Armchair GM: Priority Targets for Upgrades at Forward
Unrealistic but Perfect Targets, Great UFA Adds, Best Young Player Trades, Potential Matchup Anchors, UFA Budget Adds and More, Plus A Kent Johnson Cohort Bonus
Primer
This is now the fifth piece in the 2025 Offseason Armchair GM series. We have covered the most significant potential acquisitions, starting from the needs, wants, desires and word of Don Waddell through the comparisons to Cup Winners and onto the market analysis and defensemen targets. Now onto the more fun theorycrafting target: forwards.
Acquisition Objectives
Get Better Players
Mine Future Stars
Improve Defensive Ability of Forwards
Push Jenner to Third Line
Push Sillinger for Fourth Line or Wing
Find Matchup Line Anchor
Find a Top Six Forward who;
Can Connect Passes and Enhance the in-possession play of Fantilli and KJ
Can Create Net-Front Playmaking on the PP (ideally Right Shot)
Remain Open to a Player who Could Thrive Alongside Monahan-Marchenko
The Blue Jackets have one real hole in their forward group that could be plugged with a single astute addition.
Really, James van Riemsdyk’s departure is the only outright hole in the top nine the rest being passable (or with young players to bet on) but certainly improvable.
Taking the powerplay into account, and perhaps the team’s general composition, there are a few players who might be able to check every box in one. The perfect forward would be a right handed player who doesn’t steal puck touches from KJ and Fantilli, who is capable of linking plays and connecting passes, who is adept at passing out of the defensive zone into space, peeling pucks off the wall in any zone and is also good at getting to the net-front to tip pucks, put back rebounds and help the recovery effort. They would also be a good one-touch playmaker who can operate in small space, especially on the powerplay.
Should be easy to find right? I joke but there are some options that really could check a bunch of those boxes. It’s important to not be overly specific on the exact skills necessary and understand that oftentimes the best players find a way to fit themselves where they are needed. The Blue Jackets are indeed in a unique situation because of the importance of development of Johnson and Fantilli specifically.
Before we lean too far into the targets, lets look at the roles that might be available given the loose structure we have composed.
Alternate Forward Line Construction Options
Before I get into the meat of the target analysis, I’d like to reiterate that forward lines always change. Sometimes it’s fun to project and think about how well specific players fit on long-term lines (and sometimes it does work that way a la Tampa) but most of the time the only constant is change and therefore versatility and skill remain highly desired traits.
There are too many alternate options to really cover them all. However, I’d like to point out the potential modularity with Adam Fantilli-Kirill Marchenko and Sean Monahan-Kent Johnson.
It looks like Monahan-Marchenko are perfect but given Fantilli’s forechecking growth and ice-coverage potential it’s easy to see these two being excellent complements together as well. Fantilli scored a ton of goals off of Marchenko passes last season. The Blue Jackets would need a lot of growth from Fantilli so that he’s not just stealing goals and matchup potential from Marchenko, they played against inferior competition and did slightly worse than when Marchenko was paired with Monahan, but massive leaps in D+3 did happen for both Jack Hughes and Tim Stutzle.
Then, Kent Johnson would get to play in a Nylander or Ehlers type role where he is more a solo feature on a more typical second line. Putting a shooter/forechecker opposite Monahan-KJ could fix a ton of problems as well. Maybe that’s Chinakhov, maybe that’s even Gavin Brindley. I’ll try to note such role fit versatility where possible when discussing the target list.
The third line has as much potential as anywhere. If Fantilli and Monahan are both tasked with playing against the best, a forechecking third line with offensive potential might be a really good option. That would leave Voronkov-Sillinger as potentially valuable targets, maybe with Gavin Brindley again, who can develop their game in a more sheltered environment. Perhaps that 3C spot is then an option for Luca Del Bel Belluz too who otherwise is difficult to place on the roster.
The highest potential second line, and one that might follow some recent high performing C options, is a combination of KJ-Monahan-Marchenko and the first line constructed purely around catering to Fantilli’s unique skills and identity. Perhaps, again, this is where Gavin Brindley comes in, but really it should be anyone who can match Fantilli’s pace and fill in his weakpoints.
Role Fits
Using some of Evason’s line construction heuristics, I’ll be assigning some roles that I’d like to explain briefly. Generally, Evason collapses the space in both zones anytime there is a wall battle. This means that the wall-side winger (strong side) has to be good at battling and getting pucks off the wall. Centers will support this battle and, if successful, move the puck across the ice. The weakside winger stays at the dots or moves up-ice, either wrapping above the battle for wall-clears up the boards or stretching the ice in possession.
The Blue Jackets don’t really get to control which player is in which situation because of the dynamic nature of hockey but the skillsets are at least worth thinking about.
In the offensive zone, the Blue Jackets were a bit more strict about running a 2-1-2. They usually had two forwards at the net-front (often a wing and a center) and a forward who released up-ice to get pucks or to allow defensemen to activate (Yegor Chinakhov). The net-front wing would release to the back wall to pick up strategically rimmed pucks so they could cycle or look for passes directly to the slot (James van Riemsdyk). The center usually controlled the middle of the zone but in the case of Fantilli sometimes released to play the high ice.
Sometimes players will be referred to as “hybrids” or “versatile” meaning they could be reasonably expected to fill multiple of these different positions or be a part of lines that have different offensive creation identities. It’s a shorthand, and even some “pure rush weakside” players will be required to get pucks off the wall, it’s really a fundamental skill in today’s NHL.
