from Aaron Portzline of Puck-Rakers,

Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen met with Sergei Bobrovsky's agent on Wednesday in Boston, the latest negotiation toward signing Bobrovsky to a new contract.

Asked if any progress was made with agent Paul Theofanous, Kekalainen said: "I wouldn't say that, no. It was pretty much the same stuff we went through last time (we talked)."...

"(Theofanous) has earned the right to negotiate from a good position," Kekalainen said. "Sergei played very well this season. He just won the Vezina Trophy. But we still have to do the right thing for our franchise."

Theofanous has declined comment when reached by The Dispatch.

Kekalainen said contract talks with another RFA, center Artem Anisimov, have been more fruitful.

"We’ve made progress there, steady progress over time," Kekalainen said. "I'm optimistic we’ll get a deal done. We’re fairly close to getting a deal done, but it’s not done until it's done. And it's not done yet."

more for the UFA situation in Columbus...