Columbus Blue Jackets

Dancing Kevin is less of a man and more of a movement.

The Columbus Blue Jackets superfan is known throughout the league for dancing like a man possessed by an especially sensual demon, and he may have just given us his magnum opus.

Eye on Hockey’s Chris Peters brings us video from the Blue Jackets’ home opener against the New York Rangers. Dancing Kevin showed up ready to roll, with body paint and Labatt Blues on deck.

A few notes:

1. We live in a strange, wonderful time.
   
2. The Labatt bear is going to lose his job to Dancing Kevin, who is a far preferable face for a company hawking mind-liberating, Canadian holy water.
   
3. Kevin’s timing on the shirt-pull is beyond reproach. He whips it off in one fluid motion right as the bass drops.
   
4. Pouring beer on your face is the new break-dancing. Equally exciting celebratory gesture, one-tenth the effort.
   

Well done, Dancing Kevin. You helped the Blue Jackets take down the Rangers 5-2, and I can’t be the only one who thinks this dance probably affected that outcome more than certain members of the team.

Follow Dan on Twitter for more sports and pop culture news.

Follow @Dr_Carson_

Ryan Johansen wanted a raise, and the Columbus Blue Jackets want to keep control of their potential franchise player at a reasonable rate. Both sides were able to finally reach an agreement, and the Blue Jackets' official Twitter announced that the two sides came to a new deal:

The deal, according to numerous sources including Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch, is for three years and $12 million, with an annual cap hit of $4 million flat.

Although this saga is now over, Johansen's deal with the Blue Jackets comes with pros and cons for both parties, so you could say this is a win-now-lose-later move for the Blue Jackets and a lose-now-win-later one for Johansen.

The immediate pro of this deal from the Blue Jackets' standpoint is getting Johansen back under contract and into the lineup. With Nathan Horton sidelined indefinitely, the Blue Jackets couldn't afford to be without their leading scorer from last season. 

Securing a potential consistent 30-goal scorer who is only 22 for the bargain rate of $4 million was masterful on the part of Columbus management...for now. They previously had offered their young star deals that ranged from from $6 million over two years to $46 million over eight years, but it wasn't the deal that Johansen wanted.

Make no mistake: The Blue Jackets' front office surely made it look like Johansen was being greedy, but if Johansen continues to produce like he should, those deals only do favors for his employers.

Any long-term deal would be a bargain for the Blue Jackets because they would be locking Johansen into a deal under a low salary cap. The salary cap for 2014-15 is $69 million, but that figure is expected to grow exponentially in the future.

Moving on to Johansen's perspective, this could be looked at as an initial con that turns into a pro. He was steadfast on avoiding a bridge deal, because he felt his worth to the team was higher that what was being offered.

A deal worth $4 million is fair, and he could end up winning in the end based on how the deal is structured, while the Blue Jackets could lose big. Stephen Whyno of The Canadian Press tweeted a breakdown of the deal, including the future implications from a negotiating standpoint:

As the tweet reads, the deal ends with Johansen commanding a $6 million qualifying offer at age 25. What that means is that in order to keep Johansen's rights, they need to be willing to pay him $6 million. Johansen doesn't have to accept the qualifying offer, but at the very least it sets up a baseline negotiating figure.

However, three seasons from now the salary cap should be drastically higher, and that $6 million figure may not be enough to get the job done. In addition, the Blue Jackets will be feeling the pressure because a one-year deal after this current one would take Johansen to free agency.

Johansen will have six years of experience after his current deal expires, which could set up an arbitration situation that leads to him taking a one-year deal that bridges him to free agency. Depending on how well Johansen has played up to that point, it isn't out of the question that he could get a one-year deal via arbitration that pays him $9 million or more, depending on how high the salary cap is at that point.

It is hard to predict what happens three seasons from now, but the following all are likely givens:

1. Ryan Johansen is a more complete player and proven 30-goal scorer.

2. The salary cap is somewhere between $75 and $85 million (James Mirtle of The Globe and Mail has it at $74.8 million for 2015-16 with a boost from the Rogers Sportsnet TV deal going into effect). 

3. A $6 million salary will be similar to what his $4 million salary is today.

4. Multiple teams will be interested in delivering a Brinks truck to Johansen's home to scoop up the soon-to-be 26-year-old.

