The Columbus Blue Jackets have a well-documented logjam with their defensemen; however, they have a very similar situation with their forwards as well. With the amount of young players looking to push their way into the lineup, which was only increased by the organization’s strong draft class last month; they need to move some pieces out in order to clear things up. There are quite a few players who have had years to find their stride with the organization but have failed to do so.
While sometimes things fail with one team, a change of scenery can legitimately be beneficial. An example of this that Blue Jackets fans will certainly recall is the recent success of Sonny Milano. While he has still spent some time in the American Hockey League (AHL), he’s essentially become a full-time NHL player and his production has represented that as well. The current roster has some former top prospects who have found themselves in a rut, similar to what Milano faced during his time in Columbus. While management and the coaching staff have attempted to give them opportunities, they may be starting to run out of chances. As a result, it’s time to start looking to move on as it will be the best solution for both the player and the organization.
Emil Bemstrom
Emil Bemstrom has been a strange player for the Blue Jackets. There’s always a lot of hope around him, and his skill is hard to overlook, however, he seems unable to put things together at the NHL level. He has spent at least parts of four seasons with Columbus and hasn’t made much progress in terms of development. One thing that could certainly offer optimism to other teams is his recent AHL performance.
During the 2022-23 season, Bemstrom played some of the best hockey we’ve seen out of him since he made the move to North America; however, it wasn’t in the NHL. Unfortunately for Columbus, it’ll be difficult to remain patient with his lack of development at the NHL level so it may be best to move him this offseason. While his value is likely at the lowest it’s ever been, it would be best to trade him and gain an asset who may have the chance to help the organization in the future, even if it’s just a different player also in need of a change of scenery.
If there are no legitimate offers on the table, then having Bemstrom in the AHL this upcoming season is likely the best course of action. The Cleveland Monsters need to be better with the level of prospects that the Blue Jackets have in the organization and he will certainly help accomplish that. The only question about going that route would be if the 24-year-old would clear waivers, otherwise, a trade would certainly be a better option.
Liam Foudy
It’s always difficult to give up on a former first-round pick, however, Liam Foudy has yet to become the player that the Blue Jackets had hoped for. Last season, he seemed like a decent bottom-six forward at the NHL level; except that’s not enough for the organization. At 23 years of age, he finally seems on the verge of becoming a full-time NHL player; however, with the number of prospects coming up who can fill the same role with seemingly more potential at this point, it’s difficult to envision him in the long-term lineup. Players like Dmitri Voronkov and James Malatesta are almost ready to break into the NHL and will undoubtedly be able to fit into the bottom-six. There’s no guarantee that they’ll develop into more than that, but there isn’t for Foudy either at this point.
The bottom of the lineup is one of the easiest areas to fill around the league, as there’s always an abundance of players who fit those roles left over in free agency at the start of the season. As a result, it’s time to start taking a look at some other options that may fill a bigger role down the road.
Jack Roslovic
Inconsistency is a major issue that has plagued the Blue Jackets for years. While he’s had nearly identical point totals the last two seasons, Jack Roslovic’s game has been very streaky since joining the organization. Considering he’s a Columbus native, his name had floated around the city as a possible trade target for years prior to it actually happening. Once it finally did happen, he got off to a hot start and became a fan favorite in his first partial season in his hometown. The aforementioned inconsistency became more apparent as time went on though, and he’s quickly fallen out of favor with the fans and apparently management as well. Considering he’s a single season away from unrestricted free agency, now is the ideal time to get at least a minimal return for him since it’s unlikely he’s in the organization’s long-term plans at this point.
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The only reason management could opt to keep Roslovic is just to see how he’d perform under a difficult coach like Mike Babcock. It’s possible having someone that demanding in the room will light a fire under him. As previously mentioned, his value is very low and as a result, the return likely won’t be substantial if he is moved. The biggest concern about keeping him would be that the team would have to waste a roster spot on him which could be given to a player that may do more with it in the long run. Either way, it’s very unlikely he earns himself another contract with the Blue Jackets any time soon unless something changes drastically in the upcoming season.
The Blue Jackets have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL due to their excellent drafting in recent seasons. As a result, some of the players who aren’t reaching expectations will need to be moved out of the way sooner rather than later. While there’s a high chance nothing substantial happens prior to the season, if the aforementioned players keep doing more of the same; then it becomes unlikely that they’ll finish the season in Columbus.