Columbus Blue Jackets 15 Worst Contracts (2005-2022)

This was originally published in my 2020 book The Definitive Guide to Salary Mismanagement, and has now been updated with new contracts. I will continue to update each team’s list every summer going forward. The rule is that only active contracts can move up or down. Expired deals cannot pass each other. Next summer it may even be expanded to top 20. The book is still available on Amazon, though some of the stats on active contracts are now out of date. You may yet find it interesting because there were detailed stat graphics that you won't find here.

My latest book The Hockey Economist’s Betting Prospectus is now available. It's a comprehensive commentary on the last 3 years of hockey betting, broken down by team, by category, by strategy, by season. There is plenty of useful information for bettors of all skill levels. It covers pre-pandemic, peak-pandemic, post-pandemic. What worked, what failed. Lessons learned, market trends, team-by-team analysis. What impact did the pandemic have on hockey betting? The market differences between these 3 seasons are discussed at length, and there's a lot to talk about. To read more, visit the Amazon store.
 
Enjoy! Please note: The formatting on the graphics got scrambled being copied from Excel into Google Blogger. It's among the reasons my blog is looking for a new home.

 
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Nearly all of the success that the Columbus Blue Jackets have enjoyed since the salary cap was introduced has come under the stewardship of Jarmo Kekalainen, who was responsible for their only playoff series win over that span (a stunning upset of Tampa). While his reign has been substantially better than his predecessors, Jarmo has made a few mistakes at the negotiating table, especially when handing out deals with longer term.
 
While Jarmo has made a few mistakes, the league’s first European General Manager is not the primary focus of the BJs worst contracts list. That distinction goes to the man he replaced, Scott Howson. If you are curious as to why Howson was never again hired to run a team in the NHL, you’ve come to the right place. His autograph appears 8 times on their worst contracts, and zero times in their best 15.
 
If you search the internet for other Columbus Blue Jackets worst contract lists in the salary cap era, you’ll probably see the name Nathan Horton on most of them. There’s an argument that he belongs, but I’ve opted to extend him an injury exemption. That might not have turned out as badly as it did had the career ending injury never occurred.
 
 
1. R.J Umberger
 

Signed By:	Scott Howson		Position:	F
Date:	2011-09-21		Age July 1st:	30
Term:	5 years		Playoff GP:	4
Total Money:	$23M		Playoff PTS:	1
Cap Hit:	$4.6M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	27.8	228	78	376
Per 82 GP	5.6	82	28	135	14.9

“R.J.’s commitment to the team and the city has been impactful since we acquired him three years ago. We are very excited about him continuing to play such a large role on our team.”

– Scott Howson

RJ Umberger inked a 5-year extension after scoring a career high 57 PTS in 2011, ten months before he was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at age 30. It would have been in Scott Howson’s best interest to wait until the end of the season, as the winger’s production dropped by 17 PTS before this pact even began. That certainly would have shaved some cash off the sticker price.
 
The decline worsened in year one, producing just 18 PTS in 48 GP during the lockout shortened 2013 season. Soon he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for Scott Hartnell, who was producing at a higher level, but had more term remaining. That trade proved to be a lose-lose situation, as Hartnell quickly deteriorated in Columbus while Umberger would be bought out be the Flyers. At the end of the day, RJ produced 78 PTS for $23M.
 
 
2. Alexander Wennberg
 

Signed By:	Jarmo Kekalainen		Position:	F
Date:	2017-09-01		Age July 1st:	22
Term:	6 years		Playoff GP:	12
Total Money:	$29.4M		Playoff PTS:	6
Cap Hit:	$4.9M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	30.3	198	82	210
Per 82 GP	5.0	82	34	87	16.6

“At just 22 years old, he has tremendous opportunity to become an integral player for our organization for years to come."

– Jarmo Kekalainen

Alexander Wennberg had shown significant improvement each year of his ELC, peaking at 59 PTS, averaging 18.4 minutes per game in the final season. Jarmo had every reason to believe this kid was on his way to becoming a star, and likely had no lingering doubts when offering the young center a 6-year term.
 
