The Blue Jackets should be all in on this defenseman if he's made available

As the Blue Jackets continue to search for the winning combination, it still seems like they need to find some defensemen.

While it's true that they have a serviceable enough corps at the moment, it still feels like they need to shuffle things around at that position if they want to really improve. With rumors of an unhappy recent top-10 NHL Draft pick in Anaheim, the Jackets would be wise to check in.

That defenseman is Pavel Mintyukov, who seems like he would at least be an upgrade to throw into the third pairing. In fact, I feel so strongly about it, that if he is made available; I think the Jackets should try to put together a package to acquire him.

Since trading away David Jiricek around this time last year - and then the loss of the player they got in return - the Blue Jackets have left a bit of a void as far as blue chip NHL prospects on the blue line.

The potential big impact guys they do have are likely several years away. So, it would make sense to at least ask the Ducks about Mintyukov, if he truly is looking for a change of scenery.

Taken by the Ducks with the 10th overall pick at the 2022 NHL Draft, he spent the last two seasons with an Anaheim team that really struggled. This year, they have gotten better under new head coach Joel Quenneville, but as a result; he's been pushed out of the lineup.

Mintyukov is still only 21 years old (he turns 22 next week), so he could be an interesting reclamation project for a team like the Blue Jackets to take a flier on. One that already has 149 games of NHL experience.

At 6'1" and listed at 207 pounds, he's not a small guy. He was a prolific scorer in junior, scoring 24 goals and 88 points in 69 games in his last OHL season, split between Saginaw and Ottawa.

He's an excellent skater who likes to chip in offensively, while also being capable of throwing the body around in the defensive zone. In a lot of ways, he reminds me of our own prospect Stanislav Svozil; but I think there's another level of offensive potential here.

Now, as always: whether he's available or not, the cost has to make sense. I'm not sure that the Jackets are in line to throw a bunch of assets away for one player at the moment. But, if they want someone who fits into their competitive timeline, this is an interesting idea.

At what cost?

Mintyukov is a talented guy, but he wouldn't come at the same premium as Jiricek did last year. These are two completely different scenarios. So, it's tough to gauge cost, but not impossible.

THW's Mark Scheig had an interesting idea that he posted on X:

It's worth noting that the Ducks are looking at a similar competitive window to that of the Blue Jackets. So, a similarly aged forward could be within their interest (Chinakhov is two years older).

But, it feels like the Jackets would need to add a little bit into that deal to make things more fair. Maybe a second or third round pick could entice the Ducks to swing the deal.

If something like that could be worked out, I think cost would be worth it. Mintyukov would be a terrific player for the Jackets to bring into the mix.