Inside the NHL’s restricted free agent waiting game

Pierre-Luc Dubois of the Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets are very intriguing. They arguably played the most memorable game of last year’s playoffs, going into a fifth overtime period with Tampa Bay before eventually losing the series in five games. It was the second year in a row that Columbus was dismissed by many fans but still managed to be a thorn in the paw of other playoff teams.

As for next season, The Blue Jackets do not have a single elite scoring talent. The addition of Max Domi helps, but Domi’s best season of 28 goals and 72 total points appears to be the high extreme of his production.  Then there are those who feel that even star defenseman Seth Jones is overrated. To top it off, the goaltending tandem seems to be in a constant fight for the number one role.

After the mass Exodus of free agents left Columbus during the 2019 offseason, it would be nice to see some stability come to the Blue Jackets. An excellent first step towards that stability would be giving a long deal to Pierre-Luc Dubois. Dubois is only 22 years of age and led the team in scoring last season with 49 points. Not elite numbers, but at 22, he could be the Blue Jackets’ top producer for years to come on a line with Max Domi and Cam Atkinson.

Columbus is in a good place to make a deal for Dubois happen. There are currently 22 out of 23 roster spots filled and still about $9.2 million in cap space. Compared to similar players, Dubois might not deserve as big of a contract as Mathew Barzal, for example, but to lock up the former third overall draft pick for the long term, the Blue Jackets are glad to have the extra wiggle room.