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Pierre-Luc Dubois

Talks Stalled Between Blue Jackets And Pierre-Luc Dubois

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When Columbus parted with defensemen Markus Nutivaara and Ryan Murray in trades and bought out center Alexander Wennberg, it looked as if the Blue Jackets were planning on making a splash.  However, it turns out that their plan was to use that to act as a deterrent to a potential offer sheet for restricted free agent center Pierre-Luc Dubois.  However, with that effectively off the table, talks aren’t progressing as GM Jarmo Kekalainen told Michael Arace of the Columbus Post-Dispatch that discussions between the two sides have effectively stalled.

The 22-year-old is coming off of a bit of a quieter year offensively although he still led the team in scoring with 18 goals and 31 assists in 70 games while logging nearly 18 minutes a night of ice time, most of which was on their top line.  Dubois was much better in the playoffs, picking up four goals and six helpers in 10 games which certainly was an encouraging way to end his year.

There’s no denying that he is the focal point of the attack for the Blue Jackets now so it stands to reason that they’d want to lock him up to a long-term deal now and buy out some UFA years.  On the flip side, this isn’t an ideal marketplace from a players’ perspective to sign long-term with the Upper Limit of the salary cap levelling out for the foreseeable future.  Financially speaking, a bridge deal to get to arbitration a couple of years from now when revenues are potentially back on the upswing may be better for him.  That would keep his price tag down now and possibly allow for Columbus to make another addition this offseason as well.

Despite not having spoken to Pat Brisson (Dubois’ agent) for a little while, Kekalainen expressed no concern about the two sides not being on the same page at this time.  With no arbitration eligibility and other top restricted free agents (such as Islanders center Mathew Barzal) still unsigned as well, it’s a waiting game as it often is; defenseman Zach Werenski was in a similar situation last year before signing a three-year deal in the days leading up to training camp.

Whichever way Columbus ultimately goes, they’ll have plenty of cap room to work with.  Following their offseason activity, they currently have a little more than $12MM in cap space, per CapFriendly, with only Dubois and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov in need of new deals.  Gavrikov wasn’t eligible for salary arbitration and doesn’t have enough experience to be eligible for an offer sheet either so there’s no immediate rush to get anything done with him either.

Snapshots: HOF, Kraken, Dubois

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The Hockey Hall of Fame will not name a 2021 class, instead deciding to give the entire spotlight to the six people elected in 2020 that have yet to have an induction ceremony. Marian Hossa, Jarome Iginla, Kevin Lowe, Kim St-Pierre, Doug Wilson, and Ken Holland were all supposed to be inducted earlier this year but had their ceremony postponed when the coronavirus pandemic put things on hold. Now, the hall has decided to make sure they get their moment. Chairman Lanny McDonald:

The magic of the induction weekend from the perspective of the new inductees is participating in several days of close interaction with family, friends, former teammates, fellow legends and fans. On that premise, the Board felt that this was the right decision to bestow upon the Class of 2020 the recognition and lifetime experience they so richly deserve in all ways consistent with past induction classes.

With no new 2021 class, the debate regarding players like Alexander Mogilny, Rod Brind’Amour, and Daniel Alfredsson will have to wait another year.

  • The Seattle Kraken have loaded up their scouting department even further, hiring another dozen scouts today. The group is headlined by Robert Kron, who will serve as director of amateur scouting and also includes Mike Dawson, Darren Yopyk, Jeff Crisp, Tom O’Connor, Tony MacDonald, Trevor Steinburg, Thomas Plante, Pelle Eklund, Marcus Fingal, Aleksandr Plyushev, and Sasu Hovi. Seattle is determined to find the best players both in the NHL and abroad as they start on their journey of creating the league’s 32nd team.
  • It may be a long negotiation for the Columbus Blue Jackets and restricted free agents Pierre-Luc Dubois and Vladislav Gavrikov, but GM Jarmo Kekalainen isn’t worried. As he told Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, “if they want to play in the NHL, we have to agree on a contract.” Dubois is arguably the team’s best forward already at age 22, and Gavrikov has grown into a valuable top-four piece for the team. Both players are due substantial raises but don’t have a ton of leverage in this negotiation. Dubois technically could be signed to an offer sheet (while Gavrikov could not), though as Portzline points out, that was likely only a threat near the beginning of free agency, not now.

