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The Columbus Blue Jackets have 47 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #47. 

Let's take a look.

Aaron Johnson - 2003-07/2011-12 - Johnson was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

Johnson played 172 games for the Jackets over two stints. Scouts said of Johnson was "A puck-moving defenseman, Johnson is a very good skater. Has good offensive instincts and can quarterback the power play. Can play a tough and physical game. Needs to improve his play in his own end."

During his time with Columbus, he also spent three years with the AHL Syracuse Crunch, where he had 73 points in those three seasons. 

In 2016, he left North America and signed on with Adler Mannheim of the DEL in Germany. He then left for England, where he played for the Sheffield Steelers of the EIHL. In 2021, he became a Player-Asst. Coach for a season.

He came back home to Columbus in 2021 and joined the Jackets as a Team Consultant. He's been the Team Relations Specialist for the Jackets for a few seasons now. 

Geoff Platt - 2005-07 - Platt was undrafted out of Mississauga, Ontario.

Platt made his NHL Debut in December 2005 as a 20-year-old undrafted rookie. He played in 41 games for his CBJ career and had 14 points. 

He left North America in 2008 and headed for Finland. He then left for the KHL and played five years with Dynamo Minsk. In 2012, he became a citizen of Belarus. He remained in Europe and played in the KHL, Sweden, and Finland until his retirement in 2023. 

Platt also began playing international hockey for Belarus after gaining citizenship, appearing in the IIHF World Championships and Olympic Games Qualifiers. He's worked for Tappara U20 as a skills and development coach for the past few seasons. 

Dalton Prout - 2011-17 - Prout was drafted by Columbus in the 6th round of the 2010 NHL Draft. 

Prout made his NHL debut on March 30, 2012, against the Florida Panthers. From there, he would go on to play in 224 games for the Jackets. He would also play in four seasons with the Springfield Falcons and Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. 

Prout was a big, rugged defenseman known for his physicality and toughness. In the 2015-16 season, he finished the year with 102 penalty minutes. 

Prout was known for his fights and wasn't afraid of anyone. Over the years, he fought Tom Wilson, Chris Neil, and Pat Maroon. But his fights with Boston's Milan Lucic were probably his most memorable, including a fight where Prout dropped Lucic with one punch. You can re-live that magic moment below. 

Prout was traded to New Jersey by Columbus for Kyle Quincey on March 1, 2017, and that's where the story would end for Prout's Columbus career. He would go on to play for Calgary and San Jose before retiring during the 2019-20 season. 

He was hired by GM Bill Zito of the Florida Panthers in 2021 as a Pro Scout and can be seen in the press box of Nationwide Arena fairly routinely. 

Marcus Björk - 2022-23 - Marcus Björk is an undrafted defenseman out of Umea, Sweden.

Björk was signed by the Blue Jackets as a free agent on May 24, 2022. From there, he would be called up from Cleveland on November 12, 2022, to make his NHL debut. 

In what would turn out to be a very bad season for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Björk would have a terrific season in what would turn out to be his only NHL game played. 

He played in 33 games for the Jackets that season. He scored 3 goals and totaled 11 points and averaged just over 18 minutes a game on the ice. Not bad for a rookie fresh out of Europe. But, unfortunately for Björk, that would be the end of his NHL season to this point. 

Björk also played in 44 games for Cleveland that season and had 15 points. It seemed that Björk was going places. But when the following season rolled around, Björk was sent to Cleveland, where he would play in 51 games in the 2023-24 season and total 25 points. 

At the end of the 23-24 season, Björk was not offered a contract and was left as an unrestricted free agent. He headed back to Europe and signed with Kärpät of LIIGA in Finland. He scored 21 points in 32 games. 

In 2026, he left for Sweden and plays for IF Björklöven of the SHL. 

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The Senators have plenty of intriguing storylines as training camp approaches.

In this episode of Sens Nation, we discuss why Carter Yakemchuk may have his best opportunity yet to earn a full-time NHL job, after being one of Ottawa’s final training-camp cuts in each of the past two seasons.

The guys also look at some interesting revelations from the Senators’ latest Breakaway documentary, including the draft-night trade offers Steve Staios turned down from Vancouver and Pittsburgh, where Ottawa had Jonas Lagerberg Hoen ranked internally, and why the Senators selected him before Jaxon Cover.

Plus, who was actually Ottawa’s most improved offensive player last season? You may not want to know.

Which Senators could provide a surprise at training camp?

