Gregory Campbell was on the outside looking in for the final two preseason games, and today, the team placed him on waivers. If he clears tomorrow at noon, the Blue Jackets have a decision to make on whether Campbell is assigned to Cleveland.
It was a hard conversation for Tortorella, who called Campbell "the ultimate pro."
"He's in a situation in his career right now where he's older and it's turning into a younger league," Tortorella said after today's practice. "This organization is in a process of infusing young kids into the lineup, and he's caught in a tough spot. But it surely doesn't make it any easier to tell him about it. It's the worst part about the business."
"These are the difficult roster decisions we have to make as we build our team," GM Jarmo Kekalainen told BlueJackets.com. "It's a tough day, because we think very highly of (Campbell)."
Center Lukas Sedlak, who opened eyes with his play in the Calder Cup playoffs, will begin the season with the Blue Jackets. Both offensively and defensively (he's known for the latter), Sedlak was one of the Monsters' best forwards on their way to a championship, and now, the now 23-year-old has earned a spot in the NHL.
"He had a really good playoff, which caught my eye immediately," said Tortorella. "He's had a good solid camp, and he's a guy that could do a number of different things as far as (being) a third or fourth-line guy. He's going to stay with us."
NOTE: The Blue Jackets will not practice on Tuesday. They're back on the ice Wednesday at Nationwide Arena for an 11 a.m. skate.
