The Columbus Blue Jackets have not seen playoff hockey in five straight seasons, but 2024-25 was a major improvement. They would finish fourth in the Metropolitan Division. The team still had needs to fill in this 2025 NHL offseason, but they did not have a good NHL Free Agency period. General manager Don Waddell was not completely stagnant, though, making a trade to improve the roster.
After missing the playoffs by just two points, there was an expectation that Columbus would be aggressive in the offseason. The team had two first-round picks, but would use both of them. The front office also had plenty of cap space to work with. The offense was solid, sitting sixth in the NHL in goals per game, but they needed to add something to the powerplay. The team also struggled on both defense and the penalty kill, and a major reason for that was goaltending.
With draft capital and cap space, the team was in a prime position to make big-time transactions in the offseason.
NHL Free Agency was a miss in Columbus
The 2025 NHL Free Agency period for the Jackets was nothing short of a disaster. After trading away Daniil Tarasov to the Florida Panthers, the team could have upgraded their goaltending position behind Elvis Merzlikins, or potentially have brought in a player to contend for the starting job with him. Instead, they will be running with Jet Greaves as the backup, who has spent much of his career in the AHL.
Meanwhile, the team overpaid to bring back Ivan Provorov. While the blue liner is a solid player, the former fifth overall pick did not warrant a seven-year deal that was worth $8.5 million per year. He is a player who is consistently on the ice, rarely missing a game. Further, he helps out on the powerplay and penalty kill. Still, bringing him back just retains the status quo, and they have paid him as a top-20 defenseman in the NHL.
It was not all doom and gloom for the offseason. They extended Dante Fabbro on a team-friendly deal. Fabbro could pair with Zach Werenski on the top line next year. They also retained Dmitri Voronokov, who has continued to grow as a player. They struck out on finding major free agents overall, mostly returning players, so the best moves they made all surrounded one trade.
Miles Wood is a nice addition
The Colorado Avalanche needed to open up cap space this summer, and the Jackets were the beneficiary of just that. The Avalanche traded Miles Wood and Charlie Coyle in exchange for Gavin Brindley and two draft picks. Wood was the 100th overall selection of the New Jersey Devils in 2013. He would break into the NHL for the first time in 2015-16, playing one game with the team. He spent 2023-24 and 24-25 with the Avalanche, after signing a six-year deal with the team in the summer of 2023 in free agency.
The Buffalo native is not a major goal-scoring threat. The most times he has lit the lamp in a season is just 19, back in 2017-18. Still, he has reliably averaged over 25 points per year when on the ice. The forward played just 37 games in 2024-25 with the Avs, dealing with injuries. What makes him a solid addition is his physicality. He had 48 hits in just 37 games in 2024-25. Further, he has exceeded 100 hits in a season three times in his NHL career.
He has also shown to be solid on the penalty kill, which was an area of need for the Blue Jackets. Wood is not going to be a player who will make a massive impact, but he does give some improvement to the franchise. The best part of the trade was the other piece the team brought in.
The Blue Jackets' perfect move is for Charlie Coyle
Coyle is also heading to Columbus as part of the trade with the Avalanche. He was the 28th overall pick of the San Jose Sharks in 2010, but would be traded before suiting up for the franchise. The American-born forward has spent time with the Minnesota Wild, Boston Bruins, and the Avalanche in his NHL career. He has scored 40 or more points in three of the last four seasons, while having 15 or more goals in each of them.
Coyle also brings both regular-season and playoff experience. He has played 950 games in his NHL career, while also playing in 126 playoff contests. He is a solid middle-six forward who will bring veteran leadership to an otherwise young group of forwards. While not the biggest move the team could have made this year, he is a nice consolation prize for the franchise.
Overall, this was a summer of misses for the franchise. They wanted to use their cap room to go after Mitch Marner, but Marner did not want to go there. The front office was also reportedly in on Mason Marchment before the Dallas Stars moved him to the Seattle Kraken. They did make the one solid trade, bringing in Coyle and Wood, but that mainly replaces Justin Danforth and Sean Kuraly. Without a major upgrade, this team will once again be on the outside looking in come playoff time.