Alex did go unsigned into September, but eventually agreed to the same deal Vincent Trocheck accepted one year earlier. Where Trocheck had yet to reach his summit, we would soon find out that Wennberg had already reached his peak, and was about to slide down the other side of the mountain. By year two he scored 25 PTS in 75 GP, less than half of what he produced to earn that salary. His scoring rate and ice time did bounce back slightly in year three, but that did not dissuade Jarmo from buying out the remaining term.
 
 
3. Mike Commodore
 

Signed By:	Scott Howson		Position:	D
Date:	2008-07-01		Age July 1st:	28
Term:	5 years		Playoff GP:	4
Total Money:	$18.75M		Playoff PTS:	0
Cap Hit:	$3.75M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	25.7	158	41	189
Per 82 GP	5.1	82	21	98	20.9

"We are building a team identity based on competitiveness and being hard to play against, and Mike fits that very well”

– Scott Howson

Mike Commodore raised his profile to a higher level by becoming a fan favorite on teams that advanced to back-to-back Stanley Cup finals (winning with Carolina). It’s not uncommon for below average players to cash in with big contracts after enjoying some playoff success, and Scott Howson did exactly that with this mistake similar to what Barret Jackman had signed for in St. Louis 4 months earlier (but for a one extra year and a bit more salary).
 
Commie signed for 5 years at an adjusted cap hit of $5.5M (in year one), and in the first season they jacked his ice time up to almost 23 minutes per game, even giving him time on the power play. The deployment would deteriorate after that, leading to an AHL demotion in year three, after which he was bought out. He departed for Detroit to play for Mike Babcock. The rest is history.
 
 
4. Fedor Tyutin
 

Signed By:	Scott Howson		Position:	D
Date:	2011-08-31		Age July 1st:	28
Term:	6 years		Playoff GP:	4
Total Money:	$27M		Playoff PTS:	2
Cap Hit:	$4.5M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	32.2	245	66	224
Per 82 GP	5.4	82	22	75	20.6

“Fedor has been our top defenseman since we acquired him from the New York Rangers in 2008”

– Scott Howson

Fedor Tyutin was a quality defenseman who logged heavy minutes for the Blue Jackets from the moment he arrived in Columbus, and certainly deserved a pay raise when Howson locked him into this extension (receiving a very similar deal to Anton Volchenkov a year earlier).
 
In year one the Russian defenseman logged over 24 minutes per game and scored at a 38-point pace. That summer he celebrated his 30th birthday, and the downward trend began. By year four the ice time dropped under 18 minutes and Fedor scored 3 PTS in 61 GP, prompting Jarmo Kekalainen to buy out the remainder of the deal. While the buyout was statistically justifiable, it might not have happened without the expansion draft. Tuytin possessed a no movement clause and the Jackets did not want to be forced to protect the veteran blueliner.
 
 
5. Brandon Dubinsky
 

Signed By:	Jarmo Kekalainen		Position:	F
Date:	2014-07-11		Age July 1st:	29
Term:	6 years		Playoff GP:	21
Total Money:	$35.1M		Playoff PTS:	3
Cap Hit:	$5.85M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	37.7	278	119	425
Per 82 GP	6.3	82	35	125	16.3

“Brandon brings tenacity and determination to our team every time he takes the ice and he’s been an integral part of our growth and success over the past two years”

- Jarmo Kekalainen

Brandon Dubinsky had just completed a 50-point season when Jarmo inked him to a long-term extension one year before the center was scheduled to reach the UFA market at age 29. This made Dubinsky the highest paid player on the team and was very close to the deal that Dave Bolland had signed 10 days earlier in Florida (see the Panthers worst contracts list). Brandon had already thrown over 1000 hits in the NHL, which put him at an elevated risk of physical decline, and that’s exactly what happened.
 
The decay was still within acceptable limits over the first two years, then fell off a cliff, down to 16 PTS in 62 GP by year three. This contract would have been even worse had they not been able to stash him on LTIR the last 2 years. I hope Brandon enjoyed his all expenses paid vacation to Robidas Island.
 
