COLUMBUS, Ohio — In an interview shortly after Don Waddell took over as president and general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets, he predicted that next season’s lineup would have “six or seven” new faces after his offseason maneuverings.
That’s the type of comment by an NHL GM that gets minds racing, and it suggests that Waddell is looking to make bold moves this offseason. Waddell was part of a Blue Jackets contingent that flew to Las Vegas on Tuesday for the start of what should be a wild week across the league.
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The Blue Jackets have some players with AHL Cleveland who could be ready for NHL opportunities, so that accounts for some of the new faces. Waddell has also spoken about sniffing around the free-agent market (which opens July 1) to boost the roster’s depth at forward and on defense. He’d also like to add players with a veteran presence.
An influx of that many new faces suggests that players currently on the roster could be shipped out of town on the trade market, and those conversations — while already underway — will likely intensify this week when the league gathers in steamy Las Vegas.
While it’s impossible to know where Waddell’s deal-making may lead, there are a cluster of Blue Jackets players who would make sense as trade assets. Here are six candidates:
1. Patrik Laine, LW
Contract: Signed through 2025-26 ($8.7 million cap hit)
Clauses: Has a 10-team no-trade list
Not exactly a bold choice to get us started here, right? The Blue Jackets have acknowledged that Laine has asked for a trade, but the desire to end the relationship seems mutual. Laine played only 18 games last season and has played less than 60 percent of Columbus’ games since he was traded from Winnipeg in January 2021.
Laine, 26, remains in the NHL/NHLPA players assistance program as of earlier this week,. He could be traded while still in the program, but it’s unlikely a club would swing a deal without speaking with the player first.
Waddell has said he wants to make a “hockey trade,” but most assume that the Jackets will have to retain a portion of Laine’s salary to facilitate the fresh start. For his part, Laine may be willing to bend on his no-trade list to help swing the deal. The fact that the NHL’s salary cap is (finally!) going up will be a huge help here.
2. Ivan Provorov, D
Contract: Signed through 2024-25 ($4.725 million cap hit)
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Clauses: None.
Provorov, 27, is headed into the final year of the contract he signed with Philadelphia, and with the Flyers retaining $2 million, the Blue Jackets’ portion ($4.75 million) is more than fair for a veteran player who can eat minutes and rarely misses games.
The Blue Jackets are extremely high on young left-side defenseman Denton Mateychuk, who is turning pro this season and is likely to handle top-four minutes very soon. It should be noted, however, that Waddell is likely to show more patience with young players than previous GM Jarmo Kekalainen did, suggesting that Matyechuk could start this season in the AHL. If that seems likely, Provorov’s trade may wait until the 2025 deadline. The only scenario that’s hard to envision is one in which Provorov finishes his contract with Columbus and leaves next summer with no compensation as an unrestricted free agent.
3. Jake Bean, D
Contract: Restricted free agent as of July 1
Clauses: None.
Bean, 26, had a solid bounce-back season in 2023-24, but it appears the end in near for his time in Columbus. He’s a restricted free agent, so the Blue Jackets could keep his rights by simply extending a qualifying offer. But that would require, at minimum, a one-year deal at $2.9 million. That’s pricey for a player who is unlikely to see ice time above the third pairing, even if Provorov gets moved.
And look at it this way: Waddell has already traded Bean once. When he was GM of the Carolina Hurricanes three summers ago, Waddell traded Bean to the Blue Jackets for a second-round pick. Bean is listed here because Waddell will try to find another trade for Bean with a club that is willing to pay the qualifying-offer price.
4. Alexandre Texier, LW/RW
Contract: Restricted free agent
Clauses: None.
Kekalainen, the former GM, was always intrigued by Texier’s wide array of skills and talents, the promise in his game and the flexibility he could bring to any lineup. The 24-year-old oozes potential, and he returned to the NHL and played 78 games for the Blue Jackets after missing a season to remain in Europe.
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But the Blue Jackets’ recent run of drafting and developing has squeezed Texier out of a top-six role, with Yegor Chinakhov, Kirill Marchenko, Kent Johnson and others passing him on the depth chart. Texier spent most of last season on the Blue Jackets’ fourth line. A wise NHL GM would take a flyer on him, especially since he’s due a very reasonable $1.75 million qualifying offer to keep his rights as an RFA. Could Texier be a sweetener in a Laine deal?
5. Elvis Merzlikins, G
Contract: Signed through 2026-27 ($5.4 million)
Clauses: 10-team no-trade clause
Yes, we know what Waddell has said about keeping Merzlikins. Yes, we take him at his word. But we’re still willing to wait and see what the rest of the summer brings, not only with the ever-changing goaltender market but with Waddell, who continues to get acclimated to Columbus and have more conversations with players and staff about the recent inner workings of this franchise.
Merzlikins’ contract will indeed be hard to trade, as Waddell has noted. A buyout is out of the question, which he also made clear. But we’ve seen unwieldy contracts traded before in this league, including some already this offseason. We hedged our bets by listing Merzlikins lower on this list, but it’s not something we’re willing to rule out if Waddell is persuaded that the franchise needs a new No. 1 goaltender immediately.
6. Adam Boqvist, D
Contract: Signed through 2024-25 ($2.6 million)
Clauses: None
The Blue Jackets are clearly committed to veteran Damon Severson, whose contract runs seven more seasons. And while David Jiricek’s relationship with the franchise could use some healing, the No. 6 overall pick in 2022 won’t be kept out of the NHL much longer. That leaves Boqvist, ultimately, as no more than a third-pairing option on the right side, and that’s where Erik Gudbranson — he of the $4 million contract — currently resides, making Boqvist expendable.
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There will be interest in Boqvist. He turns only 24 years old this summer. He’s scored 23 goals in only 209 NHL games. Among NHL defensemen with 200-plus games since 2019-20, Boqvist ranks 10th in goals-per-60 minutes, ahead of some lofty names (Karlsson, Hedman, Fox, Ekblad, etc.). The drawback, of course, is that he’s never played more than 52 games in a season due to injuries. One caveat: It’s hard to see Waddell trading Provorov, Bean and Boqvist, but if he’s active in free agency…
(Photo of Patrik Laine: Aaron Doster / NHLI via Getty Images)
