Columbus Blue Jackets
The whole organization. One connected view.
Eastern Conference · Metropolitan DivisionOpen GM workspaceNot on file
Roster referenceNot on fileOfficial roster unavailableKnown commitmentsUS$90.6M23 / 24 contracts pricedFarm system#21Thin · board consensusNext gamevs PHINov 14
Line combinations
Source interpretation unqualified · 2026-10-19No unit on file.
No unit on file.
Loading goalie research context…
Contract horizon
Cap & contractsKnown AAV · 2026–2723 priced deals · 1 AAV unknown
Ceiling · ConfirmedUS$104M
Known committed share87.1%
Ceiling less known AAVUS$13.4M
ForwardsDefenceGoalies
Line: season-specific ceiling. * Outlook or assumption. Balance is not certified cap room.
Cap outlook assumptions
Local to this panel; does not change the GM financial scenario ceiling.
Sources, coverage & amounts
Sum of known AAV, not a complete payroll forecast or available cap room. Relief, bonuses and other charges are excluded. The file may contain later-dated signed terms; its file stamp is not a historical as-of reconstruction.
NHL/NHLPA · 2026–27: $104M · 2026-05-06
NHL/NHLPA · 2027–28: $113.5M · 2025-01-31 · subject to adjustment
Elliotte Friedman / Sportsnet · 2028–29: $127.5M · 2026-09-25 · reported estimate, not confirmed
Beyond that, no published limit in the checked sources. Any chosen growth is a planning assumption, not a forecast. Expiring commitments do not automatically fund a complete future roster.
0 contracts with unresolved terms remain outside the bars.
- F
- 47,175,000 USD
- D
- 32,055,000 USD
- G
- 11,350,000 USD
0 priced signed extensions included this season.
Contract ledger · file stamp 2026-09-21
Compare all seasons · data table
USD amounts, rounded to the dollar. Known AAV only: zero does not mean a future roster is funded. Missing amounts stay separate; this balance is not certified cap room.
0 contracts with unresolved terms remain excluded. Contract ledger file stamp: 2026-09-21
| Season | Known AAV · USD | Ceiling · USD | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selected | US$90,580,000 | US$104,000,000 | |
| US$69,380,000 | US$113,500,000 | ||
| US$57,625,000 | US$127,500,000 | ||
| US$35,875,000 | Not published | ||
| US$29,750,000 | Not published | ||
| US$20,500,000 | Not published |
Prospect pathways
Prospects
Oscar HemmingLW · Boston CollegeNHLETA —
Cayden LindstromC · Michigan State Univ.NHLETA —
Alessandro Di IorioC · Sarnia StingNHLETA —
Context & more prospects
Farm-board notables; recorded development stage, not an arrival forecast.
Oscar Hemming: 19 GP · 2025–26 · 8 points
Cayden Lindstrom: 31 GP · 2025–26 · 10 points
Alessandro Di Iorio: 45 GP · 2025–26 · 31 points
Selection follows the farm board's published notable order. The NHL step is a pathway, not a confirmed move. Arrival dates and current rights are not verified here.
Jackson Smith
Luca Del Bel Belluz
All pathways & roster lanes →What changed
All movesRetained history or declared window unavailable or held for validation; coverage unknown.
Results, standings & source context
Not on file regular season · current roster
Team overview
What the contracts tell us
What the contracts mean for the next moves
- 01
- 02
- 03
- 04
- 05
- 06
- 07
Next game
2026–27
Upcoming games, columns & export
| Date | Opponent | Type | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| vs PHI | Regular season | ||
| at NYI | Regular season | ||
| at CHI | Regular season | ||
| at TOR | Regular season | ||
| at NJD | Regular season |
Retained attention
Columbus Blue Jackets retained attention report
Retained declarations only. Sampling, language and population coverage, name matching, missing-input treatment, original reporting window and use permission are unverified. Scores and ranks are not validated comparisons; no effect on play is established.
Player-news field 3; global-news field unknown.