 
6. Nick Foligno
 

Signed By:	Jarmo Kekalainen		Position:	F
Date:	2014-12-31		Age July 1st:	27
Term:	6 years		Playoff GP:	29
Total Money:	$33M		Playoff PTS:	12
Cap Hit:	$5.5M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	35.5	412	207	824
Per 82 GP	5.9	82	41	164	18.0

"He picks up his teammates. He battles. He blocks shots. He plays through injuries. He's a heart-and-soul guy on this team.”

– Jarmo Kekalainen

Nick Foligno had never scored more than 47 PTS in a season before exploding for 31 goals and 73 PTS at age 26. He was half-way through the best season of his career when Jarmo locked him up to a 6-year extension 7 months before he would have been UFA. This was the same term given to Brandon Dubinsky a few months earlier, with $350K less salary.
 
Nick quickly returned to being a 30-something point scorer, who likes to shoot and hit. This might have been a decent investment at a $3.5M salary, but the price being paid was simply too high. He may be receiving a “heart and soul” premium, which is difficult to quantify in monetary terms.
 
 
7. Rick Nash
 

Signed By:	Scott Howson		Position:	F
Date:	2009-07-03		Age July 1st:	26
Term:	8 years		Playoff GP:	85
Total Money:	$64.4M		Playoff PTS:	43
Cap Hit:	$7.8M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	76.6	543	383	1957
Per 82 GP	9.6	82	58	296	17.8

"He loves Columbus; he never wanted to leave. That's what made me so optimistic all along that we could sign him to an extension."

– Scott Howson

Peak Rick Nash occurred in 2009 with 40 goals and 79 PTS, after which Scott Howson secured his autograph on an 8-year treaty at a mammoth price tag, rather than risk losing him to free agency. This got off to a bumpy start before the Jackets traded him to the New York Rangers with the draft pick that became Pavel Buchnevich, to acquire Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, Tim Erixon, and a 1st round draft pick.
 
This had an average adjusted cap hit of $9.6M, and the first 5 years would have been worth the money if that was $7M instead. Rick enjoyed a 42-goal season in year five, but there was drastic deterioration for the final three years. The Rangers managed to flip him to the Bruins for Ryan Lindgren and a 1st round pick. Rick retired when this expired due to lingering concussion issues.
 
 
8. James Wisniewski
 

Signed By:	Scott Howson		Position:	D
Date:	2011-07-01		Age July 1st:	27
Term:	6 years		Playoff GP:	6
Total Money:	$33M		Playoff PTS:	2
Cap Hit:	$5.5M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	40.3	223	126	474
Per 82 GP	6.7	82	46	174	22.6

“He brings offensive skill and grit to our blue line, character to our dressing room and will be a key contributor to our hockey club.”

– Scott Howson

If you’re making a list of the most perfectly timed career best performances in UFA history, James Wisniewski is somewhere on that list, scoring 51 PTS before hitting the open market at age 27 as a right shot defenseman (also known for throwing some punishing hits). Scott Howson decided to make a 6-year commitment to a defenseman with a long injury history who had only topped 70 GP once in the previous 5 years (which included an ACL reconstruction). This was very similar to the contract that Brent Seabrook signed 4 months earlier, but a little extra term and a slightly smaller salary. Seabrook would go on to win 2 Stanley Cups on his deal, whereas James only played 6 playoff games.
 
This might have been okay had he managed to stay healthy, but that’s not how it played out. It should have been predictable that Wisniewski was going to have injury problems. He was effective for stretches, including an impressive 51-point season in year three, which increased his trade value high enough for the Blue Jackets to pull off a great trade, moving him to Anaheim with a 3rd round pick for William Karlsson and a 2nd round pick. The Ducks later flipped him to Carolina for Anton Khudobin. Wisniewski played 47 seconds for the Hurricanes, tore his ACL again, and was bought out at the end of the season. His next contract was in the KHL.
 
 
9. Adam Foote
 

Signed By:	Doug MacLean		Position:	D
Date:	2005-08-01		Age July 1st:	33
Term:	3 years		Playoff GP:	10
Total Money:	$13.8M		Playoff PTS:	0
Cap Hit:	$4.6M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	25.9	199	50	211
Per 82 GP	8.6	82	21	87	24.2

"He is the total package. He is tremendously competitive, tough, smart, moves the puck very well and is the definition of the word winner. He is a terrific addition to our organization and will be a key component to our continued evolution as a franchise."

