The Columbus Blue Jackets sit in the first wild card spot with two days to go until the 2025 trade deadline. Their GM, Don Waddell, has spoken openly about their plan to reward the team by adding at the deadline.
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He made a point to mention that he doesn't want to mess with the future to add but would likely reward the team with some help. The fact that Waddell has that attitude and sees the future of the team being very good is exactly what an organization like Columbus needs.
They are at a critical point in their rebuild. They could sell the farm and go for it to get a big-name talent to help, or they can get a depth piece or two and let the young nucleus of the team learn from playing in the big moments.
The Blue Jackets this season remind me a lot of the 2016-17 Toronto Maple Leafs. They established a young core of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander and had a good amount of veterans surrounding them, including James van Riemsdyk. At that trade deadline, management didn't sell the farm to bring in players to bump the young stars out of the lineup. They acquired depth pieces that could help log heavy minutes and serve as a voice when the going gets tough.
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In fact, during that season, they brought in Brian Boyle and Eric Fehr as depth pieces who could help. That is going to be very similar to what Waddell does. If he can bring in Tanev and another veteran depth player who has been there before, it can go a long way in helping build a successful young core.
If Waddell sticks to what he said—and if you know Waddell, he will—there are a few other names that could work for the Blue Jackets. They aren't the flashiest names, but they can step in and take some of the pressure off Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson.
Players like Brandon Tanev of the Seattle Kraken, Justin Brazeau of the Boston Bruins, Pat Maroon of the Chicago Blackhawks, or even Joel Armia of the Montreal Canadiens could be interesting names for the Blue Jackets to add.
With only two days until the trade deadline, keep it locked here for all things Blue Jackets.
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