February 6, 2025 | 6:58pm ET
TheFourthPeriod.com

BLUE JACKETS LOOKING TO ADD TO ROSTER

Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell

Blue Jackets looking to add to rosterThe Columbus Blue Jackets are right in the thick of the wildcard race in the Eastern Conference and GM Don Waddell is going to try to add to his lineup to help his team's chances of making the playoffs.

Currently sitting one point back of Tampa Bay, the Blue Jackets have surprised many this season based on their play.

During Thursday evening’s edition of “Insider Trading” on TSN, Pierre LeBrun reported Waddell is scouring the market for help up front and wants to make a move ahead of the March 7 trade deadline.

“In speaking with GM Don Waddell on Thursday, he said he’s decided to try and be a moderate buyer before March 7, which is to say he’s not going to get into the big names, obviously; the long-term vision of the team still matters most,” LeBrun said. “But with all these injuries and the way his players are battling, he feels he owes it to his group to go out and try and add a top-nine forward, a rental player. He’s obviously not going to want to trade either of his first-round picks – he’s got two of them this year – but if he can add a player for a more moderate price, that’s his plan, and he started making calls this week to do just that.”

It is unclear whom the Blue Jackets are targeting, but the team has over $50 million in current salary cap space and are not going to shy away from adding a player with a big contract.

Among the available forwards listed on the TFP Trade Watch List, Brandon Tanev of the Seattle Kraken and Brock Nelson of the New York Islanders have been linked to Columbus, while Joel Armia of the Montreal Canadiens may also be a target.