JUST IN: Blue Jackets modify former first-round pick’s recall

The Blue Jackets are left with only two standard recalls following the conversion of Brendan Gaunce’s emergency recall to a regular one, as announced in a team release. Additionally, winger Trey Fix-Wolansky has been reassigned to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters.

Gaunce, aged 29, has been with the NHL team since being called up on an emergency basis on March 12, filling in for depth forward Justin Danforth who suffered a suspected concussion and Kirill Marchenko who was briefly sidelined by illness.

Standing at 6 feet 2 inches and weighing 217 pounds, the center has participated in all seven Blue Jackets games since his emergency recall, registering a goal and a -2 rating while averaging 12:19 of ice time per game.

Originally a first-round pick in 2012, Gaunce is now with his third NHL team, having previously played for the Canucks, Bruins, and the Vaxjo Lakers HC in the Swedish Hockey League before joining Columbus in 2021.

Although his performance in the NHL hasn’t been particularly noteworthy during his time with the Blue Jackets, he has accumulated 12 points (7 goals, 5 assists) and a -3 rating in 50 games over the past three seasons, typically playing less than 10 minutes per game.

Maintaining Gaunce on the roster allows younger prospects like Fix-Wolansky to continue developing in the minor league with substantial playing time.

Gaunce, who ranks third in scoring for Cleveland with 39 points (19 goals, 20 assists) in 46 games, is in the latter half of a two-year, $1.525McontractextensionsignedinJune2022.Hiscaphitis$762.5K, but he earns a slightly higher base salary of $775KintheNHLfollowinga$25K increase in the league minimum last offseason.

Fix-Wolansky was the first standard recall after the trade deadline for the Columbus Blue Jackets, elevating to the NHL on March 8 after an impressive performance in the minors with over a point-per-game average (54 points in 51 games).

Despite his success in the AHL, the 5-foot-8 winger struggled to translate it to the NHL, with just one assist and a -2 rating in eight games. He had one other NHL appearance this season during a brief call-up in November but failed to register a point in a game against the Coyotes.

The 24-year-old Fix-Wolansky will now return to energize the Cleveland Monsters as they strive for playoff contention in the AHL’s North Division, where they currently hold the second spot with a 35-21-3-3 record. He has played in NHL games consistently over the last three seasons, a notable accomplishment for a seventh-round pick in 2018.

Fix-Wolansky is in the initial year of a two-year, $1.55Mextension\; he\; signedshortlybeforebecomingarestricted\; freeagent\; lastsummer.Whileearninga$350K salary in the minors, he is guaranteed a minimum of $425K in salary for the current year.