The feeling, as you might imagine, was mutual. Gudbranson said Columbus put the full-court press on, and as he did his research -- including talking to friends like Rick Nash and Derek Dorsett -- the capital city was the place to be.
READ MORE: Instant analysis | Jackets sign Gudbranson
"They have a lot of talented young kids," the 6-5, 222-pound Canadian said. "From a personal side, it's been a crazy few years for me. (The Blue Jackets) offered me a lot of consistency and a place to call home and a place to raise a family, which my wife (Sarah) and I have started with one (son Bennett) and have a second on the way. It was a fantastic fit for me. ...
"It really wasn't that big of a decision. If you have a team that really wants you to come, it's hard to pass up that team no matter where that team is. Columbus made my decision much easier than I thought it would be."
From many angles, it appears the two sides are a fit. From the team side, Kekalainen wanted to make an upgrade on the blue line, and there was a glaring need for right-shot, veteran defenseman with some grit. That's the perfect way to describe Gudbranson, whose 145 hits, 92 blocked shots, six fights, plus-15 rating and positive possession stats at 5-on-5 were likely more important than what was a career season offensively (6-11-17 in 78 games).
While the Blue Jackets do have some heft and toughness on the blue line in Vladislav Gavrikov and Andrew Peeke, adding a veteran who can play hard minutes was high on Kekalainen's radar.
"We needed this element badly, a guy with size who can play right in front of the net in the areas where most of the goals are scored from," Kekalainen said. "He was also on a No. 1 penalty kill unit on a very good team in Calgary last year. I think he'll fit our needs perfectly. We have plenty of puck-moving, swift-skating offensive defensemen in our lineup. This was something that we needed."
Gudbranson, for his part, found a few things to his liking, including the Blue Jackets' aggressive pursuit, its young, talent-laden roster, and the fact that he can step into the lineup and be himself in that role. Add in the fact he now gets stability after playing for seven teams in his first 11 seasons -- including six in the last four -- and Columbus was the right choice.
"In any situation where you have a choice on where you're going to go, you want to find the correct fit for what you bring to the table," he said. "Columbus was that for me. It's a young team. Maybe they didn't have the bite they needed last year, but that's just a little something that I bring with me as part of my game. I like to play the game physically, play it clean and play it honestly and try to bring guys into the fight with me, if that's the best way of saying it."
It also helps that Gudbranson's six goals and 17 points a year ago were career highs, as were his 129 shots on goal and 268 shot attempts.
"I did a lot two summers ago just being effective all over the ice," he said. "A lot of it believe it or not was changing my curve and being able to settle down pucks quickly and find lanes quickly. In the offensive zone, everything is driven to the front of the net. When it comes low to high to the point, you have to be able to settle the puck quick and find a hole to get it in there. I took a lot of pride in that this year, and it ended up working pretty well."
One season ago, Columbus gave up 300 goals, the most in team history and a mark of 3.62 per game that placed 28th in the NHL. In the end, Kekalainen got his man as the Blue Jackets try to improve that number going forward.
"It was important," Kekalainen said. "We felt we that we were light at times. That's probably one cause of the defensive issues that we had. We have a lot of guys that are mobile and skilled and good NHL players, but we were a little light back there. Well, we're a lot heavier back there right now."