Retained player references: Kirill Marchenko (99) · Mathieu Olivier (91) · Cam Talbot (88)
Kaprizov scores League-leading 10th goal, Wild edge Blue Jackets (2026-10-19) · Kaprizov scores League-leading 10th goal, Wild edge Blue Jackets (2026-10-19) · Game Recap: Wild 2, Blue Jackets 1 (2026-10-19) · Blue Jackets at Wild projected lineups (2026-10-18) · Johnson scores lone goal, Blue Jackets defeat Rangers in OT (2026-10-18)
Contract ledger · researched 2026-09-21
Columbus Blue Jackets contracts, 2026–27 onward
Every contract CapOrCup could source, one row per player, one column per season. Certified rows match a club or NHL release. Reported rows come from a named outlet and are labelled. Contracts with no public source are listed separately, and none are estimated.
| Player | 2026–27 | 2027–28 | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forwards · | |||
| Valeri NichushkinReportedRNMC | |||
| Charlie CoyleCertifiedCNMC | |||
| Conor GarlandCertifiedRNMC | |||
| Sean MonahanCertifiedCNMC | |||
| Cole SillingerCertifiedC | |||
| Dmitri VoronkovCertifiedL | |||
| Kirill MarchenkoCertifiedR | |||
| Mathieu OlivierCertifiedRM-NTC | |||
| Miles WoodReportedLM-NTC | |||
| Kent JohnsonCertifiedC | |||
| Ryan LombergCertifiedL | |||
| Isac LundeströmCertifiedC | |||
| Danton HeinenReportedL | |||
| Defence · | |||
| Zach WerenskiCertifiedDNMC | |||
| Ivan ProvorovCertifiedDNMC | |||
| Damon SeversonReportedDNTC | |||
| Dante FabbroCertifiedD | |||
| Erik GudbransonCertifiedDM-NTC | |||
| Jake ChristiansenCertifiedD | |||
| Colton WhiteReportedD | |||
| Goalies · | |||
| Elvis MerzlikinsCertifiedGM-NTC | |||
| Jet GreavesCertifiedG | |||
| Cam TalbotCertifiedG | |||
| Pheonix CopleyCertifiedG | |||
| Sourced total | |||
| |||
Cap or Cup · league-wide signals
Who is earning the cap hit
Each priced CBJ skater compared with every priced skater at the same position in the league. Open a signal for the full drill-down on the league board: the tests, the numbers, and what would change it.
Private scenario · 2026–27
Columbus Blue Jackets cap planner
Enter figures you trust. The planner never turns missing contract data into a published total, and saves only in this browser.
US-dollar amounts: 1000000.50 or 1 000 000,50. Enter 0 explicitly when none applies. Private arithmetic from your assumptions; league rules are not certified.
Line 1
Marchenko · Garland
Line 2
Sillinger · Coyle · Monahan · Nichushkin · Olivier
Line 3
Johnson · Voronkov · Lundeström · Heinen
Line 4
Wood · Lomberg
Pair 1
Provorov · Werenski
Pair 2
Severson
Pair 3
Fabbro · Gudbranson · Christiansen · White
Retained chart · declared date 2026-10-19
Columbus Blue Jackets retained lineup report
Declared source: Sportradar NHL feed (trial) (licence ended 2026-10-28). Ranks and units come from the retained report. Current lineup, club decisions, original publication, coverage, identity mapping and use permission are unverified. The first goalie on the chart is not a confirmed starter.
Roster source
Players in the roster sources
| Player | # | Pos | Age | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forwards · | ||||
| Defense · | ||||
| Goalies · | ||||
2025–26 production
Reported club scoring
Club totals with CBJ.
| Player | GP | G | A | PTS | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1Range not available Zach WerenskiD | |||||
| #2Range not available Kirill MarchenkoR | |||||
| #3Range not available Adam FantilliC | |||||
| #4Range not available Charlie CoyleC | |||||
| #5Range not available Boone JennerC | |||||
| #6Range not available Sean MonahanC | |||||
| #7Range not available Cole SillingerC | |||||
| #8Range not available Damon SeversonD | |||||
| #8Range not available Mason MarchmentL | |||||
| #8Range not available Dmitri VoronkovL |
Shots for
shots a game, expected per shot
Shots against
allowed a game, expected per shot
From the video · model judgement
How they gained the zone in condensed game
Read from the league's free condensed games: entries carried in against dumped in, entries denied at the line for and against, and the rest of what the model could see. A condensed game is a sample of the game, so these are observations from the games read, not season counts.
