The Columbus Blue Jackets have had a heck of a past few weeks. After finishing in the NHL’s penultimate position in 2022-23, things have gone steeply uphill in terms of excitement during the silly season. It started with a trade for two legitimate top-four defensemen with experience in Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson. Then it was bolstered on Thursday with the top player in American college hockey, Adam Fantilli, falling to them at third overall in the draft. Could it get any better?
We will see on Saturday when Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen gets to work at the opening of free agency. As we wait, we can still have some fun speculating about his targets. With only $4.7 million available, they don’t have a ton of cap room to play with – so we’ll be looking at the mid-to-low end of the market for each position. I’ll be including the contract projections from AFP Analytics to give a better idea of what each player’s next contract could look like.
Center – Jonathan Toews
AFP Contract Projection – 1 year x $2.2 million
There are two positions that I don’t think the Blue Jackets will touch in free agency and center is one of them. So we’re going with a bit of a stretch here and looking at Jonathan Toews. The future Hall of Famer has been told he is not welcome anymore in the Windy City and will be hitting the open market for the first time in his NHL career. There would be no better player to mentor Fantilli than arguably the greatest third-overall pick in NHL history.
At 35 years old his best days are far behind him, but he still has an abundance of ability as a middle-six center. Still an expert on faceoffs, Toews’ 63.1 win percentage through almost 1,000 draws was the best in the league by two percent last season. He hasn’t completely fallen off a cliff offensively either, as he was on pace for 23 goals and 48 points through a full season.
With the forever rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks, Toews embraced the role of mentor. Captain Serious was constantly seen hanging out with the team’s younger players and building culture. He would fit right in with the young core of this team. He brings the experience of three Stanley Cup championships and has overcome adversity throughout every stage of his career. That’s a voice you’d want in your locker room.
On the flip side, there are some factors that make this union unlikely. He hasn’t been the same since he missed the 2020-21 season with long-COVID symptoms and has even hinted at retirement. On top of that, after almost a decade out of the playoffs, you’d have to imagine if Toews does opt to join another team it will be one that is a lock for the postseason. Having said that, if he has any interest in the Blue Jackets, they should have an interest in him.
Related: Blue Jackets Hit Jackpot With Fantilli Falling to Them
In a perfect world, the dream pick at center would be J.T. Compher. Only 28 and probably the best defensive forward on the market, he was a big part of the Colorado Avalanche’s run to the Stanley Cup in 2022 and has a plethora of playoff experience, with 70 games over the last six years. He can play center and wing, up and down the lineup. Also, he’s a University of Michigan alumni, which it seems is a prerequisite to join the Blue Jackets nowadays. However, projected at five years at a $5.3 million average annual value (AAV), he’s a smidge out of their price range.
Winger – James van Riemsdyk
AFP Contract Projection – 1 year x $1.8 million
As of now, the Blue Jackets only have six forwards under contract over the age of 26. Some experience in their middle-six could really come in handy. They might not even have to look outside the Metropolitan Division as James van Riemsdyk checks a lot of boxes.
He’s a big body at 6-foot-3 and is generally good for around 20 goals and 40 points. He can be a veteran presence to those young players a little lower in the lineup and would be a great addition to the Jackets’ second powerplay unit. For a team that has been adding more and more playmakers recently, van Riemsdyk would be a great finisher to slot in a little deeper down the lineup.
At 34, his best shot at another 30-goal season is probably behind him, but we have seen older star forwards transition into valuable depth pieces before. Look at Zach Parise, Corey Perry, and Nick Foligno for clear examples of that. Another few years of flirting with 20 goals are not out of the question for JVR.
Could a former Erie Otter make his way back to the Buckeye State? While the Edmonton Oilers are deemed the frontrunner to land Connor Brown, Columbus should take a swing at the forward if they can. His value has been deflated because he missed last season with an injury, but he’s a great middle-six piece and is one of the more underrated defensive forwards in the league. The return of Gustav Nyquist would also fit the criteria of adding a defensively responsible winger.
Defense – Ryan Murray
AFP Contract Projection – 1 year x $775,000
The Blue Jackets have already skipped the line and acquired the best defenseman expected in this year’s free agent class, so this is the second position I don’t think they will touch in free agency. However, if they do opt to sign a defenseman, it will be someone who brings a new element to the back end in the six or seven slot or someone with experience who would play in the American Hockey League (AHL) mentoring their stable of top defensive prospects. I’m really not sure that anyone fits either of those bills. The closest I could find in this free agent class is former Blue Jacket Ryan Murray.
Murray’s only 29 years old, so he might not be ready to throw in the towel to focus on being a mentor to younger players just yet. But with only 13 games played last year because of more injuries, I’m not sure that he will have his pick of NHL gigs.
He is someone who Kekalainen is very familiar with and was a defender in the Blue Jackets’ brightest era. He’s aware of the standards in Columbus and could help bring back some of that blue-collar culture that helped sweep the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2019. The other guy in this vein would be Markus Nutivaara, but recent speculation says his career may be over due to a hip injury.
Honestly, I have a feeling that if the Jackets sign anyone on the back end it will be someone from Europe that you’ve never heard of, a la Marcus Bjork last offseason. So I guess we’ll have to wait and see if Kekalainen does opt to add anyone on the blue line.
Goalie – Semyon Varlamov
AFP Contract Projection – 2 years x $2.7 million
The Blue Jackets need experience between the pipes more than anything else and there are a few experienced goaltenders that would make sense on a short-term deal, including James Reimer, Cam Talbot, and Martin Jones. However, of this free agent class, Semyon Varlamov would be my pick, for several reasons.
First of all, he has sneakily been one of the best and most consistent goalies in the NHL throughout his career. Since he joined the league in 2009-10, his .916 save percentage (SV%) is tied for 16th among goalies who’ve played more than 200 games. It is the exact same SV% as the top goalie on the trade market, Connor Hellebuyck.
Second, he’s got the playoff pedigree. In both the 2020 and 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Varlamov led the New York Islanders to the Eastern Conference Final posting a .921 SV% and .922 SV%, respectively. Clearly, he is unflappable under pressure. And finally, there is the Russian connection that might be a helpful influence on Daniil Tarasov when they’re in the lineup together. Plus he’s only 35 years old, so as far as goalies go, he’s still got at least a couple of years left in the tank. He’d be the perfect guy to help take some weight off of Elvis Merzlikins’ shoulders.
Just a fun thought here: If the Jackets opt out of experience in goal and just look for anyone on the market who could play second or third string – why not take a stab at Parma, Ohio’s own Alex Nedeljkovic? The 28-year-old is only two years removed from a Calder finalist season and had some stumbles in the Detroit Red Wings crease last season. With the upgrades in Blue Jackets’ defensive personnel and a Mike Babcock-coached system, the sky is the limit. Nedeljkovic could very well have a revival and become the goalie everyone thought he would be in 2020-21 when he posted a .932 SV% and won 15 of his 23 starts.
No matter who the Blue Jackets wind up signing in free agency, they are already radically better than they were at the end of last year. The additions of Provorov, Severson, and Fantilli already bolster their roster, and those names could be joined by any of the wealth of prospects in the Blue Jackets’ system. Barring 500-plus man games lost due to injury again, the fifth line should be excited about the 2023-24 season and expect a much more realistic shot at the postseason.