The Potential Trouble of the Rising Cap and Trade Deadline Gameplans
But Also A Potential Momentary Advantage for the Blue Jackets
The Rising Cap
I utilized the above exercise to paint a picture of just how much the cap is projected to rise. There are plenty of geopolitical events that could indeed suppress that eventual cap growth but safe to say it’s a factor that must be contended with right now.
At first blush, the Blue Jackets are in an interesting position because of a significantly rising cap. They’re a good team on the cusp of playoffs and have a ton of cap space. Sounds good, right? Better than being cap strapped with little improvement potential but it’s also potentially extremely dangerous or volatile.
Going into next season, prior to any potential Fabbro, Olivier, Provorov or Voronkov contracts, the Blue Jackets have $46 million in cap space. The easiest way to fill that cap space is in free agency but it comes at a time when nearly every team has at least $7 million in bonus space to spend.
The Blue Jackets have few contracts signed in the previous cap context and have plenty of players authoring breakout seasons who will be due to sign their contracts under the new market (but also plenty of time to continue to evaluate them). In hindsight, the three year contracts of Kirill Marchenko and Kent Johnson look like they are going to end up on the perfectly bad side of the risk (though probably preferable because at least they’re performing very well).
Therein, perhaps, lies the potential advantage and a situation that bears watching closely. Don Waddell’s strategy, at least from what I can see, was in creating the opportunity for an internal cap structure based around a potential Adam Fantilli contract. His ELC, along with Sillinger, Chinakhov, Jenner and Gudbranson, now expires at the same time that Johnson and Marchenko are eligible for extensions.
Fantilli has really taken off through the back half of this season but his playdriving metrics still lag behind (and will for this season despite improvement primarily because of how bad the beginning was, though the injury is certainly a good justification). He scores points, and especially a lot of points at 5v5, but points are the driver of contract dollars far more than they are of actual wins. I don’t want to get too into the weeds here but signing Fantilli to a long term extension this offseason, though he is indeed the future of the center-ice position, might be fraught with risk not because of his performance but because of the internal cap possibilities.
If Adam Fantilli outperforms those players, Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko, next year, and signs a contract commensurate with his level of performance this season, that’s a best-case scenario. It’s hard to guess what Fantilli would be interested in signing right now because the rising cap is creating a whole new context and earned not given, right? Previously, perhaps the comparables were Stutzle or Hughes (though they made significant improvements to play-driving earlier in their sophomore years and looked like easier bets) but instead they may become whatever Connor Bedard or Logan Cooley sign for and you have to think Chicago might do something stupid. If the number starts with an 8, it’s a no-brainer.
If Adam Fantilli doesn’t outperform Kent Johnson or Kirill Marchenko, and he might have to steal a spot on the first powerplay to do so, his contract becomes a floor for their value. In which case, we’d rather have them sign first and are better off waiting until his ELC expires.
There are merits to any arguments about age or position but the dollar amount would remain an anchor of value in some aspect especially with respect to internal cap structure. Both are vastly underpaid on their current contracts, should they continue their performance on these contracts, and will be at ages that suggest going long. According to Kent Johnson, that might have been intentional. Do not expect discounts on these next deals.
What the Blue Jackets still have going in their favor is the contract of Zach Werenski. He makes $9.5 million and no player in that room has any case to be paid more than him in the short term. If management can succesfully negotiate that he’s the internal cap-ceiling, the Blue Jackets will be in a prime position to keep all three players at excellent value. I’m making a big deal about this internal cap structure because it’s really the only saving grace for the Blue Jackets in this rising cap situation (and a very real force that could shape contracts rising slower than we expect from Stever Werier on the PDOcast).
If done correctly, the Blue Jackets could be a formidable force with an unusually deep team through the early rising cap era. If not, they could be victims of a rising cap bubble and might have to make some uncomfortable decisions earlier than they’d like while still not having a full cap.
Which brings me to the next point, the Blue Jackets’ current cap space is perhaps the biggest market advantage they currently have and that advantage will only diminish post-Trade Deadline. That’s why I spent so much time and effort detailing some big money currently signed contracts and players as potential targets. The best time to get them was last offseason before the skyrocketing cap was detailed, which was impossible because of Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine’s contracts, the next best time is before other teams are gifted the offseason cap increase (and permission to exceed the cap).
2026-27 Roster Projection
The way I would like to illustrate this point is by adding some of the high potential young players to the roster and examining the remaining cap in a future season, 2026-27 was chosen because Fantilli will have a new contract. Though I do think these players are fits, I’m less worried about the players are moreso their positions and dollar value with term.