Some Current CBJ by Role to illustrate:
Marchenko: Hybrid Versatile W
Johnson: Rush Weakside W, Fill C
Voronkov: Strongside W
Jenner: Strongside W, Fill C
Chinakhov: Weakside W
The Acquisition Targets
Potentially Unrealistic but Perfect Trades:
Alex Debrincat - LW
Contract: $7.875m x 2 years
Role: Rush Weakside W, PP
Alex Debrincat would be one of the best single additions the Blue Jackets could make to the team. Do they already shoot the puck a ton and probably have enough offense? Yes! Do they already have rush players and puck carriers for the powerplay? Yes! So why Debrincat, then?
Well, firstly, his contract puts him in a beautiful window that the Blue Jackets can use to evaluate their team. Should Debrincat not pass muster, or the Blue Jackets fall behind their growth curve, perhaps he retains some value and can be moved. It’s not literally ideal given the assets that it would cost to acquire him but there’s a plan B here as well.
But, before that, Debrincat is a nearly perfect picture of the type of player that the Blue Jackets can target to upgrade their offense. He’s right handed, he’s a dual-threat passer and shooter and most of all he’s incredibly pacey. While primarily a skilled rush creator he’s surprisingly adept on the boards. He’s stocky and slippery.
If the Blue Jackets want to create a rush line alongside Fantilli and Johnson, or bring some versatility to their top six, this is the guy.
More than that, though, would be his perspective on the powerplay. The Blue Jackets laid a good foundation but Debrincat was a key piece of a Detroit powerplay that scored the most goals in the league this past season. They play a collapsed almost 2-1-2 powerplay and Debrincat was often stationed as a net-front playmaker/half-wall hybrid. He could bring this knowledge, and puck carrying skillset, to complement the unit that the Blue Jackets already have.
If you think of Kent Johnson as a budget Patrick Kane, who better to bring along than his longtime running mate?
Acquisition Angle: Detroit hunts in Free Agency (Marner? Bennett?) and has to clear out some top six space while maintaining assets or pivots to a short term retool and wants some liquid currency in the warchest. In other words: not likely.
Filip Forsberg - RW
Contract: $8.5m x 5 years
Role: Rush/Forecheck Strong Side W, Net-Front PP
If the Blue Jackets want to lean into a bruising identity, Filip Forsberg is perhaps the only other right handed player that could hold a candle to Kirill Marchenko. He’s a prototypical powerforward with eye-watering skill.
He pops out in some stats, is better or worse in others, but certainly within the eye test this season. In the Blue Jackets’ first game against Nasvhille his stripping pucks on the forecheck, especially from behind defensemen, and power along the walls were simply not something CBJ had an answer for. In their second meeting, he displayed his spatial playmaking and transition prowess.
He is, in essence, a supercharged James van Reimsdyk, better in literally every way. It might be slightly offensive to compare them but if you want a player who could slot next to Fantilli and Johnson, or to allow Marchenko to move there, there isn’t really a more aligned fit in the entire league.
There is perhaps one single player who would be a better right handed power netfront and this is certainly one of the few that would have you move Voronkov out of his comfort position and not sweat a bit.
Acquisition Angle: He really wants to leave but doesn’t want to go far. Forsberg has an NMC and is a massive piece of Nashville. Firmly too good to be true.
Perfect Veteran UFAs:
Matt Duchene - LW/C
EH Contract Projection: $5.891 x 2 years
Role: Hybrid (Rush All-Positions, In-Zone Strongside), Potential C Fill
If you paid much attention to the Market Analysis charts, you probably saw plenty of Matt Duchene. On Dallas, he graded out as one of the most impactful offensive rush forwards in the league. His management of routes and space post-entry are truly Elite. He joined Dallas on bargain bin deals and quickly formed a key part of their secondary scoring.
What makes Duchene a nearly perfect fit is multi-faceted. On-ice, he brings skills and approach to the game that is perfect for a couple of roles. His aforementioned rush routes are something that Fantilli and Johnson could greatly benefit from playing with/observing on a daily basis. His body contact approach and small space skills make him very good beneath the dots which would make him an incredible fit with Monahan and Marchenko. His tipping and vision even make him pretty good at the netfront. In a pinch, this could even make him a good albeit not matchup style 2/3C.
These skills make him a pure-skill PP netfront option that could be an upgrade over the raw obfuscation and rebounding of Dmitri Voronkov and the leadership and workrate of Boone Jenner. His playmaking and play connection, and footwork into slot passing, could really help unlock Sean Monahan in a way that makes up for his “incorrect” handedness. He’s also excellent at faceoffs and could be a secondary option behind Monahan or primary in case of injury.
In concert with his intelligent routes, Duchene is also a hockey nerd. The Blue Jackets attached Kent Johnson to James van Riemsdyk who was also a huge hockey nerd. There’s no reason these soft off-ice skills wouldn’t also be of benefit to Kent Johnson as much as the on-ice skills would be.
He was the top center for the Blue Jackets only true playoff series win and, by all accounts, really wanted to return before (wisely, considering Panarin’s departure and the attached trade conditions) not being offered a contract. His locker room presence isn’t necessarily valued, evidence by his Nashville buyout to focus on culture (though that was ridiculous then and ridiculous now looking at both Duchene and Nasvhille’s trajectory since then), so maybe that doesn’t align with Waddell’s longer-term vision.
I should be clear here though that he doesn’t make the Blue Jackets better defensively. He’s generally lost his minutes in this Dallas playoff run. Largely, that’s probably okay because he’s only short term and the Blue Jackets have to get there first. I see him as a veteran player who’s perspective and talents would help improve development outcomes for both KJ and Fantilli and therefore worth whatever tradeoffs. A good way to spend cap to be more competitive now and hopefully leave lasting impressions through the true competitive window.
Acquisition Angle: If the Blue Jackets want him, they can get him. There are few teams with more cap space, especially this year and next, than the Columbus Blue Jackets. He’s a prime target, should he make it to UFA, for a huge short term contract.