The Senators arena site remains empty, one year after they struck a deal with the NCC for 11 acres of land at LeBreton Flats. What's the timeline for a new rink now?

Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell so you never miss an episode of the Sens Nation Podcast, the official Sens podcast of The Hockey News.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News 

While the Philadelphia Flyers have failed to address their need for talented young centers to this point in the offseason, they still have plenty of options available to them if they choose to try again.

The Leo Carlsson offer sheet was a strong indicator of what the Flyers are looking for and ultimately want to do at the position. Carlsson, 21, is already virtually a point-per-game player, and would have easily scored more than 30 goals and 70 points had he played in more than 70 regular season games for Anaheim last year.

It goes almost without saying, though, that those kinds of players don't grow on trees, and the Flyers clearly aren't as convinced that Columbus's Adam Fantilli is in the same tier, because he's eligible to sign and receive an offer sheet, too.

No dice in free agency, no dice in the draft, and no dice with the offer sheet leaves the Flyers with one avenue left worth exploring, and that's the trade market.

Out in the West, the Flyers have a trade target to consider on the San Jose Sharks.

3 Things Flyers Need to Return to NHL Playoffs Again in 2027Including Matvei Michkov, the Philadelphia Flyers are going to need some things to break their way to make the Stanley Cup playoffs again in 2027.

By now, we all know of the Macklin Celebrinis, Will Smiths, and Michael Misas of the world, and the Sharks still have a capable veteran at the position in Alex Wennberg as well.

With their top three centers, and top-nine in general, more or less set, it's becoming harder and harder to envision a future for Filip Bystedt, a 22-year-old center who was the 27th overall pick back in 2022.

The 6-foot-4 Swede broke out in a major way last season, erupting for 22 goals, 38 assists, and 60 points in 65 games for the AHL San Jose Barracuda, 

Despite the breakout, Bystedt is heading into a contract year, and in that timeframe, it would be difficult to imagine a world where he is able to supplant someone like Wennberg, given his inexperience and defensive weaknesses, and wrest a top-nine role away; he doesn't have the skillset required of a fourth-line player.

Sharks Hockey Digest beat reporter Max Miller did not have Bystedt in his top-10 Sharks prospects heading into training camp, with Cam Lund, another prospect on the bubble, ranking ahead of the honorable mention.

With the Flyers, though, Bystedt would have more than enough runway to establish himself as an NHL player and have the time he needs to improve his offensive and defensive reads.

For his size, Bystedt is a good enough skater, and he's equally skilled as a passer and shooter.

Flyers Must Follow NHL Blueprint for High-Value ContractsMany NHL teams are signing their young stars to big contracts early, but the Philadelphia Flyers have shown a preference to wait for certainty and guarantees before paying up.

In the AHL, the former first-round pick was able to play a more complementary role as a facilitator for skilled wingers such as Quentin Musty and Igor Chernyshov, and the Flyers have more than enough pieces on the flanks in their cupboard to recreate that environment for Bystedt at the NHL level.

As for potential trade compensation, it's harder to say, since the Sharks already added Michael Kesselring, Jacob Trouba, and Darnell Nurse to address a weak defense that lacked NHL-caliber players.

One trade comparable worth considering, however, is the Amadeus Lombardi trade from the end of June. The 23-year-old restricted free agent was traded by the Detroit Red Wings to the New Jersey Devils for a fourth-round pick (108th overall).

Lombardi has scored 82 points in his last 91 AHL games and is in need of an NHL opportunity, similarly to Bystedt, who just enjoyed a breakout of his own.

Of course, a trade would have to be suitable for both sides, but there is at least a fit on paper, especially from the Flyers' side of things.

If it weren’t for Kirby Dach, much more would have been written about Alex Newhook being prone to injury. The speedy winger has now played three seasons with the Montreal Canadiens and was dressed for 179 games out of a possible 246, meaning he featured in only 73% of the Habs’ games; that’s more than Dach’s 47%, but that’s not ideal. In his 179 games, he scored 85 points, a 0.47 point-per-game average. In the playoffs, he put up two points in five games in 2025, but this past season, he managed to score 10 points in 19 games, for a .53 PPG average. Furthermore, he scored both the Canadiens’ series-clinching goals in games 7 against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres.

Those playoffs were an excellent springboard for Newhook, who’s now entering the last year of the four-year deal he signed with the Habs when he was acquired in a deal with the Colorado Avalanche. As things stand, it looks highly likely that he will be able to resume his role on the Canadiens’ second line alongside Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen. In an ideal world, Kent Hughes would have liked to get some reinforcements for his top six, either via trade or in the person of Michael Hage, but at this stage, all signs point to the Canadiens running it back with the same squad, minus Brendan Gallagher.

