On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
Although Columbus Blue Jackets forward Mathieu Olivier was considered a trade candidate heading into the 2024-25 NHL season, that no longer seems to be the case, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported on Friday.
“Ongoing extension discussions between [the Blue Jackets] and Mathieu Olivier,” the hockey insider wrote on X. “Progress has been made. Virtually no chance he’s traded. Big part of the Jackets team.”
Olivier has been a wrecking ball for the Blue Jackets this season, throwing 223 hits in 59 games — behind only Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood for tops in the league.
He’s also chipped in 11 goals and 20 points while mainly playing in a bottom-six role.
Columbus acquired Olivier from the Nashville Predators prior to the 2022-23 season for a fourth-round pick. He signed a two-year, $2.2 million contract with the Jackets the following summer.
The pending unrestricted free agent has been a key piece of the squad’s impressive turnaround this season. His 20 points are already a career high, and he’s also raised his shooting percentage to 14.9 percent.
The Biloxi, Mississippi native will likely earn at least a bit of a raise on his next contract after a career year; Pro Hockey Rumors’ Brennan McClain sees a comparable being Vegas Golden Knights forward Keegan Kolesar.
“Keegan Kolesar’s three-year, $7.5MM extension with the Vegas Golden Knights is a reasonable comparable, given his similar playstyle to that of Olivier,” McClain wrote on Friday. “Since Olivier is three years younger than Kolesar, the Blue Jackets may entertain giving Olivier a fourth year and bumping his AAV closer to the $2.75MM range.”
Whether or not Olivier is locked up before the trade deadline, it looks almost certain that he will not be getting traded before next Friday. And the Blue Jackets just continue to have success in 2024-25.
Blue Jackets have emerged into legitimate playoff contenders
The Blue Jackets have hung around the playoff picture for basically the entire campaign, and they’re surging at the perfect time. After a mammoth 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night — a team they are battling with for a wildcard spot — Columbus has improved to 29-22-8.
On the last day of February, the Jackets are currently occupying the final wildcard berth in the Eastern Conference, and have created four points of separation on the New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins.
It’s still going to take a herculean effort to get in, but Dean Evason’s club is now tied with the Red Wings with 66 points after triumphing in three consecutive games and six of 10 dating back to January 25.
Captain Boone Jenner and top forward scorer Kirill Marchenko are back in the lineup, and along with the continued Norris Trophy-caliber play from Zach Werenski, the Jackets look like they have a great chance to still be in a playoff spot come mid-April.
With 23 games left, every single one is going to be crucial for one of the NHL’s best surprises this year. And that begins with another huge tilt against Detroit in the 2025 Stadium Series at Ohio Stadium on Saturday night.
More must-reads:
- Blue Jackets' extension talks with young star will have major impact on salary
- Aroldis Chapman is quietly putting together a historic season
- The 'Most 1,000-rushing yard NFL seasons' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
TODAY'S BEST
The Dallas Stars just locked up a defenseman built for playoff wars, and he's only getting started
Fans are furious over this proposed Jason Robertson trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs
Some NHL trade rumours make you think, and others feel like pure fantasy. A recent proposal linking the Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs falls firmly into the second category, sparking debate over the future of Jason Robertson. The Dallas Stars are fresh off another deep playoff run and remain loaded with talent heading into 2025-26. Their top line of Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, and Mikko Rantanen is arguably the best in hockey, a group carefully built through patience, planning, and smart cap management. So when a recent article from Heavy.com floated the idea of Dallas trading Robertson to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a one-for-one swap for veteran defenseman Morgan Rielly, eyebrows shot up across the hockey world. No prospects. No picks. Just Robertson for Rielly. The Dallas Stars trading Jason Robertson for Morgan Rielly would be a massive mistake Robertson isn't just another forward. He's a franchise cornerstone, a 40-goal scorer, and a player with multiple 80-point seasons already on his résumé. His full stats are available at NHL.com. He's also only 26 and entering his prime years. Rielly, meanwhile, is 31, carries a no-move clause, and while steady, does not address a pressing need in Dallas. With Miro Heiskanen, Thomas Harley, and Lian Bichsel leading the way, the Stars already have a strong defensive core with youth and upside. Even Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos recently cautioned about the complexity of Robertson's next deal, but nothing about that analysis justifies moving him for an aging defenseman. "The Stars need to be careful with how they handle Robertson," Kypreos noted. Careful, however, does not mean giving him away. I think Dallas would be foolish to even entertain this type of move. Robertson isn't just a player, he's part of the identity of the Stars and a key piece of their Stanley Cup hopes. This isn't NHL 26, this is real life, and stars like Robertson simply don't come around often.