Mitch Marner
EH Projected Contract: $12.69m x 7 years
Role: Weakside Rush W, PP Contributor
Oh boy, noted big game choker Mitch Marner? Why would the Blue Jackets want him?? A few reasons, really.
First, a right handed spatial playmaker who has plenty of defensive acumen (penalty killing is a key area for improvement for CBJ) is perhaps literally the perfect player to put next to Adam Fantilli. We know Fantilli can get to the slot and score but he needs someone to get the puck there.
But Marner can’t perform in the playoffs? Well, first the Blue Jackets have to get there but you’re right to acknowledge that performance in big games and in the playoffs is absolutely the goal especially among players who will be paid like core players.
Where Auston Matthews often defers primary puck carrying duties, and Marner’s lack of footspeed is highlighted as a reason for his lack of postseason success, Adam Fantilli has it in spades but very much does not have the play-building acumen.
Marner, if you remember as far back as February, scored an overtime game-winner for Team Canada against Sweden and set up the golden goal for Connor McDavid in the finals against Team USA at the Four Nations tournament. Maybe it’s not a Marner issue but one dictated by the team conditions in Toronto?
There may be some overlap between Mitch Marner and Kent Johnson but his high sense approach would be a panacea for this still learning team. Though Kent Johnson would have to share the puck on the powerplay, and perhaps Fantilli’s shooting be preferred in his current spot, there’s no reason those two can’t operate on opposite half-walls. It is certainly a risk if you think Kent Johnson needs the reps with the keys to continue growing and it poses problems with Fantilli’s eventual inclusion on the unit (as he must be to be a Franchise Forward) unless the Blue Jackets really want to use Marner and Johnson as points and go with a 5F top powerplay. I’d be here for it, KJ actually showed out really well as a last-back nz defender and got plenty of breakups especially in extra-skater situations. Both played the role this season so there’s a strange sort of fit to it.
Werenski would be the best defenseman Marner has ever played with in the NHL and Marchenko an excellent skillset complement elsewhere in the lineup whereas perhaps Nylander was too much of the same for core pieces on the same lineup.
Acquisition Angle: Marner may have grown tired of the media circus and pressure cooker that is disintegrating Toronto. Enter: Columbus, Ohio. Players seem to love it for the easy lifestyle and relative anonymity and it’s pretty close to Toronto if you ask Fantilli and his family. It’s just about the hockey. They’re a young team on the cusp and a potentially great place to rehab his love of the game.
For the Blue Jackets, however, it’s a little more difficult. Signing a huge UFA to $12 million dollars, optimistically, while they have dramatically underpaid top sixers isn’t a trivial move. If he comes in and elevates the team, and Marchenko and Johnson along with him, the whole roster is getting a lot more expensive and might not even have a Cup to show for it. Cross that bridge when you come to it, that specific scenario is a best and worst case.
Signing Marner now will extend him 7 years into Age 35 season. Though I think Marner’s game will age very well, players who rely on puck-moving and playmaking over raw athleticism usually age much better, this isn’t the type of contract that a young team should be overly eager to sign.
Is there an angle for an extremely high dollar single year followed by promised long-term extension when eligible? If so, CBJ leverage their high cap space and low payroll to keep the long term number down and bring the long term risk and internal structure into a palatable range.
I assume Marner would prefer to go elsewhere, if not staying, so I’d still mark this as low probability.
Big Trades, Good Young Players
Each of the following players represent excellent long-term solutions very much worth spending at least a first round pick on. Whether or not their team wants to let them go is another question entirely.
Gabe Vilardi - RW
EH Projected Contract: $7.461 x 4 years
Role: Strongside Versatile W, Net-Front PP
Gabe Vilardi is the aforementioned right-handed net-front player who, along with Forsberg, would represent a guaranteed upgrade over Dmitri Voronkov. He’s a singularly unique player in his capacity to create in small space on the back wall and around the net. He would transform the Blue Jackets’ powerplay and was a crucial component to Winnipeg’s top five unit.
If you want to slot a player next to Fantilli or Johnson and add a netfront component without slowing them down, you’re looking at Vilardi. He can play the puck to space in a way that enhances a skilled pacey forward, he can succeed with few puck touches and create unique looks below the dots that allow them to play higher in the zone. He doesn’t have the outright skating output but is skilled enough at moving to still win races to the boards and recover pucks.
The question mark for him remains health. He was moved from LA for PL Dubois despite having sterling defensive metrics partly because he had a debilitating back injury that saw him fall in the draft as well. Would it be good or bad for the Blue Jackets if Cayden Lindstrom had a companion?
Acquisition Angle: The Winnipeg Jets decide they don’t have the appetite for the injury risk and/or want to accumulate assets to diversify their roster after losing Ehlers to UFA for nothing.
Matthew Knies - LW
EH Projected Contract: $6.284 x 6 years
Role: Strongside W Forecheck
Look, literally every team is going to want Matthew Knies this upcoming offseason. He’s more likely to get paid too much by the Toronto Maple Leafs. So why mention him?
If the Blue Jackets want to build a big and tough identity that can compete with the Florida Panthers this is their guy. He isn’t a perfect fit, he isn’t a great playmaker where the Blue Jackets need more, but he owns his domain. He has real man-strength and is an absolute menace on the forecheck. It’s easy to visualize a Knies-Monahan-Marchenko line wrecking teams throughout regular season and playoffs.
Though I think that line would have plenty of juice, it’s worth mentioning that Matthews-Marner is a quite unique scoring environment. I’ve seen enough to be confident of the player but the only reason he moves is because the Leafs don’t really want to pay the contract that unique environment has dictated he has earned.
His long-term cap hit, though that projection is certainly reasonable, might make the internal cap and/or long term keeping of the rest of the group a little difficult but with the cap rising, early risks might pay off big.