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Of course, nothing is decided until training camp. If someone outperforms Newhook, he could find himself down in the bottom six, but his performance last season before suffering a fractured ankle, coupled with his playoff production, certainly gives him a head start over a player like Dach, who had to settle for a one-year, $3.6 M contract after being offered a two-way qualifying offer.

Dach might have been a third overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks, but so far, Newhook has had a much bigger impact on the Canadiens. The speed he brings to the table definitely makes him a good candidate to play alongside Demidov; he can get where the Russian winger will send the puck in a hurry, and he has more of a scoring touch than Jake Evans, for instance, who skated on the second line during the playoffs while Kapanen was a healthy scratch.

So far, Newhook has suffered two serious injuries, a high-ankle sprain in November 2023 and the above-mentioned ankle fracture in November 2025. When he did stay healthy in the 2024-25 season, he put up 26 points in 82 games; he nearly tied that production last season with 25 points, but in just 42 games. Fresh off a confidence-building performance in the playoffs and playing for a new contract, the odds are that Newhook will have the best season of his career, especially if he enjoys some stability when it comes to his linemates.

A full season riding shotgun with Demidov could really unlock Newhook’s potential to the fullest. If he stays healthy and remains in the top six, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Newfoundland native reach the 45- or even the 50-point mark, just at the right time to prove to the Habs that he deserves a new contract. On a young and inexperienced Canadiens’ team, Newhook brings a lot of playoff experience; after all, he did win the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in his rookie season.

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Coming in at No. 9 of TheHockeyNews.com's top 10 ranking of Toronto Maple Leafs prospects is Tyler Hopkins.

The players in this ranking do not have extensive NHL experience and are all under 23. Therefore, players such as William Villeneuve, Artur Akhtyamov and Easton Cowan, among others, won't feature in this ranking for either or both of those particular reasons.

In terms of where these players fall in the rankings, it is a mix of their ceiling and potential, as well as how they've performed in the past year with their respective clubs. 

Hopkins was selected by the Maple Leafs in the third round of the 2025 NHL draft with pick No. 86. He is an OHL veteran to this point in his young career, featuring in 182 regular-season games, all before turning 20 years old. His time in the Ontario League is made up of parts of three years with the Kingston Frontenacs and about half of a season with the Guelph Storm, which took him to the end of the 2025-26 campaign following a trade from Kingston to Guelph.

The 2007-born center has proven to be rather consistent over the past two seasons. With Kingston in 2024-25, Hopkins scored 20 goals and 51 points in 67 games. 

Maple Leafs NHL Prospect Ranking: No. 10, Victor JohanssonKicking off our Toronto Maple Leafs prospects ranking is Victor Johansson at No. 10.

This past year, he stepped up in the goals department, recording 25 markers and 50 points in far fewer games, making 56 regular-season appearances. Hopkins scored an additional two goals in Guelph's four post-season games before getting eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Windsor Spitfires. He was also an alternate captain for both of the teams he represented in 2025-26.

Though his campaign in the OHL ended on a very sour note, Hopkins is a winner with the national team. The Campbellville, Ont.-born player hasn't represented Team Canada in any major tournaments this past year, but was a part of two championships in 2024-25.

NHL Prospect Pool Overview '26-27: Toronto Maple Leafs First-Overall Pick Gavin McKenna Key To Present and FutureThe Toronto Maple Leafs took major strides to improve its pipeline of prospects this summer. Beyond Gavin McKenna, which players are close to making the jump to the NHL? Tony Ferrari takes a deep dive.

Canada won gold at the 2024 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, with Hopkins registering one assist in five games at that tournament. They also won the IIHF 2025 U-18 World Championship that season, dismantling Sweden in the gold medal game 7-0. Hopkins notched one assist in six games, which game in the final.

Speaking of Hopkins' contributions to Hockey Canada, he was invited to the team's World Junior Summer Showcase in Windsor, Ont., which took place from late July to early August.

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Last year’s most curious list featured some positive surprises (Arturs Silovs, Tommy Novak) and some running in place (Owen Pickering, Ville Koivunen, Tristan Broz) and a little of both (Avery Hayes). That didn’t even include some of the most curious seasons in store for people like Justin Brazeau, Ryan Shea, Parker Wotherspoon and Anthony Mantha, among many others.