I’ve made rough estimates, erring on the side of expensive for the contracts that might need signed (though I worry this could quickly become a very naive view), and moved away some of the players that I’m sort of handwaving as cost of doing business.
For this purpose, Cole Sillinger and Yegor Chinakhov are gone. I don’t forsee either earning $8 million contracts which might go to prove how difficult the job will be to keep everyone and spend to the cap ceiling.
Big Contract 26-27 Roster
Assumes the Following Things:
Mathieu Olivier is signed for $3.5 x 5 this offseason.
Dmitri Voronkov is signed for $5m x 6 this offseason.
Dante Fabbro signs a $6.5m x 3 this offseason.
Jet Greaves signs for $5m x 6.
Adam Fantilli signs for $10m x 8.
Gavin Brindley signs for $3.5 x3.
Boone Jenner extends for $4m x 2.
The Blue Jackets have the assets to pull both Jordan Kyrou and Owen Power and their teams are willing to deal.
They include trading picks, Cole Sillinger, Yegor Chinakhov and whatever assets may be available from other trade chips: Stanislav Svozil, return of Ivan Provorov and/or Erik Gudbranson, Luca Del Bel Belluz. I haven’t added any potential 2025 or 2026 draft picks so theoretically they could be used for players.
I made this roster primarily to show what the rising cap might do to the Blue Jackets. The additions, Kyrou and Power, represent the ideal case of young, talented and cost controlled through the rising cap. You may feel that I am not leaving enough room to sign Marchenko and Kent Johnson, who have certainly looked like players to build with, but we’ll get into the rising cap shortly.
That’s the primary purpose of adding Power and Kyrou, not that they are perfect players or are acquirable by the Blue Jackets, to demonstrate the power of already signed contracts. Any team in a competitive window should be spending to the cap (beside leaving strategic free space for in-season flexibility). The Blue Jackets currently have very good players making very little money which means they have quite a lot to spend in a short window or they’ll be leaving value on the table.
I have given generous, I believe, contracts to Fantilli, Brindley and Jet Greaves. Cayden Lindstrom may not be ready to go in 2026-27, though his performance wherever it may be will be instructive, but he’s the type of athlete and competitor that NHL teams usually have trouble keeping away from the NHL. The Blue Jackets will have $9.5 million to continue to fill out this roster for the 2026-27 season, should all of the players still remain (Severson and Merzlikins notable large contracts that could be removed or exchanged).
In any case, the season following this one, should the cap rise as projected to $113 million and the NHLPA has suggested only minor adjustments to this total are possible, the Blue Jackets will have $33 million to sign Kent Johnson, Kirill Marchenko and Denton Mateychuk. That feels incredibly doable unless the forwards both turn in superstar performances and feel they deserve more than Adam Fantilli or Zach Werenski. That offseason Severson’s full NTC falls off, so there’s some wiggle room as well.
What I’ve put together is an incredibly ambitious plan filled with taking on a lot of cap, and even estimated what I hope are overly aggressive contracts for young players, to demonstrate that there will be plenty of cap space should it rise as projected.
If the Blue Jackets’ short term cap space can be leveraged into long term security, like acquiring some long term deals when other teams don’t have the space to compete for them a la Power, Kyrou or even Seth Jones, the Blue Jackets could have their cake and eat it too.
Both St. Louis and Buffalo have incentive to move these players, though may also adjust their cost because of the rising cap, and the Blue Jackets are most well positioned to acquire them now (aside from moving on from Sillinger and Chinakhov which seems less likely before the trade deadline). Like with Seth Jones, there simply aren’t many teams near a competitive window with the capacity to eat so much cap. That means the Blue Jackets have a special window prior to the trade deadline to potentially relieve the cap burden and move futures in exchange.
That puts a lot of forward pressure on the Blue Jackets’ management in a short advantage-window. Team overperformance typically isn’t met with in-season roster overhaul and long-term deals but ambitious roster building (trading multiple season’s firsts for Claude Giroux and Sam Reinhart) was a core feature of Florida’s ascent to the Stanley Cup. This upcoming offseason is an unusual one and unorthodox decisions going into it will have the potential for the greatest reward.
On What Chaos just earlier this week, Zach Werenski suggested he wanted to be in the playoffs sooner, rather than later, though he acknowledged that this season is already valuable for the team just being in the race. That puts heavy pressure on playoffs next season, or in short order, which means long term roster improvements shouldn’t be put off.
