The Columbus Blue Jackets are speculated to have another busy off-season. Who are the potential UFAs that could fit their needs?
Adam BoqvistEarlier this month, we took note of speculation out of Columbus suggesting the Blue Jackets could have another busy off-season bolstering their roster.
The Jackets made the biggest splash in last summer's UFA market, signing winger Johnny Gaudreau to a seven-year contract. This year, however, they could look at bolstering their blueline depth.
Aaron Portzline of The Athletic believes GM Jarmo Kekalainen will be shopping for “a left-shot defenseman who can average 18 minutes per game, is strong defensively and can kill penalties.” In other words, someone to replace Vladislav Gavrikov, who was shipped along with goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to the Los Angeles Kings before the March 3 trade deadline.
Portzline doesn't rule out Gavrikov returning to Columbus if the 27-year-old blueliner tests the open market on July 1. He also suggested the Boston Bruins' Dmitry Orlov, New Jersey Devils' Ryan Graves, Tampa Bay Lightning's Ian Cole and Brian Dumoulin or Dmitry Kulikov of the Pittsburgh Penguins as free-agent targets.
Orlov and Graves are the best of this bunch. Cole is now 34, while Kulikov will turn 33 in October. Dumoulin, meanwhile, hasn't been the same since undergoing left-ankle surgery three years ago.
CapFriendly indicates the Blue Jackets have $18.4 million in cap space for 2023-24 with 17 players under contract, including all their core players. That leaves room to add an experienced, reliable defensive blueliner.
The question is whether Orlov or Graves would want to join a club that's struggled in its rebuilding process. Having stars such as Gaudreau and Patrik Laine on the roster helps, but Kekalainen would still have to sell them on the value of coming to Columbus on a long-term deal.