The offseason of transition continues for the Blue Jackets, with Don Waddell working hard behind the scenes in an effort to change the direction of the club.
He's done a nice job trimming some roster fat, and he added a nice piece in free agency last week. But, this roster is still a long way from contention, and there are still some pieces to be moved out as well.
The best case scenario here would be killing two of those birds with one stone. If the Jackets could find a trade partner for someone like Patrik Laine, they could swing a deal to fill one of the holes on their current roster. Or, they could venture into trading away one of the other young wingers on the team in a bigger move.
There are some obvious areas that need help here, so let's take a look at what they might be looking for.
1. A starting goaltender...
This one is probably the least likely area of impact. But, if you want your team to improve quickly; nothing will make that happen quicker than a goalie who can steal some games.
The Jackets surrender a lot of high danger chances, and as a result, a lot of goals against. Which is the main reason they've been terrible for the last few years. Adding a steady goaltender who can prevent a few of those pucks from squirting in, could make a huge difference.
But, I don't see that happening. The Blue Jackets are already paying Elvis Merzlikins a starter's salary, on a deal that is basically un-tradeable. They're more likely to try to work him back onto the right track.
Even if they cannot, I don't see them bringing on more salary for the position. So, I think they'll look to impact the roster elsewhere. Like on defense...