Trade Deadline Proposals Gameplanning
The trade deadline is fast approaching and the supposed trades well past overdue. The Athletic has published their final trade board and plenty of Blue Jackets targets are on it. For now, I’ll only list possibilities that I have mentioned or that may be interesting to the Blue Jackets but in order of the trade board..
2 - Rickard Rakell
3 - Seth Jones
4 - Rasmus Ristolainen
6 - Dylan Cozens
7 - Bowen Byram
12 - Kyle Palmieri
13 - Carson Soucy
16 - Casey Mittelstadt
17 - Gustav Nyquist
19 - Mathieu Olivier
A rough-and-tumble winger who boasts an impressive fight card, Olivier has caught the attention of at least a couple of teams currently eyeing potential depth forward options. The 28-year-old pending unrestricted free agent has even managed to chip in more than his share of expected goals this season. But what makes him most attractive is his size, strength and willingness to embrace an energy role. Olivier is built for playoff hockey.
21 - Brock Boeser
24 - Connor Murphy
27 - Jordan Greenway
28 - Ivan Provorov
The Blue Jackets will have a difficult decision on their hands if someone offers a first-round pick for Provorov. The team has overachieved this season, and the minute-munching defenseman has expressed a desire to sign an extension in Columbus, but the smarter move may be cashing in on his value as a trade asset now. We’ll see. Although there have been some contract talks with the pending unrestricted free agent on an extension, a gap exists between how the two sides see things. Provorov is an all-situations defender who can play either side of the ice and tends to help his team keep the puck moving in the right direction.
30 - Ryan O’Reilly
35 - John Gibson
37 - Justin Brazeau
Some players are more likely than others but bigger fish like Seth Jones and Casey Mittelstadt have been linked as potential destinations separately. Gustav Nyquist, the single most obvious fit and acquisition, has been heavily hinted by the Blue Jackets’ beat.
As much as I did plenty of work to preview the deadline and look for targets, I only offered passing comments or thoughts. Largely, I hope the data helps you come to your own conclusions. In this case, though, I’d like to put together some pitches or work through some scenarios to get a feel for what the right moves may be.
Taking Assets for Bad Contracts
There are two targets that offer potential to take advantage of the Blue Jackets’ cap and gain assets in the process. The first, is Carson Soucy.
Carson Soucy, theoretically, should come packed with a small asset or two. He’s a tremendous risk to be taking given his dramatic drop-off but did break into the NHL in a shutdown role on the Minnesota Wild under Dean Evason. He’s big and doesn’t hit but has posted excellent neutral zone defending or entry killing metrics each year of his career (save for 2023-24 with Vancouver). He makes $3.25 million this year and next and has a full No Trade Clause this season. Whether or not he’s up to returning to Dean Evason is another matter but I’d have to believe he’d enjoy it.
Perhaps if Vancouver is the recipient of Ivan Provorov there’s more under the hood, though it seems like Provorov would be going elsewhere post-Marcus Pettersson acquisition. In any case, his cap hit is easily mitigated by the Blue Jackets and it doesn’t seem like he’d be any worse than what we’ve seen from Jack Johnson, Jordan Harris or Jake Christiansen. He plays hard minutes, lately on his off-side, and hasn’t had great partners to work with. Perhaps Severson or Gudbranson would be upgrades on Tyler Myers or Noah Juulson.
I think Soucy would be an excellent insurance bet in the case that Ivan Provorov is moved. It’s a risk I think I would take, though I should really watch more film before I put this on paper. The problem there is that the Blue Jackets have spent a lot of effort accruing left handed defensemen in Jordan Harris and Daemon Hunt and have already signed Jake Christiansen to a low cap hit deal for next season. The Blue Jackets might have to risk moving one or more of them, not to mention Stanislav Svozil.
The second player who could be acquired while gaining assets would be Seth Jones. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to tell how a general manager would value the big right handed defenseman. According to Dom Luszczyszyn in a recent breakdown, Seth Jones won’t be worth anything near his contract.
Even with a rising cap, Jones is not a $9.5 million player (he’s probably closer to $6.5 million over the next five years)
This means that Chicago should be paying for the retention up to $3 million per season or should have to attach assets. It isn’t in their interest to move him in a losing deal though his recent interviews have suggested he won’t be a positive locker room presence for them much longer.
