Yard Sale: HFNHL Columbus trade block

[Ohio Jones]

The Blue Jackets are clearing the deck of salary - looking for picks, prospects, and cheaper young players back.

Players under contract who can be moved:

D Andrei Markov - 1 x $5.75m
D Josh Gorges - 2 x $3.9m
L/RW Johan Franzen - 1 x ~$3.95m
C Sam Gagner - 1 x $4.0m
RW Matt Read - 2 x $3.625

Hit me up on email or Whatsapp.

Click to read more...

 

[Ohio Jones]

Updated. Krug and Orlov have signed to multi-year deals, so they're no longer available.

 

[Ohio Jones]

UPDATE: recent discussions have encouraged me to add the following players to the list of availables:

C Mikko Koivu
C/LW Brandon Dubinsky
G Devan Dubnyk

These players will ONLY be moved in very significant deals, so don't come looking for bargains. But if you're interested in dramatically remaking your roster to be more competitive in one fell swoop, you're going to want to drop me a line.

 

[Ohio Jones]

Dubnyk and Koivu have been moved, so Dubinsky comes off too. The top post is therefore the correct list, except for the addition of Johan "Mule" Franzen.

 

[Ohio Jones]

Giordano has been moved, top post updated. Sharp and Eriksson come of the availables list this week if no better offers come forward.

 

[Ohio Jones]

Update: Edler has been moved.

 

[Ohio Jones]

The restructuring of the HFNHL Blue Jackets roster continues. We've got our hands full balancing the need to cut salaries with the need to add quality futures to replenish the farm system.

We say "balance", because you can't acquire quality futures through trade without having something that people want.

Enter free agency. For a team that is cutting salaries, the Jackets were surprisingly active in this summer's FA pool.

These signings came in a few different groups.

The first group - and potentially the toughest to explain to the team's auditors, if not the fans - included the following:

Loui Eriksson
Patrick Sharp
Carl Hagelin
Torey Krug
Dmitry Orlov
Ryan Miller

Miller steps in as Devan Dubnyk's replacement as starting netminder (Dubnyk was traded to Nashville last month), the rest of the names were existing Jackets who had their contracts extended. These big-ticket contracts go a long way towards securing the core of the roster and ensuring that the Blue Jackets can remain, if not contenders, at least competitive in 2016-17. More importantly, it gives the team valuable assets they can parlay in the future.

The second group features useful NHLers brought in on relatively modest salaries who can take the place of higher-paid players on the roster. This group includes:

PA Parenteau
Tomas Fleischmann
Mike Santorelli
Torrey Mitchell
Ben Scrivens

With these players in hand, Columbus has already swung a deal to send last year's backup, Keith Kinkaid, to the Anaheim Ducks for a draft pick, and more deals are expected. Forwards Johan Franzen, Sam Gagner, Matt Read and Shawn Matthias join blueliners Andrei Markov and Josh Gorges on the block, with the team looking for futures in return.

Finally, the Jackets went all-in to broaden their prospect pool by splurging on this summer's undrafted free agent class. Most players signed this way will turn out to be busts, but the Jackets have had some luck in the past, picking up the likes of Krug and Mats Zuccarello, and will hope to come away with a couple of useful bodies from this group when all is said and done:

G Charlie Lindgren
G Michael Garteig
G Adam Vay
G Jonas Gunnarsson
C Martin Lundberg
C Kyle Schempp

Columbus virtually ran the table on UDFA goalies, which - combined with their NHL signings of Miller and Scrivens, and Stolarz already in the AHL - has turned an organizational weakness into a potential strength.

So a free-spending summer in Columbus, but to a purpose - with the long-term sustainability of the franchise kept firmly in mind.

Top post has been updated with more availables.

 

[Ohio Jones]

Matthias has been moved. Top post updated.