Columbus Blue Jackets Issue Qualifying Offers

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced which restricted free agents will receive qualifying offers, with few surprises. Josh Anderson, Gabriel Carlsson, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Vladislav Gavrikov, Matiss Kivlenieks, Ryan MacInnis, Kevin Stenlund and Calvin Thurkauf have all received qualifying offers from the team and will remain in the organization.

That means Devin Shore, Maxime Fortier, Justin Scott, Paul Bittner, Michael Prapavessis and Ryan Collins did not, making them unrestricted free agents on Friday.

The only real surprise is Shore, and only because the Blue Jackets acquired him this season in exchange for Sonny Milano. The 26-year-old Shore has not been particularly effective since the 2017-18 campaign, splitting the last two seasons between three teams and recording just 12 points in 2019-20. Add in the fact that he was due a $2.4MM qualifying offer in order to remain with the Blue Jackets and it’s not hard to see why the team decided to cut bait.

Still, Shore could represent a cheap depth signing for a team this offseason if they think he can be of use to a bottom-six. The 26-year-old forward has experience at center and on the wing and has scored double-digit goals in three different seasons.

Bittner and Collins may also bring a twinge of disappointment to Blue Jackets fans, given they were both second-round selections that never seemed to pan out. Bittner especially was hyped coming off a successful junior career but failed to score much in the AHL. Collins, the 47th pick in 2014, never added any offense to his defensive game and could only rely on his size for so long.

Free Agent Focus: Columbus Blue Jackets

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With free agency now just a couple weeks away, teams are looking ahead to when it opens up.  There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. While the Columbus Blue Jackets have no UFA’s of note, they still have their work cut out for them with a laundry list of RFA’s, including several core players.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Pierre-Luc Dubois – Getting Dubois, 22, locked up long-term is the core objective of the Blue Jackets’ off-season. Over the three seasons of his entry-level contract, Dubois totaled 158 points in 234 games, including a 61-point campaign in 2018-19 and a 57-point pace this season. He also wrapped up his contract on a high note, recording ten points in ten playoff games this year. For a team that is lacking in center depth and elite scoring talent, Dubois is critical to the short-term and long-term success of the Blue Jackets.

The problem is balancing Dubois’ long-term potential and dollar value with the team’s limited cap space for next season With no unrestricted free agents departing the lineup, the Blue Jackets have limited funds to work with against the flat cap. Yet, they also don’t want to settle for a more affordable short-term contract and risk Dubois continuing to improve and increasing his price on a new contract. Negotiations are already underway and the goal stated by both sides is to stick with a lengthy term and to get the deal done before free agency opens to provide the club with some cap clarity.

If a long-term extension can be reached, don’t be surprised to see an AAV of upwards of $8MM or more. If the two sides instead opt for a short-term deal given the fiscal constraints of the current NHL economy, Dubois is still likely set to make $6.5MM or more against the cap on his next deal.

F Josh Anderson – It’s difficult to know where the status quo lies between the Blue Jackets and Anderson. The last time that these two sides sat down to negotiate a contract, it was a contentious affair that ended in a late-summer, below-market contract that left Anderson unhappy and fueled trade rumors. Those flames were stoked by a 27-goal, 47-point season for Andersson in 2018-19 in which the young power forward greatly outplayed his contract. Yet, the tables turned again this season, as Anderson missed much of the year due to injury and was unproductive even when active. The season tanked Anderson’s trade value and at least some of his bargaining power and left his future with Columbus up in the air.

