Manny Malhotra: Columbus Blue Jackets GM's First Priority Going Forward

The Columbus Blue Jackets' General Manager, Scott Howson, is wasting no time in working to sign his potential free agents.

His first task, before the July 1st deadline, is to open talks this week with the agent for center Manny Malhotra.

Howson told the Columbus Dispatch that he is hoping to get the 28-year-old veteran signed to a multi-year deal before he can become an unrestricted free agent.

"Manny is a player that, clearly, Ken Hitchcock and the rest of the coaching staff have really come to trust," Howson said.

"He plays in lots of different situations, and he brings a lot to our club, both on and off the ice."

Howson hopes that Malhotra will play a true No. 3 role next season, saying that Derick Brassard and Antoine Vermette will be the top two centers.

"He's more than just your typical third-line center, too. He can play a very valuable role on any hockey club."

"This has become home to me and my family," Malhotra said last month after the Blue Jackets closed out their season.

Malhotra is also heavily involved in community and charity events in the central Ohio area.

"It's exciting that there are so many possibilities," Malhotra said on the free agency opportunities.

"But it's unsettling, too, because with a wife and now a kid, you want to know where you're going to be, if you're going to be picking up and moving."

A first round pick of the New York Rangers in 1998, he had 35 points in 77 games in 2008-09 making $1.5 million in the last year of this three year contract.