Acquisition Angle: Toronto isn’t huge on the contract ask, wants to retool quickly after Marner and Tavares depart, has no space because they want to keep Tavares and Marner, or are offered a similar player on a better deal.
The Blue Jackets could offer Dmitri Voronkov, though the lack of Russians might pose an issue, and exchange high pace and certainty for a touch of playmaking. Toronto does, or did, have an excellent development staff. Maybe Voronkov and Chinakhov are moved together and Toronto feels like they’ve added some depth for a top-line third wheel.
In any case, there’s going to be an absolutely massive bidding war and extreme threat of offer-sheets and I really don’t see CBJ winning them.
Alexis Lafrenière - LW/RW
Contract: $7.45 x 7 years
Role: Potential Hybrid W (Rush Weakside, In-Zone Strongside)
Lafrenière’s extension hasn’t even started yet but I think it’s fair to say that he didn’t have the season that the New York Ranger’s expected. His big extension doesn’t really suggest a player who has earned that style of contract.
So why the interest? The New York Rangers are one of the few teams in a cap-pinch ($8 million and K’andre Miller and Will Cuylle to sign with plenty of veteran NMCs) and the Blue Jackets are poised to take advantage. Already signed contracts have tremendous potential for aging well, especially for young players.
I believe Lafrenière, in the right environment, has the potential to explode as a player. Perhaps not as the quasi-generational talent he was drafted to be but certainly a talented and functional top six player.
His value has, perhaps, been driven highly by Artemi Panarin but I believe he’s done the work as of late to start having a true breakout. Part of the reason his scoring totals seem so low is that he has no powerplay opportunity, he’s a good 5v5 scorer.
The powerplay opportunity won’t change and I’m not sure he’s a great player to slide in alongside fellow youths Fantilli and Johnson. Where I think he does fit, however, is alongside Monahan-Marchenko. This season I was really pleasantly surprised by some flashes of takeaways and defensive stickwork. He was one of the few players I saw consistently out-duel Kirill Marchenko in a stick contest and I think that’s worth something.
Here, instead of a rush playmaker he will serve as a connector and wall playmaker who uses his body and stick skills to strip pucks and play in space afterward. I think it would work and his net-front work would be well rewarded with these two versatile players.
Acquisition Angle: The New York Rangers want to move on quickly from a contract they are worried won’t pay off. They’d prefer to keep K’Andre Miller and Will Cuylle and have no other levers to pull. Ultimately, I think the Rangers do what they can to get a fresh look at their players under Mike Sullivan and, should they pull the trigger on Laf, likely move him out of division.
Marco Rossi - C
EH Projected Contract: $4.714 x 2 years
Role: Versatile Hybrid C
The Blue Jackets don’t inherently need a center given they have Monahan, Fantilli and Sillinger. They might not even need a young one given that Lindstrom is on the way and Luca Del Bel Belluz is in the AHL currently as well. In fact, if they need a center, they’re more likely to be looking for a someone who can take matchups and win them over an offensive player like Rossi.
Priority 1, however, is get good players and it certainly looks like Minnesota has a desire to move on from the young player despite all evidence suggesting he is, in fact, pretty good. He would be a dramatic immediate upgrade over both Fantilli (not long term, relax) and Sillinger even though there’s plenty of room to doubt his ultimate effectiveness away from Kirill Kaprizov.
Rossi has already started exploring some excellent rush playmaking ideas, excellent net-front techniques to find pucks and has grown as an in-zone creator as well. Outside of his size, position and lack of penalty killing he grades out as a perfect option for the Blue Jackets.
While they may not need a center, perhaps his play-driving and net-front work make him a good wing fit alongside Monahan-Marchenko. He has the pace to play as a weak-side open-ice creator but the rush ideas to work well alongside Marchenko in counter situations.
Acquisition Angle: Dean Evason gives Waddell the off-ice vouch and the Blue Jackets win the bidding war. If the Minnesota rumors are to be believed, he’s certainly available.
Frank Nazar C/RW
Contract: $950,000 x 1 (ELC)
Role: Rush Weakside W, Fill C
This was Frank Nazar’s true rookie season, scoring 26 points in 53 games, and he only joined the Blackhawk’s roster late in the season. In those 53 games, however, he showed exactly what he has the potential to become, especially as a shorthanded threat on the PK, and he’s showing it even more in the World Championships (scoring a ton but also playing the netfront on PP2).
The Blue Jackets, having drafted his sometimes linemate Gavin Brindley, should be familiar with his game. He is uniquely pacey and I believe a near no doubt star in the coming years. There are very few players who can match his raw speed in open ice and his playmaking creativity pushed Michigan to heights that Brindley couldn’t.
If you want a player that looks tailor made to highlight Fantilli’s strengths, this might be the guy. His opposite handedness but mostly high level playmaking ability could unlock Fantilli’s pure pace rush game. He can slip passes between checks into space, he can cover defensively though true NHL defending acumen TBD, and he can support wall battles with timely interventions.
Acquisition Angle: Hardly none. The Blackhawks want to be the fastest team in the league and Nazar took big matchups as a young 2C. They must be in love with the player. The only way they’d give him up is perhaps for a player who they feel would absolutely unlock Connor Bedard.
The Blue Jackets might have that player in Kent Johnson, and Chicago was willing to trade their current first last season to CBJ for Demidov, but right now their values do not match. There’s still tremendous risk in Nazar’s game, he’s undersized and can make young player decisions. Trading away Kent Johnson’s current performance at a young age would be a risk not adequately compensated for by Nazar. Perhaps with some time to develop, or some other assets to make it make more sense, this trade can come down the pipeline. Until then, keep tabs on this kid.
Cole Perfetti - LW
Contract: $3.25m x 1 year
Role: Hybrid (Strongside Rush, Weakside In-Zone) W
Cole Perfetti isn’t an at-a-glance fit for the Blue Jackets but I contend that he must be considered for a few reasons.