The latest twist in this saga was Anderson’s recent proclamation that he hopes to sign long-term in Columbus. This runs counter to his previous sentiment, but could end up working in the Blue Jackets’ favor. Given their cap crunch this off-season, the team could benefit from deflating the AAV on an Andersson extension by extending the term. Anderson could also return to form and again be a bargain for the club. The risk of course is that his injury troubles persist or he is unable to rediscover his scoring touch. Given the uncertainty of this off-season and Andersson’s health and performance, this seems like a case that is more likely to be settled in salary arbitration than with a long-term deal. While a one-year arbitrator’s decision might risk Andersson leaving as an unrestricted free agent next summer, the Blue Jackets would likely be happy to get an affordable deal done for Anderson and to have another year to consider whether they want to re-sign or trade the big winger.

D Vladislav Gavrikov – Since joining Columbus in the 2019 playoffs, Gavrikov has done nothing but prove that he is a solid two-way defenseman. While his lack of NHL experience makes it difficult to project his long-term value, Gavrikov has at least earned a raise and some security in his next contract. It’s unclear what the expectations are for Gavrikov’s new deal, but the Blue Jackets have all of the leverage. Due to his limited experience, Gavrikov falls under Section 10.2(c) of the CBA as a restricted free agent who is not eligible to sign an offer sheet. Barring a trade, Columbus is the only NHL team that Gavrikov can play for and they can more or less dictate the terms of the next contract. With that said, Gavrikov has proven to be a reliable top-four defenseman and the Blue Jackets are not going to play games. Expect the team to work out a short-term deal with Gavrikov and potentially trade one of their other seven one-way defensemen to cement his role as a core piece on the blue line.

Other RFAs: F Paul Bittner, F Marko Dano, F Maxime Fortier, F Jakob Lilja, F Ryan MacInnis, F Justin Scott, F Devin Shore, F Kole Sherwood, F Calvin Thurkauf, D Gabriel Carlsson, D Ryan Collins, D Michael Prapavessis, G Matiss Kivlenieks

UFAs: D Dillon Simpson, D Doyle Somerby

Projected Cap Space

CapFriendly lists the Blue Jackets as having 22 of 23 roster spots already filled for next season, including 19 one-way contracts. As a result, it should not be a surprise that their cap space is limited, with CapFriendly projecting just over $7MM to spare. The concern though is that Dubois and Gavrikov – at the very least – will be on the roster and should combine for well over $7MM. And that is not even including any free agent or trade additions for a team that has vowed to be active on the forward market. Fortunately, the team will get a bit of a break in the form of Brandon Dubinsky, who is not healthy enough to play again. Dubinsky’s $5.85MM cap hit will be wiped out, bringing Columbus’ true cap space total to around $13MM. While most of that will still be taken up by RFA signings, it will give the club some more flexibility to change up the roster if they so desire.

Snapshots: Dubois, Extended Camp, Sheahan, Miller

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The Blue Jackets have started contract talks with soon-to-be restricted free agent center Pierre-Luc Dubois, reports Michael Arace of the Columbus Dispatch.  GM Jarmo Kekalainen indicated a desire to get this done relatively quickly, stating that “The sooner we get these things done, the better opportunity we have to make the team better”.  Columbus has nearly $74.5MM in commitments for next season already although that includes LTIR-bound Brandon Dubinsky which would allow them to spend up to $5.85MM over the Upper Limit.  Still, that doesn’t leave much room to re-sign Dubois who they would like to sign to a long-term deal and their other RFAs while having space left over to try to add pieces.  That’s why getting something done with the 22-year-old would be ideal for Kekalainen who would have a much better idea of his financial picture heading into free agency next month.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • A decision still hasn’t been made regarding extended training camps for the seven teams that didn’t participate in the NHL’s Return to Play, notes Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly indicated talks are ongoing with the NHLPA but with no firm date for the beginning of training camps to begin, it’s unlikely that there will be any concrete plans on this for a while.
  • Oilers center Riley Sheahan was believed to be seeking $2MM per year to sign an extension midseason, relays Postmedia’s David Staples. The veteran had to wait until early September to sign a one-year, $900K deal for this past season and while he took a lot of faceoffs, he only managed to pick up eight goals and seven assists in 66 games.  Between that and the flattened cap environment, Sheahan’s next contract may wind up being closer to what he made in 2019-20 compared to that previous asking price.
  • The Ducks aren’t sure yet about bringing backup goaltender Ryan Miller back for next season, GM Bob Murray told Eric Stephens of The Athletic (subscription link). The 40-year-old has spent the last three seasons in Anaheim and has been working out with an eye on playing in 2020-21 if it’s the right situation.  Miller had a base salary of $1.125MM this season with another $1.2MM in performance bonuses and posted a 3.10 GAA with a .907 SV% in 23 games.  Anaheim is quite tight to the Upper Limit already for next season (although Ryan Kesler will probably be on LTIR again to give them some flexibility) so if the veteran does return, another incentive-laden deal would make sense.

