Late last night, Blue Jackets General Manager Don Waddell took a swing, acquiring forward Conor Garland from the Vancouver Canucks. He may not be a marquee name, but make no mistake: this is a sneaky good pickup for this team.
Don joined Steve Mears and Jody Shelley in the broadcast during the second period of last night's game. In their discussion, he mentioned wanting to add some more scoring and a 200-foot player. In hindsight, he was clearly hinting at Conor Garland.
A veteran of 535 career NHL games, Garland is exactly what Waddell described. He's a solid all-around player, with a work ethic that will allow him to play on the penalty kill; and enough speed and skill to be effective on the power-play.
For the relatively low cost of a second and third round draft pick, I like this move. Even with the 6 years of term that are about to kick in, I think this player is going to be a nice fit here.
He is having a bit of a down year this year (can you name any Canuck who is not?), otherwise, he's well established as a roughly 20-goal, 50 point player in this league. From a playstyle perspective, he fits right into what Waddell has tried to mold this team into.
"Conor is a versatile player who brings great energy to the lineup every night and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome he and his family to Columbus. He has tremendous character, plays a reliable two-way game and will be an important part of our club now and in the future."Don Waddell
The traits Waddell has looked for all along: character, work ethic, size, and skill. Garland hits every box except for one. At 5'10" and around 165 pounds, he will break the mold of the way this roster has been constructed so far.
But, I think that's a good thing. This team needs more speed, and it will never hurt to have more skill in the lineup. The main question I have is, where does he fit into the lineup? The answer to that question might be answered with Mason Marchment's status.
Mush left last night's game in the second period, with a lower-body injury. If he's going to be out for any length of time, the Blue Jackets are going to need Garland to step right into their top-six up front. That may re-shuffle the top two lines, but I'm sure Rick Bowness isn't upset.
Picking up this kind of player for the stretch run, is a little bit of a dream for a head coach. This guy should be a big difference maker for this team as they try to push towards the playoffs this season.
I think this is a really good acquisition by Waddell. Acquiring Conor Garland makes this team one more top-9 forward deep, and all it cost him were some very distant future assets. This is tidy work by the GM of the Blue Jackets.