Speculation: CBJ have cap space and willing to add a forward from a cap strapped team.

[PAZ]

Looking at their lineup, i'm confused who they're wanting to push down or what hole they have that a cap dump would fill. By no means a great lineup but all the players in the top 6 need/want top 6 roles, and the bottom 6 is decent.

 

[behemolari]

CBJ pretty much exposed

 

[innitfam]

Feel free to attempt to explain why the Jackets would have any motivation to take on a multiyear cap dump with more term than the guy we just got rid of.

Acquire draft assets, warm bodies for the roster, veterans to insulate the young forwards.

There also isn't exactly a preponderance of cap-dump level players (who also aren't a) so bad as to be not worth acquiring at all, b) have too high of a cap hit to be worth acquiring or c) were too recently acquired by their current team) on cap-strapped teams, with fewer than 3 years remaining on their deal.

Except for Kane, who does have only 2 years left... so fitting the 'criteria' lol

 

[Dumais]

I think the best candidate for this position, and this coming from GMDW himself; is someone who wants to be here. Attendance and taking minimum sick time is probably high on the list. Team player and community work is also a plus.

Winning mentality is completely optional as long as they put up 40pts and real struggle doing it. Keeping expectations low and not messing up the curve is key to good team work. While scoring is up across the league, CBJ still believe having a couple 50-60pt player with a handful of 40pt players that, work hard; can be good enough to get people to pay money to watch them.

 

[MoneyManny]

I think the best candidate for this position, and this coming from GMDW himself; is someone who wants to be here. Attendance and taking minimum sick time is probably high on the list. Team player and community work is also a plus.

Winning mentality is completely optional as long as they put up 40pts and real struggle doing it. Keeping expectations low and not messing up the curve is key to good team work. While scoring is up across the league, CBJ still believe having a couple 50-60pt player with a handful of 40pt players that, work hard; can be good enough to get people to pay money to watch them.

 

[TheBeard]

Good spot for PLD

 

[missionAvs]

f*** that. About the only scenario in which I'd willingly accept Nichushkin and that hell contract anywhere near the Jackets is if the deal was Nichushkin@50% and MacKinnon@50% for future considerations. And then we'd tie him up, throw him in a plane and ship him back home before ever he gets anywhere near the locker room.

Deal.

 

[Tasteless Beaver]

Why the hell didn’t they just retain on Laine to get more assets back? You could’ve actually started a bidding war and received assets instead of paying a 2nd to offload him. Awful, short-sighted GMing going on in Columbus.

 

[vokiel]

Looking at their lineup, i'm confused who they're wanting to push down or what hole they have that a cap dump would fill. By no means a great lineup but all the players in the top 6 need/want top 6 roles, and the bottom 6 is decent.

View attachment 903568

They can bury whoever they acquire in the AHL, as any team would with a real cap dump.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Looking at their lineup, i'm confused who they're wanting to push down or what hole they have that a cap dump would fill. By no means a great lineup but all the players in the top 6 need/want top 6 roles, and the bottom 6 is decent.

View attachment 903568

We don’t really have an extra forward right now. So the goal would probably rotate guys on the fourth line. Or if injuries strike we can play all of them. Or the coach could bench someone for poor play or whatever.

The point is we don’t want to use a prospect as the extra forward and we want some vets in Cleveland. But we do need another body up.

 

[josra33]

Why the hell didn’t they just retain on Laine to get more assets back? You could’ve actually started a bidding war and received assets instead of paying a 2nd to offload him. Awful, short-sighted GMing going on in Columbus.

Can’t trade for what others aren’t willing to trade. This isn’t NHL 25.

 

[CDN24]

Why the hell didn’t they just retain on Laine to get more assets back? You could’ve actually started a bidding war and received assets instead of paying a 2nd to offload him. Awful, short-sighted GMing going on in Columbus.

Something does not add up. We are led to believe there were more offers (better offers) for Laine if CBJ retained. Now we hear they may want to use their cap space to take on Cap dumps to recover some picks.

One would have to assume that with retention he could have got a Harris level prospect and at least a 2nd rd pick back for laine. There are your 2 picks, the one you would have gotten and the one you would not have given up?

Not so sure they really want to spend real money, maybe take on a player on expiring contract with a big Cap hit who's bonus has been paid with minimal real dollars left, that they might be able to flip for another asset at the deadline.

A bit late in off season for those moves- no one is really up against the cap with unsigned RFAs

 

[Michoulicious]

Why the hell didn’t they just retain on Laine to get more assets back? You could’ve actually started a bidding war and received assets instead of paying a 2nd to offload him. Awful, short-sighted GMing going on in Columbus.

