After getting Cam Atkinson’s extension done, the Columbus Blue Jackets are turning their focus towards acquiring a center.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have been sniffing around the league for a center since the start of the offseason. While Artemi Panarin certainly adds a lot to their wing depth, the woes of Alexander Wennberg (just one goal and eight assists through 18 games) have left the team looking for a top center.
This should come as no surprise, as the Blue Jackets remained interested in Matt Duchene until the very end. So why didn’t they pull the trigger? Because their top priority was extending Cam Atkinson. With that seven-year deal out of the way, the Blue Jackets are reportedly increasing their efforts to upgrade at center.
Told #CBJ have stepped up efforts across the #NHL to acquire a center now that Cam Atkinson is signed and more about club’s personnel and financial future is settled.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) November 17, 2017
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Entering Friday, Nov. 17, Columbus has over $5 million of cap space ($4 million projected). However, they have even more deadline cap space. In theory, the Blue Jackets could take on over $20 million in cap space at the trade deadline if they so choose. Their total team salary is about $67 million, give or take. So the Blue Jackets have room to make some moves.
The big question is, who will they target? Had Atkinson gotten extended earlier, Duchene might well be a Blue Jacket. But obviously, his trade to the Ottawa Senators erases that possibility. They didn’t express interest in Kyle Turris, but to be fair, few teams did. Especially given how recently he was put on the trade block before his trade to the Nashville Predators.
Columbus could be willing to take on both of the Sedin twins. They have the cap space required to do so. And probably the assets to get them as well. However, the Sedins have no movement clauses and they have expressed no interest in being traded from the Vancouver Canucks.
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Depending on the Vegas Golden Knights’ approach to their roster, Jonathan Marchessault would make sense as a target as well. And he has a very small cap hit. But one has to imagine Marchessault’s attracting a lot of interest because of his production and that sub-$1 million cap hit.
The Blue Jackets are definitely a team to watch moving forward. They have a nice deck to play with and seem to be willing to do what it takes to get better.