it has started to steer more and more top players toward U.S. colleges and away from major junior. Case in point, Blue Jackets rookie
Adam Fantilli.
Fantilli’s rights were held by OHL Saginaw. But a big part of his decision to go to the University of Michigan was the freedom granted to players coming out of the NCAA. Fantilli will almost certainly make the Blue Jackets’ roster out of camp, but he is eligible to play in the AHL. The Blue Jackets were able to send
Cole Sillinger to Cleveland late last season because he was technically drafted out of the USHL, not CHL.
To be sure, Dumais and Mateychuk can still sharpen their games if they return to junior. Dumais took major steps this summer with his quickness, Kekalainen said. And Dumais and Mateychuk would seem likely to land a spot on Canada’s world junior team after getting cut late in the process last winter.
But for now, the focus is on training camp and the preseason. Dumais and Mateychuk are both in the lineup for tonight’s 7 p.m. game in Nationwide vs. Pittsburgh. Depending on how the next 2 1/2 weeks go, the Blue Jackets could make a plea to send them to Cleveland instead of back to Canada.
“We’ll respect whatever the NHL gives us for direction,” Kekalainen said. “Hey, if they make our team we don’t have to deal with it. But there’s a long way to go from here.”
his actual height is just above 5 foot 9
