5 game-changing forwards the Blue Jackets can steal from the Western Conference in NHL Free Agency

The Columbus Blue Jackets are in good shape from a salary cap standpoint, and it’s likely they won’t spend all of their allotted space on their pending restricted free agents. That said, look for some names from outside of the organization to wear a navy blue and red uniform in 2024-25, and perhaps a few unexpected names will take center stage.  

There are several game-changing players out there the organization can afford, and no, I don’t mean a player who needs to put up 80-plus points per season to earn such a label. Call it a spoiler alert, but none of the forwards listed in this article have accomplished that feat. 

Instead, they are solid players whose abilities, in one way or another, will help a team like Columbus trend further north and perhaps contend a little with its Metropolitan Division rivals. 

Yakov Trenin, F/Colorado Avalanche

You may be asking how someone like Yakov Trenin could be a game-changer in Columbus. He’s not putting up many points, and outside of one 17-goal season in 2021-22, he won’t find the back of the net often. But few players are more effective at helping to ensure his team’s in possession of the puck. 

Trenin’s Corsi For at even strength (51.5) and 5-on-5 (51.4) shows us that, something that was evident even during his days in Nashville. Most of us expected Trenin to bolster the Colorado Avalanche, but he also did so with the Preds, where his offensive zone starting percentage sat at 34.1 at even strength and 34.6 at 5-on-5.

He also thrives on stopping plays with his stick when his team doesn’t have the puck, and if he can’t make the play, he will use his body to end plays. Even if the Blue Jackets still figure to be going through some struggles for the 2024-25 season, someone like Trenin will help alleviate them to an extent and give the team more chances in the offensive zone.