Breaking down the Columbus Blue Jackets ahead of NHL Free Agency.
Pending free agents
Unrestricted: 15 | Restricted: 9 | See full list
[teamleaders league=”nhl” team=”cls” season=”2013″]
Blue Jackets overview
After a slow start to the season, the Blue Jackets qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second time in franchise history. Columbus was unable to get past the Pittsburgh Penguins in the opening round, losing 4-2 in a hard-fought series but the team made good progress in 2013-14. Their two post-season wins were the first in Blue Jackets history.
Overall, it was a very successful season. The Blue Jackets set franchise records in wins and total points and the club — led by president John Davidson and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen — have a lot to be excited about going forward. The arrow is pointed upwards. At the end of the year, the organization rewarded the coaching staff by signing head coach Todd Richards to an extension and later handing out multi-year deals to assistants Craig Hartsburg, Ian Clark and Chris Clark.
Even more impressive, the Jackets managed to put up those numbers without much help from their key free-agent acquisition last summer, Nathan Horton. The former Boston Bruins forward only scored four goals and didn’t make his season debut until Jan. 1, playing in only 35 games. Having him healthy in 2014-15 will be a nice boost for Columbus. To beef up the forward group, Columbus landed veteran forward Scott Hartnell in a deal with Philadelphia for R.J. Umberger and a draft pick. That will give them additional size and toughness in the top-six.
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| Click player positions to see depth chart | ||
Areas to address
Even after acquiring Hartnell, the Blue Jackets are projected to have just over $22 million in salary cap space. Columbus could use the rest of the money to upgrade in other areas but the club doesn’t have a ton of holes.
Led by an ascending group of core forwards in Johansen, Boone Jenner and Cam Atkinson, the team has a lot to build around up front. Where they could use help is at right wing, especially considering Horton’s history with injuries. Hartnell mostly played left wing in Philadelphia so they may need to shift one of their wingers over to the other side. Against Pittsburgh, the team’s right wingers included Atkinson, Jared Boll and soon-to-be free agents Jack Skille and Blake Comeau. That’s not good enough.
On the back end, they are much more settled with a highly-skilled group of puck movers featuring the likes of Jack Johnson, James Wisniewski and, the second-overall pick from the 2012 NHL Draft, Ryan Murray. A logical move would be to add some veteran size and toughness to the bottom pair, which could help in penalty kill situations. Nick Schultz was added at the deadline last season but they could look to upgrade that spot in free agency.
In net, Sergei Bobrovsky gets the bulk of the starts while backup Curtis McElhinney was signed to a one-year extension before hitting the open market.
Possible signing targets
Ryan Callahan (RW): He could play on either of the top two lines and offer veteran experience and leadership in the dressing room. He won’t be cheap, though.
UPDATE: Callahan re-signs with Lightning
Brooks Orpik (D): He would be a solid mentor for Ryan Murray and could offer some balance for all the puck movers on the blueline.
