Trade Deadline Primer: Columbus Blue Jackets

With the All-Star break now behind us, the trade deadline looms large and is just over a month away.  Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

After missing the playoffs last season and moving out veterans Seth Jones and Cam Atkinson over the summer, it was obvious that Columbus was going in the direction of a rebuild.  However, they’ve played better than many expected and have a points percentage over .500 and are the first team outside of a Wild Card spot as they sit nine points behind Boston heading into Friday’s action.  Even with that in mind, it seems unlikely that GM Jarmo Kekalainen would part with future assets in an attempt to sneak into the final playoff spot but the season they’re having suggests they’re closer to battling for a consistent playoff position than it seemed back in October.

Record

24-23-1, 5th in the Metropolitan

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$29.248MM today, $51.915MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 40/50 contracts used per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2022: CHI 1st*, CBJ 1st, CBJ 2nd, TB 3rd, CBJ 4th, TOR 4th, TOR 6th, ANA 7th
2023: CBJ 1st, CBJ 2nd, CBJ 3rd, CBJ 4th, CBJ 5th, CBJ 6th, CBJ 7th

*-Chicago’s pick is top-two protected.  If the Blackhawks wind up with the first or second selection in 2022, the pick will be conveyed unprotected in 2023.

Trade Chips

After a tough first year in Columbus, Max Domi was viewed as someone who would likely be moved at some point.  Seattle decided to pass on him in expansion and in the end, that has worked out quite well for the Blue Jackets.  The 26-year-old has rebounded nicely, notching 23 points in 38 games this season, providing them with some capable secondary scoring.  He’s a pending unrestricted free agent with a $5.3MM AAV, a price tag they’ll almost certainly need to pay down to maximize their return but Domi would fit in on a few playoff-bound squads as a third liner that can move up if needed and also can play on the wing and down the middle.  He won’t be the primary target for teams in the coming weeks but as the top options get moved, interest in him should pick up.

Joonas Korpisalo has had some good seasons in his seven-year NHL career but he started to struggle last season and unfortunately for them, it has carried over this year with the highest GAA of his career (3.82) and the lowest save percentage (.887).  Those aren’t ideal numbers to have in the season before your first crack at unrestricted free agency as at this point, it seems unlikely he’ll surpass his current $2.8MM AAV.  Despite his struggles, his track record is good enough for teams looking to add some goaltending depth for the stretch run but earlier reports had the Blue Jackets seeking multiple fairly high draft picks.  That price will need to come down over the next few weeks.

While I have doubts Patrik Laine will be moved, his situation will be one to monitor.  He’s having a nice season when he has been healthy and is averaging over a point per game.  But he’s about to enter his final season of RFA eligibility and if he simply takes his $7.5MM qualifying offer again, he could hit the open market in July 2023.  If the team senses Laine isn’t willing to sign a long-term deal, his name is bound to come up in trade speculation again.  That’s a big price tag for any contender to add which is why I think such a move – if it was to happen – would make more sense in the summer.  However, as the deadline gets closer, his name is bound to come up in the rumor mill.

Other Potential Trade Chips: D Scott Harrington ($1.633MM, UFA), D Dean Kukan ($1.65MM, UFA), F Kevin Stenlund ($1.05MM, RFA)

Team Needs

1) Defensive Depth: Columbus only has two defensemen on their NHL roster that are signed beyond the end of next season in Zach Werenski and Jake Bean.  Players like Adam Boqvist and Andrew Peeke should be part of the longer-term picture but the depth starts to thin out after that.  Another young core blueliner would be nice but even a capable short-term veteran will be needed at some point with Kukan and Harrington set to leave at the end of the season.

2) Draft Picks: Even though Columbus had three first-round picks last year, their prospect pool isn’t the deepest as the Blue Jackets had just eight selections in the previous two years combined, a ripple effect of the Blue Jackets making their push two seasons ago.  Simply restocking the pipeline is something they need to do.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.