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The Columbus Blue Jackets are the best story of the 2024-25 NHL season. They are competing for a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs after superstar forward Johnny Gaudreau passed away in the offseason. They've had great performances from forwards like Sean Monahan but injuries have the Blue Jackets looking for reinforcements at the NHL trade deadline. What do they need to fix before March 7?
Monahan is out with a wrist injury, Boone Jenner still has not played from a training camp injury, and Kirill Marchenko has a broken jaw. With those three players out, scoring is hard to come by for Columbus. Adam Fantilli has picked up a lot of the slack, with eight points in the last eight games, but he needs a surrounding cast. Marchenko was their top scorer and Monahan has steadied the center position. Their flaw is scoring but there are not many options to fix that problem.
Coming into the season, the Blue Jackets had low expectations and were firmly considered trade deadline sellers. Their rise, along with the Calgary Flames, New York Islanders, and Montreal Canadiens, have taken sellers off the board. That makes it a seller's market, with teams like the Seattle Kraken and San Jose Sharks in a position to drive up prices. That will hurt the Blue Jackets.
A recent report from Pierre LeBrun said that the Blue Jackets will buy at the deadline but do not want to part with either of their first-round picks. They traded prospect David Jiricek for four picks, including a first-rounder this year, so they have a stocked cabinet. But with both 2025 firsts parked in Columbus, it takes them out of the running for some of the biggest pieces.
Who should the Blue Jackets add at the trade deadline?
The Buffalo Sabres are in last place in the Eastern Conference and should sell many of their pieces before the trade deadline. Alex Tuch is not a free agent until the end of 2026 but could be moved for a high price. If the Blue Jackets can get him for less than a first-round pick, he would be a great fit now and moving forward. Jason Zucker and Jordan Greenway are the pending free agents they should sell.
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The Sharks traded their best available player, Mikael Granlund, to the Dallas Stars already. But they have a few pending free agents they should trade before the deadline. Nico Sturm and Luke Kunin are available and would help their bottom six pull through the injuries. They already got a first-rounder for Granlund so selling the pieces off for less than that would not be a failure.
The Seattle Kraken also have pieces they should sell before the trade deadline. While Yanni Gourde is out for weeks with a hernia injury, he could fit with the Blue Jackets. He is a great defensive center but does not provide the scoring they need. Gourde has been a part of two Stanley Cup Champions so he knows how to win in the playoffs, which not many current members of the team do.
Flyers center Scott Laughton, Penguins winger Rikard Rackell, and Ducks winger Robby Fabbri would also be good fits. A recent report implies that Philadelphia is asking for a lot from teams for Laughton, so that may not be the option for the Blue Jackets.
When will the Columbus injury bug end?
The good news for the Blue Jackets is that none of their forward injuries are season-ending. Jenner, Marchenko, and Monahan could all return before March's end. But they have so much cap space they can bring on any player dealt before the deadline without needing salary retention.
If the Blue Jackets trade for Gourde, his return would come around the same time as Jenner, which is early March. But his spot on the shelf may prevent Columbus from making that deal because of their brutal injury season.