Games read: CBJ at BUF (2026010024), PIT at CBJ (2026010046).
Coaching style · 2025-26
rides his top four defence; hard line-matcher at home; sits back with a lead
How the bench was run, measured from the shift charts and the play-by-play (a mid-season coaching change is not separated). Each is set against the league median; style words appear only where the club is clearly away from it.
System group
Plays like Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, Seattle Kraken, San Jose Sharks
Four groups found by clustering every club's shot profile for and against. The group is described only by the features that set it apart from the league; no label is invented for it.
Goal archive ·
Columbus Blue Jackets: every goal, with the league's video
Preseason, regular season and playoffs are kept apart. Each row links to the NHL's own highlight page; no video is hosted here. Where a clip has been reviewed, the reading of it is a model judgement of the frames, not a measurement.
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Assistant GM
Columbus Blue Jackets: the front-office read
Every idea below is computed from sourced contracts, 2025–26 production, roster lanes, pick ownership and standings. Nothing is a rumour. Prices are computed guides from production and contract surplus, not market quotes.
Direction and front office
Buying
Buying now: spending picks for roster help.
How this GM trades: . Sunk-cost risk: unknown.
Decisions that cannot wait
Most urgent
Ranked by how soon the decision is forced: offer-sheet dates, cap compliance, deadlines and sell-offs.
Dylan Strome (WSH)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
- Scenario basis
Aliaksei Protas (WSH)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
- Scenario basis
Kevin Fiala (LAK)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
- Scenario basis
Plan for the cap you might get
Cap outlook
Sourced commitments against the announced or projected ceiling, and against a flat cap at today's (the ceiling stayed flat in 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24). Unpriced contracts are not counted, so real room is smaller.
| Season | Committed | Ceiling | Room (projected) | Room (flat cap) | Needs growth | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026–27 | ||||||
| 2027–28 | ||||||
| 2028–29 | ||||||
| 2029–30 |
Long, expensive contracts: Ivan Provorov ( through 2031–32: ); Damon Severson ( through 2030–31: ); Valeri Nichushkin ( through 2029–30: ); Charlie Coyle ( through 2031–32: ); Conor Garland ( through 2031–32: ).
Expansion: none announced
Protection slots are worth something
The NHL has not approved or announced an expansion team or expansion draft. In June 2026 it gave the Friedkin family a six-month window to explore a second Texas team in Houston or Austin (about $3.5 billion for the fee and an arena). The Board of Governors met on September 22, 2026 without announcing a decision; any expansion would still need a vote of the Board. No expansion draft is announced. Reported, not official: a Houston or Austin team could be awarded before the end of 2026 and would begin play in 2029-30, which would put its expansion draft in June 2029. The league is also reported to be talking with at least two other groups about a 34th team. Checks here apply the rules to today's rosters and contracts as a planning scenario, not a forecast. The format is not announced either: one new club per draft (a club could face a draft in consecutive years) or two clubs in the same draft (a club could lose two players at once). Under the 2021 rules a club protects 7 forwards, 3 defencemen and 1 goalie (or 8 skaters and 1 goalie). Every no-movement clause in force must be protected and uses a slot, so its real cost is the player it pushes off.
If a draft is announced: ask a no-move player to waive for the draft, trade an exposed player now rather than lose them for nothing, or make a side deal with the expansion club to steer its pick.
Where the roster is thin
Needs
A position (centre, wing, defence pair or goal) counts as a need when most of its regulars are unsigned past this season, or when they produce below the league average for that position.
Centre
- Established
- Signed for 2027–28
- Lane 5v5 pts/60
Left wing
- Established
- Signed for 2027–28
- Lane 5v5 pts/60
Right-shot defence
- Established
- Signed for 2027–28
- Lane 5v5 pts/60
See it coming
Offer-sheet exposure
This club's own RFAs for summer 2027: what their production is worth on the open market, which compensation band an aggressive offer would fall in, and whether the club could match with the room it has committed. The 2027–28 ceiling is not set; this uses the current ceiling.