There is always the possibility that the Blue Jackets will negotiate an extension before his current deal expires, but don't expect Johansen to bite on a deal that pays him less than market value. It is understandable why the Blue Jackets held firm this time.

Johansen was a talented player with the Portland Winterhawks, but it didn't translate to the NHL. Prior to last season he had only 33 points in 107 games. Last year he proved he could be a special player, but they wanted to make sure last year wasn't a one-hit wonder.

Ultimately, both sides are happy today, but that euphoria could dwindle over the coming seasons. In an ideal world the Blue Jackets would have loved to sign him to a two-year deal, which would give them more leverage in signing him to a new deal.

Both sides will live with this deal for the first two years, but if Johansen explodes offensively, the Blue Jackets would be wise to just sign him to a reasonable extension. They don't want to go through the same process with Johansen a few years from now that the Montreal Canadiens did with P.K. Subban, because it will end up costing them a fortune.

For those unaware, the Canadiens could have had Suban for five years at $5 million a year, but they bridged him, which set him up for restricted free agency this summer. The Canadiens ended up paying him $72 million, or $9 million a year for eight years.

I bring up Subban because Johansen is practically the same age Subban was when he signed his bridge deal. He will also be 25 at the end of this deal; the age Subban was when he signed his megadeal.

Make no mistake: I am not trying to compare Johansen to Subban, but rather their circumstances as young, talented players looking to sign a deal based on their worth. Johansen's newest deal puts him ahead of the game from where Subban was, but it could be argued that he will have more value in due time.

Based on the fact that Johansen is a skilled 6'3", 202-pound center at 22, there are a ton of reasons to believe that he could command Subban-type money as a polished 25-year-old pivot from Columbus or even more as a UFA at 26.

If he continues to prove he's a 30-plus goal scorer and a 65-to-70-point player, there will be tons of teams willing to write a blank check.

Young centers of Johansen's caliber don't usually make it to unrestricted free agency in their primes. Players of his ilk are usually drafted very early and retained by their teams. It is still unknown what Johansen will be at this point, but consider the following.

It is clear that both teams made a compromise to get this deal done. Columbus opted for protection now to make sure Johansen is the player they think he is, but they leave themselves vulnerable for the next round of negotiations.

Johansen takes a discount now, but his patience and perseverance can be rewarded if he proves he's for real. The pressure may be on Columbus to sign Johansen in the future, but the pressure is now on Johansen to prove his future worth.

The Columbus Blue Jackets were one of the hockey community's favorite teams to watch last season, and it seemed like everyone was on the #Lumbus bandwagon.

The Blue Jackets officially entered the NHL during the 2000 expansion draft, but the team made history last season by picking up its first playoff victory, and first playoff home victory.

The Nationwide Arena was a rocking venue last season, and there is no reason why America's hottest new hockey market shouldn't continue to be successful.

What We Learned in 2013-14

Last season we learned that the Columbus Blue Jackets were not a fluke. After falling just short of making the playoffs during a lockout-shortened season, the Blue Jackets were a playoff team in 2013-14.

The Blue Jackets built upon the success sustained in 2012-13, and they showed that there is no reason why that shouldn't continue going forward. Sergei Bobrovsky won the Vezina Trophy in 2012-13, and although he wasn't a finalist in 2013-14, he was good enough to get the Jackets their first two playoff wins in franchise history.

His ability to be a show-stopper set the tone for the Blue Jackets, and a number of key players stepped up in a big way. Among them was Ryan Johansen, a forward currently trying to capitalize on his amazing campaign from 2013-14.

Johansen entered 2013-14 with 33 points in his previous two seasons combined, but last season he tallied 33 goals and 63 points in 82 games. Other players who stepped up were James Wisniewski and Brandon Dubinsky, "young veterans" whose offense helped propel the Blue Jackets to a playoff spot.

Wisniewski's 51 points on the blue line helped facilitate offense, and Dubinsky's offense, physicality and two-way ability were a driving force during the regular season and playoffs. Despite the success of last year, the Blue Jackets lacked the necessary experience to finish out a team like the Pittsburgh Penguins when they were down, and Columbus addressed that this summer.

Outlook for 2014-15

The Blue Jackets were successful against the Penguins when Brandon Dubinsky was a thorn in the side of Sidney Crosby, so management went out and acquired a player who also has a penchant for needling Crosby.

