Blue Jackets Not Looking at Pending UFAs

The Columbus Blue Jackets were supposed to be sellers at the trade deadline. Three weeks ago, that seemed like a certainty. Then Rick Bowness replaced Dean Evason behind the bench, and everything changed. The Olympic break made the franchise change its game plan.

The Blue Jackets have won 10 of 11 games since Bowness took over, putting them within four points of the Boston Bruins for the final wild card spot with a game in hand. That remarkable turnaround has completely shifted the conversation around the organization as the trade deadline approaches.

General manager Don Waddell spoke to Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets team website during the Olympic break and acknowledged how dramatically the situation has evolved.

"Well, three weeks ago, before I hired Bowness, I thought the way we were headed, we would be getting lots of assets at the deadline," Waddell said.

Everything Has Changed

Instead, Columbus has battled back into the playoff race. The team has five crucial games before the deadline, and Waddell plans to monitor how those play out before making any major decisions.

"We'll continue to monitor those and hopefully come out of this break on a good note and keep it going," he said. "Obviously, we're not going to go 11-1, but we want to keep ourselves in the race here."

Sep 4, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Don Waddell speaks during a vigil to remember Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau at Nationwide Arena. Gaudreau, along with his brother, Matthew, died in a bicycle crash last week. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-Imagn Images via Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY Network | Adam Cairns-Imagn Images via Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY Network

Being in playoff contention instead of selling off assets creates different challenges for a general manager. Waddell admitted the stress level is higher now than it would have been as a seller.

"Does it make it harder? It makes it a lot more fun, that's for sure," Waddell said. "The stress level is probably a little higher than normal. I wear an Oura ring for a reason: to tell me my stress levels for the day."

But he'd rather deal with that stress than face the alternative.

"I'd rather be in this position than the way we were going because at least now we have some good decisions to make," he said.

Not Adding Rentals

While Waddell didn't fully reveal his deadline plans, he made one thing clear. The Blue Jackets won't be pursuing rental players to boost their playoff push.

"The one thing we probably won't do is go out and try to add UFAs at the deadline," Waddell explained. "You might go around the edges a little bit, but having in particular three forwards that play good roles on our team, to add another UFA and give up assets, probably doesn't make sense."

Columbus already has several pending UFAs playing important roles.

Boone Jenner, Charlie Coyle, Mason Marchment and Erik Gudbranson are all on expiring deals. Adding another rental player would require giving up assets while potentially losing their own UFAs in the summer.

"All the UFAs right now on our team play a good role for our team, so if you take anybody off, you're going to have to replace them because of the positions that they play," Waddell said.

What's Next

The exception would be acquiring a player with term remaining on his contract, which Waddell noted represents a different value proposition.

The Blue Jackets return from the break with a massive game against the Bruins, the team they're chasing for the final playoff spot. How Columbus performs over the next five games will determine whether they stay in the race or shift back to selling mode at the deadline.

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway On SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!