The Columbus Blue Jackets were one of the best stories of the 2024-25 NHL season. After the Johnny Gaudreau tragedy, the expectations were insanely low. But they nearly clinched the final Eastern Conference playoff spot and now have expectations for this season. But if things go awry in Columbus, they will be sellers at the trade deadline. again. The Blue Jackets just picked up Charlie Coyle in an offseason trade, but he leads their list of mid-season trade candidates.
The Blue Jackets made very low-stakes additions at the 2025 NHL trade deadline. They added Luke Kunin, who did not do much with Columbus. In the offseason, they locked up a huge 2024 trade candidate with an Ivan Provorov extension that keeps him there through 2032.
Who remains on the Blue Jackets that can be traded this season?
Charlie Coyle could have a short stint in Columbus
The Colorado Avalanche traded for Charlie Coyle at the 2024 NHL trade deadline. But in the offseason, they were looking to shed salary and sent him to Columbus. With just a three-team no-trade list and a contract expiring after the year, Coyle is a prime candidate to be dealt at the deadline.
Coyle is a solid middle-six center, which is what almost every team is looking for at the deadline. The Blue Jackets could use that depth, as it would have helped them down the stretch last year. But if everything comes crashing down, they can turn the third-rounder and second-rounder they sent to Colorado into better picks or prospects.
Things will have to go very wrong for the Blue Jackets to trade Coyle this season. But that is a possibility with any team in the NHL.
A veteran defenseman could bring in some picks
The Blue Jackets signed Erik Gudbranson to a four-year deal worth $4 million per year before the 2022 season. While the offensive numbers are dreadful, that has never been Gudbranson's game. That contract is expiring, and he has a ten-team no-trade list that would help facilitate a deal. The trade deadline is a prime opportunity for defensemen to get moved. Gudbranson could join that list.
The Blue Jackets should be looking to add many draft picks to their cabinet if they are bad at the trade deadline. They made two first-round selections in June and should make more picks in the coming years. If they are good, keeping Gudbranson would not set them back at all. But if they are bad, it would be malpractice to keep him.
Could the captain be on the move?
Blue Jackets' captain Boone Jenner missed most of the 2024-25 season with an injury sustained in training camp. Now, he enters a contract year where he could be dealt at the deadline. Teams will be looking to add veterans at the deadline, and Jenner is entering his 13th year in the NHL.
Jenner won't bring back a first-round pick, but the Blue Jackets can pick up some mid-round picks and maybe a prospect for their captain. This is not the kind of trade that can change their future outlook, but one that is common around the deadline to help another team win the Stanley Cup.
The Blue Jacket 2026 first-round pick could be on the table
Before using those two first-rounders, the Blue Jackets were offering a trade. They had pitched both first-rounders and Dmitri Voronkov to the New York Islanders for defenseman Noah Dobson. While they came in second in that sweepstakes, it showed a commitment to improving right now. If they are good at the deadline, the 2026 first-rounder is as good as gone.
Other trade deadline candidates include Anders Lee and JG Pageau from the Islanders, Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames, and any NHL-caliber Penguins player. If the Blue Jackets are close to the postseason again, they cannot drag their feet like they did last year. They already made two first-rounders to stock their pipeline and should make the deal to send out the 2026 pick.