Scott Hartnell of the Philadelphia Flyers is a talented top-six winger who not only will help the Blue Jackets' offense, but also their ability to annoy and frustrate opponents like Crosby.

Hartnell can step into the Blue Jackets' lineup along with Dubinsky, and he will provide the physicality and frustration that enabled Columbus to be a successful team last season. He will also add some veteran playoff experience, an area the Blue Jackets lacked last season.

In the interim, he will be a nice replacement for Nathan Horton who remains sidelined with an injury related to his degenerative back condition.

In addition to the acquisition of Hartnell, youngsters such as Boone Jenner and Ryan Murray could have a bigger impact on the roster. Murray is a talented defender whose rookie season was cut short with an injury, and Jenner is a solid top-nine forward who is frustrating to play against.

Both are two of the key youngsters who, along with Johansen, represent the future of the Blue Jackets. They will be great complements to already established players such as Dubinsky, Hartnell, Nick Foligno and Cam Atkinson, and that will lead to another successful season of Blue Jackets hockey.

Johansen doesn't have a contract at this point, but it is a question of when he will sign, not if he will sign. He's already turned down multiple offers according to the Columbus Dispatch, and although both sides remain apart, the young center isn't foolish enough to miss multiple regular-season games as a holdout.

When you consider the fact the Blue Jackets have quality goaltending, a rising group of forwards and defenders, it is hard to not see them as a playoff contender in 2014-15. If Johansen continues to grow, Bobrovsky continues to play like a Vezina candidate and the contingent of Dubinsky, Horton and Hartnell are able to play their respective games, Columbus could be a dark horse to win the Metropolitan Division in 2014-15.

Both general manager Jarmo Kekalainen and president John Davidson have done a good job shaping the roster since joining the organization, and the tweaks made this summer should be enough to ensure that Columbus contends for a Metropolitan Division title in 2014-15, or a playoff spot at the very least.

Sometimes it's not about if you're good, but when you're good.

Timing and perception can be everything when it comes to landing a huge contract in sports, and Brandon Dubinsky seems to epitomize that right now. On Friday, the Columbus Blue Jackets signed him to a six-year, $35.1 million contract that contains a no-trade clause for the first three years and a limited no-trade clause over the final three years, according to Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch.

That's a $5.85 million cap hit for a player who had 50 points in 76 regular-season games and six points in six postseason games last year. The contract begins in 2015-16, so this is a proactive transaction by the Blue Jackets that prevents one of their centers from reaching unrestricted free agency next summer.

Dubinsky: "I could have played (this year) and gone to UFA, but we're headed in the right direction. Our interests were aligned here." #CBJ

— Rob Mixer (@RobMixer) July 11, 2014

The Blue Jackets, however, might have been better off waiting a season to re-sign Dubinsky or letting him walk to free agency if this was the price they had to pay.

As of now, Dubinsky's $5.85 million cap hit is the 37th-largest among forwards who are signed for the 2015-16 season. There are only a couple players up for new contracts next year who are likely to exceed that cap hit—David Krejci and Jason Spezza are the obvious ones—so Dubinsky is being paid like one of the top forwards in the game despite him not being anything close to that.

Despite the second-best offensive season of his career, Dubinsky finished 97th among forwards in points per 60 minutes. He produced that in somewhat tough minutes and his 52.2 percent Corsi and plus-2.6 percent Corsi relative are nice, but it's not as though he is used exclusively against top competition.

Perhaps the biggest myth that will emerge from the 2014 playoffs over the years is Dubinsky was responsible for shutting down Pittsburgh Penguins star and Hart Trophy winner Sidney Crosby in the first round of the playoffs. It's one general manager Jarmo Kekalainen talked about during Friday's press conference and said factored into this contract.

"When you see a performance like he had in the playoffs, where he was night after night one of the best players on the ice against an elite team in the league, and against some of the best players in the world, he was able to eliminate the production of Sidney Crosby and play well both sides of the puck, defensively and offensive in that series, obviously that had something to do with it too," Kekalainen said.

Dubinsky certainly eliminated the production of Crosby as long as the definitions of "eliminate" and "production" have completely different meanings to Kekalainen.

