Trade-deadline primer for the Columbus Blue Jackets

The team may have the perfect sweeteners in top young players Kent Johnson or David Jiricek, a pair of high-end prospects that have yet to find their ideal role in Columbus. Johnson has just 15 points through 34 games this season, on pace for just 14 goals and 36 points, a step down from the 16 goals and 40 points he managed in 79 games last season. He’s also gone without a power-play point through 75 minutes this season – despite scoring 12 points on the man advantage last year. And while Johnson is being confined to the bottom-six, Jiricek is being confined to the minor leagues. The 20-year-old defenseman, who the team took sixth-overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, has averaged the lowest ice time of any Blue Jackets defenseman, playing under 15 minutes a night through 36 games this season and not yet touching special teams at all. He’s managed nine points and 20 penalty minutes in spite of the role, and is vocally at odds with the team’s brass about what ice time he should be receiving.

It seems Columbus is at their length’s end, forced to decide which players to lean into on a roster where 13 different players are averaging between 13 and 15 minutes of ice time. While it doesn’t make sense for one of the league’s lowest-ranked teams to sell the future, their pedigree as being strong in the draft could make any necessary deals easier to stomach.

Luckily, the Blue Jackets won’t be out of the trade market if they choose not to part with their top prospects, or if they can’t find a suitor for Merzlikins’ pricey deal. The team still has centerman Jack Roslovic receiving plenty of trade interest, with teams eager to add the consistent, all-situations role that Roslovic provides. The 27-year-old has just 10 points through 27 games this season, but managed 45 and 44 points across the last two seasons respectively. He’s become a reliable option down the middle and could be the perfect fit for any playoff team looking to play into the Summer. Columbus could also part with Justin Danforth or Sean Kuraly – two aging depth forwards who play a strong role with the Blue Jackets. Danforth could be a particularly interesting option, as the 30-year-old carries just a $975K cap hit over the next two seasons and has a strong 36 points through 101 career NHL games. He could be a cheap and lucrative add for teams looking for a boost in their bottom-six. It’s likely that the return for any veteran forward would be heavily based around draft picks, especially after Sean Monahan fetched a first-round pick in his move from the Montreal Canadiens to the Winnipeg Jets.

Team Needs

1) Build Around Fantilli: In a season of struggles, Columbus is able to rest their hat on one supreme bright spot – Adam Fantilli. The third-overall selection in last year’s draft, Fantilli has burst onto the scene, managing 12 goals and 27 points through 49 games despite a role that’s held him to an average under 16 minutes of ice time each game.

What’s worse, Fantilli has spent at least 30 minutes of ice time with 10 different linemates over the first half of his rookie season. That is far from the ideal setting for a top young player. For perspective, first overall pick Connor Bedard has only had six linemates on a Blackhawks team devastated by injuries, while second overall pick Leo Carlsson has had just four linemates in Anaheim. Columbus is not giving Fantilli a chance to build consistent chemistry with his linemates, likely significantly holding him back from even more success in his rookie season. No matter if it’s because they don’t have the right players in the room, or just don’t know what configuration works best – the Blue Jackets need to use this trade deadline to get the player they’re hoping can lead the franchise into a more comfortable role.

2) Take What You Can Get: The Blue Jackets won’t be making the playoffs this year. And, pending a 2020 run, likely won’t make it next season either. But fans shouldn’t lose hope. Fantilli offers great promise for the future and he’s backed by really exciting prospects like Gavin Brindley – Fantilli’s old teammate – as well as top defense prospect Denton Mateychuk and high-scoring forward Jordan Dumais. That’s only scratching the surface of what is a really deep Blue Jackets prospect pool. Columbus doesn’t need to focus on their depth in the same way as the Anaheim Ducks or Minnesota Wild – and thus don’t have a need to try and stretch any trades. In a year of turmoil, general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen needs to be more focused on building a cohesive roster than saving face. If there’s a chance for him to relieve some of the tension in the Blue Jackets lineup, or find a way to lighten the load on rookie head coach Pascal Vincent, it may be best to act first and worry about long-term upside second.