Perhaps the biggest task on Jarmo Kekalainen's to-do list this summer is to upgrade the team's defense core.
On many nights the Blue Jackets were outshot - sometimes significantly - and as a whole there were a lot more defensive breakdowns than the team probably hoped for.
While the Blue Jackets have some quality prospects, and an abundance of draft picks to trade from, it seems likely they'll ship a forward or two out at some point.
Why? Well, from top-to-bottom they have one of the deepest forward cores in the NHL, and at this point there isn't any room for the kids to push their way through the ranks.
Let's take a look at their depth chart up front:
** RFA * UFA
Boone Jenner - Ryan Johansen - Cam Atkinson Artem Anisimov - Brandon Dubinsky - Nick Foligno Scott Hartnell - Alexander Wennberg - Marko Dano Matt Calvert** - Mark Letestu* - Jeremy Morin
That's an excellent group of forwards, and that doesn't even take into account Rene Bourque, David Clarkson, or any of their prospects coming up (notably Kerby Rychel, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Wiliiam Karlsson, among others).
Even if the team allows Letestu to change free agency, more changes likely need to be made.
There hasn't been much talk about who could be on the way out, but I'd hazard a guess on Artem Anisimov. His name was brought up in trade rumors a couple times throughout the season - notably with Edmonton being the team of interest - and with Johansen, Dubinsky and Wennberg down the middle and Boone Jenner also possessing the ability to play center, there's no clear fit for Anisimov going forward.
The Jackets won't make a trade for the sake of doing one, and they certainly won't give Anisimov - or any of these guys - away for nothing, but someone is bound to be moved and - as I wrote last summer - I think Anisimov could be the odd man out.
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