Exactly my thoughts.

Waddell seems to think he'll be able to find a team willing to offload a Marleau/Monahan-like contract for each of the next 2 years and grab 2 first rounders or something?

We'll see if it works out, but I think in the end this is just to save money for the owners and that the team won't spend near the cap.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

I heard Justin Holl was a great winger in peewee. He’d be a great fit on Columbus’ bottom 6.

 

[Iwishihadaspacebar]

Just looking at some of the tight capped teams.

Washington - Not much available, maybe Sonny Milano?

Avs - with Landeskog on LTIR they'd not need to move anyone of note if they didn't want to.

Vegas - Nothing major required either.

Seattle - Nothing major required either. Maybe Tolvanen or Tanev could be moved it they want to trade for someone?

Toronto - Robertson is still an RFA so might be an option.

The only real alternative is to pick someone who might get waived.

They may as well pick up someone like Paciotetty and hope he stays healthy to move him at the deadline.

 

[vokiel]

Why the hell didn’t they just retain on Laine to get more assets back? You could’ve actually started a bidding war and received assets instead of paying a 2nd to offload him. Awful, short-sighted GMing going on in Columbus.

Possible Columbus is spending up to their budget, not up to the cap?

The premise of the thread would be false then...

 

[SteelCityCannon]

Something does not add up. We are led to believe there were more offers (better offers) for Laine if CBJ retained.

Uhhhh...no offense but who was led to believe that? We heard all summer how nobody wanted Laine...

This isn't a video game. You can't force teams to trade with you.

 

[TFHockey]

Portzline: Trade of Patrik Laine gives Blue Jackets huge cap space, a 'clean slate'

The Blue Jackets avoided a potential training-camp issue by dealing Laine to Montreal.

www.nytimes.com

Something we've been talking about on HFCBJ since the Laine trade is Waddell has said over multiple interviews since the Laine deal that the team is very open and willing to add a forward to the team. He has talked about recouping picks (no 2nd this year or next) and adding to the forward groups.

Was wondering who would be out there in order for the Jackets to potentially take on a player from a team looking to dump a forward and potentially adding a pick (like a 2nd) to do so?

Before you offer some names, here are things to keep in mind:

1. Waddell has mentioned wanting to recoup a pick if he can in order to acquire said forward. Don't think we're looking to make a "hockey deal", but would rather be a cap dumper with a draft pick attached for future considerations or something really small.

2. Like I said, the want is for a Forward. Not a D.

3. My guess is someone to add to the bottom 6 and not someone with multi years left on the deal (3+).

Evander Kane?

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Why the hell didn’t they just retain on Laine to get more assets back? You could’ve actually started a bidding war and received assets instead of paying a 2nd to offload him. Awful, short-sighted GMing going on in Columbus.

Ownership has no interest on retaining on contracts for multiple years. They’ve only done it on deadline deals where the contract expires a few months later.

 

[miscs75]

What about a bottom 6 center named JG Pageau to help round out the depth?

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

 

[Tasteless Beaver]

Ownership has no interest on retaining on contracts for multiple years. They’ve only done it on deadline deals where the contract expires a few months later.

Two years? Where will Columbus be in the 2025-2026 season that they need the cap space or retention slot from the Laine deal? I don’t think you’re going to find multiple one-year Marleau type deals this year or next year - again, it doesn’t make sense. That 2nd round pick could very well be 33rd overall in 2026, which is right around what $3-4m of cap dump is worth.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Two years? Where will Columbus be in the 2025-2026 season that they need the cap space or retention slot from the Laine deal? I don’t think you’re going to find multiple one-year Marleau type deals this year or next year - again, it doesn’t make sense. That 2nd round pick could very well be 33rd overall in 2026, which is right around what $3-4m of cap dump is worth.

The thought process is ownership isn’t a fan of paying players not to play for the team.

We have two player buyouts on the books (Wennberg, Boqvist), with potentially another one coming next year (Elvis), paying for 3 coaches (Babcock, Vincent, Evason), and two GMs and presidents (Waddell, JD, Jarmo). That’s a lot for us. Especially when we suck.

Ownership will pay up if the team is competitive but they’re also been led astray with expectations from jarmo in the past few years.

Not saying it makes sense but that is just how it works.

 

[Viqsi]

Acquire draft assets

That doesn't explain term.

warm bodies for the roster,

Not strictly needed. Still doesn't explain term.

veterans to insulate the young forwards.

Got several of those. Still doesn't explain term.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

What about a bottom 6 center named JG Pageau to help round out the depth?

I’d be interested in this considering we don’t have a right handed center on the roster.