Columbus Blue Jackets Eyeing Big Splash This Off-Season

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Last off-season, no team took a bigger hit than the Columbus Blue Jackets. The club lost two of their franchise stars in forward Artemi Panarin and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to free agency, along with expensive rental forwards Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel. Panarin, Bobrovsky, and Duchene were in fact the three largest UFA contracts handed out last summer. No one expected the Blue Jackets to be able to rebound from those losses, but one year later the team knocked out a talented Toronto Maple Leafs team in the qualifying round and gave the Tampa Bay Lightning, one of the NHL’s best, a run for their money in the the first round.

Columbus showed that they still have what it takes to be a contender even with last year’s major losses. The team has discovered not one but two reliable options in net, has one of the top defensive pairs in the league and solid depth behind them, and a mix of youth, experience, skill, and grit up front. If there is one thing that the Blue Jackets still lack, it is what they lost in Panarin and Duchene: elite top-six forwards. While the team has a number of young players who may grow into that role, the club does not appear content to sit in wait, instead hoping to take action this off-season. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline writes that whispers out of the organization is that GM Jarmo Kekalainen is preparing to add at least one if not two high-skill forwards this off-season, with a bona fide top-six center as the priority.

On the surface, this plan makes perfect sense. Portzline notes the Blue Jackets ranked second-to-last in forward scoring this season, which undoubtedly was partially the result of a rash of injuries up front but is still an indictment of the forward corps’ ability to produce. The team also has roughly $68MM committed to 20 players who were regular players this season with just a few restricted free agents to take care of, so there could be cap space to spare on the free agent market.

However, adding impact forwards will be easier said than done. While Columbus has approximately $13.5MM in cap space, should they opt for long-term contracts for budding top-six center Pierre-Luc Dubois and solid young defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, much of that space could be eaten up. On top of that, the team will have to make decisions on re-signing RFA forwards Josh Anderson and Devin Shore as well. If both return, the team will be right up against the cap ceiling without even touching the free agent market. They will also be facing a roster crunch with 17 players already signed to one-way contracts worth $1.6MM or more, including recent KHL import Mikhail Grigorenko but not any of the aforementioned RFA’s.

Even if the team does have space to explore the top names on the open market, they may find that no one fits their top-six center criteria. While the team will surely kick the tires on big names like Taylor Hall, Tyler Toffoli, Mike Hoffman, and Evgenii Dadonov, none of that group is a solution down the middle. The second tier also only offers players that are not necessarily natural centers: Mikael Granlund, Carl Soderberg, or even old friend Derick Brassard. Columbus’ best bet may be to target a younger, more moldable player with some center experience, such as Vladislav Namestnikov, Erik Haula, or Alex Galchenyuk. However, there really isn’t an ideal target to sure up the center position in the top six.

