Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has shown his great satisfaction after successfully attracting forward Johnny Gaudreau to Columbus.

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"Johnny Gaudreau is a superstar in the National Hockey League and we couldn't be happier to welcome him to the Columbus Blue Jackets family," said Kekalainen, whose comments were reported by the NHL website. .

Gaudreau, 28, was arguably the most coveted free agent on Wednesday when the market opened. The Blue Jackets signed him to a seven-year, $68.25 million deal Wednesday night.

"He's an elite player who makes other players better around him," added the DG. We are excited to add a guy of his caliber to our group. It's a great day for our franchise, our fans and the city of Columbus."

Last season, with the Calgary Flames, the man nicknamed “Johnny Hockey” scored 115 points, a personal high. The American had thus finished second in the top scorers in the National Hockey League (NHL), tied with Quebecer Jonathan Huberdeau, of the Florida Panthers. Only Connor McDavid, of the Edmonton Oilers, had done better than them with his 123 points.