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Could Columbus Be Buyers at the Deadline?

April 3, 2013, 12:53 AM ET [7 Comments]
Glen Miller
Columbus Blue Jackets Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Recently the Columbus Blue Jackets have suggested they may be willing to part with one of their three first-round draft choices this June in a deal to acquire a scoring forward so long as that player was not a "rental." By rental of course we mean a player not in his last season before he becomes an UFA. This idea comes as a surprise in some ways since Columbus GM Jarmo Keklainen is known for scouting and it's been expected this team would prefer to build through the draft under his leadership. It does make some sense however for Columbus to at least entertain making that type of move.

A month ago Columbus was one of the worst teams in the league but a lengthy points streak pulled the Jackets back into the playoff race. Now they have a realistic chance to surprise the hockey world by qualifying for the postseason and with the fans starting to buy into this squad Columbus might be best served to see if they can upgrade this roster. No one would expect this team to make it to the Stanley Cup finals but even winning a couple of playoff games would be a first for this organization.

So, assuming Columbus decides to add as opposed to standing pat, what players might they target? This is why it is hard for me to not be able to make a living as a hockey writer. While I was at work thinking about what players Columbus could and should perhaps chase, the Columbus Dispatch's Aaron Portzline was at work writing about the same players I was considering.

In an online chat, here's a few players Portzline suggested Columbus might look at.

I agree with each of those names aside from Vanek's; I simply believe he will be too expensive in terms of players and his cap hit to be a viable alternative. I especially like the idea of bringing Glencross back to Columbus. He is a gritty player with a scoring touch and would fit in very well with the group Columbus ices on a nightly basis. Glencross has two more seasons at a cap hit of just $2.55M per.

Pominville, who has twice netted 30+ goals and potted at least 20 four other times, would also be a good fit. The Buffalo captain has one year left with a cap hit of $5.3M. He's more expensive than Glencross but he also has a longer track record.

I could also add the name of Paul Stastny to the list if Columbus really wanted to go big. Stastny has one more season on his deal with a cap hit of $6.6M and with Ryan O'Reilly and Matt Duchesne on the roster he could be expendable in Colorado. He has 19 points in 31 games and admittedly would be a long shot but could be both available and of interest to Columbus.

Tomas Fleischmann of Florida could, in theory, also be a fit. He has two years remaining on his deal with a cap charge of $4.5M per. He ahs 23 points in 36 contests this season but recorded 61 points last season.

We'll see if Columbus takes a bit of a risk and adds a veteran scorer under contract beyond this season since it could be argued the Jackets are playing on house money. A playoff appearance would be considered a huge success and provide a boon to revenues as well. If they should come up short in their quest for the postseason then this season will still be viewed as a success.

Regardless of what they do I can't help feeling that they are in a good spot. Not only do they have the right guys, Kekalainen and John Davidson, making the calls but they could justify standing pat tomorrow or making a bold move to improve their chances. It's been a while since Jackets fans could say that.
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