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5 Columbus Blue Jackets questions before NHL free agency Welcome to NHL free agency, which will play a big role in rounding out the Blue Jackets roster for next season.
Don Waddell, the teams president/general manager, is likely waist-deep in trade offers for Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko, who have indicated they will not re-sign with Columbus once their contracts expire, but the open market doesnt wait for anybody.
Despite adding Valeri Nichushkin in a June 25 trade with the Colorado Avalanche, the Jackets arent done retooling.
Here are five questions about the Blue Jackets nearing the start of free agency: How would Werenski, Marchenko trades affect Columbus Blue Jackets in free agency? Waddell has informed both opposing teams and reporters that hes not interested in trading Werenski or Marchenko for futures.
In other words, if youre an opposing GM calling about Werenski or Marchenko, prepare to offer NHL talent along with high draft picks.
Also, be willing to swap at least one young NHL player whos highly regarded and has multiple years of team control left on their contract.
The Blue Jackets arent in a rebuild, and Waddell wont be bullied into starting one just because his top offensive players dont see themselves re-signing with the Blue Jackets as unrestricted free agents two years down the line.
Its going to take quality NHL talent to pry either from the Jackets, which means that trades arent likely to create gaping holes for Waddell to patch via a thin market of free agents.
Which free agents are poised to leave Columbus Blue Jackets? Waking up June 30, the Blue Jackets had three lineup regulars prepared to hit the open market.
Boone Jenner, the Jackets captain, and winger Mason Marchment are two of the top available pending UFA forwards thanks to the fact that the NHLs skyrocketing salary cap allowed more teams to re-sign players, so either or both could be headed elsewhere.
If they become free agents, look for Jenner to draw interest from the Washington Capitals and Colorado Avalanche, while Marchment gets looks from the Avalanche and Montreal Canadiens.
The Blue Jackets could re-sign pending UFA Danton Heinen for depth up front.
Coach Rick Bowness appeared to find Heinens versatility useful last season.
Erik Gudbranson, a snarly veteran defenseman with great size and strength, is also a pending UFA for the Blue Jackets.
Waddell has indicated that adding an NHL defenseman in the range of $2 million per year is the Jackets preference to round out the blue line, so theres a chance theyll circle back to Gudbranson.
Hes a strong leader in the locker room and isnt shy to voice his affection for Columbus and the Blue Jackets, so dont be surprised if the two sides find common ground to keep him around.
What should Columbus Blue Jackets do in free agency? They should probably bite the bullet and re-sign Jenner and/or Marchment plus Gudbranson.
Jenner and Gudbranson helped establish a close-knit atmosphere inside the Blue Jackets locker room, despite multiple injuries the past two years, while Marchment slotted near perfectly into the lineup in a key role following a mid-season trade last season.
Waddell said term is the biggest stumbling block to re-signing Jenner and/or Marchment, but giving a little on that might be a better option than trying to replace one or both in a shallow market.
The Blue Jackets could also look for a trade that gives goalie Elvis Merzlikins a fresh start for the final season of his contract before sifting through unsigned goalies for a backup.
When will Columbus Blue Jackets re-sign restricted free agents? The Blue Jackets have extended qualifying offers to restricted free agents Adam Fantilli, Cole Sillinger, Greaves and newly acquired depth forward Luke Tuch, wholl likely play with AHL Cleveland.
Waddell isnt in a rush to re-sign any of them because the team ultimately controls their rights, and Waddell now has much bigger issues to handle with Werenski and Marchenko sizzling on the trade market.
This is Fantillis first foray into RFA territory, so he doesnt have arbitration rights to bolster his leverage.
Fantilli's biggest leverage would be signing a contract offer sheet elsewhere, but the Blue Jackets would have the option of matching the offer or allowing him to leave for draft pick compensation.
They would almost certainly match to keep their developing No.
1 center, so going through the effort of signing him to an offer sheet might not be worth it to opposing GMs.
Assuming thats the case, Fantilli and the Blue Jackets will eventually work out a new contract that gives him a hefty raise.
Greaves, Sillinger and Tuch all have arbitration rights, but Waddell doesnt anticipate issues getting new deals done before training camp arrives in September.
When will Columbus Blue Jackets complete new NHL staff? Hopefully soon.
After making their promotion of Cleveland Monsters head coach Trent Vogelhuber official June 30, while also announcing the hire of Nick Bootland to replace him in Cleveland, there are still two NHL coaching vacancies to fill.
One is for another NHL bench assistant with experience to work with forwards and coordinate the power play, and the delay in hiring that role is tied to a waiting period for NHL contract years to expire June 30.
Now that coaches who'd been under contract with other NHL teams are free agents, the Jackets can officially interview candidates and make a hire quickly.
The Jackets also need a new NHL video coach after not retaining Aron Augustitus.
Dispatch Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at [email protected].