– Doug MacLean

 
"He said they'd do what they had to do to win. It made me smile."

– Adam Foote

Doug MacLean had glorious aspirations when he lured 34-year-old Adam Foote to the Columbus Blue Jackets in August 2005, telling Adam that they would do whatever it takes to win. The Blue Jackets still had not yet made the playoffs in their 4-year history and MacLean had to be under incredible pressure to deliver a winner. Sometimes that kind of pressure can force mistakes and cost people their jobs. Foote was only given a 3-year term, but the salary was among the highest in the league for a defenseman. Unfortunately, his offensive production dried up and the team was terrible.
 
The contract expired before the Jackets playoff-less streak ended, but Adam would last longer in Columbus than Doug. New GM Scott Howson managed to flip Foote to the Avalanche as a rental for a 1st round pick (that became Luca Sbisa).
 
 
10. Rostislav Klesla
 

Signed By:	Scott Howson		Position:	D
Date:	2009-10-03		Age July 1st:	28
Term:	4 years		Playoff GP:	19
Total Money:	$11.9M		Playoff PTS:	8
Cap Hit:	$2.98M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	15.6	189	36	220
Per 82 GP	3.9	82	16	95	18.4

“The only thing that wasn't great was that we weren't able to bring a winning team. I wish them the best."

– Rostislav Klesla

Rostislav Klesla had played his entire 400+ career games with Columbus and was 9 months away from unrestricted free agency when Scott Howson inked the defenseman to this 4-year extension. Matt Greene had agreed to similar terms one year earlier in Los Angeles (Matt won 2 Stanley Cups on that deal).
 
Rusty had never been a significant offensive contributor, instead was deployed mostly in a shut-down role. Klesla would only play 45 more games for the Blue Jackets before they traded him to Phoenix Arizona for Scottie Upshall. Once the Czech defender was in the desert, even his defensive usage diminished. Eventually he cleared waivers and was demoted to the AHL. His next contract was in Czechoslovakia.
 
 
11. Pascal Leclaire
 

Signed By:	Scott Howson		Position:	G
Date:	2008-07-30		Age July 1st:	25
Term:	3 years		Playoff Wins:	1
Total Money:	$11.4M		Playoff SV%:	0.920
Cap Hit:	$3.8M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Avg Adj Cap Hit	GP	W	GAA	SV%
Total	5.4	60	20	3.24	0.888

“We think he will continue to improve and play a significant role in helping us reach our goals."

– Scott Howson

Pascal Leclaire had just completed his first full season as a starter (with a .919 SV% behind a Ken Hitchcock defense) when Scott Howson signed the RFA to a 3-year ticket. Pascal would only play 12 more games for the Blue Jackets (with an .887 SV%) before his season was cut short by ankle surgery.
 
Howson would trade him to the Ottawa Senators that March before Leclaire had even returned from the injury. The goalie was packaged with a 2nd round pick (that became Robin Lehner) for Antoine Vermette. Pascal’s Ottawa reign was marred by inconsistency and injury as Brian Elliot eventually supplanted him as the team’s primary starter. Leclaire’s pro hockey career was over by age 28 courtesy of hip surgery.
 
 
12. Samuel Pahlsson
 

Signed By:	Scott Howson		Position:	F
Date:	2009-07-01		Age July 1st:	31
Term:	3 years		Playoff GP:	5
Total Money:	$7.95M		Playoff PTS:	1
Cap Hit:	$2.65M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	10.9	241	53	294
Per 82 GP	3.6	82	18	100	15.5

"Sami Pahlsson is a very good two-way center who can play against the top players in the league and strengthens our hockey club at the center ice position"

– Scott Howson

Samuel Pahlsson played a significant checking role helping the Anaheim Mighty Ducks win the Stanley Cup, earning himself a Selke trophy nomination along the way. By the time he became an unrestricted free agent at age 31, the amount of fuel remaining in his gas tank had diminished. Scott Howson stepped up with a 3-year deal for nearly double his previous salary.
 
