Three Free Agents That The Columbus Blue Jackets Could Move On From

The new General Manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets has so much work to do when he or she gets hired. 

First, they have to deal with the NHL Draft in late June, starting by selecting #4 overall. That pick is crucial and will shape the start of the new GM's tenure. Then they have to deal with both free agency and signing their own RFA's. They also have seven UFAs, but those guys most likely will walk, including defenseman Nick Blankenburg. More on him down below. 

So who will stay and who will go? That's the million-dollar question. One of the first moves John Davidson made after the demotion of Jarmo Kekäläinen was the trade of Emil Bemström to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Alex Nylander. Many people wondered if this was a message by the Jackets front office. That message? If we think we've given you too many chances, you're gone. Many fans and media speculated that the trade of Bemström was because Kekäläinen held on to him way too long. Bemström, who is great at the AHL level, just couldn't figure it out in the NHL, and Kekäläinen seemed to give him chance after chance after chance. 

When it comes to the restricted free agents, the Jackets have some guys that they absolutely must sign, including Kirill Marchenko, Yegor Chinakhov, Cole Sillinger, Kent Johnson, and Jet Greaves. But who will they let walk? Let's speculate shall we? 

Alexandre Texier - 210 Games Played - 34 Goals - 79 Points

Texier is a fan favorite no doubt, but to many people who follow the Jackets, he hasn't blossomed the way they thought he would. Another one of Kekäläinen's projects, "Tex" has become more of a 3rd or 4th line grinder who also can kill penalties. Texier does get credit for having made it through major adversity in his private life, and then coming back to North America and having the best year of his career. But, with the new GM coming in, will they feel that he is an intricate part of this franchise's future? Alex Texier is RFA and is arbitration-eligible, but will he make it that far in the process?

Nick Blankenburg - 55 Games Played - 6 Goals - 18 Points

Another fan favorite, Nick Blankenburg is a player most people can get behind and cheer for. The problem for Blankenburg is that he's missed more games than he's played. When he plays he's a factor, but not playing is the issue. He only played in 12 games for the CBJ last season. He did manage 24 games for the Monsters, but an injury while playing for Columbus derailed the season. "Blanks" is a Group 6 UFA, per PuckPedia - "A player becomes a Group 6 UFA if they are 25, completed 3 or more professional seasons, has a contract expiring, and has played less than 80 NHL Games. For goalies, this is 28 NHL games with more than 30 minutes of ice time." Blankenburg probably doesn't factor in the future of the Columbus blue line, so do they attempt to re-sign him or let him walk? Some fans in Columbus and Cleveland won't be happy about the outcome of this one. 

Jake Bean - 197 Games Played - 13 Goals - 56 Points

Jake Bean was traded to the CBJ for a second-round pick in 2021. The pick sent to Carolina was acquired by the Jackets in the Seth Jones trade. The pick used by Carolina ended up being Aleksi Heimosalmi, who, for what it's worth hasn't played a second in North America. So you could say the CBJ won that trade. It seems like Jake Bean has been around forever, but the truth is he's only played in parts of five NHL seasons, including one season that accounted for two games. Bean has only played three seasons for the Jackets, but all three have seen him miss time due to injury, including the "big one" in 22-23 in which he required shoulder surgery. He only played in 14 games that year. But in the other two seasons, he played in a fair amount. He played in 67 in 2021-22, and 72 this past season. The former Eddie Shore Award winner for the AHL's Outstanding Defenseman in 2020 has tremendous upside and potential, the problem is he's being overshadowed by guys like David Jiricek, Adam Boqvist, and soon-to-be Denton Mateychuk. As much as Bean is liked by his fans, regardless of his potential, he may be on his way to another team, either by trade or by not extending him an offer. 

Will the new GM make bold moves this off-season, or wait until they have a season under their belt to make any splashes? The RFA situation has to be dealt with this off-season however, and it's going to be very interesting what they do seeing as they only have so much money to go around. 

One thing is for certain, fans won't be happy about losing their favorite players this off-season. 

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