The Columbus Blue Jackets have a problem: Far too many players on NHL contracts as they head into training camp for the 2023-24 season. I’ve covered the defensive logjam ad nauseam, but the forward logjam is just as troublesome. Up front, Columbus has 16 or 17 different forwards who could fill the 12 available slots.
I’ve recently covered a couple of higher profile forwards who could find themselves expendable because of this roster crunch, in Jack Roslovic and Boone Jenner. However, there are a few other depth forwards that could be on the trade block to help free up the congestion.
So, let’s look at three depth forwards who could be traded by the Blue Jackets. None of these players will bring in a haul of a return, they’d be solely moved to free up room in the organization for an influx of younger talent with higher ceilings.
Eric Robinson
The depth player who has the highest value is Eric Robinson. He could be a solid rental addition for any Stanley Cup contender as a speedy and physical fourth-line winger. He’s a smart, experienced player who can play on the penalty kill and knows his role within an organization.
In the prime of his career, the 28-year-old strikes me as a player who could have the same level of impact on a Stanley Cup run as William Carrier with the Vegas Golden Knights. He’s good for 10-15 goals per season and just under 30 points and is exactly the type of reliable fourth-line forward that could push a contender to a champion.
There are a couple of drawbacks to trading him though. For one, he has great chemistry with Sean Kuraly as they form the dynamic duo of the fourth line. Robinson is also very well-connected in the locker room. He’s well documented as being good friends with team star Johnny Gaudreau as they played high school hockey together and he’s the third most tenured Blue Jacket – behind only Jenner and Zach Werenski. Trading him would have some consequences as a turn of the page from a bygone era, but it would also be a nod to the future.
The return in a Robinson trade would be minimal; a mid-to-late round pick and/or a prospect would do the trick. However, it would free up a roster space that could be used to help give a decent prospect an opportunity to crack the NHL lineup for a consistent amount of time.
Emil Bemstrom
This will be the third season that I have written about Emil Bemstrom, 24, being a Blue Jacket who needs to either put up or shut up. This is the seventh season since he’s been drafted, so he is no longer just a prospect. It’s time the Jackets start to think about Bemstrom as what he is, not as what he could be.
The forward who has been long touted for his elite shot has only dented the twine 26 times through his first 172 contests. That averages out to about 12 per 82 games. It’s not terrible, but it’s definitely not on par for the middle-six scorer that he was expected to become.
Related: Jenner is Blue Jackets’ Highest Valued Potential Trade Chip
There is some upside, Bemstrom had an incredibly strong showing at the American Hockey League (AHL) level last season. He played the first 21 games with the Cleveland Monsters and scored 31 points which led the league. Then he was called up to Columbus and spent the last 55 games there, setting a career-high in points with 22.
As more of a skill player, Bemstrom’s best chance at becoming an impact player would be on a team with less depth on the wings. The Jackets have always been deep on the wings, which has limited his opportunities. Through his first four seasons, he only averaged 11:56 in ice time per game. If he played further up in the lineup, averaging 14 or 15 minutes a night, he could become a 20-goal and 40-point scorer, but that role will never be open with the way Columbus’ roster is trending.
Liam Foudy
A former first-round pick, Liam Foudy‘s young career has been derailed by injury. There was a three-season stretch where he only dressed for an average of 37 games. It was always some form of nagging issue, but now he is finally getting his development back on track.
Foudy, 23, has had some positive showings – most notably his first big league goal in the 2020 Playoffs against the Toronto Maple Leafs. In that series, he looked like he could be a legitimate impact addition for the team. Then those injuries hit. The 2022-23 season was the first real shot he got at an NHL gig. He projects as a similar type of player to Robinson as a super fast, two-way, bottom-six forward who has enough skill to get by.
Last season he started really slow, like molasses. But then, like a glass ketchup bottle that’s been beaten on for five or six minutes, everything started to flow. He scored his first goal on Feb. 18 which ended a 31-game pointless streak. Then over the last 27 games of the season, he scored seven goals and four assists which is a pace of 21 goals and 33 points across 82 games. If a team that’s buying him thinks that’s the version of Foudy they’re getting, there is some definite value. However, if that’s who he’s blossoming into, the Blue Jackets shouldn’t be trading him in the first place.
The Blue Jackets have too many players and not enough roster spots to go around. If they opt out of waiving players before the start of the season and instead look to the trade market to offload excess players, Robinson, Bemstrom, and Foudy are their three most tradeable depth pieces.