Kent Johnson
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Comparable market salary
- Offer-sheet band
- 2027–28 room (sourced)
Players other clubs might move
Trade targets
Realistic targets, not wish lists: young players stuck behind veterans, salary a cap-strapped club has to move, rentals on selling clubs, and good contracts priced by what they are worth. Young franchise-core players and anyone with a no-move or full no-trade clause are left out.
Dylan Strome (WSH)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
- Scenario basis
Aliaksei Protas (WSH)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
- Scenario basis
Kevin Fiala (LAK)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
- Scenario basis
Igor Chernyshov (SJS)
- 2025–26
- Contract
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
- Scenario basis
Justin Robidas (CAR)
- 2025–26
- Contract
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Price guide
Stephen Halliday (OTT)
- 2025–26
- Contract
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
- Scenario basis
Teuvo Teravainen (CHI)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
- Scenario basis
Morgan Frost (CGY)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
- Scenario basis
Ross Colton (NSH)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
- Scenario basis
Logan Stankoven (CAR)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
- Scenario basis
Noah Ostlund (BUF)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
- Scenario basis
Nick Robertson (PIT)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
- Scenario basis
Justin Hryckowian (DAL)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
- Scenario basis
Tony DeAngelo (NYI)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
- Scenario basis
Jordan Spence (OTT)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
- Scenario basis
Restricted free agents, summer 2027
Offer-sheet candidates
RFAs at clubs tight on cap. Compensation depends on the offer's AAV band and must be paid in the offering club's own picks; the Carlsson offer sheet in July 2026 showed how far a club will go to match.
Matias Maccelli (NYI)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- White noise
- Own 2027 picks held
Calum Ritchie (NYI)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- White noise
- Own 2027 picks held
Gabe Perreault (NYR)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- White noise
- Own 2027 picks held
Maxim Shabanov (MIN)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- White noise
- Own 2027 picks held
Trades with three or more clubs
Multi-team ideas
Chains where every club receives a player in a need lane, gives up roughly what it gets, and stays under the cap. Salary retention is used at most once per contract (the 2025 MOU bars a second retention on the same contract within 75 regular-season days) and never above 50%.
ANA → DET → CBJ → BOS
- ANA → DET: Rodwin Dionicio (blocked, )
Gate at DET: not confirmed. fit: not yet validated. - DET → CBJ: Justin Faulk (sell-high, )
Gate at CBJ: blocked (waiver exemption) (entry-level slide). fit: not yet validated. - CBJ → BOS: Cole Sillinger (salary, )
Gate at BOS: blocked (waiver exemption) (entry-level slide). fit: not yet validated. - BOS → ANA: Fabian Lysell (blocked, )
Gate at ANA: blocked (waiver exemption). fit: not yet validated.
ANA → DET → CBJ → CGY
- ANA → DET: Rodwin Dionicio (blocked, )
Gate at DET: not confirmed. fit: not yet validated. - DET → CBJ: Justin Faulk (sell-high, )
Gate at CBJ: blocked (waiver exemption) (entry-level slide). fit: not yet validated. - CBJ → CGY: Cole Sillinger (salary, )
Gate at CGY: blocked (waiver exemption) (entry-level slide). fit: not yet validated. - CGY → ANA: Matt Coronato (salary, , CGY retains )
Gate at ANA: blocked (waiver exemption) (entry-level slide). fit: not yet validated.
ANA → DET → CBJ → CGY
- ANA → DET: Rodwin Dionicio (blocked, )
Gate at DET: not confirmed. fit: not yet validated. - DET → CBJ: Justin Faulk (sell-high, )
Gate at CBJ: blocked (waiver exemption) (entry-level slide). fit: not yet validated. - CBJ → CGY: Miles Wood (salary, )
Gate at CGY: blocked (waiver exemption) (entry-level slide). fit: not yet validated. - CGY → ANA: Matt Coronato (salary, , CGY retains )
Gate at ANA: blocked (waiver exemption) (entry-level slide). fit: not yet validated.
