Three Forwards the Columbus Blue Jackets Could Look to Trade Before the Deadline

Yesterday, we talked about three defensemen the Blue Jackets could look to move before the trade deadline. Today, we'll do the same thing with three forwards.

The team doesn't have many easy outs up front, in my opinion. There are a lot of restricted free agents (RFA) here, but I don't see the team looking to trade many of those players at the deadline. Most of them fit into the long-term plans here.

They have just two unrestricted free agents (UFA) - and one of them is the captain of the Cleveland Monsters, Brendan Gaunce. Teams probably won't be lining up to trade for him. The other UFA here is the most likely trade candidate up front (more on him later).

Like the defense corps, there is a log jam of forwards with the Jackets, one that they would be wise to start cleaning up. But, barring any surprise blockbuster deals for, say, Patrik Laine or Boone Jenner; it really feels like the log jam will carry into the summer. Then, I think a bigger move is possible.

For this trade deadline, however, it seems like any deals up front will probably be a way of turning depth pieces into future assets. Too many teams are cap-strapped, and unless the Jackets want to take salary back (unlikely); I think they're in a place where they have to play out the season.

Let's take a look at the three potential trade chips that I came up with.

I'm hard pressed to find any Blue Jackets player over the last half decade that brings up more contention amongst the fanbase than Emil Bemstrom.

The expectations were very high for Emil after he was drafted. This was mainly because he obliterated the SHL, leading Sweden's top league in goals (23) as a 19 year old.

He came over as a top prospect for a team whose prospect pool was mostly empty, because the team was selling off future assets to compete for a Stanley Cup. Unfortunately, he hasn't quite put it all together and become a high end goal scorer to this point.

But, I'm always quick to point out that even though he hasn't become the 20-30 goal guy that everyone hoped he would be - he's still a pretty serviceable winger. And, with a fresh start, who knows what could happen?

Still, he's scoring at a roughly 30-point pace this season, while being a reliable two-way player. In my opinion, he's a pretty decent bottom-six forward, and his cap hit is just $900k.

Unfair expectations aside, Emil Bemstrom was a successful 4th round pick. It's hard to debate that.

Now, for his trade value, I don't think there's a lot there. Maybe a 6th or 7th round pick. But, any contending team who wants to add a cheap two-way winger who could turn into a reliable goal scorer at some point, could be looking at Bemstrom on the cheap.

Whatever the case, the correct outcome for both Bemstrom and the Jackets here, is a change of scenery. He's already passed up by younger, more skilled options for the team, but he's an NHL player, and he deserves a shot somewhere else.

The most obvious trade candidate the Blue Jackets have going into this year's deadline: Jack Roslovic. Roslovic is the lone UFA player on the NHL roster.

It was three years ago yesterday that Roslovic (then a contract holdout) was acquired by the Jackets from the Winnipeg Jets, along with Patrik Laine; in exchange for Pierre-Luc Dubois and a third round pick. He immediately signed a two-year contract and joined the team that week.

If you asked me to describe Roslovic in one word, it's easy: inconsistent. Jack will go through stretches where he's white-hot, giving you the impression that he still has the kind of potential to be a productive top-six forward in this league.

The problem is, when he's not scoring (which is far too frequent), he's actually detrimental to his team's success. He doesn't bring any kind of physicality, he lacks defensive zone presence, and he doesn't really win faceoffs or bring any intangibles to the table.

Often, I find myself looking back at the game and wondering what he was even doing. When he isn't on his game, he just coasts around the ice and takes up space. It's maddening to watch, at times. He's 26 years old now, so we can no longer chalk this up to a learning young player.

It doesn't seem to matter where they use him, either. He's been on every line this season for at least some stretch of time. Still, no matter who his linemates are, he's inconsistent. With a contract expiring this summer, it's time for the Jackets to move on from the hometown guy.

Even though he's inconsistent, he's still a somewhat productive player; scoring at roughly a half point-per-game pace throughout his career. That kind of middle-tier production is extremely valuable come playoff time, and any team looking to add depth scoring should be calling here.

His contract is pretty palatable as well, especially if the Jackets were willing to retain half of it. He's at a $4.0m AAV, so with half retention, a team could pick him up with only a fourth line cap hit. This is exactly the kind of move that a contending team should be gambling on.

With retention, I think it's possible that the Jackets could secure a second or third round pick for him. Obviously, it will take the right buyer, but they need to get as much as possible on an expiring asset, and they have the cap space available to retain on this deal. As bad as it may sound to say this, perhaps the best thing the team can hope for is another team seeing injuries to one of their scoring centers. That could drive the price up.

Either way, I do not see them re-signing Roslovic after this season. He's already been passed up by every other center on the NHL roster.