Meet the New Blue Jacket: Markus Hannikainen

Blue Jackets General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen seems determined to make a European free agent signing work in Columbus, or at the very least he is exploring all of his options overseas. Once again, the Jackets signed a European player to an entry-level deal. This spring, Markus Hannikainen inked a two-year deal with the club.

Hannikainen has been a steady producer on the ice as a LW in Finland, coming up through the ranks in the Jokerit program (Jarmo's old club) before piling up 19-27-46 in 60 games with JYP last season. Like Simon Hjalmarsson and Ilari Melart in prior years, Hannikainen's signing is a low-risk move. It gives the team another option in training camp and he has the potential…