For both internal and external reasons, Kekalainen seems likely to explore the trade market in his efforts to add at least one of his target top-six forwards and most likely at center. Portzline also opines that this is a likely route and that the team could deal from their depth at forward or defense to make a deal. On the blue line in particular, the team will have eight experienced NHL defenseman once Gavrikov is re-signed and will likely have to thin that group. Portzline believes that David Savard would be the easiest to move, while talented but oft-injured Ryan Murray or useful Markus Nutivaara could also draw interest. Up front, the rights to Anderson or Shore could certainly be dealt and the team will likely dangle Alexander Wennberg again this off-season. The real question is whether the team would give up on a top young prospect like Emil Bemstrom, Alexandre Texier, or Liam Foudy. Portzline also believes that teams could come calling on goaltenders Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins, but dealing either one could just create another hole in the lineup.

With plenty of trade chips, the Blue Jackets could cash in on a desperate market. Given both the flat salary cap and the looming threat of the 2021 Expansion Draft, there will likely be many teams open to moving established forwards this off-season and Columbus has a much better chance of finding a true top-six center – and perhaps even another top forward – via trade. One way or another, the club has been inspired by its playoff run and has its sights set on improving immediately, so don’t be surprised to see the Blue Jackets make a big splash this summer.

Snapshots: Stars-Avalanche, Dubois, Seabrook

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The NHL hasn’t even finished the first round, with two series playing game six tonight, but they’re already moving on with at least one second-round series. The Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars are set to start their battle tomorrow night according to several reports including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

The league obviously wants to take advantage of a Saturday night, but also is determined to get through the bubble-playoffs as quickly as possible. Both first-round game sevens, should they be needed, are scheduled for Sunday.

  • Pierre-Luc Dubois wasn’t able to carry the Columbus Blue Jackets to a first-round victory but did show that he’s an emerging star in the NHL. That will only help him when he negotiates his next contract this fall. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic examines the young center’s situation, explaining that he believes a three-year deal would make sense. Interestingly though, LeBrun writes that “if Dubois signs longer term, it’s going to be for tangibly more than [William] Nylander.” The Toronto Maple Leafs forward signed a six-year, $45MM deal in 2018.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks are still hoping that Brent Seabrook can be an impact player for them in 2020-21, even after his major surgeries limited him to just 32 games this season and took him out of the postseason. Seabrook, who rehabbed hard to try and be a part of the team in the bubble, will have his role “figured out in training camp” according to Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman, who spoke to reporters including John Dietz of the Daily Herald. The 35-year-old defenseman has four years remaining on his contract.

Snapshots: Dubois, Jets, Sharks

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The Columbus Blue Jackets won’t be announcing a contract extension for Pierre-Luc Dubois anytime soon, according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. Portzline tweets that the two sides were willing to talk during the season, but will “probably” move those negotiations to the summer.

Dubois and the Blue Jackets have bigger fish to fry at the moment as they try to shock every preseason prognosticator by making the playoffs. The team has overcome a ton this season to remain in the Metropolitan Division race and Dubois’ development into a true star has been one of the biggest reasons why. Still just 21, the third-overall pick from 2016 has 17 goals and 42 points in 53 games this season and looks every part the franchise centerman that Jarmo Kekalainen saw in the draft. He will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season, coming off his entry-level deal.

  • Though most of the talk coming out of the Winnipeg Jets’ dressing room today revolved around Dustin Byfuglien and his impending departure from the organization, the team also announced some pertinent injury news. Nathan Beaulieu has been activated from injured reserve, while Mathieu Perreault takes his place. Perreault is expected to be out for at least two weeks after being hit by Karson Kuhlman last week.
  • While Kevin Kurz of The Athletic writes today (subscription required) that San Jose Sharks defenseman Brendan Dillon “will almost certainly” be dealt before the trade deadline later this month, it is the more veteran subjects of his latest article that will raise some eyebrows. Kurz examines potential landing spots for franchise icons Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, if either of the two decide they want to get another shot at the Stanley Cup this spring. That’s not going to happen in San Jose, with the Sharks compiling a 22-27-4 record through their first 53 games and sitting 13th in the Western Conference.