Throughout his career, Jones has been a polarizing defenseman. Eventually, the HockeyViz model decided that Zach Werenski or the forwards were more of the drivers and Jones’ numbers tanked. Those were never the real evaluations of the player but it is indeed true that his performance is volatile.
He hasn’t ever driven play on his own at 5v5, his peak values are primarily from special teams or penalty drawing/taking, which does make him analogous in many ways to Ivan Provorov. There’s room to believe that he can indeed outperform Ivan Provorov, and my instincts say he would, because of his sheer ice coverage and better general work in neutral zone defending and puck retrievals but they’re perhaps more similar that many would like to admit.
He’s 30, someone who can be a #2 with appropriate special teams time and perhaps surrounded by better teammates, but is currently performing like a run of the mill second pairing defenseman and paid like a true #1. The aging curve is not on his side and that’s a lot of risk to incur in the final years of his signing bonus laden deal.
Those are, primarily, the assets that I believe could be acquired and packaged with additional benefit. There is potential for other players to be attached to assets, namely Casey Mittelstadt or Nils Hoglander, but I have a hard time seeing either GM pay to move them given their teams’ status. In all likelyhood, the best way to weaponize cap is to get big cost players below market value and put them in better situations.
Assets to Move
The Blue Jackets have plenty of assets to spend to accumulate value or make roster additions without losing big pieces. The first and foremost must be the pending UFAs.
Mathieu Olivier and Ivan Provorov are sure to draw attention from opposing teams and their return values must be considered. The Blue Jackets will already be returning Sean Monahan, Erik Gudbranson, Yegor Chinakhov as “own rentals” but it’s still important to consider the emotion in the room.
It sounds like Don Waddell is comfortable taking them to free agency and losing them for nothing, which might not be a huge deal if he thinks he can find replacements, but it would be worth considering the value they could have returned.
I’ll start with Ivan Provorov. The defense market is thin and Provorov is legitimately one of the best available players at the deadline. Reading the tea leaves would put the cost of acquisition quite high, at least a 1st round pick and potentially more, but the most premium versions of that asset profile have already been moved. That Kyle Dubas was able to get the New York Rangers’ 1st round pick with a good probability of becoming a 2026 1st is looking like a fantastic deal. Marcus Pettersson is better than Ivan Provorov in many respects but does lean heavily into puck-moving where Provorov is more dirty work.
So, the Blue Jackets could pivot. Perhaps Ivan Provorov doesn’t get a first and that’s okay, the Blue Jackets already have two this upcoming draft. What they don’t have is second round picks for this season or the next. If Provorov can be moved for two second round picks, that should be seen as a win. If he can be moved for a second round pick and an already drafted defense prospect (Beau Akey, Kaeden Korczak or Sam Rinzel somehow) that should be considered a win as well.
Mathieu Olivier, on the other hand, is more difficult to gauge. Rumors suggest that he’s looking for around $5 million on his next contract, which should be untenable, but I can’t be sure what other teams would outright pay for his services. He’s looked better as of late but also hasn’t been playing against the type of puck-movers or forecheckers that force him into bad situations. He brings great energy to the room and Evason loves him in difficult roles. He feels more like a part of a package for a young team looking to change the culture than an outright deadline addition or rental on his own.
The other expiring UFAs, Justin Danforth and Sean Kuraly, don’t really look like they’re going anywhere and don’t project to return assets great enough to consider moving without some sort of like return.
The other assets CBJ has to reasonably give are prospects outside of the NHL. Don Waddell is likely only attached to his own picks which means some of the players on the Cleveland Monsters are likely up for grabs especially considering Denton Mateychuk’s growth and both Sillinger and Lindstrom projecting to be in the org long term. That means players like Luca Del Bel Belluz and Stanislav Svozil should perhaps be considering the most likely pieces to move in any potential deal especially if it preserves future draft capital.
I have liked what I’ve seen from both players, though Svozil has some habits that are concerning despite some really stellar playmaking and deception, but it’s hard to project growth opportunity for either of them at the NHL level any time soon. The Blue Jackets have stocked the cupboards with NHL tweeners in Jake Christiansen, Jordan Harris and Daemon Hunt so it’s only a matter of time before one of them is moved in some capacity.
James Malatesta is nice but probably tops out as a fourth liner and Gavin Brindley already looks like he’ll fill the undersized energy winger quota. While I would heavily advise against moving Gavin Brindley, seeing him as a crucial part of the next wave, he isn’t untouchable if part of the package for a very good player.
