Bayreuther sees a chance to shine with Blue Jackets

In a way, it feels like it was meant to be.
Gavin Bayreuther first visited Columbus to go to an Ohio State lacrosse camp when he was in his younger days. The New Hampshire native returned to the city in 2015 after his sophomore year at St. Lawrence University to participate in the Blue Jackets' development camp that summer.

Then, while spending the past three years in the Dallas Stars organization, Bayreuther watched hockey at the highest level and saw a Columbus team that was on the rise, from the style it played to the results it earned including a stunning upset of Tampa Bay in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
So when talks between Bayreuther, a defenseman with 19 NHL games under his belt with the Stars, and Columbus started when free agency opened earlier this month, he saw a chance to join a team that fit perfectly with his approach to the game.
"From the moment I really started watching hockey after college, I really loved the way they play," Bayreuther said. "I love what they stand for. I love how hard they play, and I would love to be a part of that.
"They go into a lot of games being the underdogs; whether they are or not, the crowd kind of thinks of them as that. That's something that I've always been -- undrafted, I went to a small school in St. Lawrence. They attack teams. They don't hold back. They play hard. They want to score, they want to win, and I think that's really cool to see and really special to be a part of."
And Bayreuther will get the chance to show he deserves a chance to join the big club when the 2020-21 season begins after signing a one-year, two-way contract with Columbus. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen said he views the 26-year-old left-shot defenseman as someone who can contribute and push for a spot, especially after the offseason trades of veterans Ryan Murray and Markus Nutivaara.
Columbus will go into the campaign, Kekelainen said, with 10 defensemen it feels can contribute, and Bayreuther is one of them. Seth Jones and Zach Werenski are among the league's elite, while Vladislav Gavrikov and David Savard formed a shutdown pair a season ago.
Meanwhile, Kekalainen said the favorites to play on the third pair are Dean Kukan and Andrew Peeke, each of whom turned in impressive campaigns a year ago. But Bayreuther joins a group including veterans Scott Harrington and Adam Clendening as well as still-developing former first-round pick Gabriel Carlsson that will push for playing time and provide depth in case of a familiar obstacle -- injury.
Bayreuther comes to Columbus having played 183 games over the past three seasons with the Stars' AHL affiliate in Texas, where he posted 20 goals and 86 points during that span as someone who can get the job done in his own zone and still provide some scoring touch.
His lone NHL experience came two seasons ago, when injuries pushed Bayreuther into the Dallas lineup for 19 games. In that cameo, he posted two goals, three assists and a plus-2 rating while earning both power play and penalty kill time, and Bayreuther -- who was with Dallas in the bubble this past year as the Stars made the Stanley Cup Final -- said he learned a lot from that experience.
"I got thrown right into the mix with Dallas when I got called up," he said. "I was playing lots of minutes, and one thing I immediately noticed was the consistency. The best players are good every night. They may not be their best every night, but they're still playing their hockey, they're still playing consistent hockey, and that's something I've tried to really hone in on. There are games that are maybe a little harder to get up for at times, but at the same time you have to walk into it the same way, with the same mentality and go in there and do your job and help the team win.
"I think that's something that's super important, especially in a spot like myself where I might not be playing the big minutes like a Seth Jones or Zach Werenski if I do get that opportunity, but every shift will be huge and every shift will matter and you have to put it all on the line every chance you get."
Bayreuther has been right on the edge of making it as an NHL player the past few years, and he sees the opportunity that players have been able to take advantage of in Columbus in recent seasons as a path he can follow.
"Something I really respected about Jarmo is as soon as I talked to him, he told me he and (John Tortorella) don't care where you get drafted, how much money you make, everything," he said. "He just wants guys there that will play hard and help the team win. I think that's an opportunity I've been waiting for. You see every year with Columbus, they have guys fill those shoes. Someone that pops into my head is Nathan Gerbe. I think that's a really cool story. There are other examples of that every year.
"Going to Columbus, I think there's a good opportunity, and I do believe in myself as an NHL player. When I was (in the NHL) and when I watch it, I know I can be there, so I think this is going to be a really good opportunity for me. I'm actually really excited."