We’re at the critical juncture of the season, just less than two weeks from the NHL’s trade deadline on March 7. The Columbus Blue Jackets have had a season worthy of adding to chase their first playoff berth since the pandemic. Their general manager (GM) Don Waddell has reportedly said he expects the team to be “moderate buyers” and it’s speculated he’ll look to add a top-nine forward to bolster his team’s depth.
Here we’ll look at three players who Waddell could choose to chase. They’ll all possibly have some sort of impact, while likely costing a less than substantial haul. To define the term and the exercise, we’ll be looking at players who could likely be added for a third-round or later pick and anything less than a top-ten prospect in their system.
Gustav Nyquist
Gustav Nyquist just makes sense for Columbus. He was a longer-term member of the team a couple of seasons ago and was a great fit. He knows the city, a majority of the core, and he was the team’s most reliable forward through a very tumultuous Brad Larsen era. While he is having a down campaign with the struggling Nashville Predators at 35 years old, last season he put up a career high in points with 75. I wouldn’t be uber concerned about Gus.
When Nyquist is on his game, he’s super smart and capable of playing anywhere in the lineup from the first line to the fourth. He can be used along the wall on a power play and was one of the Blue Jackets’ busier penalty-killers during his tenure. I can find no reason why a reunion with their former alternate captain does not make sense for Columbus – if it’s at a reasonable price. There’s no reason why a third-round or later draft pick and/or a lower-level prospect couldn’t facilitate this deal.
Joel Armia
I know the Blue Jackets don’t have a great recent history with Finns – looking at you Patrik Laine – but his Montreal Canadiens’ teammate, Joel Armia, could be the piece they’re looking for. Armia at his best is good for around 10-15 goals and 25-30 points in a season. He’s got a great shot and is capable of hopping in on the Blue Jackets’ penalty kill should he be needed. Ultimately, he’d be a decent third unit or more likely fourth-line addition.
Related: Blue Jackets’ Trade Deadline Acquisitions Are Already in the Organization
Where Armia differentiates from some other options is that he’s got some playoff experience. And he’s no shrinking violet in the postseason, tied for fifth in team scoring when the Canadiens made their miracle run to the Stanley Cup Final during the COVID-shortened season. Some deep playoff experience and a reliable pro with almost 600 games in the NHL could be the reason Waddell adds the 6-foot-3 Finnish winger.
Jordan Greenway
Jordan Greenway would be a wild addition to the Blue Jackets for one reason: One of the more ready-made playoff forward lines in hockey. You put out a fourth line that is tough as nails center Sean Kuraly, the speedy, fisticuffs-doling, feisty Frenchman, Mathieu Olivier, and add 6-foot-6, 235-pound, Greenway from the Buffalo Sabres to the other side. Holy smokes.
Yes, Greenway has his limitations. He’s not the beast of a top-six forward that many hoped he would be when he was drafted in 2015. However, teams often talk about rehabilitating talent, and that’s exactly what the former Boston College star and member of the US National Team Development Program had once been lauded as possessing. This season, he’s been crushed by injuries with the Sabres. Playing in the team’s return from the 4 Nations break, it was his first game since Dec. 15. He’s had an assist and 12 hits through the first two games back.
Physicality would be his main asset to the Blue Jackets. Among the 421 forwards with more than 100 games played over the last three seasons, he’s 87th with 7.94 hits per 60 minutes of ice time. He’s also a sneaky good shot blocker – I guess it’s hard to miss that huge frame. Statistically, he’s 43rd with those same parameters at 3.19 shots blocked per 60 minutes of ice time. He’s also led the Sabres in shorthanded ice time with 2:34 per game over that time. All of that adds up to a decent add to any playoff team’s fourth line and penalty kill. If Columbus doesn’t get sucked into any kind of bidding war, they could stand to add him for a reasonable and unsubstantial price.
Honestly, the Blue Jackets don’t really need a huge addition to their lineup as they continue to chase their first playoff appearance since 2020. They’ve got enough players that can help fill the gaps created by injuries within their system already. So if GM Waddell is planning to add at the deadline, it shouldn’t be at the cost of their future. Nyquist, Armia, and Greenway are three players that the Blue Jackets could look to add at a relatively unsubstantial cost that might help them through the gauntlet toward game 82.
