The Columbus Blue Jackets are one of the best stories in sports this year. The face of the franchise, Johnny Gaudreau, was tragically killed just before the season began. As the team came together for training camp, they were mourning their teammate and friend while playing for a team with low expectations. Now, the Blue Jackets are challenging for a playoff spot late in the season. While Don Waddell did not do much at the NHL trade deadline, fans should be happy that the Blue Jackets core appears to be for real.
Last season, Columbus came in last place in the Metropolitan Division. Even in Gadureau’s second season, they could not surround him with the talent necessary to compete. They made an effort to do that this summer, signing his Calgary Flames teammate Sean Monahan. The center has been key to their success this year and is part of the core that the Blue Jackets are building.
The biggest trade piece Columbus had before the deadline was defenseman Ivan Provorov. His contract is expiring after this season and there were not many defensemen available. If the Sharks got a first-round pick for Jake Walman, Waddell certainly could have gotten one for Provorov.
But if they created a hole on the right side of their defense, it would be hard to make the playoffs. Entering Thursday’s action, Columbus holds down the final Eastern Conference spot with four teams two points or fewer behind them. Without a solid defenseman behind Zach Werenski, they would have been easily caught.
Even though the Blue Jackets could have made a big splash at the NHL trade deadline, they opted for one depth add. They sent a fourth-round pick to the Sharks for forward Luke Kunin. That is another example of Waddell believing in this core.
The Blue Jackets can swing big this offseason
If the Blue Jackets did not believe in this core, they could have made a big trade at the deadline. Bringing in a rental like Brock Nelson or Brock Boeser would have shown that they believe this is their only shot. That is not true, as this core is improving by the year and can make noise in the playoffs for years to come.
Provorov and Sean Kuraly are the most important free agents on the current roster. Other than that, the Blue Jackets can count on a mountain of cap space to improve this summer. It was a stunner when they landed Gadureau, could they pull it off again with Mitch Marner or Boeser?
Both Marner and Boeser will be free agents this summer and may want a break from the difficult Canadian media. While the Blue Jackets have great reporters, many of the casual fans in the area are focused on Ohio State football. That, and a desire to be closer to home, are what drew Gaudreau to Ohio. Could Boeser, a Minnesota native, come to a similar conclusion?
When the Blue Jackets spend this offseason, they have to budget for a monstrous Adam Fantilli contract coming soon. The 2023 third-overall pick has been excellent this year and can sign an extension on July 1. He is the player they should build around and is in line for a big deal. So Don Waddell must spend wisely, even though he will have plenty of space to work with.
The Blue Jackets have won one playoff series ever, a stunning defeat of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2019. They may not add to that total this year but their core has the full approval of the front office. And that is something fans can get excited about.
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