Admit it: you had to look up Markus Nutivaara before the season began.
The young Finnish defenseman had to be a popular Google search, especially after he came to training camp on the heels of an impressive showing in the Traverse City prospects tournament. The Blue Jackets figured Nutivaara would be a part of their team at some point, but his play gave the coaches and management no choice but to have him on the opening night roster.
What did we expect?
It's not a slight to say there were no expectations.
Nutivaara was a seventh-round draft pick (No. 185 overall) of the Blue Jackets in 2015, regarded as a silky-smooth puck mover and a player who calms things down in the defensive zone. Following two seasons with Finnish Liiga side Karpat, Nutivaara was ready to come over to North America and he made the most of his opportunity. From the start of the prospects tournament in September, this kid raised his game and never relented.
What did we get?
We got a pleasant surprise.
Not just that, but a surprise that became a key piece for a re-worked Blue Jackets defense. And as John Tortorella said on many occasions this season, the back end was the engine for Columbus' resurgence -- a turnaround that saw them go from 27th in the NHL a year ago all the way to fourth in 2016-17. It doesn't happen by chance or solely on good fortune; the Blue Jackets got rebound efforts from a handful of veterans, but their youth was the driving force.
Yes, we know Zach Werenski and Seth Jones are elite defensemen and will be for many years ahead. But Nutivaara flew under the radar in training camp and, before we knew it, his name was on the opening night roster and paired alongside Jack Johnson when the Blue Jackets faced the Boston Bruins on Oct. 13.
| GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PPG | PPP | SHG | SHP | GWG | OTG | S | S% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REGULAR SEASON | 66 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 66 | 3.0 |
| PLAYOFFS | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14.3 |
Memorable Moment
Like many players, Nutivaara was looking forward to his first Stanley Cup playoff appearance but a nagging hip injury limited his availability in the second half of the season.
Nutivaara made the most of his opportunity in Game 4 against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Nationwide Arena. He was a dominant force at 5-on-5 play and scored the first playoff goal of his career, a rebound goal off the rush that gave Columbus a 3-0 lead in the second period.
Contract Status
According to CapFriendly.com, Nutivaara has two years remaining on his entry level contract ($817,500 per season) with the Blue Jackets. He is scheduled to become a restricted free agent after the 2018-19 season.
| GRADE | A- |