Micah Parsons had incredible reaction to Packers trade
The Green Bay Packers’ blockbuster trade to acquire Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys altered the landscape of the NFL, and raised the expectations in Titletown for 2025 and beyond. Parsons immediately bolsters the Packers’ pass rush and, opposite Rashan Gary, has the potential to be a true difference-maker on a roster built to make a deep playoff run. Micah Parsons fired up after Packers trade While those inside the league both resoundingly praised general manager Brian Gutekunst and the Packers while lampooning Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Parsons’ reaction of pure joy may have been best of all. Parsons has plenty of reason to celebrate between the change of scenery and the fact that he’ll collect $188 million with $120 million fully guaranteed on his new contract with the Packers. The All-Pro will also get the chance to exact some revenge on Jones and his former team when the Packers take on the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football in Week 4.
Jelena Ostapenko responds to racism allegations after post-match confrontation with Taylor Townsend
A heated post-match exchange between former World No. 5 Jelena Ostapenko and Taylor Townsend marred an otherwise action-filled fourth day of the U.S. Open on Wednesday. After Townsend defeated the 2017 French Open champion in straight sets, 7-5, 6-1, Ostapenko accused her opponent of unsportsmanlike conduct, pointing out that the American didn't apologize when a net cord helped her win a crucial point earlier in the match. The Latvian wrote on social media that Townsend "was very disrespectful" and didn't show the proper etiquette expected of a pro tennis player. "If she plays in her homeland, it doesn’t mean that she can behave and do whatever she wants," she wrote in a scathing address of Townsend. Townsend offered more details on their post-match confrontation, which led to some suggesting she was racially targeted. "She told me I have no class and no education, and to see what happens if we play each other outside the U.S.," Townsend revealed. Townsend refused to call Ostapenko a racist. "I didn't take it in that way," she said, via BBC. "But also that has been a stigma in our community of being not educated, and all of the things, when it's the furthest thing from the truth. Whether it had racial undertones or not, that's something she can speak on." Ostapenko was widely lambasted on social media, with even World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka asking her to control her emotions. The under-attack Latvian responded to allegations of her being a racist, while reaffirming her stance on Townsend disrespecting her during the match. "I was never racist in my life and I respect all nations of people in the world, for me it doesn't matter where you come from," she wrote on social media. Townsend will next face Russian teenage prodigy Mirra Andreeva in the third round. The World No. 46 American is trying to reach the fourth round of her home major for the first time since 2019.
Post-Ashton Jeanty era gets off to brutal start for No. 25 Boise State
There had to be at least some expectation that the Boise State Broncos were going to take a small step backwards in 2025. They probably just did not expect it to happen so soon in the season, and so emphatically. The No. 25 ranked Broncos were absolutely humiliated on Thursday night, losing 34-7 to an unranked South Florida team that was just 7-6 a year ago. It was a rude awakening for what might be ahead for Boise State following the departure of Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty's historic season helped carry the Broncos to an 12-1 regular season, with the only regular season loss being a three-point defeat to Oregon early in the season. They ended up in the College Football Playoff where they lost their first game to Penn State. But with Jeanty on to the NFL (a first-round pick by the Las Vegas Raiders) there was always going to be a huge hole for them to replace. Not only in terms of production and skill, but also in their identity. They had none of that power-running identity on Thursday. Not only did they allow 34 consecutive points to South Florida, but the Broncos also managed to rush for only 122 yards on 38 carries, coming out to just 3.2 yards per attempt. They averaged 6.1 yards per carry in 2024, tied for the second-highest mark in college football. On one hand, losing an early season game isn't the end of the world, especially in the era of expanded playoffs. Boise State could still run the table the rest of the way with a very manageable schedule and play its way back into playoff contention. It's also not uncommon for teams to struggle early in the season. There is no preseason in college football and everybody is just coming in cold right into real games. Sometimes teams take a while to get moving. But this is not a particularly good South Florida team, and for Boise State to come out so flat and be so uncompetitive in the opener is a bad sign for what might be ahead.
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