Firstly, he made it clear that he wasn’t happy in Winnipeg last season (though had an increased role this season). There’s plenty of information that he could be available, especially if Winnipeg is hungry to do something after losing Ehlers this summer and flaming out in the playoffs once again. Secondly, he’s a very smart and very connected player, often described as cerebral. He doesn’t have raw footspeed but he is incredibly savvy.
He serves, most of all, as an excellent fit as a player who fills some gaps in the forward skillset. While I don’t know that the fit is immediate, he looks like a player that could fit in plenty of positions in the Blue Jackets’ top six.
Perfetti possesses a spatial awareness and playmaking ability, he’s really good at staying aware and creating space post-entry, that is often used to enhance and unlock pacey middle-driving centers. He is a play-builder (he stood out as an xG Suppressor and a Play-Building Play-Driver) who has played C in the past. Think Kucherov for Point, Stone for Stephenson (or Eichel), Tkachuk for Bennett (or Gaudreau), Roberston for Hintz. He isn’t as good as those outright superstars yet, and might never be considering his frame relative to theirs, but he might be an excellent bet to be a second line version should he never find his ceiling.
If you’re not ready to construct an all youth offensive line quite yet, I see no reason that Perfetti’s tipping acumen and savvy net-front play wouldn’t work a lot like Lafreniere’s alongside Monahan and Marchenko.
Acquisition Angle: Perfetti still isn’t happy with the Jets and they don’t mind moving him for future currency to fill out the next wave of their prospects
Porter Martone - RW
Contract: Not Yet Drafted
Role: Strongside W, PP
Now hold on a minute, what am I doing listing a 2025 draft eligible player here? Well, it’s a risk but this is a player very much worth talking about. In the same vein as Perfetti being a play-builder, Martone is perhaps more aligned with the top of the league superstars. He’s certainly not there yet and is absolutely not a sure thing. There are plenty of reasons to believe that he might not hit that ceiling and plenty of risks in drafting him high above other available players with plenty to critique about his compete and moment to moment engagement.
Count me among his significant believers. I would counter that doubts about his game are perhaps outweighed by his being constantly given leadership positions, his joining both the WJ20 and the current World Championships roster for Canada and the history of high performance and rare archetype. Martone, in my opinion, doesn’t need to play with high pace because he’s shown he can get the puck to do it and keep his team moving that way.
He needs to up his proficiency defensively and along the boards, where many of the above play-builders are stellar, but he has the puck-moving and spatial playmaking game to join that archetype.
Acquisition Angle: Martone falls on draft day and the Blue Jackets find a way to trade up into the top tier of the draft. Recent mocks from Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler have him dropping as low as #8 to the Seattle Kraken.
Picks this high do not get traded for other picks, so put a pick combination trade-up out of your mind. There are two, maybe more I can’t be sure, teams that I think are important to keep an eye on: the Chicago Blackhawks and Seattle Kraken. Why? Kent Johnson. He’s good friends with Connor Bedard and would be a great target for a team that wants to get better soon. Seattle’s current Director of Player Development, Jeff Tambellini, was Kent Johnson’s BCHL Head Coach and absolutely adores him and they also have Matty Beniers his college linemate at UM.
This is the part that gets the most difficult. You can’t draft for need, you have to take the best player available. If Chicago wants to give up #3 for Kent Johnson, there might be a better player available, like James Hagens, so you’re paying a tremendous cost in a young star only to cede value at the draft. If Martone falls to pick #8, you’d have to think Kent Johnson would be worth much more than that on his own and I’m not sure what else Seattle adds to make the Blue Jackets thrilled. Perhaps just some future 2nds?
It’s thinking far too ahead of the game but if the Blue Jackets model themselves after the Florida Panthers, would a Kent Johnson for Martone trade not have some rhyme with Huberdeau for Tkachuk? In all likelihood, should both players progress as it looks like they could, this trade is better positioned for two years from now when CBJ have certainty that Martone is even a thing and Kent Johnson actually has to get paid. For now, just keep a pin in the player and evaluate how this insane risk might have played out. For all we know, Martone could turn into a pumpkin at midnight.
Great Veteran Role Fits
Nick Schmaltz - RW
Contract: $5.85m x 1 year
Role: Rush W
In every single metric, Nick Schmaltz grades out as an excellent fit for an offensive leaning rush line. He’s an excellent playmaker, great at getting the puck out of his zone and fantastic at linking one player to another.
He’s formed a great partnership with Clayton Keller and I observed their chemistry and excellent exchanging of passes to increase the threat of attack. They play space well and constantly put the defense into difficult positions with positional exchanges and routes.
So the, why would Schmaltz even be available? Well, Utah needs to shake something up and search for upgrades at the top of their lineup. The Mammoth now have some incredible attacking options in Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther vying for offensive deployment. Schmaltz can disengage and lose his compete at times. This would certainly be an issue under Dean Evason or Don Waddell but perhaps they could wrangle that up with their locker room or weaponize the contract year.
Acquisition Angle: The Utah Mammoth move Clayton Keller’s comfort wing as they start making more aggressive bids to become contenders, the Blue Jackets slide him down into a better position insulated from the drawbacks that make him not ideal for the top line.
Nicolas Roy - C/RW
Contract: $3m x 2
Role: Strongside C/W
Nicolas Roy is a pretty unique and versatile potential acquisition for the Blue Jackets. His regular season wasn’t great, his playoffs was more in line. He’s a huge 6’4” right handed player who has been buried on a deep Vegas team on a bargain contract (and Don Waddell has already traded him once).
Across most defensive metrics, at least in years past, he’s a standout player. He matches up against good players, produces well when put in offensive situations, and is excellent at transporting the puck out of the zone.
