After a bit of an underwhelming day one of free agency, there is still one big name left on the board in Nikolaj Ehlers, and the Columbus Blue Jackets are one of the teams interested in him according to David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period. The idea of the Blue Jackets was also discussed on TSN's Free Agency Frenzy show, as well as Elliotte Friedman mentioned the possibility of the Blue Jackets being a potential landing spot on 32 Thoughts the Podcast.
Yesterday, GM Don Waddell mentioned when he met the media that “I always say you don’t make changes for the sake of making changes,” Waddell said. “You make changes to try to make your team better. We felt we did that with the few changes we made." However, if Ehlers and his agent express an interest in going to Columbus, Waddell would most likely welcome the idea of adding him to the roster.
It makes sense. Waddell tried his best on day one, he made changes that he felt made the team better. But with Ehlers taking his time to decide where he wants to sign, there is still a sense that the Blue Jackets could be a team that lands him.
Ehlers is the goal scorer the Blue Jackets are looking for. His fit with the team makes a ton of sense. As a group, they have a young core that will be one of the better teams for years to come, which could be a draw for him to sign with the club.
The other teams that are reportedly interested in Ehlers are the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals, and many NHL insiders haven't ruled out a possible return to the Winnipeg Jets.
In the last 12–15 hours, there has been a lot of disappointment throughout the Blue Jackets' fan base. They felt that the team should have done more. They definitely tried to do more. There is no way that Waddell saw how good this team was last season and didn’t do anything. It is more than likely that they missed out on a few free agents yesterday. However, if they can land Ehlers, it will make all the disappointment go away and give this fan base the hope they need over the summer to reassure them that the management group cares.
Ehlers is expected to meet with teams and will make a decision more than likely by the weekend. So, Blue Jackets fans, take a deep breath and pray that he decides to join one of the best organizations in the league.
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