I believe the Jackets are done trading- for now, Free agency will be the focus this week. The Jackets still need to address the center position and finding someone who can distribute the puck in the offensive zone, particularly from behind the net. I'm going out on a limb and predict they'll add two players- Phillip Danault and believe it or not, Alexander Wennberg. Wennberg is clearly the odd man out in Florida with the acquisition of Sam Reinhart, so you know Wennberg won't be resigned. Wennberg would have ironically been centering the top line for the Blue Jackets had they kept him last year. Wennberg can distribute the puck from behind the net, particularly on the power play. Having him on the top line with Laine and Voracek would be interesting. The second line would feature Danault flanked by Gus Nyquist and Oliver Bjorkstrand. The third line could then be Roslovic with Jenner and Texier. Finally the 4th line could be centered by Eric Robinson with choices of Bemstrom, Foudy and Stenlund. Let's not forget Max Domi will be coming back sometime, maybe as early as November. Will that team make you forget the 1976 Montreal Canadiens any time soon? No, no way. But that is a competitive team that can have a reasonably good season. Playoffs? Probably not, but they can be a team no one wants to play in March or April. I doubt another trade is made until the trade deadline. At that point in time, you could see one of the goalies and Jenner, Domi or Nyquist moved if the return makes sense. The Jackets have already secured two first round picks in the 2022 draft. What's wrong with a couple more? I know some would say Foligno might be brought back, but I have my doubts. If he did come back, he probably winds up on the 3rd line with Roslovic and Jenner.
I just realized that Bowman could have traded for Bean himself with that 2nd, and then used the same exact package to get Eichel. Boqvist, Bean, Sillinger/2021 pick, and 2022 1st. That's the four 1st rounders/equivalent players that Buffalo is supposedly asking for and GMs feel is too much. Crazy times.
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I believe the Jackets are done trading- for now, Free agency will be the focus this week. The Jackets still need to address the center position and finding someone who can distribute the puck in the offensive zone, particularly from behind the net. I'm going out on a limb and predict they'll add two players- Phillip Danault and believe it or not, Alexander Wennberg. Wennberg is clearly the odd man out in Florida with the acquisition of Sam Reinhart, so you know Wennberg won't be resigned. Wennberg would have ironically been centering the top line for the Blue Jackets had they kept him last year. Wennberg can distribute the puck from behind the net, particularly on the power play. Having him on the top line with Laine and Voracek would be interesting. The second line would feature Danault flanked by Gus Nyquist and Oliver Bjorkstrand. The third line could then be Roslovic with Jenner and Texier. Finally the 4th line could be centered by Eric Robinson with choices of Bemstrom, Foudy and Stenlund. Let's not forget Max Domi will be coming back sometime, maybe as early as November. Will that team make you forget the 1976 Montreal Canadiens any time soon? No, no way. But that is a competitive team that can have a reasonably good season. Playoffs? Probably not, but they can be a team no one wants to play in March or April. I doubt another trade is made until the trade deadline. At that point in time, you could see one of the goalies and Jenner, Domi or Nyquist moved if the return makes sense. The Jackets have already secured two first round picks in the 2022 draft. What's wrong with a couple more? I know some would say Foligno might be brought back, but I have my doubts. If he did come back, he probably winds up on the 3rd line with Roslovic and Jenner.
I just realized that Bowman could have traded for Bean himself with that 2nd, and then used the same exact package to get Eichel. Boqvist, Bean, Sillinger/2021 pick, and 2022 1st. That's the four 1st rounders/equivalent players that Buffalo is supposedly asking for and GMs feel is too much. Crazy times.
When CBJ does something "it's a 9 foot cannonball from the top of a cliff"….yeah, that's for sure!
Thanks for posting this. It’s great to have you compiling all the Blue Jackets news here