Most particularly is his role at the net-front on Vegas’ top five powerplay unit. He doesn’t drive the play, Eichel is an incredible distributor who uses low ice to find good passes (please pay attention Marchenko and Johnson).
This is a big, right handed player who could be either a matchup 3C or a play connector alongside Fantilli and Johnson and has the body and skillset to replace Voronkov on the top unit.
Acquisition Angle: Vegas needs to keep cap efficient players but perhaps they are disappointed with his regular season and want to clear out cap on the margins to make yet another mega-acquisition.
Evan Rodrigues - RW
Contract: $3m x 2
Role: Strongside W
I’ll admit this one perhaps doesn’t qualify as “great” but he counts as something. Rodrigues is a right handed player with a very interesting set of skills that I think could serve as a low overhead placement in the middle six.
When I broke down the Florida Panthers’ playstyle last season, I was surprised by his ability to pass pucks off the wall in the neutral zone and into the middle lane ahead of forwards who had built speed. He plays in the Panthers’ forecheck dominant system and has been a critical factor in their lower in the lineup playdriving.
This season, for whatever reason, his impact dropped off. He was bounced around the lineup, still having good offensive and defensive impacts, but took too many penalties and for whatever reason sunk the goal totals of his lines.
Maybe that still makes him perfect for Fantilli, all he has to do is get the puck to him in the slot and the finishing will happen.
Best Young Role Fits
These group of players represents, in my opinion, the best group for the Blue Jackets to get this offseason. They’re young, most are right handed somewhat intentionally, and all look like they could be anchor pieces in the middle six and excellent complements to the young and good players. They’re all certainly identity aligned. The top flight players above in Matthew Knies, Frank Nazar and Gabe Vilardi (or Porter Martone) are perhaps the only long term additions that would be better outright fits.
Many of them, by circumstance, happen to be playing for USA or Canada at the World Championships as I am writing this. Which poses it’s own sort of question, why are these teams giving up good young players?
Josh Doan - RW
Contract: $925k x 1 (ELC)
Role: Strongside W, Net-front PP
Josh Doan is of particular interest. In his late season debut for the Arizona Coyotes in 2023-24 I was particularly enthralled by some of his excellent neutral zone playmaking that enhance Dylan Guenther’s rush threat.
His defensive metrics were stellar and he’s a right handed net-front on the powerplay as well. He has some interesting play connecting and short space vision to complement his excellent physicality and battle winning on the back wall.
He might be too young to slot instantly next to Johnson and Fantilli but he’s the image of what the Blue Jackets should be looking for as a middle-six addition who could complement up the lineup or form an anchor on a matchup line. He’s got some familiarity with Adam Fantilli having played with him on the Chicago Steel in Junior.
Acquisition Angle: Likely part of a bigger trade with the Utah Mammoth. They have a roster jam-packed with forwards and might be looking to integrate a few more in short order but that doesn’t mean they move a cheap defensive forward. It would likely take the Blue Jackets sending some veterancy their way but perhaps there’s an angle for Yegor Chinakhov or Dmitri Voronkov (priced appropriately) if they want some countrymen for Simashev or But.
Tyson Foerster - RW
EH Contract Projection: $6.94m x 8 years
Role: Strongside W, Net-front PP
Tyson Foerster has a lot of rhyme with Josh Doan. They’re both matchup caliber right-handed young forwards with great physicality. They’ve both joined their countries for the World Championships.
Where Doan has some interesting play connecting acumen, Foerster is all off-wall handling and pacey slot attacks. They both play net-front on the powerplay, including some pre-tournament action and with their clubs.
Foerster, perhaps, is a better seasoned matchup option but he also played with some excellent players in Noah Cates and Bobby Brink. Like Doan, Foerster also has some current CBJ roster ties having played with Kent Johnson (and Logan Stankoven) at the World Juniors.
Acquisition Angle: Philadelphia recognizes that they still need some long term assets to win and are willing to move him for some good draft capital that they can spend elsewhere. In other words: also not likely.
Dawson Mercer - RW/C
Contract: $4m x 2 years
Role: Strongside W, Net-front PP
Dawson Mercer entered the league with a bang and looked poised to be an incredible fit alongside the New Jersey Devils’ skilled forwards. His trajectory since then, however, hasn’t quite matched what you’d have liked to see.
He’s a skilled right handed forward with a lot of compete and tenacity along the boards. I can’t say I have personally watched enough to be aware of his struggles but he still graded out as a chance suppressor.
Acquisition Angle: The Devils want to cash out of their investment and gather some assets to make bigger waves up the lineup.
Will Cuylle - LW
EH Projected Contract: $3.195m x 3 years
Role: Strongside W, Net-front PP
Will Cuylle has been somewhat of an under the radar breakout player amid the Rangers’ dysfunction higher in the lineup. If you miss out on Matthew Knies, this left-handed power forward is likely your next best addition.
He’s strong, aggressive in getting off the wall and has enough puck skill to work as a complementary player. As I’m righting, he currently forms a line with Kent Johnson and Adam Fantilli on Team Canada. I would pencil him in next to Monahan and Marchenko as a forechecking threat primarily but he could be a long term third-wheel type player.
Cuylle produced a ton of points in limited minutes and powerplay opportunities. His GAR>xGAR might suggest there are some unsustainable on-ice shooting at play but he could perhaps be had more easily than the rest of the players above him on the list.
Acquisition Angle: The Rangers are cap pinched, have $8 million to sign both him and K’Andre Miller, and might just move him so as to not lose them both for cheap.
Zach Benson
Contract: $950k x 1 year (ELC)
Role: Strongside W, Net-front PP
Zach Benson had some of the best play-driving and defensive metrics of any forward in the league last season. I don’t exactly believe that he’s that good defensively, especially at his age, but I have long been a fan of this player and this is exactly something he could become.
