The Columbus Blue Jackets should look within for blue line help.
Ian Cole is one of three unrestricted free agents on the blue line that the Columbus Blue Jackets stand to lose this offseason. Two of them, Jack Johnson and Talyor Chorney likely already have their bags packed.
Cole, however, played very well with David Savard this year and could be in line for a new contract with the team. The Jackets acquired the 29-year-old from the Ottawa Senators at the trade deadline for the low price of a 2020 third round pick and minor leaguer Nick Moutrey. He became a fan favorite alongside of David Savard with their trademark beards earning them the nickname “The Lumberjackets”.
Ian said kind words about the franchise in comments to the media following the loss to Washington. It seems he enjoys Columbus and would be amenable to staying with he club. Cole said,
"“I can’t say enough how great these guys were, how accepting they were, how accommodating they were. I really have nothing but positive things to say about my experience here in Columbus, from the town to the staff to the players. It was certainly an A-plus organization in my mind. It was awesome.”"
But Cole may not be the best option for the team on the blue line. With massive contracts in line for Artemi Panarin, Zach Werenski and Sergei Bobrovsky the CBJ will need to be judicious with every dollar.
Cole’s solid play and playoff experience will warrant a contract of three to five years at over $2.5 million. Although not a huge cap hit, it is a lot more money considering that Cole and Savard won’t be the second pair if the Jackets resign Ryan Murray.
Jarmo Kekalainen stated that in so many words in post season discussions.
"“There’s not a lot of question marks with Ian Cole, but it’s about talking to his representatives and seeing where they’re at and how those things fit with our plan and our cap situation and the future of these other contracts that are coming up in a year. All that has to fall into the right place.”"
That’s a GM putting it out there, that although they wouldn’t mind bringing Cole back, they understand that Cole’s agent knows what he is worth and it will be tough to come together on a price. Cole has earned a contract that the Jackets likely won’t be able to give him with the rest of their future considerations.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Great Defensive Options in the System
The Jackets have a straightforward and simple option to replace Cole next season. Move Markus Nutivaara and Ryan Murray up to the second pair and give Carlsson or Kukan a third line role with Savard.
Both Markus Nutivaara and Murray moved the puck better, provided more scoring and had a higher combined corsi rating last season than Cole and Savard. The two fit the mold for prototypical NHL defenseman in this day in age more than Cole and Savard as well.
Another factor to consider is that the Jackets have great in house options. Dean Kukan, Gabriel Carlsson, and in the following offseason, Valdislav Gavrikov, to fill in on the blue line at much cheaper prices.
Carlsson is a large defensive defenseman who fits the role that Cole would be leaving quite nicely. The staff is high on Kukan and Gavrikov looks NHL ready now. All three will have a significant advantage playing alongside David Savard, who over the last two years has spent significant time playing with many different partners and is able to still compete at a high level.
Next: Biggest Decision in Franchise History
Cole won’t be able to produce a significantly higher return on the investment to make it worth the Jackets offering him a reasonable contract. Unless the Jackets value his Stanley Cup Playoff experience more than anticipated, I don’t expect Ian Cole to return next season. The Jackets should move Murray and Nutivaara up to the second pair and give a younger, cheaper option in Carlsson or Kukan time on the third pair.