Columbus Blue Jackets’ GM Don Waddell laid out his NHL Trade Deadline roadmap as the days toward March 7 were counting down. When all the dust settled, he accomplished what he said he was going to try to do.
Waddell was on record as saying that they would like to add a forward if possible. With recent injuries to Kevin Labanc and Cole Sillinger, the Blue Jackets saw an opportunity to add experience to the bottom of their lineup. Thanks to the waiver wire and one trade, they were able to add a pair of experienced forwards to their team.
On Thursday, the Blue Jackets claimed Christian Fischer off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings. Then on Friday, the Blue Jackets acquired Luke Kunin from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick. This was the pick they acquired when Alex Texier was traded to the St. Louis Blues.
Waddell spoke to the media on Friday afternoon after the Trade Deadline passed. He opened up about some moves that they could have been involved in but fell through. He also opened up about how there is potential for some bigger moves in the summer.
Fischer & Kunin
In Fischer, the Blue Jackets added an experienced bottom-six right winger with size who can play on the penalty kill. My colleague Matthew Buhrmann wrote about what the team can expect to get from Fischer here.
Here is what Waddell said about Fischer after the claim was announced and Kunin after the trade was announced.
“Christian Fischer brings additional size, versatility and energy to our forward group. He’s played in over 500 NHL games, possesses great character and will fit in very well with our team and how we play.”
“Luke is a versatile forward who can play down the middle or on the wing, kills penalties and has tremendous character and work ethic. He has been a very consistent player throughout his career, and we think he’ll be a good addition to our club.”
Waddell said he had familiarity already with Fischer from his days with the U.S. Program. For him, character and fitting into the room were important factors in bringing these players in.
“Both players, first of all, are outstanding people,” Waddell said. “And it goes back to what we talked about months ago with the guys we brought here during the year or at the beginning of the year. It’s whether they were good players, but (also) good people, and we had to continue that here. I want to continue that forever, but this year’s an exception to make sure we get the right people.”
As for where they’ll fit in the lineup, Waddell admitted they’ll work it to find where they’ll go. There is a good chance we could see a line of Sean Kuraly centering Kunin and Fischer.
Kunin played under coach Dean Evason for a couple seasons in Minnesota. Waddell raved about how Kunin is a coach’s dream.
“Luke can play any forward position. He’s played them all,” Waddell said. “Obviously, he’s been a natural centerman for years, but he’s played the wing. Dean coached him in Minnesota. Dean liked him as a player. He’s a very trustworthy player, where if you put him in a spot, he’d succeed, and he’s a coach’s dream, as far as he’ll do what you ask him to do. Having that experience goes a long way, and when I talked to Luke, he was excited about being here.”
A proven leader joining the club! 👊 pic.twitter.com/ObGynhHpcl
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 8, 2025
The two moves allowed the Blue Jackets to send both Mikael Pyyhtia and Joseph LaBate back to the Cleveland Monsters. They’re both eligible for the AHL Playoffs since players had to be on an AHL roster by 3 P.M. Friday. Waddell said they papered Denton Mateychuk to ensure he is eligible for the AHL Playoffs. A decision on if they’ll send him down will come later on.
No Other Moves
Just because they were no other moves by the Blue Jackets doesn’t mean they didn’t try. Waddell said there were at least three deals that fell through that would have made them a third-party broker for salary cap purposes. They likely would have added a draft pick in those deals. Here’s Waddell.
“We got approached several times, and we had two going down yesterday and both teams the deal didn’t go through. We had two lined up yesterday. A lot of the times the team will line it up ahead time knowing that if they get the player they’ve got to move past. So, we had two yesterday that were lined up and another one today and unfortunately the teams we were working didn’t get the players that they were hoping to get. But we were definitely interested in trying to gain some assets if that was a way to do it.”
The seller’s market was a big factor in limiting what the Blue Jackets did on Friday. With prices high across the league and the desire of the team to not trade first-round picks, it didn’t make for a situation that made sense to jump into.
Waddell came out publicly and said they weren’t going to trade Ivan Provorov. He’s been a big part of where the Blue Jackets are at. In his eyes, it wouldn’t be fair to pull him out now.
“What we’ve been through, I just felt that I could not rip a big part of this team out of that locker room. I just didn’t think it was fair to the rest of the guys, the coaches or the fans. We made a decision to keep Provy, and I’ve had great conversations with his agent and I’m pretty confident that we’re going to be able to get a deal. And if we don’t, obviously we’ll have to find a replacement for him.”
Waddell agreed with the assertion that there could be a bigger message in play when talking about future players considering the Blue Jackets. They see a situation in which a pending UFA is not traded, that resonates when it comes to deciding who to play for when they’re free agents themselves.
“When you make those decisions, no one ever hurts you. That’s for sure,” Waddell said. “Just because we’re where we were, it doesn’t mean we’re always going to sell off free agents. I’ve been in this position multiple times in my career. Sometimes you have to make those tough decisions, but I think the time should keep the guys at the deadline. You always get that extra boost from your players and potentially from other players that look and say, hey. Just because we’re a free agent and we signed there for one year, doesn’t mean we’re going to be playing someplace else at the trade deadline. I think it is a good message.”
Big Offseason Ahead?
Waddell said something interesting when discussing potential hockey trades. While teams as expected didn’t want to give up much now, the potential for summer fireworks is a real thing.
“We had a couple hockey trades that we were talking about, but nothing that materialized,” Waddell said. “Actually, some things, I think we set some great ground for the summertime with some teams that didn’t want to give up a lot right now, but they had interest in some of our guys. So, we had some good conversations.”
It’s no secret that Waddell is willing to make deals when the situation is right and the opportunity is there. He’s had the chance this season to really get to know his team. He now has a better sense of what they need to address in the offseason.
With some talks occurring at the deadline, they will be revisited in the offseason. The Blue Jackets have cap space and plenty of draft capital to work with. This makes them one of the more interesting teams to watch in the summer to see how they decide to utilize their assets.
The Blue Jackets were able to add experience in the bottom six while keeping their team together. Waddell rewarded his players for their season to date. It’s clear the team is supportive of the moves that were made.
“I had a couple calls today, a couple texts from a couple of our players and they were very supportive,” Waddell said. “They know the situation. And actually some of them — one in particular and I’ll leave it nameless — said: ‘We’ve gotten the team this far. We can get it the rest of the way.’ That was always good to hear from one of our top players. These guys, this is a tight group. I’ve been around a lot of hockey teams, around good groups of people. This group is special, and I’ve said that all along here. We’re in this position because of the leadership in that room. The coaches have done a great job, but the leadership in the room from the players I think has got us to where we are today, and it’s going to finish the job for us as we move forward.”