COLUMBUS, Ohio -- What Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen had called "a big piece of the puzzle" fell into place Monday when the club signed goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to a two-year contract extension. Stitched Athletics Jerseys . The 24-year-old Russian, recipient of the Vezina Trophy as the NHLs top goalie this past season, could have become a restricted free agent this week. The deal carries an average annual value of $5.625 million. Bobrovsky was paid $1.750 million last season. His representative, Paul Theofanous, was not immediately available. "Im very happy to be a Columbus Blue Jacket," Bobrovsky said. "My wife (Olga) and I really like Columbus and the fans have been very nice to us and supportive of our team. Im looking forward to the season and working with my teammates to help us to our goal of winning a Stanley Cup." Kekalainen called the re-signing of Bobrovsky his top objective but had made little headway until just before the start of Sundays NHL draft. Acquired from Philadelphia for draft picks last summer, Bobrovsky blossomed in Columbus. He had a 21-11-6 record with a 2.00 goals-against average, a .932 save percentage and four shutouts. His stellar play fueled the Blue Jackets 19-5-5 finish that brought them within a tiebreaker of making the playoffs. "Re-signing Sergei Bobrovsky was a top priority for our organization," Kekalainen said. "He was a big part of the progress we made last season and we expect him to play an important role in the growth of our team." A native of Novokuznetsk, Russia, he was acquired by the Blue Jackets from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for second- and fourth-round picks in the 2012 draft and a fourth-round pick in yesterdays draft. Athletics Jerseys 2019 . Earnshaw, 31, most recently spent time on loan in Israel with Maccabi Tel Aviv from Welsh club Cardiff City, which plays in Englands second-tier League Championship. Earnshaw began his career with Cardiff Citys youth program and turned professional in 1998. Chris Bassitt Athletics Jersey . The 28-year-old lefty made his MLB debut in 2013, making 10 starts and going 2-5 with 4.05 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. Albers was named the Twins organizations minor league pitcher of the year for 2013. https://www.cheapathleticsonline.com/ . Betancourt was 2-5 with a 4.08 ERA and 16 saves for the Rockies last season before tearing a ligament in his pitching elbow. He considered undergoing platelet-rich plasma therapy to fix his arm, but announced in August his decision to have Tommy John surgery. PORTLAND, Ore. -- Fresh off their surprising run in the playoffs, the Portland Trail Blazers have signed head coach Terry Stotts to a multi-year contract extension. Stotts led the Blazers to a 54-28 regular-season record, for the teams biggest improvement in team history. Portland made the playoffs for the first time since 2011, dispatching the Houston Rockets in six games, before falling to the San Antonio Spurs in five games in the Western Conference semifinals. The season wrapped up for the Blazers on Wednesday night with a 104-82 loss in San Antonio. "We werent expected to be in the position we were in the regular season. We werent expected to win the first round. So, it was a special year," Stotts said after the game. "I thought everyone of our stars had career yeears. Athletics Jerseys 2020. The young guys got better. We fought through adversity during the season. We made a strong push at the end of the year. There were so many positives about this season." Stotts has an 87-77 record in two seasons with the Blazers, after serving as an assistant with Dallas for four seasons, including the Mavericks championship in 2011. The Blazers finished 33-49 his first season. "Terry has done an outstanding job during his first two years with the organization," general manager Neil Olshey said in a statement. "This extension illustrates our confidence in him as our head coach as well as the Portland Trail Blazers continued commitment to building a model of consistency and stability." The terms of the deal were not disclosed. ' ' '