He is positioned as a unique talent not unlike Brad Marchand. He’s undersized without elite skating but certainly with elite hockey sense, playmaking and compete. He can play at a high pace and though his points haven’t followed should be a star in short order.
I can’t say that Buffalo’s management sees him the same way as many fans do, but if they do he’d be a near perfect long term addition to this team. He can get pucks off the wall, play them to space, doesn’t need many puck touches and has the brain and feet to overcome his lefthandedness to be a perfect net front playmaker on the powerplay.
Acquisition Angle: Buffalo wants to cash out of a recent high pick and the Blue Jackets see the same things that I do. He’d be worth both first round picks from this season.
Luke Evangelista
EH Contract Projection: $3.528 x 3
Role: Strongside W
Luke Evangelista is perhaps the most understated of the players on this list. I wouldn’t necessarily project him to play a strong part of the matchup line but would very much project him to be a neat play connector and potentially great complementary player for the higher skill on the Blue Jackets’ roster.
He’s a unique rush facilitator with a delay game that puts any of the other players to shame. While he doesn’t have the body work to play a hard game he does have the spatial awareness to make him a complement not unlike Cole Perfetti.
This positions him as an interesting player to play the net-front where the Blue Jackets might need to see growth as a puck winner but he certainly has an advanced approach in terms of flash screens and puck skill deflections.
If the Blue Jackets want to upgrade their rush game with a good playmaker and to diversify their attack elsewhere, Evangelista is an interesting add. His breakout potential away from the putrid Nashville attack is non-trivial.
Acquisition Angle: Barry Trotz wants to trade more young players for basically free.
UFA Veterans
Gustav Nyquist - LW
EH Projected Contract: $1.805 x 1 year
Role: Versatile, Hybrid W
Nyquist joined the Minnesota Wild at the trade deadline and was frankly not great. That said, he’s a known positive locker room quantity and a drop-in skillset that fits in every line combination. He competes hard, wins pucks and extends possession with the hockey sense and playmaking to facilitate offense at the same time.
Though his on-ice results were not good his underlying driving was certainly there. He graded out well as a defensive zone presence, as a rush facilitator and as an active participant at both net-front and in retrieving pucks. He works as a third wheel with both Monahan-Marchenko and Fantilli-Johnson.
Acquisition Angle: He’s a swiss army knife, up and down the lineup player who never wanted to leave Columbus. He might not be high impact any longer but it feels like a no-brainer especially if you like his locker-room fit and he’s willing to play in the bottom six.
Kyle Palmieri
EH Contract Projection: $5.465 x 3 years
Role: Rush W
Kyle Palmieri was, I think, hard done by some unfortunate results attribution that result in Maxim Tsyplakov looking like an excellent defensive player. I wouldn’t say he was elite but I do think he’s got important veteran skills in critical areas of the ice. If they’d like some more offensive pop than Gustav Nyquist, Kyle Palmieri would be an excellent short term guide for Fantilli and Johnson.
His entry passing is great and he’s even good at the net-front. He fills plenty of holes and checks plenty of boxes.
Acquisition Angle: UFA, veteran presence, easy to pay him a lot for short term
Matchup Center Fits
There aren’t too many scenarios where I can honestly envision the Blue Jackets pursuing a matchup center but I think it’s worth expressing that they are indeed rare pieces on the market. I think the Blue Jackets likely run back the center spine as Monahan - Fantilli - Sillinger.
If they do decide to trade Sillinger it’s hard to envision a case where that hasn’t resulted in either a filled out top six or good forechecking wing resulting in Boone Jenner as a matchup 3C or a complete top six that means the team is willing to take a chance on Luca Del Bel Belluz there. If they do end up in this situation, such as spending plenty of forwards on a bunch of defensemen with few replacements, there’s one most obvious answer.
Pius Suter - C
EH Projected Contract: $4.651m x 4 years
Pius Suter has been quitely putting up excellent defensive and play-driving metrics for years. He is usually available after the the first wave of free agents. I would, hands down, endorse signing this player even if the Blue Jackets don’t move on from Cole Sillinger.
He simply makes too much sense as a middle six center. The knock, which shouldn’t be discounted, is that he’s 5’11” and not great at winning faceoffs. This likely makes him hard for a coach to stomach matching up against top competition (Marco Rossi perhaps feeling the same thing) but he’d surely be better than Cole Sillinger.
Ryan McLeod - C
EH Projected Contract: $5.5m x 4 years
Should Buffalo feel keen to move on one of their RFAs, Ryan McLeod would be a good bet for CBJ role fits. He primarily profiles as an interesting matchup center who makes up for a lack in raw defensive acumean with brilliant skating, ice coverage and a penchant for great puck moving.
If he doesn’t work out as a 3C, and there’s plenty of evidence that he would, his rush playmaking game looked really good late in the season for Buffalo and that might make him intriguing for a LW role on either of the top lines. From a certain point of view, he’s a playmaking version of Yegor Chinakhov.
Noah Cates - C/LW
EH Contract Projection: $4m x 4 years
Noah Cates was the center on the Philadelphia matchup line featuring Tyson Foerster and Bobby Brink. He’s posted pretty good metrics in back to back years. Ultimately, it’s not easy to see the Flyers moving on from him but his RFA status does mean he could be poached with the right offer.
Barrett Hayton - C
Contract: $2.65m x 1
Barrett Hayton is likely not going anywhere, perhaps moreso given the Mammoth winning the draft lottery. He’s a perfect 3C who operates something like Sean Monahan-lite. He wasn’t worth the 3rd overall pick but he’s become a smart connector who is excellent in small space around the net-front.
If Utah feel like giving him up in the search for something better, the Blue Jackets should be keen to add a long term matchup option to their stable.