Don Waddell has professed that a first round pick is in the cards if the return is a young player with term or team control for the foreseeable future. Otherwise, the Blue Jackets are looking to deal from their stock of 3rd and 4th round picks.
Wheeling and Dealing Low Cost
The problem with most of these pitches, especially as it relates to rentals, is that determining what an NHL GM is willing to pay (or willing to give) is a fool’s errand. Trouba for a 4th round pick despite not providing close to his contract value? Jake Walman requires a pick to dump? Good luck.
In any case, let’s project a set of lines with the following moves:
Right off the bat, too many moves. Don’t worry too much about the cost, let’s just see what the outcome of so many additions would be.
Some of the values are shorthanded, Olivier to Boston for a 2nd + Brazeau and Provorov for Seth Jones. Likely, I assume the Blue Jackets get greater returns. That said, I hate to include flips of returns for more assets in Armchair GM proposals because it introduces so many layers of even judgement.
Greenway and Nyquist should cost 4ths ish. Soucy should be attached with a sweetener though Vancouver doesn’t really have any 3rd round picks. Rakell is a bunch of prospects and a collection of picks similar to the Guentzel rental and avoiding a 1st round pick.
In this case, I’m projecting that Provorov and Olivier aren’t going to be extended and will be “sold” or maybe included as part of deals. This is a tremendous number of moves, which has a big impact on locker room dynamics, but that’s offset by bringing in some insurance moves with some familiarity with Dean Evason.
Justin Brazeau (10 goals 20 points in 54 games) is the nearest 1 to 1 replacement for Mathieu Olivier (10 goals 18 points in 57 games) as a big right handed forward who plays down the lineup but who is producing more. He would be a tremendous fit on either a matchup line in Olivier’s spot or on the fourth line with James van Riemsyk as a below hash marks sort of offensive line. He’s akin to Voronkov in terms of being absolutely huge and having surprisingly good hands. Even if Olivier doesn’t move, I’d look to add him for cheap. Can’t say enough about his character either as a player who has improved every year and worked his way up from the ECHL in recent years.
Jordan Greenway and Gustav Nyquist, though very different players, should also be inexpensive hits and both have experience in big roles with Dean Evason. Greenway is another huge body with some power-playmaking chops who had one of the best seasons on a matchup line in recent memory under Dean Evason alongside Marcus Foligno. Gustav Nyquist has been an excellent forward who is primed for some positive results away from the poor actual goals results of Nashville. He fits in the locker room, he works hard and has the play connecting game to really help skilled players.
Post-TDL Roster
This puts the Blue Jackets at the roster maximum and offers this depth chart prior to Monahan, Chinakhov and Gudbranson’s return, which brings me to the issue. There are obviously too many acquisitions. It’s a deep roster, one that honestly feels competitive, but it feels more like an overspent bottom six than it does something with true difference makers added. Adding Brazeau, Nyquist and Greenway, unless one or more ends up free, takes up pretty much all of the “cheap deadline add” capital that the Blue Jackets would have for the next few seasons.
The biggest wildcard is Damon Severson. If Jones is added, one of him or Erik Gudbranson will be the odd man out. It seems an awful lot like it would be Severson (who has a full NTC, though that didn’t really stop Jacob Trouba from being moved), but perhaps Jones is the veterancy that Evason and Waddell needs to move on from Gudbranson. Still, going forward, I don’t think the roster can hold both Damon Severson and Seth Jones.
Rakell is likely expensive and interesting. He’s a proven goal scorer, adds a right handed element and has even played some center in his career. The Blue Jackets look completely content to run Sillinger down the middle until Monahan returns but I am being overly cautious and worried about his wrist injury. Still, he’s putting up points thanks a lot to Sidney Crosby and the Blue Jackets would have to pay for that.
The question here, I suppose, would be is this cost and player better than what the Blue Jackets could get from Colorado and Casey Mittelstadt? I see the fit there but it’s hard to stomach paying for a player who has had such a down season. In previous years with Buffalo, sometimes on the wing which is where he would slot post-Monahan return, he has been one of the most dominant 5v5 players in the league. I can’t say I’m sure and it seems more likely that neither really join the Blue Jackets.
Fully Healthy Roster
Post-Monahan and Chinakhov returns, it’s an extremely deep and versatile lineup with plenty of ways to create line combinations that fulfill a variety of roles and needs. What that versatility brings might also mean too much change and obviously too many players. Theoretically there are a million ways to arrange the top 9 with potential for Greenway, who might not make the roster if fully healthy, and/or Brazeau slotting up in the case of injuries.
