The Columbus Blue Jackets are red hot. Winners of seven straight and 11 of their last 12, they’ve surged into the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race.
At 29-20-7, they sit fourth in the Metropolitan Division, ninth in the East, and 13th overall in the NHL standings. Not bad for a team that looked like it might be heading toward another rebuild just a few weeks ago.
The timing of the turnaround? Not a coincidence.
Since Rick Bowness took over behind the bench, the Jackets have found their rhythm-and fast. The veteran coach has brought structure, accountability, and a clear system that the players have bought into.
As Bowness himself put it, “As long as they continue to play within the system, and the right way, it won’t matter” when the wins come. That’s not just coach-speak-it’s been the reality on the ice.
Bowness took over just before a stretch that saw Columbus play six of seven games at home, and the team made the most of it. They went 6-1 during that run, riding the wave of a new voice in the locker room and a renewed sense of purpose. The “new coach bump” is a real thing, and the Jackets are living proof.
But now, the front office faces a different kind of pressure. With the team just four points out of both a top-three spot in the Metro and a wild card berth, GM Don Waddell has a decision to make: buy or sell?
Here’s where the Olympic break becomes a blessing in disguise. While it may have interrupted the Jackets’ on-ice momentum, it gives Waddell a 21-day window to evaluate his roster, weigh his options, and map out a strategy for the stretch run.
The early signs suggest Waddell is leaning toward buying-or at least holding onto key pieces. There are rumblings that he’ll begin contract talks next week with several pending unrestricted free agents, including Charlie Coyle, Mason Marchment, and captain Boone Jenner. Locking up any of those players would send a clear message: Columbus is pushing for the playoffs, not punting on the season.
And frankly, trading those players wouldn’t bring back much more than draft picks. That’s not the kind of return Waddell is looking for.
He’s made it clear he’s not interested in a fire sale. This isn’t about stockpiling assets-it’s about building something sustainable.
Now, when people hear “go all-in,” they tend to think of blockbuster trades, mortgaging the future, and swinging for the fences. But that’s not necessarily what this situation calls for.
This isn’t 2019, when then-GM Jarmo Kekäläinen kept Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin despite their expiring contracts, then doubled down by bringing in Matt Duchene and others. That gamble made waves-and ultimately left Columbus empty-handed when those players walked in free agency.
Waddell’s in a different spot. He doesn’t have high-end stars on the verge of leaving. What he does have is a team that’s playing with confidence, a coach who’s got them dialed in, and the flexibility to make smart, targeted upgrades.
Even if Coyle and Marchment aren’t extended before the deadline, there’s a strong argument for keeping them. Ride it out.
See how far this group can go. But don’t let it be passive.
This isn’t last year, when Columbus was a fringe playoff team and Waddell made a modest move for Luke Kunin in early March. This time around, there’s real potential-and real opportunity.
Waddell has the resources to act. According to PuckPedia, the Blue Jackets have over $45 million in deadline cap space.
That figure reflects the maximum annual cap hit they could absorb on deadline day, assuming no moves are made between now and then. It’s a powerful number, giving Waddell the ability to take on contracts that other teams might be looking to shed, or to target impact players without worrying too much about salary cap gymnastics.
There are other decisions to be made, too. UFAs like Danton Heinen and Erik Gudbranson could fetch mid-to-late round picks, but the return might not move the needle.
The bigger question is whether Waddell would consider moving a younger piece like Kent Johnson or Dmitri Voronkov. If the right deal is out there-one that improves the team both now and in the future-he has to at least consider it.
Then there’s the AHL pipeline. Prospects like Corson Ceulemans and Stanislav Svozil seem destined to stay in Cleveland for now, but that doesn’t mean they’re off the table. Zach Aston-Reese, a veteran who was sent down after the roster got healthy, could be a depth addition for a contender looking for playoff experience.
So what does “going all-in” look like for this version of the Blue Jackets? It’s not about swinging wildly.
It’s about being aggressive, but smart. It’s about recognizing the window that’s opening-not just for this season, but for the next couple of years-and taking calculated steps to make the most of it.
This team has earned the right to compete. They’ve battled through adversity, responded to a coaching change, and put themselves in position to make a run. Now it’s up to the front office to match that energy.
The trade deadline looms, and the decisions Waddell makes over the next few weeks could shape the direction of the franchise. The Jackets don’t need a miracle-they need a plan. And with the right moves, they just might make some noise this spring.