Five Bold Offseason Predictions for the Columbus Blue Jackets

It sure seems like the Jackets want to get this head coaching hire out of the way before the draft, and it totally makes sense. The coach they hire may affect the player they target at third overall, and they might want to have the coach’s say on that player.

But more importantly, it seems like they want to get this coaching hiring done so they can turn their attention to overhauling the roster. Some of this work needs to be done before the draft, which is exactly 30 days from today. I say this knowing that they want to flip their second first round pick for immediate help. The trade may not happen until they are on the draft floor, but the framework for these deals is usually put in place well in advance.

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The LA Kings First Rounder is Traded – But Not for a Defenseman

Jarmo has gone as far as saying that he would trade this pick for immediate help. They want to replace Vladislav Gavrikov on the back end, who was in fact the player traded for this pick. But, teams aren’t exactly lining up to trade top-four defensemen with term, so I fear the Jackets will be diving into the free agent pile to sign one instead. There will be options there.

For the purpose of this asset, the Jackets make a deal for a top-two line center. As far as which center they got after, we can only speculate. But, consider the fact that the salary cap will again remain mostly flat (expected $1.5-$2.0 million increase) – and how many teams are pushed right up against it, with the need to add players to fill out their rosters.

And, on top of that, you have several teams who are outspoken about wanting to reset their roster, or get younger in general. One team I’m keeping a close eye on is the Calgary Flames. New GM Craig Conroy spoke honestly about wanting to get younger, also adding that he would not let top talent walk for nothing.

One quick look at their roster situation gives you an idea of where they might be looking to trim some fat – and save some ugly negotiations later. In particular, look at their centers. You have Nazem Kadri for the next six seasons, paid like a top line center. Mikael Backlund, rumored to be their next captain, will certainly be getting a nice extension soon.

Where does that leave Elias Lindholm? If the team wants to get younger, paying three centers at the levels it will take to keep them all well into their 30s, seems counterintuitive. Could that leave Lindholm on the outside looking in? Will Conroy look to deal him with a year left on his deal, to maximize return value? Could the Jackets put together a package of young assets that the Flames might like?

You get the idea. Naturally, we could say the same thing about defenseman Noah Hanifin; but the Flames would be wise to lock him up longer-term. They have a lot of impending UFA defensemen there, and he’s a legit top-four guy that they could build around. If they don’t want to, then he should be a guy high on Jarmo’s list of targets as well.

One thing we know about Jarmo and his scouting staff, is that they aren’t afraid to buck trends or take a player “off the board”.

With that said, they have clearly stated that they would be using the third overall pick at next month’s draft, to land their future top line center. That means it will almost certainly be one of Leo Carlsson, Will Smith, or if Anaheim happens to go off the board – Adam Fantilli.

The Blue Jackets Select Leo Carlsson Third Overall

Alright, so this totally isn’t a bold prediction. It’s not off the board, controversial, or shocking at all. It’s exactly what we expect, and that’s really okay. In fact, it’s what they did last year when they selected David Jiricek sixth overall. A lot of people were clamoring for Cutter Gautheir to fall into our laps, but thank goodness we got Jiricek, who sure looks like one of the top defense prospects in hockey. We’ll get our center this time around.

By selecting Leo Carlsson, the Jackets will have a new #1 prospect in their system. In fact, I’ll go as far as saying that the moment this pick is made, Carlsson becomes the best prospect this team has ever had. In a lot of drafts, this guy is a clear #1 pick; he’s one of the best prospects to come out of Sweden in a long time, and he can immediately play in the NHL, should they choose to keep him around next season.

With that being said, in my opinion they’re better suited letting him marinate for a year either back in Sweden, or in the American Hockey League. He’s a mature player who has the size and strength to step right into the lineup and be a difference maker. But, letting him play and learn to dominate at a lower level, could be the key to unlocking his full potential.

Imagine coming into the 2024-25 season with a team that competed hard this season on the backs of improving young talent – with one of the best young centers in the world ready to go full-time. You need a guy like this to build a perennial Cup contending team, and by making this selection, the Jackets vault themselves into a level we’ve never seen before.

Our last bold predictions go hand-in-hand. The Jackets will be working hard to improve their back end this summer, which should help the goaltending and in turn, improve the team immensely.

If you’ve kept up so far, we have talked about dealing the LA first round pick for immediate center help. We also mentioned the team diving into free agency for that second pairing defenseman, to tide them over until the prospects come along. But, do they like their options there?

The Jackets Avoid a Big Free Agent Splash and Make a Blockbuster Trade Instead

We’ve heard the clichés quite a bit over the years. Build from the draft. Take advantage of cash-strapped teams. Brick by brick.

My prediction here is that the Jackets aren’t enamored enough by any of the free agent defensemen. Maybe they’re asking for too much money or term to make Jarmo comfortable. Or maybe, he just doesn’t like the fit. So, he goes back to working the phone and drums up a blockbuster deal to land a building block defenseman that helps this team immediately, and into the future.

This kind of move would hit all three of the cliché boxes I mentioned above. He could use some of their future draft capital, and prospects, to go out and get a legitimate top-four defenseman with some term, from a team who needs to clear cap space from their own roster.

The kind of trade I have in mind is almost certainly not going to be popular with everyone. In fact, I think it would surely involve dealing one or more of your favorite players/prospects from the current roster/system, in a real swing for the fences.

With the quality of prospects they have, the logjam of forwards returning next year – especially in the bottom six – and the strength on the right side of the defense corps; the Jackets deal from a position of strength to address a position of weakness. They pluck away a left hand shot D that can play on the second pairing, or fill in on the top pairing in case the unthinkable happens with injuries again this year.

As far as which player that is, I can only speculate. But, I’m quick to point out that nobody saw Jarmo acquiring Seth Jones, or Brandon Saad. Or after that, Artemi Panarin. He has a knack for putting out feelers and making moves when they make sense, which is what we’re counting on here.

Bonus Prediction: Jack Roslovic Will be Involved

Just a gut feeling/hunch here. Jack has been a somewhat productive player in his time here, but if they’re adding a center to this team, which we fully expect them to do – I would not be surprised to see Roslovic involved in that deal, going the other way. The experiment has to come to an end at some point; I don’t see them extending him, and the Jackets shouldn’t just let the asset expire.

That’s all for our predictions – do you have any of your own? Feel free to share them in the comment section below, or via our social media channels (facebook) (twitter)!