I really hesitate to separate Marchenko and Monahan, especially because of how good they looked as a forechecking unit, and it’s also difficult to see Kent Johnson and Rickard Rakell played with Fantilli because of the lack of netfront play. Maybe Marchenko and Fantilli play together and Kent Johnson gets to resume duties with Monahan. Still, all of it remains options especially as the games get tighter. The only downside, if you choose to see it that way, would be removing James van Riemsdyk from the lineup. He’s been an incredibly efficient scorer despite his deficiencies elsewhere.
I would certainly rather have Kent Johnson on the top-line, and there’s plenty of lineup flexibility and levers to pull for Dean Evason should he seek to try different players in different places.
That’s the simplest conclusion, moving this many players is simply spending too many assets filling out the bottom portion of the roster. It’s a lot of turmoil in the locker room even if some players look like great fits.
The Conservative and Likely Moves
Toning it down, I think these moves still make sense for the Blue Jackets though it will introduce some personnel issues that we’ll have to get into later. Justin Brazeau, Carson Soucy and Gustav Nyquist should all be readily available. Ultimately, I’d love to move something other than picks for one or more of these targets but I can’t be sure of what other GMs want so I’ll err on the side of overpayment.
Post TDL Conservative Roster
This means that this is the roster at the trade deadline. I have no idea how Dean Evason arranges the middle-six and whether he would elevate Gustav Nyquist or Boone Jenner. Personally, it looks like Jenner could use some more time to acclimate to the NHL but he certainly brings a netfront approach that is valuable next to Sillinger and Johnson.
I really like the fourth line. It’s unusual that they each come by way of Boston but I think it has the capacity to be a line that plays with versatility and brings a below dots game that Dean Evason likes.
The defense isn’t world beating but I’ll gladly take the risk on Soucy playing over Jake Christiansen. If it doesn’t work out, at least the Blue Jackets have gained an asset. It’s entirely possible Jeremy Rutherford doesn’t want to pay for a team to take him but I can’t see anyone incurring the risk of his performance and paying for it.
Full Health Conservative Roster
The roster runs into some issues at full health at a couple of pinch points. I really like the top nine but the d-corps doesn’t feel fully aligned. Mateychuk-Severson looks like a fantastic third pair with rhymes of Ryan Murray - Markus Nutivaara but Provorov-Gudbranson feels like a disaster waiting to happen. It happened last year, it wasn’t good but it feels unavoidable with an NHL head coach. The recurring issue is that Provorov-Severson also doesn’t really seem to work.
Furthermore, Carson Soucy doesn’t have a spot, though that’s fine especially because of injuries, and the Blue Jackets have to make a decision on what to do with Jack Johnson, Jake Christiansen and Jordan Harris. Some are going on waivers at the very least.
The forwards, also, don’t feel perfect. The top nine is great and has plenty of versatility. Brazeau and Olivier would rock on a fourth line but now both Zach Aston-Reese, Justin Danforth and James van Riemsdyk are all scratched.
The bench being this many players long would mean the Blue Jackets are bound to lose something on waivers if they aren’t part of follow up deals. Perhaps they send down Jack Johnson, ZAR, JvR and one more and play them as Black Aces come playoffs but some of that veterancy is good in the room.
Triming some of the peripheral and non-long term players may be necessary in supplementary deals. Perhaps the Blue Jackets don’t mind losing some of the depth either.
Ultimately, what I like about each of these acquisitions is the flexibility it provides post-playoffs (or post-season should the Blue Jackets not make it) to make bigger moves at or pre-draft. The presence of Nyquist, Brazeau and Soucy going into the offseason will have value because of the liberation of risk and enabling of shopping with confidence. If there are deals to be made for Olivier, Provorov or better veterans (like perhaps Gudbranson or Jenner though it feels hard to imagine) Waddell can move forward knowing that Nyquist, Brazeau or Soucy are the worst case scenario. I expect Waddell to continue to fill out and improve the roster this upcoming offseason so getting bodies on the roster would help lubricate the gears of that change.
Ultimately, I imagine the Blue Jackets deadline will look something like this. I believe they should be primed to find a big fish at or near the draft but the rest of the season and Don Waddell’s moves may be highly telling. Personally, I’d be taking an extremely tough run at Owen Power who Buffalo has reportedly been open to offers for. The Blue Jackets likely have to pony up something large and might have to offer some good-in-room veterans to help change the tide but it might just be the forward looking acquisition that propels the Blue Jackets into a long contention window.