ANA → DET → CBJ → NYR
- ANA → DET: Rodwin Dionicio (blocked, )
Gate at DET: not confirmed. fit: not yet validated. - DET → CBJ: Justin Faulk (sell-high, )
Gate at CBJ: blocked (waiver exemption) (entry-level slide). fit: not yet validated. - CBJ → NYR: Cole Sillinger (salary, )
Gate at NYR: blocked (waiver exemption) (entry-level slide). fit: not yet validated. - NYR → ANA: Taylor Raddysh (rental, )
Gate at ANA: blocked (waiver exemption) (entry-level slide). fit: not yet validated.
Ideas to start from
Trade concepts
Each is priced from the player's tier and the contract's surplus over its remaining term, then cap-checked: salary in against salary out. A shape to test, not a final price.
Concept: Igor Chernyshov (SJS)
- Contract
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
- Scenario basis
- Opportunity
- Net cap change
Concept: Logan Stankoven (CAR)
- Cap hit
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
- Scenario basis
- Opportunity
- Net cap change
Concept: Noah Ostlund (BUF)
- Cap hit
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
- Scenario basis
- Opportunity
- Net cap change
Concept: Nick Robertson (PIT)
- Cap hit
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
- Scenario basis
- Opportunity
- Net cap change
Sell while the price is high
Sell-high candidates
Players in their prime who produce more than their cap hit suggests, with the deal ending within two seasons: the moment their trade value peaks.
Zach Werenski
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
- Scenario basis
Players to build around
Young players to build around
Players under 24, judged on NHL games played and five-on-five scoring rate, their prospect ranking, and what they are producing now.
Cole Sillinger
- 2025–26
- Contract
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- White noise
Denton Mateychuk
- 2025–26
- Contract
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- White noise
Kent Johnson
- 2025–26
- Contract
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- White noise
William Whitelaw
- 2025–26
- Contract
- Age
Oiva Keskinen
- 2025–26
- Contract
- Age
- White noise
Summer 2027
Free-agent targets
Pending UFAs (26 to 32, no extension signed) in this club's need lanes. The current cap hit is shown for reference, not as an estimate of the next contract.
Pavel Zacha (BOS)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- White noise
Casey Mittelstadt (BOS)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- White noise
Jason Robertson (DAL)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- White noise
Artturi Lehkonen (COL)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- White noise
Artem Zub (OTT)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- White noise
Alexandre Carrier (MTL)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- White noise
League context
Where the market is going
Price of production at signing: cap hit per point of pace in the season before the deal, from the sourced contract ledger. Samples depend on how many deals are priced.
The ledger holds contracts still active in 2026-27, so one- and two-year deals signed in 2024 are missing from the 2024 column. Segments with different term mixes are therefore not comparable here; the term-matched reading is the pricing study on the integrity page.
Goalies: by raw save percentage, a goalie's season after changing teams is almost unrelated to the one before (correlation across moves, vs for goalies who stayed). Adjusted for shot quality the gap disappears ( stayed vs moved): the system changes the shots a goalie faces, so judge goalies on goals saved above expected. of established-goalie trades returned a first-round pick against for productive skaters ( goalie trades: a small sample).
Largest cap hits signed in summer 2026: Leo Carlsson (), Connor Bedard (), Cutter Gauthier (), Pavel Dorofeyev (), Alex Tuch ().
Ask the Columbus Blue Jackets assistant GM
Answers use only the ideas above, the club's contracts and trades, and the CBA, and cite each one. If the facts do not support an answer, it says so.
GM horizon
Don Waddell: 2.3 years in
How long GMs have lasted since 1967, and what that implies for a GM who has served this long. A GM who expects to be gone soon has a reason to buy today; this is the base rate, not a read on him.
