Where the Blue Jackets might fit 7 new faces next season

GM Don Waddell has already begun making an impact to the Blue Jackets organization; firing head coach Pascal Vincent last week.

But as the search for a new replacement continues, he'll also be looking at ways to impact the on-ice roster. In a recent presser, Waddell mentioned having as many as 7 new faces in the Blue Jacket lineup this fall.

That's a lot of new faces for a roster that was already heavily stocked with NHL contracts last season. Where would they fall fit in? Let's take a look.

Roster impact #1: top-six center...

Last summer, the Blue Jackets drafted their future #1 center. The moment they picked Adam Fantilli third overall, he immediately became the most highly touted player they've ever had at the position.

They could land the second-most highly touted player they've had at that position in tomorrow night's draft, depending on who falls to them. But in the meantime, I think it goes without saying that they need immediate help at center. They can't come back with so little depth again next year.

It's not so much the depth that is the issue. Sean Kuraly, Dmitri Voronkov, and Cole Sillinger are very serviceable players down the middle. Heck, even Boone Jenner can fill in if need be. That's 5 players for 4 jobs, if you've kept track.

But, outside of Fantilli, are any of them truly suited for a top-two line role? Perhaps in time someone like Sillinger or Voronkov can get there, but that's not likely going to happen at the start of the upcoming season. And, what if the worst happens, and they start to run into long-term injuries again?

For these reasons, adding a veteran pivot to the top six and buying time for their prospects, seems to be the right play here. I don't see any viable options via free agency, so a hockey trade probably makes the most sense here. There are other areas of the roster needing adjustments also...