The holiday roster freeze is officially in place, as it began at 12:00 AM on 12/20. While a few NHL teams made trades ahead of the freeze, the Blue Jackets stood pat and did nothing, which was expected. The roster freeze will be lifted on 12/28. From then until the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline on March 7, 2025; NHL teams will be able to make trades to bolster their rosters ahead of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
While the Blue Jackets didn’t make any trades ahead of the roster freeze, I do expect the team to be active in the trade market prior to the trade deadline. No, I don’t expect them to acquire any big names this season. But I do expect a bevy of moves.
Currently, the Blue Jacket sit in 12th place in the Eastern Conference, 5 points from the final wildcard spot. I suspect the team to play meaningful games into 2025 and keep the wildcard spot within reach. However, based on the last month of play, the inconsistent goaltending, and lack of depth; it is likely that the team will not make the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
If the team maintains its current position and/or continues to drop in the standings, General Manager Don Waddell will likely decide to become a seller at the trade deadline. I suspect Waddell to be extremely busy when he decides to start making moves for multiple reasons.
1. Recouping Assets for Unrestricted Free Agents
The Blue Jackets have a number of players who are set to become unrestricted free agents in 2025. These players include Sean Kuraly, Justin Danforth, James Van Riemsdyk, Kevin Labanc, Zach Aston-Reese, and Jack Johnson. All these players are on affordable contracts, so it will not be as difficult for contenders to bring them aboard. The return for them won’t be overwhelming (low draft picks, mid-level prospects, etc.). But, recouping assets will be a must for the team.
Defenseman Ivan Provorov will also be an unrestricted free agent this summer and will be highly coveted. He will likely return a 1st round pick (plus some) in any trade. Provorov has made it known that he likes Columbus and would like to return. The team may or may not deal him depending on if they can agree on a new contract. But don’t be surprised if the team trades Provorov and then re-signs him in the summer.
2. An Abundance of Salary Cap Room
The team has a lot of salary cap room and could be a broker for cash-strapped teams to make moves. Whether that is just taking on salary or acquiring a player to get their money off on the team’s salary cap, I think the Blue Jackets will be in prime position to gain assets from a team for next to nothing (outside of taking on salary).
Don't be surprised if the team acquire a couple of players that assist other teams with their salary cap issues. I think the Blue Jackets are primed to take advantage of a couple teams in difficult financial situations.
3. Goaltending is at a Premium
Overall, goaltending has not been great in the NHL this season. Many teams have gotten poor performances between the pipes. While the Blue Jackets have not had stellar goaltending, I wouldn’t be surprised if they traded Daniil Tarasov for a draft pick. It appears that he will likely not return in 2025 and maybe the team sends him to a contender for depth. He would likely return a low draft pick.
I expect the team to move many players as we get closer to the deadline. Come March, expect the roster to look drastically different. I would expect many young players from Cleveland and/or junior teams to see NHL time. Furthermore, I suspect some players will be acquired from cash-strapped teams.
Making a lot moves prior to the trade deadline will open the roster for Don Waddell to really put his stamp on this team next summer. He will have a lot of salary cap space and a lot of open roster spots. I suspect he will be acquiring many players at every position over the summer. The trade deadline is the first step in Waddell shaping this team his way.