Pierre-Luc Dubois’ Agent “Receptive” To Starting Extension Talks

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The Columbus Blue Jackets kick off their 2019-20 season tonight by welcoming in the Toronto Maple Leafs for a home ice tilt, and will look a lot different than the team that swept the Tampa Bay Lightning out of the first round. The Blue Jackets watched Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky, Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel and others leave in free agency, while committing to a much younger forward core that will include names like Emil Bemstrom and Alexandre Texier. It’s easy to forget that Pierre-Luc Dubois also only turned 21 a few months ago, and after an excellent 27-goal 61-point season in 2018-19 he’ll be leaned on as one of the leaders up front.

Unfortunately for the Blue Jackets, Dubois’ early entrance to the NHL means that he is also on the final year of his entry-level contract and is scheduled for restricted free agency next summer. With other teams starting to lock up their young players in order to avoid the long negotiations that we saw this year, Dubois is an interesting player to keep an eye on. Pierre LeBrun explained on the latest Insider Trading for TSN that Dubois’ camp is open to talking soon with the Blue Jackets about a possible extension:

So much pressure on Columbus after those offseason defections to get this core, franchise center signed. I’m told that agent Pat Brisson is receptive to the idea of sitting down at some point in the fall and get the process started. I think the Jackets are going to come early with a big number.

Selected third overall in 2016, Dubois made headlines right away after Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen took him ahead of the expected choice, Jesse Puljujarvi. The 6’3″ center scored just 55 points in a disjointed QMJHL season the year after his draft, but proved he was more than ready to step into the NHL right away the following season. Finding his footing as a rookie (alongside Panarin), Dubois recorded 20 goals and 48 points and was one of the team’s best players in a short playoff appearance. He came back even stronger in 2018-19 and is now arguably the team’s most important forward.

Getting an extension done before his third season may end up being the right move for the Blue Jackets, especially if he shows that he can carry the load for the team without some of the departed talents. The first two picks from his draft, Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine, signed polar opposite contracts out of their entry-level deals, making it hard to know exactly where Dubois will fit in.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Deadline Primer: Columbus Blue Jackets

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With the trade deadline now less than a week away, we continue our look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?  As we continue with the Metropolitan Division, here is a look at the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Next to the Ottawa Senators, no team is under more pressure at the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline than the Columbus Blue Jackets. The team has decisions to make on two priority free agents, both of whom appear primed to test the off-season market, in Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky. Despite two major players who they may opt to sell, the Blue Jackets also plan to be net buyers at the deadline, giving them a massive presence on both sides of the trade market.

Believe it or not, Columbus is still in search of their first playoff round win in franchise history. The 2000 expansion team has had bad luck in the postseason, so their moves at the deadline will be made with some consideration for the future, but mostly in taking advantage of the present. While the Blue Jackets are within striking distance of the Washington Capitals for second-place in the Metropolitan Division and home ice advantage in the first round, they also are not a lock for a playoff spot. Columbus is currently tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens in the divisional and wild card races with just one game in hand and are at risk of falling behind the surging Carolina Hurricanes, who are two points back. The team cannot afford to come out of the trade deadline with the same or worse caliber of roster, even if they do trade Panarin or Bobrovsky. Expect some fireworks from the Blue Jackets this week.

Record

33-22-3, third in the Metropolitan Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$28.77MM in full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 47/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: CLB 1st, CLB 3rd, CLB 4th, CLB 7th
2020: CLB 1st, CLB 2nd, CLB 4th, CLB 5th, CLB 6th, CLB 7th

Trade Chips

There is no trade chip on the block right now that is more valuable than superstar winger Artemi Panarin. Panarin, 27, leads the Blue Jackets in scoring by a wide margin with 67 points through 56 games, which is also good enough for a top-20 mark in the NHL. He is currently on pace for a career-high 96 points, which would be his second straight season of scoring at better than a point-per-game pace and would mark four straight years with 70+ points. Panarin is simply one of the most dangerous offensive players in hockey and his addition would be a complete game-changer for any contender. The question is whether or not Columbus chooses to use him as their “own rental” rather than trade him. It has been reported that Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen will not trade Panarin if the cost to replace him by adding another forward or two will leave the team with little to show for the initial trade. If Columbus can get through the deadline with replacement forward production and significant future building blocks, Panarin will be traded. If not, he stays put.

