Columbus Blue Jackets offseason punch list: what's in store for the new GM?

For the fourth consecutive year, the Blue Jackets are holding a lottery ticket. Could they land a generational talent this summer?

Step 2: The NHL Draft.

Unless something goes absolutely haywire, the Blue Jackets are going to finish 29th in the NHL standings this year. They're six points ahead of 30th-place Anaheim, and nine points behind 28th-place Arizona.

This means that the Jackets will probably finish with the fourth best odds of winning one of the NHL Draft lotteries. They'll be picking anywhere from first to sixth overall, depending on how those lottery draws shake out.

This should be an easy task for the new GM, as the team already has a scouting staff in place that does a great job.

if the team strikes gold and somehow wins the first pick, the task will become really easy. Macklin Celebrini is the consensus #1 prospect in the draft. He would step right into the NHL next season and be a difference maker, not unlike Adam Fantilli this year.

But even if luck fails them again, there should be plenty of quality players to choose from. Whichever prospect they pick if they select anywhere from 2-6 in the draft, will only add to an already impressive pool of potential future stars here.

Once they've decided on a coach and who they're picking with another high first round selection, things start to get tricky. Here is where the real decisions start.