Sami’s scoring rate remained consistently unimpressive, but the Swedish center wasn’t hired to score goals, he was paid to prevent them. Problem was, the Blue Jackets were top 5 in the league in goals allowed the first 2 years. In year three he was shipped to Vancouver as a rental for a pair of 4th round draft picks.
 
 
13. Riley Nash
 

Signed By:	Jarmo Kekalainen		Position:	F
Date:	2018-07-01		Age July 1st:	29
Term:	3 years		Playoff GP:	14
Total Money:	$8.25M		Playoff PTS:	5
Cap Hit:	$2.75M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	8.4	179	33	183
Per 82 GP	2.8	82	15	84	11.6

"It's going to be great to add a center, a right-handed center that we don't have, and I think we got it done with a contract that we like - both the value and the term"

– Jarmo Kekalainen

Riley Nash had just completed by far the best offensive season of his career in 2018, scoring 15 goals and 41 PTS, before becoming UFA at age 29. The center would land in Columbus on a 3-year term. In all fairness to Jarmo, he didn’t pay the full price for a 40-point player, getting a slight discount for what that stat line should typically cost.
 
There doesn’t seem to have been much illusion that history was going to repeat itself, but they still paid far too much for what they got. Over the first 2 years, Nash scored 15 PTS and averaged 11.3 minutes of ice time and became a healthy scratch. Those numbers should correlate to a salary around $900K, not $2.8M.
 
 
14. Duvie Westcott
 

Signed By:	Doug MacLean		Position:	D
Date:	2006-09-11		Age July 1st:	29
Term:	3 years		Playoff GP:	0
Total Money:	$4.8M		Playoff PTS:	0
Cap Hit:	$1.6M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	7.3	23	4	27
Per 82 GP	2.4	82	14	96	16.4

"Duvie has worked incredibly hard to become a very good, two-way NHL defenceman. He plays with passion and consistency every night."

- Doug MacLean

Duvie Westcott impressed General Manager Doug MacLean with his hard work ethic and 28-point performance in 2005/06 to solicit this 3-year extension. It would have been in Dougie Mac’s best interest to wait until the end of the season, as the defenseman sat out most of the following campaign with injuries, including a season ending concussion (Doug was fired that April).
 
Duvie would suffer 2 more concussions early in year one, and was no longer the same player, eventually earning himself a demotion to the AHL. Westcott was outstanding for the Syracuse Crunch, scoring 27 PTS in 37 GP. New GM Scott Howson would buy out the remainder of the contract. Duvie would play 7 more years in Europe before retiring from pro hockey.
 
 
15. Brandon Saad
 

Signed By:	Jarmo Kekalainen		Position:	F
Date:	2015-07-03		Age July 1st:	22
Term:	6 years		Playoff GP:	20
Total Money:	$36M		Playoff PTS:	13
Cap Hit:	$6M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	38.7	424	245	1083
Per 82 GP	6.4	82	47	209	16.9

“We are extremely pleased to have reached this long-term commitment that assures he will be an important part of our team for years to come.”

– Jarmo Kekalainen

The Blue Jackets pulled off a slick move to acquire Brandon Saad from the Chicago Blackhawks for Artem Anisimov and a few future busts. Chicago was likely unable to meet his contract demands, where Jarmo was happy to lock Saad into a 6-year deal at a far higher price than any of Saad’s comparables were signing for at the time (most were taking team friendly bridge deals). They gave Brandon a similar term and salary as Brandon Dubinsky one year earlier, but slightly more money. The big difference being that Dubinsky was a pending UFA and Saad was 22-year-old restricted without arbitration rights.
 
If we do “contract tracing” to see who else was getting this type of deal at a young age, it’s a class of players far better than Saad (like Tavares, Benn, Landeskog, Duchene, Skinner, etc). Brandon was not a terrible player in Columbus, he was simply overpaid. But Jarmo made up for his mistake by selling Saad back to the Hawks for Artemi Panarin, who became one of the league’s top scorers. Returning to Chicago, Saad’s point production plunged from 53 to 35 in the same number of games. That’s where Brandon went from a little overpaid to significantly overpaid. The Blackhawks eventually moved him to Colorado with one year remaining.