Shane Pinto - C
Contract: $3.75 m x 1
Shane Pinto has been marked as a breakout matchup center for a few years but there’s been some uncertainty in his game by his pairing with Brady Tkachuk. This season, he had plenty of time away and continued his solid defensive impact.
The Ottawa Senators have little reason to move on from the center but perhaps their recent acquisition of Dylan Cozens makes them feel like they can look for greater special teams impact.
Pinto’s right handedness would give the Blue Jackets faceoff versatility especially if he’s played alongside Boone Jenner.
Prospect Options
I don’t foresee the Blue Jackets making any particular trades for prospect matchup centers unless they plan on moving out certain veteran talent (Boone Jenner, I presume) in a bid to shore up options long-term. For that reason, I will just touch on some possible options.
Konsta Helenius is a Finnish right handed center who is smart and fiercely competitive. He was drafted for Buffalo and looks perfectly crafted to become a Phil Danault type matchup player.
Nate Danielson is a highly pacey right handed center drafted by Detroit. They invested a significant pick to bring him to the roster, and he looks like a big pillar of the Yzerplan, but his ice-coverage and skating ability would be thrilling in a 3C role.
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard is a recent Norwegian draft pick also owned by the Detroit Redwings. He’s fast, powerful and a fierce takeaway artist on the forecheck. If Adam Fantilli ultimately becomes a confrontational forechecking menace, it’s easy to slow MBN next to him as a near perfect fit. Center? Maybe-not, but I’d feel comfortable betting on him to be a matchup-anchor type wing eventually.
Brady Martin is perhaps too good to be drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets. He, unfortunately, had a great U18s and will be gone well before the Blue Jackets can pick. He’s a farm boy with real strength but also surprisingly good playmaking metrics. If he has runway to improve as his late hockey specialization suggests, any team would want him lining up as a 2C.
Braeden Cootes should be available at one or both of the Blue Jackets’ first round picks. He looks like a set it and forget it 3C who plays a very supportive game. Not exciting, and if CBJ can get a 3C prospect closer to the NHL it’s perhaps a better use of a pick, but definitely an option.
Cal Ritchie could have been had if the Blue Jackets had not traded the LAK 1st for Ivan Provorov. He’s smart, currently on a team with Luca Marrelli, and an excellent right handed play connector. He was traded to the Islanders as part of the Brock Nelson trade.
Young Breakout Picks
These players represent risks that I believe CBJ are unlikely to take given the offensive youth already on the roster. Still, they represent breakout picks that could pay off big should they hit.
Jack Quinn is an interesting reclamation pick from the Buffalo Sabres. He’s a right handed shooter with an awesome release and some good productive rate seasons. While he doesn’t seem like a fit, he has interesting rush ideas and might have a one-timer that helps bump Marchenko to the net-front on the powerplay.
Mackie Samoskevich long-time Adam Fantilli teammate on both the Chicago Steel and Michigan Wolverines, might be pried loose from the contending Florida Panthers. He’s a pacey right winger with awesome rush ideas and great puckhandling skills. He was an excellent chance generator in a limited sample.
Mavrik Bourque is a highly interesting play connector. He’s gone through the Dallas Stars’ development system but hasn’t found a strong foothold in the NHL. He brings a cerebral element that could help unlock the hard-skill young Blue Jackets forwards.
Nils Hoglander is the exact type of salary cap bet that the Blue Jackets should make. Described as a pint-sized powerforward he’s always been an interesting offensive producer. He hasn’t broken out quite yet but his wall-work and neutral zone tenacity might make him a surprisingly good fit in multiple positions on the Blue Jackets’ roster.
Isaac Howard is the recent Hobey Baker winner who reportedly doesn’t see eye to eye with Tampa. That’s a red-flag if I’ve ever seen one but it still could represent an opportunity for the Blue Jackets. I can’t say I’m sure how to project him but he might soon be a teammate of Cayden Lindstrom if he isn’t traded and gone pro.
Offense Forward UFAs
Brock Boeser has been linked to the Blue Jackets since the trade deadline. He’s right handed and has a history of production. That said, his on-ice metrics and underlying performance have been declining for years. He’s a great person. If he can reclaim his aptitude, he’d look excellent alongside Fantilli and Johnson. He’s projected to get
Andrei Kuzmenko is a quite mercurial offensive talent. He’s highly talented especially at finding plays near the net in the offensive zone. Given that he’s offense only and has moved between a ton of teams in the past few seasons, it’s hard to see him being a target.
Ryan Donato broke out last season with a huge production jump on the Chicago Blackhawks. They didn’t move him at the deadline but there’s apparently some very real skating work that precedid his breakout. He’s a lefty and an excellent scorer but the Blue Jackets already have plenty of those, right?
Mikael Granlund joined the Dallas Stars at the deadline giving them an embarrassment of play connecting riches. He’s scored a ton in the playoffs and creates off the rush. His offense only metrics might not be the ideal fit but his playmaking could be a great alongside Sean Monahan and Kirill Marchenko.
Break Glass in Case of Emergency
James van Riemsdyk performed well all season offensively for the Blue Jackets. He’d love to come back and is very identity aligned. He isn’t good defensively and he’s getting old but his offensive performance has been stable for a long time. If they can’t find anyone better, there’s no reason not to bring him back.
Jack Roslovic rejuvenated his game alongside Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner but didn’t find many suitors in the offseason. He signed with Carolina and has been fine not performing as a 2C on an offensive line in the playoffs. No reason to retread but his skating and breakout passing did work very well with Adam Fantilli. If there’s nothing else, you can always take a chance.
Wrap Up
This has concluded the bulk of the Armchair GM work. From here, I will bring some more fun articles like my pitch for an offseason plan and perhaps translating previous big Waddell trades into 2025 offseason moves.