Option 3: a bold hockey trade.
Waddell has certainly proven to have a bit of a magic touch with this team. The pieces he's brought in have worked out very well.
Notables this year include Charlie Coyle, Mason Marchment, and Miles Wood. All three of them have given this team some much needed traits, along with veteran experience. To that extent, so did Brendan Smith, before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
But, the one thing we have yet to see from Don is any serious tweaking to the team's core. He's only fiddled around the edges, moving out guys like Egor Chinakhov and Daniil Tarasov, while bringing in guys like we just mentioned.
Could he make a franchise altering splash ahead of the deadline? It's definitely possible. Though, it's worth noting that he would probably have to sell low on some talented young players, to get what he wants in return.
Let's be real: that probably isn't happening. This is the kind of move that teams make when they feel they are one piece away from hoisting hockey's ultimate prize.
This is why this kind of move usually happens during the off-season. No GM wants to deal away a skilled young player who is underperforming, during the season. The last thing you want to do is see that player explode in a new environment and thrive in the playoffs in a different city.
Most teams want to wait until the off-season, when they've had those late in the year games to really see what guys are made of (the Matthew Tkachuk trade is the best recent example). So, we can probably shelf this idea for the time being, unless an unexpected player becomes available, for a reasonable cost.
Option 4: stick with what you have.
It might be boring, but I think this is the most likely outcome for this year's trade deadline.
The Jackets have done well to get themselves back into the fight. But, they already have a lot of NHL players here, and bringing in any more depth doesn't make sense.
I don't see any young top-end players being made available, especially not at a price that Waddell is willing to meet, in order to supplement a team on the bubble.
So, most likely, the team we see now, is the team we'll see in April. For better or worse.
The hope here is that the new coach bump isn't just a new coach bump. This team is honestly pretty good on paper, and I'm confident in their ability to keep pushing for a playoff spot down the stretch.
If they do get into the playoffs, they would be doing so on the backs of guys like Adam Fantilli, Kirill Marchenko, Denton Mateychuk, and Kent Johnson. Those are the guys who need to take the next step.
Better to have them do that here, as opposed to trading them elsewhere and seeing it happen. Don's best bet is to ride it out, and make bigger changes in the offseason, if he sees the need.