The Columbus Blue Jackets will be a team to keep an eye on once free agency begins. The Blue Jackets could end up being a busy team on July 1, as they are entering the summer with multiple pending free agents and roster needs to address.

One area that the Blue Jackets could focus on this off-season is their center depth. This will especially be the case if they are unable to re-sign pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) forward Boone Jenner. 

When looking at this year's free agents, one player who the Blue Jackets should consider signing for their bottom six is Vancouver Canucks center Teddy Blueger. 

If the Blue Jackets signed Blueger, they would be bringing a veteran two-way center who works well in the bottom six and kills penalties. While he would not be the flashiest of off-season additions, he would give the Blue Jackets' forward group a bit of a boost as they look to take that next step and become a playoff team in 2026-27. 

On a bad Canucks team in 2025-26, Blueger quietly had a strong season, even if he was sidelined for more than half of it. In 35 games this past season with the Canucks, he recorded nine goals, eight assists, 17 points, and 55 hits. This is after he had eight goals and 26 points in 82 games for the Canucks during the 2024-25 season. With numbers like these, he is capable of providing some secondary offensive production. 

However, the Blue Jackets would not be signing Blueger for his offensive production. Instead, the 31-year-old center provides his most value when it comes to his defensive play and penalty killing ability. Because of this, he could be a sneaky good signing for the Blue Jackets if they signed him to a short-term deal. 

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the Blue Jackets end up making a push for Blueger this off-season. He would have the potential to be a strong pickup for Columbus' fourth-line center spot, but also could move up the lineup if needed. 

In 453 career NHL games split between the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vegas Golden Knights, and Canucks, Blueger has recorded 58 goals, 111 assists, 169 points, and 603 hits. He also won the Stanley Cup with Vegas back in 2023. 

Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft is on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo, where the CBJ will own pick #14.   

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