On paper, it feels almost impossible to spin this immediate albatross in any positive light. The problem is the cost, at $8.5 million AAV.

According to Pierre LeBrun and Aaron Portzline, the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ivan Provorov had extended negotiations over the weekend that went deep into Sunday. Waddell said in a radio interview today that they talked until midnight on Sunday night.

Veteran Ivan Provorov, 28, decided to avoid free agency on Monday afternoon, with the defenseman finalizing a seven-year extension worth $8.5 million annually to remain with the Columbus Blue Jackets,