2 Blue Jackets Placed On Waivers After Big Win Over Avalanche

Two Columbus Blue Jackets are now available for the taking for the rest of the NHL.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Blue Jackets have placed defenseman Emil Andrae and forward Danton Heinen on waivers. 

Andrae is in his first season with the Blue Jackets. The Metropolitan Division club acquired him from the Toronto Maple Leafs ahead of the 2026-27 campaign as part of the blockbuster Matthew Knies-Kirill Marchenko deal.

Andrae has appeared in five games this season with the Blue Jackets, where he has posted two assists, four hits, and a plus-3 rating. He has not been in Columbus' lineup since their Oct. 20 game against Toronto, where he recorded an assist. 

With Andrae being a skilled 24-year-old defenseman, it seems possible that another NHL club could take a chance on him with a waiver claim. However, if he passes through waivers unclaimed, the Blue Jackets will then be able to assign him to the AHL's Cleveland Monsters. 

Heinen, on the other hand, has zero points and a minus-2 rating in 10 games this season for the Blue Jackets. He was in the lineup during the Blue Jackets' most recent game against the Colorado Avalanche, where they won by a 7-2 final score. 

Heinen is in his second season with the Blue Jackets. In 43 games as a Blue Jacket over that span, he has posted five goals and 10 points. 

The moves signal that forward Isac Lundestrom, who is on LTIR due to an Achilles injury, could be returning soon. He has been skating.