Same Old Story
2023-06-05The trade deadline came and went without any activity from the Columbus Blue Jackets. General Manager Andrew Payeur is known for getting his shopping done earlier which he did again this season with a Jack Eichel blockbuster and trading of pending UFA Jake Muzzin. The team also made a couple minor league moves in early May but made no changes to the roster on deadline day. The team had been shopping pending UFA Jeff Skinner for much of the season as well as veteran defenceman Ryan Suter but Payeur admitted in a post deadline press conferrence that nothing got particularly close to the finish line. In a somewhat surprising move, the team placed a last minute franchise tag on Skinner, ensuring he remains with the team beyond this season. Asked for comment Payeur said "Jeff has been a relatively productive player for us for a few years now. Coach Jay Woodcroft thinks he can squeeze more out of him next year so I thought it prudent to give him the opportunity to do so."
Playoffs in Columbus have been a long shot for much of the last few months in an extremely competitve Lemieux Conference where the 8th seed could garner a Pacific division title if dropped onto the west coast. The Blue Jackets, who traded a top 10 protected 1st round pick to the Bruins in the Jack Eichel trade were flirting with the possibility of keeping that pick only a month ago, and at one point had the 9th worst record in the league. However, in what has become a common occurence in Ohio, the team has caught fire leading up to and beyond the trade deadline. With an 11-2-0 record over the past 4 weeks, including regulation wins over the Bruins and Penguins who are directly ahead of them in the standings, the team has kissed that draft pick goodbye and sit just 5 points back of a playoff spot. The Blue Jackets faceoff next against the Red Wings and Penguins, who currently hold the last two playoff positions in the conference, so the playoff race could become a lot more interest over the next few days or it could the last nails in the coffin of the 2022-23 season. The Bruins and Rangers are also making a run, so the Blue Jackets will have their work cut out for them if they hope to make the dance. But with 5 games remaining on the schedule against bottom 5 teams in the league, the Jackets aren't out of it quite yet.
Is this the year the hot streak finishes the job?
Same Old Story
Blue Jackets catch fire following quiet trade deadline