Blue Jackets Eye Draft Trade to Accelerate Playoff Return
The Columbus Blue Jackets are poised to reshape their roster ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft, with general manager Don Waddell signaling a willingness to move the 14th overall pick if it can accelerate the team’s return to the playoffs.
Waddell has made it clear that the organization wants to be better immediately, but he is also wary of mortgaging future assets for short‑term gains, especially when it involves acquiring players over the age of 32.
Prospects selected in the teens typically require several years to transition from major junior, NCAA or the AHL into a full‑time NHL role, meaning any trade would need to bring in talent that can contribute right away.
The Jackets finished the 2025‑26 season with 92 points, fifth in the Metropolitan Division, yet they have not qualified for the postseason since the 2019‑20 campaign, a drought that adds urgency to the front office’s evaluation of options.
A jump in the NHL salary cap to $104 million has left Columbus with roughly $32.4 million in cap space, providing a financial runway to absorb new contracts while they assess which unrestricted free agents might fit.
Roster Constraints and Cap Flexibility
Among the restricted free agents the team must protect are Adam Fantilli, Cole Sillinger, Jet Greaves and Egor Zamula, all of whom are expected to receive new deals, while the unrestricted pool includes forwards Mason Marchment, Danton Heinen, Boone Jenner and defensemen Erik Gudbranson and Brendan Smith.
The front office is also keeping an eye on the broader market, where names like Connor Bedard, Leo Carlsson and Ivan Fedotov could become available, though any acquisition would have to align with the team’s long‑term vision and cap posture.
General manager Don Waddell has not ruled out exploring trades that involve older, higher‑priced players, but he has emphasized that the club will not simply trade away its 14th pick for a short‑term patch unless the return demonstrably improves the roster’s depth and playoff prospects.