The Blue Jackets entered the 2025-26 season with high expectations. Unfortunately, the first half of the season did not go as planned. The team has struggled to maintain leads, which has led to them being nestled in the lower portion of the Eastern Conference standings.
In an attempt to salvage the season, general manager Don Waddell acquired forward Mason Marchment. While that did bring some energy to the club, it just wasn’t enough. A more seismic move was needed.
Waddell then fired head coach Dean Evason and brought in coach Rick Bowness. Through 2 games, the move has paid off, as the team looks to have more energy and has played with confidence.
While the head coaching change has brought life back to the Blue Jackets, they still sit 5 points out of a playoff spot. They have some work to do to get back into the playoff picture, but everything is still in front of them. The team will need to win a lot of games down the stretch in order to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
That leads to the question: What will Don Waddell do at the trade deadline? He does not want to give up on this season. So, trying to add a player or two would make sense. If the team continues to play well on coach Bowness, Waddell could be a buyer. But, if the team falters and drops in the standings, he would probably be wise to trade off some unrestricted free agents (UFA’s).
But what if Don Waddell does a little bit of both? I think it is feasible that Waddell could both trade away some roster players, while bringing in some roster players.
The Blue Jackets have multiple UFA’s that teams covet: Charlie Coyle, Boone Jenner, Mason Marchment, and Erik Gudbranson. While it would not be wise to part with any of these players in the middle of a playoff push, Waddell may feel compelled to trade some of them depending on if he doesn’t see a way to re-sign them.
Waddell has stated that he plans to discuss contract extensions with some of his UFA’s during the Olympic break. If the player won’t resign in Columbus or wants more money than the team is willing to offer, does this give Waddell motivation to move them and recoup assets?
The assets in return could be anything: draft picks, prospects, or maybe younger roster players. While on the surface that would appear to be giving up on the season, some of those assets could then be used to acquire other players that may be under contract or can address other needs for the team.
Right now, it is a sellers’ market. So, Waddell should be able to acquire good pieces for his UFA’s. If he were to do a little bit of selling and then a little bit of buying, it may benefit all the Blue Jackets’ interests. The team would not be giving up on the season because some buying was done, but the future of the club is protected because the team recouped assets for some players that would not be returning. It could be a win-win for the team if Waddell could pull it off.
Let me be clear: I don’t expect Waddell to sell off all his UFA’s if the team is in the playoff picture at the trade deadline. But it would not shock me if 1 or 2 of them moved if Waddell could get back a good piece in return. It also wouldn’t shock me if Waddell moves another roster player (one who is under contract) because he may not fit what the team wants in the long-term.
Waddell is only in his 2nd full season with the club and is still bringing in “his” players. There may be players that he wants to shape the CBJ into his vision for both this season and beyond. It would not shock me if Waddell does a little bit of selling and buying at the trade deadline to achieve that. Regardless of what Waddell does, it should be an entertaining final stretch of the season.