Koivu energized by chance to join Blue Jackets

When it became clear that the only NHL team he'd ever known, the Minnesota Wild, would not offer Mikko Koivu a new contract this offseason, it wasn't an easy pill to swallow.
The team's longtime captain suddenly had a decision to make, as well.
He could see what was out there in NHL free agency, he could return to his home country of Finland to finish his career, or he could retire into the sunset after 15 seasons and 1,028 NHL games in which he became one of the game's most respected players and leaders.

When the dust settled, the answer became clear. Koivu wanted to stay in the NHL, to prove to the league and himself he could still play at a high level and to chase what has been to this point an elusive Stanley Cup.
He saw the ability to do all of that in Columbus, which is one reason he came to a one-year deal with the Blue Jackets and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen on Saturday.
"Getting the message from Minnesota that it won't continue there, I think that was hard at first obviously," he said. "Once you think it through and things like that, I think you're looking forward to the new challenge, the new chapter in your life.
"Now I have that opportunity with the Blue Jackets and I'm very excited about that. I can't wait to get started there and get to know the players, the team, the city, the fans and all that goes into that. It's an exciting time."
The Blue Jackets are happy to have him. The 37-year-old center brings 205 career NHL goals and 709 points to Columbus over his previous 15 seasons, and consistency has been the mark of his game, as he posted an average of 15 goals and 53 points in 12 seasons from 2007-18.
He was on a similar trajectory in 2018-19 when he suffered a torn ACL in February 2019, an injury that ended his season and continued to impact him going into the previously completed campaign. While Koivu is coming off a season in which he had the lowest offensive production since his rookie season with a 4-17-21 line in 55 games, he said he started to feel better physically as the season went on.
While the offensive production was down, his defensive aptitude was not, as he
continued to be one of the NHL's best defensive forwards
while winning 53.1 percent of his faceoffs, in line with his career mark of 54.2 percent.
"He's had a great career," Kekalainen said. "Over 1,000 games in the National Hockey League. He's a tremendous character player, a leader, really strong two-way game, plays well on both sides of the puck and at both ends of the ice. Smart, good playmaker, very good anticipation. He's got size. He battles. He's strong on his stick, good on faceoffs. A lot of different things."

Koivu's arrival also allows the Blue Jackets to continue to shore up the center position, which started with last week's acquisition of Max Domi to play the pivot as well. It's easy to see the two settling in with Domi as the No. 2 center and Koivu as the No. 3 pivot while being tasked with leading a defensive-minded line that can play hard minutes against the league's top scorers.
Kekalainen also said that the acquisitions of Domi and Koivu will allow the Blue Jackets to move Boone Jenner, who has played center the past two seasons, back to wing where his forechecking abilities are best utilized.
"I think we've always talked about getting stronger in the middle," the CBJ general manager said. "I think we've done that now in this offseason with Max Domi and Mikko Koivu. I think we're a very strong team down the middle right now with Pierre-Luc (Dubois), Max Domi, Mikko Koivu and Riley Nash, and we still have Boone Jenner who can play center, Alexandre Texier potentially at some point moving to center.
"I think this frees up Boone for the F1 as we call it, the forechecker, which is a strong part of his game. He doesn't have to worry about the defensive end so much now, getting back as the first guy into the defensive zone if he's going all-out in forechecking. I think that's one of the biggest strengths of Boone Jenner."
For Koivu, the chance to play in Columbus checked off a lot of boxes as he was mulling offers to continue his NHL career. At the top of the list is a chance to play for Kekalainen, whom he has known for most of his life as the two are among the most notable names in Finnish hockey.
Koivu also said he has a high amount of respect for the way Kekalainen has built the Blue Jackets methodically into a winner, as the franchise is one of just three to make four straight appearances in the final 16 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs along with Boston and Washington.
That recent success, Koivu said, has raised the Blue Jackets' profile around the league and made Columbus an attractive place to sign.
"I've always had an interest in Columbus, mostly because of (Kekalainen), but now the last couple of years just playing against them and following up in the playoffs, what they've done, knowing how hard it is to play against them and things like that," Koivu said. "I think that was for me kind of a thing that I always thought would be a good fit for myself, and now that it's been more realistic and once we started talking, right away it was kind of a feeling that I had.
"I wanted to listen to other teams and all that, but once I made up my mind yesterday when we got close to the end, everything went kind of quick and it was really easy. I'm very happy with the decision for myself and very excited to join the team."