A month into NHL free agency, a few familiar names are still sitting out there, and three of them used to wear Blue Jackets colors.
Patrik Laine, James van Riemsdyk, and Nick Blankenburg are all still unsigned in August, leaving each one in the mix as clubs continue sorting through what they need before the season gets closer.
Laine is the biggest name of the group, but the injury history is the obvious hurdle. He appeared in only five games last season with the Montreal Canadiens because of injury, and given the health issues he has dealt with over the past several seasons, he may have to settle for a professional tryout (PTO) agreement or a one-year, prove-it deal. During his run with Columbus from 2020-21 through 2023-24, Laine produced 64 goals, 74 assists, and 138 points in 174 games.
Van Riemsdyk offers a different kind of appeal. He is the veteran depth scorer teams could still use, and he backed that up last season with the Detroit Red Wings by putting up 15 goals and 31 points in 72 games. That came after he posted 16 goals and 36 points in 71 games with the Blue Jackets during the 2024-25 season.
Blankenburg is also still looking for his next deal after a career year in 2025-26. In 61 games split between the Nashville Predators and Colorado Avalanche, he reached new personal bests with eight goals, 16 assists, and 24 points.
For teams in search of a puck-moving defenseman, he could be a worthwhile flier. Over three seasons in Columbus from 2021-22 to 2023-24, Blankenburg had six goals, 12 assists, and 18 points.
In Other News...
Blue Jackets Give Fans A New Reason To Debate This Core
A fresh look at the Blue Jackets roster economics offers a different kind of snapshot than the usual standings check, and it lands at an interesting moment for a team still trying to define its long-term core. Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic ranked NHL clubs by contract efficiency, weighing market value against actual salary, and Columbus came out 15th, a step that suggests there is more good value in the roster than the casual glance might reveal.
Kirill Marchenko and Zach Werenski stood out as players providing positive value surpluses, the kind of production that can make a roster easier to build around. But the analysis also underscored the familiar push and pull of team construction, with names like Cole Sillinger and Charlie Coyle showing negative value in the evaluation, leaving the Blue Jackets with a little more to debate about which pieces are truly driving the foundation and which ones still need to justify their place. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Risk Chasing The Wrong Upgrade With Kirill Marchenko
Kirill Marchenko is one of the more intriguing names on Columbuss roster because his value can swing in opposite directions depending on how this season unfolds. If the winger takes a step back, the Blue Jackets would be looking at a reduced trade market. If he pops, the conversation gets more complicated because his next contract would quickly become part of any serious move, and that makes him a harder piece to shop cleanly.
For Montreal, the appeal is easy enough to understand. The Canadiens are searching for help and Marchenkos position makes him a natural fit in the type of upgrade they keep weighing against what they already have on the wing. Still, the more scouts and analysts dig into the fit, the more this feels like the kind of chase that can look obvious on paper while masking a bigger question: whether Columbus would actually end up in a place where moving him makes practical sense at all. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Stay In The Middle Of A Goalie Debate Fans Feel Strongly About
As the NHL drifts toward another offseason of trade chatter, Columbus is again finding its name attached to one of the louder rumors. The Blue Jackets are among the teams that could be active as the 2026-27 season approaches, with Kirill Marchenko and Zach Werenski both mentioned in the broader swirl of possible deals, while other clubs around the league are also expected to explore their own roster changes.
Kirill Marchenko is the name to watch in the trade talk, especially with interest coming from Montreal and the kind of league-wide speculation that tends to spread fast once the offseason opens up. Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell said it had been weeks since he last discussed a possible Marchenko trade with another general manager, but that has not done much to quiet a conversation that still feels very much alive. [Read more 🡒]