Every summer, the question always comes up: are there any big free agent targets that could help our team improve? That's usually true for 31 fanbases-all of them except the ones who are partying with the Stanley Cup.
In the case of the Blue Jackets, it's especially true. After falling just short of a playoff spot for the second consecutive season, the 5th Line is antsy. We want to see this team take a leap forward next year.
So, the obvious method of improving the team is by dipping into free agency. After all, to get these guys, you don't have to give anything up. It's a simple solution. Except, this year, that's not really the case.
The weakest UFA pool in history?
This summer, the unrestricted free agent pool is about as shallow as I can ever recall seeing it. At the top of the list, the biggest prize is Buffalo Sabres forward Alex Tuch. He's one of the premier power forwards in the NHL.
At 6'4" and 220 or so pounds, he's a proven, consistent 30-goal threat. Over the last four seasons, he's missed just 18 games combined. In that span, he's posted a 127-144-271 stat line in 310 games, along with a +63 rating and 178 penalty minutes.
He's everything the Blue Jackets need to round out their top two lines.
There's just one problem: he's 30 years old. And, the market behind him is, well, very thin. In fact, it's so thin that I think he's the only forward they should even be looking at. No other player on this list is impactful enough to be a significant upgrade over anybody that is already here, in my opinion.
That means that every team who wants to add this kind of impact player to their roster this summer, is going to get into line and throw money Tuch's way.
He will have no shortage of suitors willing to offer him a max-term contract, probably north of $10 million per year against the cap. Do the Blue Jackets really want to be paying Alex Tuch that much money, well into his mid-30s?
I'm no sure they are in a position to do that. I don't believe he's the final piece to their Stanley Cup puzzle. If he was, then I could potentially see it. But, they have a few holes that need to be filled, and tying this much money up with one UFA seems like bad business.
Their only target should be depth on the blue line.
As we have pointed out, this team really does not need all that much. If they truly want to improve their roster, it's likely going to come from a hockey trade. So, it feels like the only thing they should be targeting in free agency, is some depth on their blue line.
There are some intriguing names that could fill in on the third pairing, or even just serve as an extra defenseman if the team finds someone else to play there.
I think they should steer well clear of the Rasmus Andersson, John Carlson, and Darren Raddysh types. They would also probably be wise to stay out of that next tier, which includes Mario Ferraro, Jacob Trouba, John Klingberg, and Andrew Peeke (remember him?). There's going to be a lot of money and term thrown around at these guys, and none of them are top-4 players.
More to fill the need here, I look at guys like Brett Kulak, Connor Murphy, and Trevor van Riemsdyk; and wonder if one of them could serve as a "player / coach" here? These are guys who have been around for a long time, that could be valuable tutors for some of the younger players on this roster to learn from. They could also step in and give this team good minutes, when called upon.
Still, even with that idea in mind, I'm not sure this team does anything in free agency. And I think that is just fine.
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