Kevin Labanc is an intriguing free agent signing by the Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets didn't even get a chance to make their final roster decisions out of training camp. Before they could prepare for the regular season, injuries to Boone Jenner and Dmitri Voronkov have derailed a lot of their plans. On Saturday, they plugged one of these holes by signing veteran forward Kevin Labanc to a one-year contract.

The move comes as a bit of a surprise, only because Labanc was really good for the New Jersey Devils in their training camp and preseason. He scored six goals in four preseason games, hoping to earn a contract to play in the NHL this season.

That was always going to be tough to do with the Devils. They have a pretty stacked roster, and he was only going to be a depth addition for them if he signed there. Instead, he earned the chance to play each and every night in Columbus.

A veteran of 478 NHL games - all with the San Jose Sharks - Labanc has a career stat line of 82 goals, 143 assists (225 points) and 217 penalty minutes. His best season came in 2018-19; where he scored 17 goals and 56 points while playing in all 82 games.

Labanc is a solid playmaker with a great shot, who will likely play somewhere in the middle-six for the Blue Jackets this season. I don't expect him to lead the team in scoring or dominate at any given point, but he's a serviceable winger that should bring positive value and some added scoring depth. Just what we needed to add.

I would think of him as a replacement for Jack Roslovic. He can score at a similar pace, and brings a lot of the same traits to the game. He'll play up and down the lineup as his scoring comes and goes.

There isn't much risk at all for the Blue Jackets here. They needed to add more up front to buy time for their younger players, who would be better suited eating up more ice time in the AHL. Signing Labanc for one year at the league's minimum salary, is a great way to put a band-aid on an NHL lineup that is pretty lacking in depth.

Even without the early injuries hitting, this team was going to be up against it. Hopefully Labanc brings positive value to the organization. He sure looked the part in the preseason.