The Blue Jackets needed help on the blue line, so they’ve signed malcontent defenseman Egor Zamula, who was recently suspended by the Pittsburgh Penguins for not reporting to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for an AHL assignment.
Pittsburgh acquired Zamula, 25, in a Dec. 31 trade with the Philadelphia Flyers and opted to terminate the remainder of his one-year, $1.75 million contract when he didn’t report to their AHL affiliate. Zamula was also waived by the Flyers on Dec. 19 and assigned to their AHL affiliate after playing 13 NHL games and contributing one assist with a +4 plus/minus rating.
The Blue Jackets signed him for one-year, $1 million and expect him to join the NHL team Jan. 7 during a road trip that starts Jan. 6 at the San Jose Sharks. They have a roster spot open, so no corresponding AHL assignment is necessary to make room.
Zamula stands 6 feet 3, 200 pounds and shoots left-handed. He’ll likely get a look on the third defensive pairing with Dante Fabbro, a righty, as his partner. That would bump Jake Christiansen out of the lineup into a reserve role and could prompt an AHL assignment for Dysin Mayo, a journeyman with NHL experience who’s played just two games this season.
Brendan Smith’s lower-body injury, which is being termed as a week-to-week issue, likely factored into the addition of Zamula, who has 41 points on eight goals and 33 assists in 168 career NHL games since signing with the Flyers in 2018 from the KHL in Russia.
“Egor is a mobile defenseman with good size who sees the ice well and can move the puck very efficiently,” Blue Jackets president/GM Don Waddell said in a statement. “We are excited to have him join our hockey club.”
Since Zamula cleared waivers on Dec. 19 with the Flyers, he won’t need to clear waivers again if the Blue Jackets attempt an AHL assignment to the Cleveland Monsters. It’s reasonable to assume he wouldn’t report to Cleveland, either. That seems like an unlikely scenario given that the Blue Jackets’ have a lack of depth on defense due to injuries, including veteran Erik Gudbranson (hip) missing all but four games thus far.
The Blue Jackets are also running low on veteran forwards after losing Miles Wood, Isac Lundestrom and Sean Monahan to injuries the past two weeks. Monahan, who has played through an undisclosed injury most of the season, is set to return to the lineup in San Jose after missing the past four games but Mason Marchment is a gametime decision after apparently re-aggravating a prior lower-body injury during the morning skate.
If he sits, it will be Marchement’s first missed game since being acquired by the Blue Jackets in a Dec. 19 trade with the Seattle Kraken.
Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com and @BrianHedger.bsky.social