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

The Columbus Blue Jackets could have some options in NHL free agency, and there are plenty coming from the opposite conference.
Jan 25, 2023; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Columbus Blue Jackets forward Cole Sillinger (34) makes a pass in front of Edmonton Oilers forward Warren Foegele (37) during the third period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 25, 2023; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Columbus Blue Jackets forward Cole Sillinger (34) makes a pass in front of Edmonton Oilers forward Warren Foegele (37) during the third period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports / Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
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Joe Pavelski, F/Dallas Stars

This is one where you’ll want to hear me out because why would a rebuilding team like the Columbus Blue Jackets sign a 40-year-old Joe Pavelski? To be honest, there is a ton of logic here: Think about how much experience and wisdom someone like Pavelski can bring to Adam Fantilli and company. 

No, Pavelski wouldn’t spend any longer than a season in Columbus, but the takeaways that a team getting younger can get from someone who’s spent 18 seasons in the NHL, especially from a forward who has been consistent since he debuted in 2006. 

Pavelski also exemplifies everything you want in a solid, complete hockey player, thanks to his ability to score, win faceoffs, and play defense; it’s all there even in his advanced age. Sure, it may be tough to convince one of the league’s most accomplished players of the 21st century to play for a team like the Blue Jackets, but it would be a rewarding experience in his career twilight. 

Warren Foegele, Edmonton Oilers

Warren Foegele is another player on this list you may not see as a game-changer, but he also never needed to do most of the heavy lifting with the Edmonton Oilers. Someone like Foegele may be a second or even a third-liner for one of the NHL’s most outstanding hockey teams, but Columbus is a place he could shine.

Foegele, despite 2023-24 being his lone solid season in terms of points, would be a surefire top-six player in Columbus and with most other organizations. He’s also someone who saw adversity this past season, so if the Blue Jackets fall into an early-season slump, someone like Foegele wouldn’t push the panic button. 

No, he wouldn’t come in to be a star player by any means, but Foegele has already proven how much of a solid contributor he can be on any team, whether they’re elite like Edmonton or on the bottom like Columbus.