There’s no shortage of new faces and fresh angles to tackle. There could be as many as 10 players on the roster at the start of 2026-27 that weren’t in the opening night lineup last season. The Penguins have an incredibly stable core at the top with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang starting their 21st season together as NHL teammates (it’s Crosby’s 22nd year individually), but a layer below that there is always a flurry of movement.

From those numbers, it’s a challenge to whittle down to just five players, even before getting to returning veterans and the hope for ascending youngsters. There should be no shortage of curiosity, especially given how in recent years that the Pens have had bad seasons when they mostly expected to be good and then finished second place in their division when almost no one would have seen that coming. The overarching curiosity on just how this mix will gel as a team is naturally the biggest and most interesting angle to watch how it unfolds over the fall and winter, here’s some individuals.

Nick Robertson

Robertson has scored 45 total goals in the last three seasons and will only turn 25 just before training camp. By contrast, Egor Chinakhov scored 37 career goals in about 2.5 season’s worth of games before joining the Pens. Can Pittsburgh get a Chinakhov-esque glow up out of Robertson to truly establish himself as a core player? He never quite got there in Toronto, averaging between 11-12 minutes per game in his three full seasons with the Maple Leafs. The finishing talent is there, this could be another big win in Pittsburgh’s strategy of targeting young players who need a change of scenery and new start to reach their potential.

Declan Carlile

Carlile is in that mold of a young player looking for opportunity too. The undrafted free agent spent three seasons mostly in the AHL from 2022-25 with Tampa. Due mostly to other players suffering injuries, Carlile got 42 games in the NHL last season and has 46 in his career. He just turned 26 years old but has the profile the Pens like for his size (6’3”, 190) and puck-moving ability that should make him a nice, younger, cheaper replacement to Ryan Shea. Considering the mess on the left side of the defense, if Carlile turns out to be an instant hit then suddenly things look a lot better on the depth chart. If he doesn’t, well, then the situation grows even more dire. With such little experience it’s anyone’s guess on just how this is going to play out.

Ville Koivunen

Koivunen’s massive eight year contract and $4 million cap hit instantly made him one of the most intriguing storylines for training camp. Last year’s camp ended with Koivunen briefly being on Crosby’s line at the start of the season. This year, who knows what could happen with a very crowded field of forwards competing for a seemingly limited amount of spots. Is Koivunen going to earn a spot in the opening night lineup? Hit waivers? Be stuck as a healthy scratch? Any outcome at this point is as likely as any other which makes Koivunen a central figure to be curious about seeing what happens.

Andrey Kuzmenko

In general, Kuzmenko is a curious player. He stuck around in Russia until age 26, joining up with Vancouver to a tremendous first NHL season in 2022-23 (39 goals and 74 points in 81 games). What looked like the possible next Artemi Panarin as a late-blooming import hasn’t stayed on track, shuttling between three teams since 2024 and seeing his spot in the lineup and point total on a consistent downward slope from 74 to 46 to 37 to 25 last season (albeit in just 52 games). The talent might still be there, Kuzmenko did record six points in six playoff games in 2025, but the ability to get there consistently remains in question. Kuzmenko hangs out in the offseason in the same orbit socially as players like Evgeni Malkin and Ilya Kovalchuk, the familiarity angle with Malkin could be something the Pens are hoping can provide a boost and get Kuzmenko back on track to his more productive and effective days. Just how far he goes will be one of the biggest curiosities this year.

Sergei Murashov

Last on the list, but certainly not least, is a player that could have the biggest influence on the season. Tristan Jarry didn’t work out following his 2023 contract and the Pens have taken the step to clear Jarry out and open up the runway for Murashov to take off as potentially the next No. 1 goalie for the franchise. Murashov at 22 is still incredibly young for an NHL goalie. Of the 59 goalies to appear in 25+ games last year, only two (Jesper Wallstedt and Yarsoslav Askarov, both in age-23 seasons) were under 24 years old and Murashov is nearly a year younger now than those two were last year. Despite that, it looks like Murashov is ready for the next step after a tremendous year in the AHL in 2025-26. Goalie trajectory can be notoriously finicky, even for top prospects like Askarov who had some stops and starts before fully growing into handling the world’s toughest hockey league. The curiosity for Murashov will be seeing just how ready for prime time he is at this point and how he can hold up in net. It’s a tough spot for a team defense that doesn’t usually do their goalies a lot of favors in keeping shots and chances down, yet the talent and upside are undeniable. It’s just a matter of seeing if the future is now or just how much growing pains will be involved.