They didn't make the playoffs, but the Columbus Blue Jackets enter this off-season in pretty good shape.
They have a good core in place, a nice group of prospects on the way, 10 picks for June's draft, some cap space to work with, and very few unrestricted free agents.
The most notable of the latter group is center Mark Letestu, who stressed in exit meetings that he'd like to find a way to return.
Via the Blue Jackets' website: “I’ve made it very clear to everyone here that I’d like to stay, but those decisions aren’t always in your power," Letestu said. "At times, organizations have to make decisions based on the organization’s best interest, and sometimes personal feelings have to be left out of that. But I’d love to stay.
Via The Columbus Dispatch: "-- Doesn't appear to be any movement in resigning center Mark Letestu, a pending UFA this summer. Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen is in Switzerland right now, scouring and scouting the World U-18 championships.
If you look at his numbers as a whole, Letestu didn't have a great season. I recently wrote that I think he's worth keeping around, though.
The cliff notes version: he is a good penalty killer, a productive bottom-6 guy, and was good when he didn't have Jared Boll and Corey Tropp - two possession anchors - on his line.
Letestu is coming off a contract that carried a very reasonable $1.25 million cap hit. If he's willing to sign for a similar salary it shouldn't be too hard to get something done.
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