Only a few short weeks into the offseason and the winds of
change have been sweeping through the Blue Jackets lockerroom. Stuck with a roster that could make the
playoffs with some ufa
additions, or could finish in the bottom 3rd wtih
some ufa additions and be broke, GM Vansickle decided
it was time to sell off his assets and enter a rebuild.
With word of the salary floor being lifted, the team
immediately traded it's
highest paid forward in Olli Jokinen. The team was apparently surprised that he was
the first player a rival GM came calling about and didn't hesitate to pull the
trigger when a price was agreed upon.
Coming back to Columbus was a 5th round draft pick that original
belonged to San Jose and Blackhawk prospect Bryan Bickell. Bickell is a big
wild card. Playing for an extremely cap
crunched NHL team, he is sure to see regular time. He even started the playoffs against
Vancouver on a line with Toews and Kane. While that didn't last, the potential is
obviously there.
Next, the team moved out versatile winger Trent Hunter. Hunter was shipped to Chicago for Chicago's
4th round draft pick in the upcoming draft and Vladimir Zharkov. Zharkov saw 40
games in New Jersey this season posting up 10 points. Earning ice time in New Jersey is no easy
task and the team hopes to see him beat out some of the hot shot youngsters for
more NHL ice this year.
In what will likely be the biggest move of the offseason,
Columbus then moved budding star goaltender Jaroslav Halak to the Buffalo Sabres. With his salary and age, Halak
was a candidate to stick with the team but management decided to sell high on Jaroslav. Halak was utterly brilliant in the NHL playoffs but he has
never been faced with a starters work load so only time will tell how this
plays out. Coming back to Columbus were
a budding premier 2 way player in TJ Galiardi and defensive prospect Patrick Wiercioch. Galiardi had a break out season in Colorado as he was counted on to play
all the big minutes for the team. Wiercioch broke out in College becoming on
of the premier defenseman in the NCAA.
He also grew 3 inches after he was drafted bringing him up to
6'4". He signed on with the
Senators this offseason so the team hopes to see him in the lineup
soon.
