It has a somewhat underwhelming offseason so far. Barring any trades, the only real changes to the CBJ lineup for next year have been a new backup goaltender, and three bottom six forwards. Despite the lack of major improvement, everything Don Waddell has done this summer has allowed the Blue Jackets one important privilege for the upcoming season.
The Blue Jackets' GM has made only one major move so far this summer: acquiring Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood from the Colorado Avalanche. He also traded oft-injured and struggling backup goaltender Daniil Tarasov to the Florida Panthers, and signed some depth in free agency.
Aside from those moves, the Jackets are pretty much running it back with the same roster that finished just short of the playoffs last season. On the surface, this can be frustrating. After all, we wanted to see this team taking steps forward, with an eye towards competing for a Stanley Cup. Instead, we'll see them enter another year with a lot of question marks.
If you take a step back and look at the long-term objective, however: this is actually perfectly logical. The Blue Jackets played well above their potential last season. In a year where they lost their best player just before training camp started, this team earned their stripes in the hardest way I can imagine. But, even with that being the case, they still couldn't claw their way into the playoffs. In reality, this group was probably 2-3 key pieces away from making any kind of dent, had they snuck in.
As a result, when this offseason got started and Waddell tried to make the moves he wanted to make, he had to do so intelligently. This team isn't in a position where it is one or two pieces away from lifting the Cup. They are still building towards that level, and it's going to take time.
While it would have been great to acquire a Noah Dobson, or make a big free agency splash, Waddell's hands were tied when all of the free agents dried up. And, the cost just became too much to acquire a big upgrade via trade. Especially when you take into account that the result probably would have only made this team a wild card contender at best. Which, coincidentally, is exactly where they are today, and they didn't have to give up assets to be here.
The luxury of having NHL veterans.
By adding (and retaining) depth to the roster, the Jackets are now in a place where they don't need to rush anyone into the NHL. One of the topics we see in CBJ circles is discussions on where prospects will fit into the lineup. This year, the popular candidate seems to be Luca del bel Belluz, who had a very strong sophomore season in the AHL - and a promising cup of coffee in the NHL this year.
However, the thing to remember here: it's a big jump up to the big league. Luca was a near point-per-game player for the Cleveland Monsters this season; but when he was recalled to Columbus, he managed just 8 points in 15 games. While he looked good, it's evident to me that he wasn't quite ready for a top-six role.
The only way to develop him to step into a top-six role, is to play him top-six minutes. Which he would not get if he were destined to spend next season in a third or fourth line role with the Blue Jackets. So, by acquiring center Charlie Coyle via trade, and signing center Isac Lundestrom in free agency; Waddell has bought more development time for his young pivot.
This is also the case on the blue line. Rather than expecting an unproven player like Daemon Hunt or Stanislav Svozil to step into the NHL next season, he opted to retain the veteran pieces that were here last year. While the team may not vastly improve, they buy themselves time. The prospects will show you when they are ready, and at that point you can figure everything out.
That was the case of Denton Mateychuk last season. He started the year in the AHL, but when he was ready, they found a way to get him into the NHL lineup. Those extra few weeks in Cleveland allowed him to settle into his game confidently, with heavy minutes. That's how this whole thing should work, and it's an area this franchise has missed upon for its entire existence.
The Jackets have good prospects, but I don't see any of them being ready for NHL jobs next season - aside from Jet Greaves, whose place is penciled into the lineup after the Tarasov trade.
While the offseason hasn't been exciting, this team continues to build towards a brighter future. They should be competitive again this season, hopefully finding a way to sneak into the playoffs. And, they still have all of their important young assets around, growing towards that future. Sometimes, no move is the best move.