The Columbus Blue Jackets find themselves in a pivotal position ahead of the 2021 NHL offseason. They can either go into a full rebuild or add a few pieces to the current core of players.
From the looks of it, all signs are pointing in the direction of a short rebuild according to GM Jarmo Kekalainen. His self-proclaimed “reload” as opposed to a rebuild could indicate a busy offseason for the Columbus Blue Jackets this year. Coming into the offseason, the Blue Jackets have quite a few assets that could help execute a successful “reload.”
Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen. Photo Courtesy of theathletic.com
Columbus currently has three first round picks in the upcoming NHL Draft. They acquired first round picks at the trade deadline from Tampa Bay and Toronto. At Wednesday’s NHL Draft Lottery, the Blue Jackets were awarded the fifth overall pick. Toronto’s pick will be as high as 24 and the placement of Tampa Bay’s pick is still unknown.
With three first round picks, Columbus can use all three picks, or they could trade back in the draft and acquire more assets. The Blue Jackets currently don’t have a second-round pick in this year’s draft. It is very possible they use the Toronto or Tampa Bay pick to trade back into the draft.
After the second round, Columbus has a pick in each round plus an additional fifth round pick acquired in the Ryan Murray trade. That brings their total number of picks to nine for the upcoming draft. As mentioned previously, those picks can either be used on draft night or in packages in trades for other players.
Despite the news of Seth Jones not wanting to sign an extension, Columbus currently has a solid defensive core and goalies to utilize. What they lack on offense, they make up for on the defensive end.
The defensive rotation currently stands with nine players with NHL experience. If Seth Jones gets traded and a player like Dean Kukan or Scott Harrington goes to Seattle in the expansion draft, that still leaves seven players in the rotation. A Seth Jones departure may require attention to the top defensive pairing. That can be addressed via a trade or one of their draft picks.
When it comes to goaltending, Columbus has a great situation there with two proven starters in Elvis Merzlikins and Joonas Korpisalo. One of those guys will more than likely be traded in the offseason. Once one of them departs, it’s between Daniil Tarasov and Matiss Kivlenieks for the backup job. Both players have experience playing in the AHL level at least.
Patrik Laine is a notable restricted free agent for Columbus. Photo Courtesy of theathletic.com
When it comes to cap space, Columbus is in solid shape there. Ahead of the 2021 NHL season, Columbus currently has just shy of $26 million in cap space. They’ll need to utilize it by re-signing notable free agents like Patrik Laine, Alexandre Texier, Michael Del Zotto, Mikko Lehtonen, Andrew Peeke and Kevin Stenlund.
That should be plenty to re-sign those players. It should also leave enough to go after some free agents in free agency to fill out the team. If things go smoothly for Columbus, they could have enough cap space to go after a big-name player in free agency. Fortunately for Columbus, they will only have $442,000 in dead cap and buyouts from the Alexander Wennberg buyout.
Cover Photo Courtesy of theathletic.com
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