Editor's note: this article was originally written before the tragic death of superstar forward Johnny Gaudreau. Out of immense care and respect for the situation, we refrain from talking about the cap situation or the vacated roster spot in this article.
The Blue Jackets brought in a couple of veterans this summer to help round out their roster, signing a center (Sean Monahan) and a defenseman (Jack Johnson). I expect the two to play vastly different roles for the club - but one thing is certain: both of them will be relied upon to mentor some of the young players here.
The club also trimmed quite a bit of fat from last season's roster. Gone are defensemen Jake Bean and Adam Boqvist. Also gone are forwards Patrik Laine, Alexander Nylander and Alexandre Texier. If you've kept track, the Blue Jackets have no fewer than five jobs open this fall.
New acquisition Jordan Harris looks primed to replace Bean on the third defense pair, but there should still be plenty of jobs up for grabs as training camp gets started.
The Jackets will fill likely fill those spots from within the organization, barring any late offseason transactions. I came up with four prospects that seem to be on the fringe of making this team's roster. Let's take a look.