Deadline Discussion: Jack Roslovic
With the NHL trade deadline just a little over three weeks away, there are some obvious trade candidates for the Blue Jackets, and some less obvious. This team is almost certainly going to look different after March 3rd; but one question I have: will it include Jack Roslovic?
Roslovic is a Central Ohio native, born and raised around the Blue Jackets youth hockey system before playing his collegiate hockey at the University of Miami (OH). He was selected in the first round (#25 overall) at the 2015 Draft by the Winnipeg Jets, where he would spend parts of four seasons before eventually being dealt to the Blue Jackets as part of the Patrik Laine trade.
Since returning home, Roslovic has played 177 games in the Union Blue, scoring 38 goals and 68 points in that time. His first season back in Columbus was far and away his best, as he looked excited to have a new home – particularly being in his hometown – and played like a potential top-six player for the Jackets right away.
everything's lookin' ROSIE 😊 pic.twitter.com/RkGJVislVG
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) December 12, 2022
But the last two seasons have not gone as well for Roslovic and the Jackets. Last year, through the first 71 games he scored just 12 goals and 32 points before going on an absolute bender to finish the year, scoring 10 goals in the final 10 games. This year has been similarly quiet, though slightly more productive thus far: he has 4 goals and 27 points through 48 games.
The issue here isn’t talent; it’s that Jack goes through lapses in his play and takes the odd shift off. Some games, I find myself having to actively look for him on the ice, which is not the sign of a top-two center in the NHL. It’s maddening because sometimes when he’s confident, he looks like he could be a 60 or 70 point player – then at other times, you have to ask yourself if he’s even in the game.
Ultimately, I think he’s probably best suited as a third line player in the NHL. With more sheltered minutes, his shortcomings on the defensive side of the puck would not be exposed as often, and he could focus on his offensive game more. The unfortunate thing is, the Jackets don’t have the luxury of playing him in that role due to the overall shortage of quality centers in the system.
For this reason, Jack is rumored to be a candidate for a change of scenery as the Jackets continue their retool here. By the time this team is ready to be competitive again, his contract will have expired. Would they be better off by ripping the band-aid off now and getting some assets in return?
Even with the dearth of centers in Columbus, the Jackets should be listening to offers on Roslovic. There are a few directions this situation can go from here, but with the team sitting at the bottom of the standings, they have to make the tough decisions.
The first option here is to simply hang onto Jack and let him play out his contract. He’s paid like a middle-six center, and he is exactly that, struggles and all. Currently he sits third on the team in scoring, and with such a young group it is important to keep skilled veterans around while the team gains experience.
If you do keep him into next season, I don’t think that’s any kind of loss – the team is still going to be very young, and will still likely need all the help it can get down the middle. Then they can decide on extending his contract for more term – or we can have this whole discussion again at next year’s deadline.
There is also the potential that by keeping him through the deadline, he goes white-hot again to finish out the year and that could boost his value up in a big way. Then you can go into the off-season with him as a bargaining chip to add into another deal. A draft day hockey trade might result in the best bang for your buck here, as teams will have more flexibility with their rosters and cap situations in the summer.
If you do decide to trade him …
Likely, the Jackets would be looking at two vastly different options here: either a trade for futures (draft picks, prospects), or the old change of scenery swap. If they’re looking for futures, Jack’s cap hit of $4.0m AAV through next season is an easy contract for nearly any team in the league to take on. This market should be open to any and all suitors looking for secondary scoring in their lineup.
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I’m no expert or insider, but I would guess that his value could be something like a second and third or fourth round pick, or a B-tier prospect plus a mid-round pick. If the Jackets were to go this route, it pushes the team’s competitive window back a little bit, but it could pay off in the long run. Imagine adding another Luca del bel Belluz or Stanislav Svozil type player to the prospect pool this summer.
Or, the team could look to take a chance on another team selling off a struggling roster player. The Vancouver Canucks have been rumored to be interested in Roslovic – could something centered around Roslovic work in a deal to pry away struggling winger Brock Boeser? What about the Edmonton Oilers and Jesse Puljujarvi?
The Jackets would probably have to add more into a deal to get a player like Boeser, but if teams are interested in Jack, you have to at least give it a shot. The only goal here is improving the team in the longer-term, so if you’re going to sell off an NHL player in his prime like this, it has to make sense.
Most likely, I think Jack remains a Blue Jacket at least through the deadline. This is the kind of trade that might make more sense over the summer, if it’s made at all. It’s entirely possible that the team views Jack as a piece they want to keep around through the rebuild, which isn’t a bad thing. Let’s just hope he can find that magical scoring mojo soon.
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