Blue Jackets want offseason upgrades to start taking shape at NHL Draft

COLUMBUS, Ohio Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell is so driven to make immediate improvements, and he has spoken so openly about his willingness to trade one or both of his first-round picks for immediate help, that the opening of the NHL Draft on Friday night might have a different vibe to it.

Advertisement Will there be disappointment if Waddell and his amateur scouts actually draft players with the No.

14 and No.

20 overall picks? We could have traded both picks by now, said Waddell, who is now entering his second year in charge of one of the NHLs youngest and more promising rosters.

Weve had offers for both of them, but I didnt feel there was value for us.

Were not just going to trade the picks because I said were going to trade em.

Were going to trade them if theyre meaningful trades for our hockey club.

Our goal is to make our hockey team better today, but we also have to guard the future, too.

If we end up keeping those picks and (taking players), well get players for the future.

Im still pretty confident that somethings going to break here.

If (trades happen), great.

If it doesnt, well move forward.

Put another way: Waddell is not going to accept the best offer on the table; hes waiting for the right offer.

But there are a couple of things to consider before 7 p.m., when the draft opens and the New York Islanders are officially on the clock.

First, Waddell might not get his strongest offers until the draft begins, particularly when it starts to get closer to the 14th pick.

This years crop of talent is seen as good but not great, and Waddells potential trade partners wont want to swing a significant trade with the Blue Jackets likely parting with a roster player if the player they wish to draft is no longer on the board.

Certainly theres been some of those discussions, Waddell said.

I would say, if somebody steps up with the right move prior to (the first round), we would love to do it prior than to sit there and wait for the pick.

We get to (No.

14) and my amateur guys will say, I love this guy whos there, too.

We have lots of discussion the last three weeks with teams, certainly teams that dont have a first-round pick and theyll see whos available.

Theyll start with (No.) 10, 11, 12 ...

Advertisement The Anaheim Ducks pick 10th, followed by the Pittsburgh Penguins at No.

11 and No.

12, and the Detroit Red Wings at No.

13.

Ducks GM Pat Verbeek has been one of the NHLs most active GMs in the early going this offseason.

The teams without a first-round pick are the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights.

"Our goal is to make our hockey club better today, but we also have to guard the future." General Manager Don Waddell is focused on making meaningful moves for our team.

Hear more from him in his full media availability at https://t.co/w1UPD8idSw pic.twitter.com/2xeJCA4WWn Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) June 26, 2025 Waddell is looking to upgrade the Blue Jackets at just about every position on the ice.

In no particular order, hed like: I feel comfortable that were going to be able to do a few things to make our hockey club better, Waddell said.

Thats our hope.

You have to remember, it doesnt stop on July 1, either.

What happens during the draft for the Blue Jackets could have an impact on how they handle their many players who can become unrestricted free agents on Tuesday.

But if they swing and miss on adding immediate roster help, those players may become a priority before the market opens.

That list includes defensemen Ivan Provorov and Dante Fabbro, and forwards Justin Danforth, Sean Kuraly, James van Riemsdyk and others.

The Blue Jackets are actively trying to sign Fabbro and Danforth, but its likely Kuraly will move on after four years in Columbus.

The Blue Jackets made a couple of minor moves Thursday, one of which added to their pile of picks in this years draft.

Goaltender Daniil Tarasov was traded to the Florida Panthers for a fifth-round pick (No.

160 overall), ending Tarasovs eight-year stay in the organization he was drafted in the third round in 2017 and a four-year run of play with the Blue Jackets.

Advertisement Then, later in the day, the Blue Jackets made a minor-league trade, sending forward Cameron Butler to Minnesota for Brendan Gaunce, who spent three years in the Columbus organization playing 59 NHL games before signing as a free agent with the Wild last summer.

Gaunce has one year remaining on the two-way deal he signed with Minnesota.

Hes due to make $775,000 at the NHL level and $550,000 in the AHL.

Gaunce, who would have to clear waivers at the end of training camp to join AHL Cleveland, was the Monsters captain in 2023-24.

(Photo of Don Waddell: Dave Sandford / NHLI via Getty Images).

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