Win-now premium
Columbus Blue Jackets: what deadline rentals cost
A rental is a pending unrestricted free agent bought between January 1 and the deadline. Its price is the pick value sent, in expected career NHL games. Part of a price can be rational: a win is worth more to a club on the playoff line. This splits the price above the league mean into what the standings on the trade date explain and what they do not.
| Date | Rental | GM | Picks sent | Price | Win value | Vs mean | Not explained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-07 | Luke Kunin | Don Waddell | 2025 round 4 | +16 | +16 | ||
| 2023-03-02 | Jonathan Quick | Jarmo Kekalainen | none + 2 players (not valued) | −62 | −62 |
| GM | Rentals (league-wide) | Mean price | Not explained: mean | 25th to 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Don Waddell | 2 | Not on file (fewer than 5 rentals (2)) | ||
| Jarmo Kekalainen | 1 | Not on file (fewer than 5 rentals (1)) | ||
Win value is the rise in the club's chance of reaching the playoff line from one more win, in percentage points. Units are expected career games of the picks sent; a price in cap-share dollars needs the Worth model on rentals, which is not adopted. Not netted: the rental's quality, salary retained by the seller, and players or prospects sent. A rental's expiry is quoted from the trade's NHL.com story, or from the contract archive where the story is silent (an archive expiry can be a restricted one).
Farm-system consensus · front-office read
The pipeline needs more impact bets. A few names can hit without making the overall system strong.
- 01Treat first- and second-round picks as scarce replenishment assets.
- 02Create real NHL auditions for cheap players before buying depth.
- 03Do not confuse one headliner with a complete pipeline.
Draft picks · 2027–2029
Columbus Blue Jackets picks
Every round for the next three drafts: the club's own picks, picks it has acquired, and picks it has traded away, with any conditions. "Own" means the pick was checked against the club's trades since 2023; "Own, unconfirmed" means no trade is on record but that check has not been done.
Roster moves · as of 2026-10-19
Columbus Blue Jackets roster moves
Retained move reports within 45 declared days. Original publication, coverage and same-day event order are unverified; no current roster state is inferred.
Declared source: Sportradar NHL feed (trial) (licence ended 2026-10-28)
Not on file (No qualified retained reports for this declared window, or records held for validation; coverage unknown.)Injury listings · as of 2026-10-20
Columbus Blue Jackets injury listings
Club injury listings: source metadata is invalid or unsupported; this feed is unqualified; use entitlement is unverified. CapOrCup does not guess them; its own availability measure, games not dressed, is unaffected.
Waiver wire · last 3 league days
Placed on waivers, league-wide
Retained source-labelled waiver reports within three declared days. Report linkage, same-day event order and outcomes are unverified.
Fit components (description)
Who fits here: fit: not yet validated
No ranking of who fits Columbus Blue Jackets is shown until the move backtest passes. What follows describes how Columbus Blue Jackets plays and is coached, and the roster rules any addition must clear. The lane-based matchmaker stays on the Assistant GM.
Head coach: , in charge since 2026-01-13 (39 regular-season games on file). Assistants: Not on file.
How this staff has used players (2025-26), against what position and prior minutes predict:
Contracts counted toward the 50 limit: . Active roster for the 23-man limit: Not on file.
as of 2026-04-16
Columbus Blue Jackets
trades
Minnesota Wild receive
GM: Bill Guerin
- 2026 4th-round pick ()
Columbus Blue Jackets receive
GM: Don Waddell
- 2026 4th-round pick ()
- 2026 6th-round pick ()
Washington Capitals receive
GM: Chris Patrick
- 2026 4th-round pick ()
Columbus Blue Jackets receive
GM: Don Waddell
- 2026 4th-round pick ()
- 2028 5th-round pick · now back with WSH
Columbus Blue Jackets receive
GM: Don Waddell
Montréal Canadiens receive