The odds of Sergei Bobrovsky moving are less likely than the near 50/50 status of Panarin. Although the all-word goaltender seems more likely to depart Columbus as a free agent than Panarin, he is also near impossible to replace at the deadline. Bobrovsky is one three top rentals in net and the other two – Jimmy Howard and Semyon Varlamov – are not guaranteed to be available. The Blue Jackets are not prepared to move an established starter right before the stretch run and postseason without bringing in a suitable replacement. As such, unless a more long-term target emerges, Bobrovsky is unlikely to be traded despite the hype.

Beyond potentially Panarin and Bobrovsky – ironically the only notable UFA’s in the Blue Jackets organization – Columbus is a buyer, not a seller. However, that doesn’t mean that their current roster is untouchable. If Panarin is moved and the Blue Jackets are pursuing top forwards to replace him, talented but ice-cold forward Alexander Wennberg will surely be dangled. Wennberg, 24, is in the second season of a six-year, $29.4MM contract that he has failed to live up to so far. This season has been worse than last, as he has yet to score an even strength goal all season. Even at a cap hit that has not been reflective of his production, some sellers will certainly be intrigued by the 2013 first-rounder’s ceiling. Another young Blue Jackets forward who could be offered up is Sonny Milano, who continues to see limited NHL action despite good AHL production. Young defenseman Gabriel Carlsson, another under-utilized first-round pick, is also a candidate to be traded.

Among their prospect pool, the Blue Jackets may have a tough time avoiding seller demands for first-year pro forward Vitaly Abramov, who has played well in the AHL this season. Arguably the top prospect in the organization, the slick winger has NHL potential and sellers have surely taken notice. Deeper in the pipeline, Columbus will likely hear calls on Swedes Emil Bemstrom and Jonathan Davidsson as well.

Five Players To Watch For: F Artemi Panarin, F Alexander Wennberg, F Sonny Milano, D Gabriel Carlsson, F Vitaly Abramov

Team Needs

1) Top-Six Forwards: The only difference a potential Panarin trade makes is the caliber and number of the forwards that the Blue Jackets will target. There is a clear need for offensive depth beyond the Blue Jackets’ top line of Panarin, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Cam Atkinson, as no other forward has surpassed 30 points on the year. The power play also needs serious help. If Panarin leaves, the team will need to do their best to replace his production on the top line, likely targeting the top wingers on the market like Mark Stone, Gustav Nyquist, or Mike Hoffman. They will probably look for more affordable top-six options after that. If Panarin stays, the team will still look at top forward options like Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, Mats Zuccarello, and Kevin Hayes. Columbus will be in on nearly every big forward name in the coming days and should add one or two before all is said and done.

2) Defensive Depth: Behind a strong top-four in Columbus are several questions. Can the likes of Scott Harrington, Dean Kukan, and Adam Clendening really hold up down the stretch in a tight playoff race? Or go up against elite competition in the playoffs? The shot side doesn’t really matter so much as the ability, as the Blue Jackets simply need to add a capable veteran defender before the deadline.

3) Draft Picks: When Kekalainen says that he won’t trade Panarin unless the cost of acquiring a replacement would still leave him with a major future piece, that isn’t for nothing. A quick look at the team’s cupboard of draft picks shows how desperate they are in quantity alone. The Blue Jackets currently have just four picks in 2019, likely just one of which will be in the top-75, and are already missing a third-rounder next year. A closer look at the team’s pipeline shows that they lack some game-breaking talent in the system as is, particularly on the blue line. In order to be a buyer, Columbus will further deplete this trade capital. If they do trade Panarin – or Bobrovsky – Kekalainen and company need to make sure that they are going to net some valuable draft picks or prospects in the process.

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