Crosby was "held" to zero goals and six assists (four on the power play) in six games, which means all he produced was a point per game in the series. In terms of possession, Crosby throttled the Blue Jackets, delivering a Corsi percentage of 61.3 percent, which is off-the-charts excellent; Dubinsky finished the series in which he was able to "eliminate" Crosby at 48.5 percent.

Dubinsky is a fine $4M player. Is the extra $2M for each time he made Crosby swear?

— Section 328 (@Section_328) July 11, 2014

Now that it has been reported that Crosby was playing in the postseason with an injured right wrist that may require surgery, exactly how much did Dubinsky do to eliminate Crosby and how much did a banged-up wrist do to eliminate Crosby? 

The fact that Crosby was on the ice for more than 60 percent of the shot attempts but was unable to finish them sounds more like he was dealing with a wrist problem than a Dubinsky problem.

Timing is everything, and the perception of Dubinsky shutting down Crosby and the Blue Jackets not having to play another round that could have hurt Dubinsky's value (see: Thomas Vanek) did wonders for this payday. 

How did Dubinsky handle it the last time he received a big contract? Not very well, actually.

After a 20-goal, 54-point season in 77 games in 2010-11, Dubinsky hit a four-year, $16.8 million jackpot with the New York Rangers. Over his next two seasons, Dubinsky had 54 points in 106 games between the Rangers and Blue Jackets. During the 2011-12 season, Rangers coach John Tortorella said he would have made Dubinsky a healthy scratch if not for the team dealing with injuries at the time in March.

Dubinsky wasn't necessarily playing for a contract last season, but the Blue Jackets wanted to cut him off at the free-agent pass a year in advance. With the 2015 UFA crop looking thin, the team decided it was in their best interest to sign him now as opposed to letting him to get to market, where, despite his middling production, he probably would have earned an even bigger contract.

Just because someone else would have made the mistake of overpaying Dubinsky doesn't mean the Blue Jackets had to do it first.

This move smells a lot like the one the Chicago Blackhawks made with Corey Crawford after the lockout-shortened 2013 season. Despite being a year away from unrestricted free agency, the Blackhawks felt the need to give Crawford a six-year, $36 million extension after he led the team to a 48-game Stanley Cup.

Now the Blackhawks have five years and $25 million invested in a goaltender with a career .914 save percentage, one who imploded so badly during the Western Conference Final last year that they may still be picking up his equipment strewn about United Center.

The Blue Jackets rushed to pay a third-line center the money that should be going to a second-line center, something Dubinsky simply won't be during his career. It's not that he isn't a useful hockey player who can help a team win; it's that he received nearly $6 million per year based on one well-timed season and a misconception that he shut down the sport's best player over a six-game span.

Dave Lozo covers the NHL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter: @DaveLozo.

All statistics via NHL.com and Extra Skater. Contract information courtesy of CapGeek.

Player: Sonny Milano

Drafted By: Columbus Blue Jackets (16th overall)

Position: LW/C

Final Central Scouting Ranking: No. 16 North American skater

Height/Weight: 6'0'', 183 lbs

DOB: May 12, 1996 (18 years old)

Most Recent Affiliation: U.S. National Development Team

Background

Long Island native Sonny Milano has been gaining attention from hockey scouts since he was 14. Milano made a video of his stick-handling prowess which won him a new pair of skates in a contest. He has continued to develop those skills since then and remains one of the top offensive prospects in this year's draft.

Milano has spent the past two seasons with the U.S. National Development Team based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He scored 14 goals and 39 points in 25 games last season and added three goals and 10 points in seven games during the World Juniors.

Whoever selects Milano will be selecting an elite offensive talent.

Full Scouting Report

Milano provides plenty of skill and flash, but at 6’0”, 183 pounds he still needs to add some size to deal with the punishment of playing against men for 82 games in the NHL. 

Scouts rave about Milano's speed and hands. One scout was quoted in The Hockey News draft preview issue as saying Milano has "Exceptional speed, and pretty dynamic offensively. He has the ability to make things happen by himself. Maybe looks selfish at times because of that, but other times he has worked well with his linemates."

The biggest concern scouts have about Milano is his defensive play and maturity. If those two areas can be developed by his next organization's coaching staff, Milano may become a true star.

New York Islanders scout Trent Klatt had this to stay about Milano before the draft: "Milano is simply so skilled he can do many things with a puck most others can't. One can only imagine how much time this kid spends with a stick in his hand. He's creative on the ice, slippery and as dynamic as anyone in this draft."

TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button added: "Milano is an offensive threat with magic hands around the net and the confidence to carry out plays despite opponents bearing down on him. He has the ability to be in the scoring spots at the right times."

Milano may not be a complete player at this point, but what he does well, he does as well as anybody.

NHL Player Comparison

Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks. Milano has great speed and the ability to create scoring chances that other players simply cannot dream of doing. He's dynamic and can find that extra-quick burst in close like Kane.

NHL Timetable

Milano has committed to Boston College for next season. He will need some time to add a little size and maturity to his game. His NHL arrival is likely to take place during the 2016-17 season.

Top-End Potential

At his top potential, Milano is a first-line point-producer who would be exceptionally dangerous on the power play. Give him a little more room to operate and his hand skills will be deadly to opposing defenses and goaltenders. At his best, Milano could score 40 goals and 85 points.

Unless his defensive game improves a little bit, Milano may have some limitations on the ice. If he smooths those issues out, the sky is the limit.

The Edmonton Oilers have nothing to lose simply by talking to defenseman Nikita Nikitin, but neither do the Columbus Blue Jackets by letting them.

The Oilers were granted permission to talk to the pending unrestricted free agent, who, for the moment, still remains a Blue Jacket. It’s slightly unorthodox, especially with the recent trend of teams—and by teams, I mean New York Islanders general manager Garth Snow—acquiring players’ rights immediately prior to the start of free agency for mid-round draft picks in the hopes of signing them.

While this particular “deal” smells like a trade, it will likely only become an official one—whereby assets will actually change hands—should the Oilers and Nikitin get anywhere in their discussions. At that point it is presumed Edmonton will send something Columbus’ way as an unofficial thank-you.

Technically, if the Oilers and Nikitin do reach an agreement, both parties can simply wait until July 1—when Nikitin becomes a free agent—and then sign their contract, without the Blue Jackets getting anything in return except egg on their face. However, this exclusive window was granted late last week out of good faith, so it only makes sense that Edmonton would return the favor.

And, contrary to popular belief, teams are allowed to talk to pending free agents prior to July 1—they just can't sign any contracts. According to the new collective bargaining agreement, this interview period begins the day after the NHL entry draft, but no later than June 25 (h/t to The Globe and Mail's James Mirtle). So, the only thing that’s really new here is the window of exclusivity, which will close come June 25.

Seeing as the Oilers’ senior vice president of hockey operations is Scott Howson—the one-time Columbus general manager who acquired Nikitin once upon a time for Kris Russell—the backstory begins to form. It becomes clearer why the Jackets would let the Oilers talk to Nikitin without any compensation—as a favor to Howson, whose former team is now finding success—and why the Oilers would want Nikitin.

Whether or not that interest in Nikitin is justified is another question altogether.

While Nikitin has a big body—6’4”, 223 lbs—he doesn’t use it effectively, and he could stand to be more consistent. His subpar play has led to a decrease in ice time from 23:34 per game in 2011-12 to 17:06 this past season, just seventh among Blue Jackets defensemen. All six above him are either under contract for next season or restricted free agents.

His decreased ice time has logically led to decreased production, dropping from 32 points in 54 games in 2011-12 to to 15 points in 66 games this season—which should be all the convincing you need that Columbus doesn’t want him back, in case the Blue Jackets letting the Oilers talk to him wasn’t enough.

Meanwhile, the fifth-round pick the Blue Jackets could have gotten (if Snow’s recent deal for Dan Boyle is anything to go by)? It could still materialize if the Oilers and Nikitin come to an agreement. And even if it doesn’t, it's not a big loss.

While there’s always a chance the Blue Jackets can draft a serviceable player with that pick, there’s a better chance that they don’t. It’s particularly interesting in this case that Nikitin, himself—the same player that the Blue Jackets are trying to deal—was a fifth-round pick back in 2004.

So, while the Blue Jackets are risking losing Nikitin for nothing here, it’s not a big risk—they likely would be losing him anyway come July 1. They might as well do another team in the opposite conference a minor solid on the off chance it pays dividends in the form of future considerations.

This may not be a win-win situation in the traditional sense, but it’s far from a loss for the Blue Jackets, especially if the only thing they’re losing is a defenseman they had no use for anyway.