GM Don Waddell Has Been Busy, But He Still Has A Laundry List Of Things To Get Done
Don Waddell has been a busy man, and that might be the understatement of the year.
Waddell has gotten a lot done so far. From the draft to buyouts to free agency and administrative things, he's been busy cleaning up the organization.
So what does he have left? Let's take a look.
- Hire a Coach. He fired Pascal Vincent on June 17th. Although Waddell has stated several times that he's in no hurry to hire Vincent's replacement, we're almost a month out from Vincent being let go, and people are getting antsy. With the news that Todd McLellan may be out of the running, it's assumed that Waddell will just go with his second choice, but it may not be that simple. Maybe McLellan being out of the race opens it up again. Jeff Blashill didn't get an interview, does the news change this? Gerard Gallant?
- Sign The Remaining RFA's - Kirill Marchenko and Jet Greaves elected arbitration, while Cole Sillinger and Kent Johnson are negotiating new deals. Jake Christiansen, who also elected arbitration, got a deal done rather quickly, but the other two, who are honestly bigger fish, are taking a while longer. These four players are regarded as the future in Columbus, so it's no wonder why they're taking longer to settle. They still have plenty of time to get signed though, don't worry.
- Trade Patrik Laine - Laine is still in the NHL Player Assistance Program. And while he can be traded at any time, teams want to talk to him first before deciding to bring him, and his salary onto their roster. He has a 10-team no-trade clause, so this muddies it up just a bit, but Waddell should be able to get a deal done. There's no rush on moving Laine. There's a strong chance he will go into the season still on the CBJ roster, but will he play is the million-dollar question.
- Other Moves? - The Blue Jackets have $17,148,334 remaining to spend. With four players left to sign, plus any depth added to Cleveland, there should be a good amount left. And if he can get all or half of Laine's money out, that gives him more flexibility. The question is whether or not he starts shaping the roster of the future. Martin Nečas could've been a Blue Jacket by now if you believe the reports. So far though, Nečas has been the only real name linked to an actual trade proposal.
People who follow the team are wondering what's taking so long, but just remember how much he has to get done. Everything is a process, and the majority of what he is doing is negotiating, which in sports is a stressful, drawn-out process.
We're officially in the dog days of summer.
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