SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Former Blue Jackets players Jody Shelley and Manny Malhotra have side-by-side stalls in the San Jose Sharks' dressing room. But they are miles apart on their feelings about their former club.

While Shelley keeps an offseason home in Dublin and keeps daily tabs on his former club, Malhotra said yesterday that he cut the cord with Columbus the moment he signed with the Sharks last month.

"After seeing the way everything was laid out at the end of the summer," Malhotra said, "it's quite obvious that I wasn't part of the plan moving forward."

"I have no regrets. Everything happens for a reason. I'm very happy with the situation we're in here in San Jose, and I'm just looking at the future now."

Asked if he's keeping tabs on his former team, Malhotra said: "No, not at all, really. The only updates I get are from (Blue Jackets winger Jason Chimera) the odd time we text or talk.

"But other than that, I have a new team, a new responsibility, a new family of friends."

According to NHL sources, Malhotra was offered a three-year contract worth between $4.5 million and

$5 million by the Blue Jackets in June, but he opted to test the free-agent market.

On July 1, the Blue Jackets signed center Sammy Pahlsson to a three-year, $7.95 million contract, ending any chance that Malhotra would return.

The offseason dragged on for Malhotra and many other NHL veterans, some of whom still haven't found work.

Last month, after training camps had opened, Malhotra signed a one-year, $700,000 contract with the Sharks.

He opened last night on the Sharks' third line.

"I completely realize that, at the end of the day, this is a business," Malhotra said. Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson's "job is to put together a team, put together a puzzle, that he feels will give the organization the best chance to win.

"There's no hard feelings. I thank Scott and the organization, and especially the fans for all they've given me over the years. But, moving forward, I'm happy to be here in San Jose."

Three new faces

A day after swapping centers on his top two lines, Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock made three more lineup changes before last night's game.

Defenseman Anton Stralman made his Blue Jackets debut, taking the place of Kris Russell, who was a healthy scratch.

On the fourth line, center Mike Blunden went in for Andrew Murray, and right winger Derek Dorsett took the spot of Jared Boll.

Were the Blue Jackets 2-0 or 0-2?

"I don't look at the record, I look at the way we're playing," Hitchcock said. "Plus, all these guys are part of our team. We're not a team of 20, plus three. We're a 23-man team. These guys are part of it."

Stralman was acquired late last month in a trade with Calgary. He shoots right-handed and will play on the right-side point on the top power-play unit.

In his previous NHL stops -- Toronto and Calgary -- Stralman played on clubs with no shortage of skilled defenseman who could run a power play.

"I'm excited to get this opportunity, absolutely," Stralman said. "You grow with responsibility, and it looks like I have a chance to have a lot of responsibilities here.

"If that's what this team needs, I really want to be the guy who can provide it."

Hitchcock said at the start of this trip that everybody on the roster will play at least one game.

With goaltender Mathieu Garon expected to start Saturday in Phoenix, that will be the case.

Minor deal

The Blue Jackets acquired minor-league left winger Jordan LaVallee-Smotherman in a trade with Atlanta for future considerations.

Perhaps they should have been called "near" future considerations. A few hours later, Columbus shipped minor-leaguer Tim Filangieri to Atlanta to complete the deal.

LaVallee-Smotherman was the Thrashers' fifth-round pick (No. 116) in the 2005 entry draft. He has played in four NHL games with Atlanta, totaling one goal, one assist and a plus-1 rating.

He's been assigned to minor-league Syracuse.

aportzline@dispatch.com