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Columbus, Ohio – It’s been just over one week since NHL training camps opened, with the Blue Jackets having cut their roster by 28 players. The opening night team is taking shape with 14 days until the first game.

With AHL training camps opening Monday, the team wanted those playing in Cleveland to have time to get settled. Many of those sent down are on two-way contracts and could make an appearance in the NHL in the event of injuries.

One player that hasn’t been cut yet is 6-foot-7, 230-pound defenseman Oleg Yevenko. He signed an AHL contract to play with the Lake Erie Monsters in Cleveland this summer. He opened some eyes in Traverse City at the prospects tournament and has continued to make people sit up and take notice in camp. And yet, after the most recent round of cuts, he’s the only player still in Columbus without an NHL contract.

“You basically make it the hardest decision to send you down for the coaches and management staff,” Blue Jackets development coach Chris Clark. “He’s done a good job so far, because he’s still here. They want to see him in another game and they want to see him succeed.

“Eventually, it might be sending him to Cleveland, but there the expectation for him is to get better and better. He’s still raw. He got a few games of experience at the end of last year playing pro hockey. His potential is way up there, so nobody’s putting a ceiling on what he can do.”

Yevenko came to North America in 2008, playing in the USHL in Fargo, ND. He them went to UMass – Amherst, graduating with a degree in Management in 2015, posting a 3.77 GPA and earning “Distinguished Scholar” honors. He played four games for the AHL Adirondack Flames last spring, yet undrafted in the NHL.

He espouses the words every player that comes to camp says, but is backing up those words with the right attitude.

“I think every player that comes to camp,” said Yevenko, “that’s what they try to do. I’m just trying to play to the best of my ability and show what I’m capable of.”

He played his first preseason game for the Blue Jackets Tuesday, logging 19:26 of ice time over 22 shifts (2:20 on the penalty kill unit). He’s not afraid to drop the gloves, as evidenced by his pummeling of the St. Louis Blues’ Cody Beach in the first period.

“I think being a bigger guy and physical guy,” Yevenko continued, “I think it is part of my job description to keep my players protected. If there’s someone on the other team that’s running around, outside of the normal play and is dangerous to my teammates, that’s part of my job to protect my teammates.

“I’ll fight if it’s beneficial to my team. That’s the way I look at it. I’m not looking for a fight just for the sake of fighting, but if it can benefit the team and get the momentum changed, I’ll be there.”

The Blues’ Cody Beach was taking runs at Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno and Yevenko wanted to send a message, while at the same time showing another facet to his game.

“Everybody wants a big guy,” said Clark, “but a lot of those guys can’t skate that well. He’s shown that he can skate, that he’s tough… overly tough. He wouldn’t be considered a fighter, but he’s very good at it. And he knew that this guy’s been running around, it’s time to settle things down. He did an unbelievable job at it.”

Head coach Todd Richards has said that a few players have impressed him in the first week of camp, but has not disclosed who those players are. Thursday, unprompted, he talked of the impressive play of Yevenko.

“One guy I’ve been really impressed with is Oleg Yevenko. He’s doing a good job for himself, he really has. He’s come in and first impression when you watch him play up in Traverse City is he did a really good job there. You’re wondering about the competition now, coming in and playing against NHL players, bigger, stronger, faster guys… I’ve been impressed with how he’s handled himself.

“You aren’t worried about his reach, because he’s got that and that makes up for a lot of things. When the speed gets going here, how is he going to be able to maneuver out on the ice? Right now, he’s been fine.”

The 24 year-old Belarus native has a good command of the English language and is not afraid to be vocal on the ice. Friday during practice, he was paired with Dalton Prout, constantly communicating with him.

“I think it’s a small, little detail that’s pretty simple to do,” said Yevenko. “It’s more of a habit, but it makes a big difference in the game and practice. For the higher level of play (NHL), that’s what separates players.”

Although drafted by Barys Astana of the KHL in 2010, he wants to play in the NHL. He shows up to practice and puts in the work needed to make an impression on the Blue Jackets.

“He’s a very intelligent person and that’s something you like to see in your young guys, Clark said. “He can think the game and understand the coaches when they tell him something, ‘Right, got it, let’s go do it.’ He’s one of those guys the coaches love.”

On a team that has few, if any positions available for a player to make the roster out of camp, has he done enough to earn a two-way NHL/AHL contract?

“Oh yes, absolutely,” Clark said on the possibility of Yevenko earning a two-way contract. “I see that being a possibility. He’s impressive and hasn’t taken a step back as he’s gone from Traverse City to here to each day in practice to each game. He’s impressed more and more. He’s shows he can skate for a big guy.”

Reached for comment Friday, Yevenko’s agent Scott Norton said, “Although we appreciate Coach’s comments, we have had no NHL contract talks with the team.”

That could very well change in the near future. He’s getting another shot at impressing the powers-that-be Saturday afternoon as the Blue Jackets play the Penguins in Pittsburgh. The realization of his dream to play in the NHL is within his grasp.