GM: Kent Hughes
Columbus Blue Jackets receive
GM: Don Waddell
Colorado Avalanche receive
GM: Joe Sakic
- 2026 2nd-round pick ()
- 2027 3rd-round pick · now owned by COL
- 2028 5th-round pick · now owned by COL
Columbus Blue Jackets receive
GM: Don Waddell
Vancouver Canucks receive
GM: Patrik Allvin
- 2026 3rd-round pick
- 2028 2nd-round pick · now owned by VAN
Pittsburgh Penguins receive
GM: Kyle Dubas
- Yegor Chinakhov
Columbus Blue Jackets receive
GM: Don Waddell
- Danton Heinen
- 2026 2nd-round pick
- 2027 3rd-round pick · now owned by WSH
Columbus Blue Jackets receive
GM: Don Waddell
Seattle Kraken receive
GM: Jason Botterill
- 2027 2nd-round pick · now owned by SEA
- 2026 4th-round pick
Columbus Blue Jackets receive
GM: Don Waddell
- Ivan Fedotov
Philadelphia Flyers receive
GM: Daniel Briere
- 2026 6th-round pick
Columbus Blue Jackets receive
GM: Don Waddell
- 2025 7th-round pick · No. 198
Seattle Kraken receive
GM: Jason Botterill
- 7th-round pick · No. 205
- 7th-round pick · No. 218
Detroit Red Wings receive
GM: Steve Yzerman
- 2025 4th-round pick · No. 109
- 2026 4th-round pick
Columbus Blue Jackets receive
GM: Don Waddell
- 2025 3rd-round pick · No. 76
Columbus Blue Jackets receive
GM: Don Waddell
Colorado Avalanche receive
GM: Chris MacFarland
- Gavin Brindley
- 2025 3rd-round pick ()
- 2027 2nd-round pick · conditional · now owned by SEA
Columbus Blue Jackets receive
GM: Don Waddell
Minnesota Wild receive
GM: Bill Guerin
Florida Panthers receive
GM: Bill Zito
Columbus Blue Jackets receive
GM: Don Waddell
- 2025 5th-round pick
Columbus Blue Jackets receive
GM: Don Waddell
- Luke Kunin
San Jose Sharks receive
GM: Mike Grier
- 2025 4th-round pick
Minnesota Wild receive
GM: Bill Guerin
- David Jiricek
- 2025 5th-round pick
Columbus Blue Jackets receive
GM: Don Waddell
- Daemon Hunt
- 2025 1st-round pick
- 2026 3rd-round pick
- 2026 4th-round pick
- 2027 2nd-round pick · now back with MIN
Montréal Canadiens receive
GM: Kent Hughes
- Patrik Laine
- 2026 2nd-round pick
Columbus Blue Jackets receive
GM: Don Waddell
Pittsburgh Penguins receive
GM: Kyle Dubas
- Emil Bemstrom
Columbus Blue Jackets receive
GM: John Davidson
- Alex Nylander
- 2026 6th-round pick · conditional
Buffalo Sabres receive
GM: Kevyn Adams
Columbus Blue Jackets receive
GM: Jarmo Kekalainen
Not stated in the announcement.
Vegas Golden Knights receive
GM: Kelly McCrimmon
- Jonathan Quick
Columbus Blue Jackets receive
GM: Jarmo Kekalainen
Not stated in the announcement.
Salary retained:
Utah Mammoth receive
GM: Bill Armstrong
- Jakub Voracek
Columbus Blue Jackets receive
GM: Jarmo Kekalainen
- goalieJon Gillies
How the ledger is built
- 2024–25 onward: parsed from NHL.com's season trade pages, which list every trade. Each card links to the NHL.com announcement.
- 2019–20 to 2023–24: parsed from NHL.com trade announcements tagged to a club. Some trades are missing; those seasons are marked partial.
- "Details incomplete" means the announcement did not state one side; the original sentence is shown instead of a guess.
- Picks in 2027–2029 show their current owner from the verified pick ledger.
Statistical schedule · 2026-27 · as of 2026-10-20
Columbus Blue Jackets: difficulty rank #5Range not available
Every game priced by the model with the club's rest state. Difficulty averages four league ranks (opponents , rest , travel , back-to-backs ); expected points is the model's own forecast and depends on the club as much as the schedule. League table on the schedule page.
By month: 2026-10: games, expected points, opponents , back-to-back; 2026-11: games, expected points, opponents , back-to-back; 2026-12: games, expected points, opponents , back-to-back; 2027-01: games, expected points, opponents , back-to-back; 2027-02: games, expected points, opponents , back-to-back; 2027-03: games, expected points, opponents , back-to-back; 2027-04: games, expected points, opponents , back-to-back.
Game by game
games
Price is the model's chance for this club at the morning of the game with rest known; it moves when rosters are published. The spot names what the schedule did to the club that night.