Depth veterans played big roles for the Blue Jackets this season.
Danton Heinen
Acquired in the deal that sent Egor Chinakhov to Pittsburgh for a couple of draft picks, Danton Heinen seemed like a throw-in that would play in Cleveland. But by season's end, he had proven to be a reliable fourth line player for the Blue Jackets.
Heinen scored 5 goals and 10 points in 33 games after the trade, while being a solid two-way guy. Sometimes, you need a guy who just eats up a few secondary minutes and doesn't get caved in. That's Danton Heinen. If the team were to move on from Jenner, I could see them bringing him back on a one-year deal to be the team's 13th forward. But, if he does ride off into the sunset, he's pretty easily replaceable.
Erik Gudbranson
The moment Erik Gudbranson signed a 4 year, $16 million dollar contract in Columbus, the pitchforks came out from all sorts of unexpected places. It's hard to believe it, but that was four summers ago, and now the big veteran pivot is due a new contract.
All of the hate aside, in hindsight, I don't think this contract hurt this team in any way. He was, in fact, a good fit. The Blue Jackets went through their rebuild with #44 patrolling the blue line, bringing a steady veteran presence and some much-needed toughness to the third defense pairing.
But, with that aside, we have to talk about his durability. Guddy got into just 53 of 164 games over the past two seasons, suffering various ailments that kept him out of the lineup. On and off the ice, he's a bit of a father figure for this team. The problem is, he's spent too much time off of it lately, and the team may be wise to find an upgrade here. Contract estimate: 1 year, $2.5m AAV.
Brendan Smith
When his career is finished, it feels like people will completely forget that Brendan Smith played in Columbus. I won't. I thought he was exactly what this team needed on the third defense pairing. He came in and really helped them settle down, albeit for just a few weeks before he blew his knee out.
Brendan got into just 15 games with the Jackets, after practicing and working hard for months to even earn the opportunity. Now 37 years old and rehabbing a serious injury, it feels like the end of the road for the veteran of 741 career NHL games. I would honestly not be surprised to see the team hire him as a coach, should he want to go that route.
The Cleveland Monsters have 7 pending UFAs
We will run through these a little quicker, because I don't see any of these guys having meaningful futures in Columbus. If any of them are re-signed, I would expect them to return next year in the same capacities that they finished this year: as AHL depth.
Probably the most notable name at the top of the list is goaltender Ivan Fedotov. Acquired by the Blue Jackets just before the season to provide some depth at the position, he never even saw a recall to Columbus despite having a solid training camp.
Fedotov was perfectly fine in Cleveland. They could re-sign him, but with both Jet Greaves and Elvis Merzlikins returning next year, does it make sense? They might be better off finding a veteran AHLer to fill that role, especially with prospect Evan Gardner coming along.
I expect Gardner to join Nolan Lalonde as part of the solution in Cleveland's crease next season. That means they can also move on from pending UFA Zach Sawchenko, who was Fedotov's backup this season.
Just one defenseman meets the UFA criteria in Cleveland, and that's Dysin Mayo. He scored 3 goals and 29 points in 59 games this year, and as a right shot, even saw some time in Columbus. I wouldn't be surprised to see Waddell give him another year to retain depth in the system.
Finally, there are four forwards currently in Cleveland who are slated to hit the open market. Owen Sillinger and Hudson Fasching both spent their entire season with the Monsters, providing depth and leadership.
Meanwhile, Zach Aston-Reese and Brendan Gaunce were both used for stretches in Columbus. All of these guys bring various traits, but with one commonality: they are alll bottom-sixers. I could see the organization keeping two of the four around, but it's pretty much a "take your pick" situation here.
With some of the younger prospects graduating to the professional ranks, I'm almost certain that all of these guys will not be retained. But, Waddell has shown a penchant for keeping veterans around in case of injury, and as long as there is an open contract slot, that does make sense.
At any rate, we will keep an eye out for any news on all of these pending UFAs as it comes across the wire. We expect the Blue Jackets to take another step forward next year, whether there are major changes to the roster or not.
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