Don Waddell And Columbus Blue Jackets Ready For Action
Jane McNally of NHL.com: Now, life was far from easy for the Columbus Blue Jackets last season. The tragedy of Johnny Gaudreau understandably made the season a challenge. Injuries and upheaval were commonplace. The Blue Jackets battled and battled The result was a 23-point improvement from the 2023-24 season.
However, Don Waddell will not celebrate that. Instead, he knows Columbus must be aggressive this summer. Getting close to making the playoffs is nice, but making the playoffs is the goal. As for trades, one can never be sure.
“Obviously, there’s some guys I’m not trading for sure,” Waddell said. “But Wayne Gretzky got traded, so you never know.”
Keep in mind, Columbus drafts in the middle of the first round. Waddell is keen on getting the best player available. After that, the General Manager wants to bolster his defense and upgrade talent. If he has to trade picks to gain help for his team, Waddell will do it.
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Some big questions are there. Will Jet Greaves see a bigger role? Can Elvis Merzlikins be the guy? After that, it is all about getting the young talent to improve. The Columbus offense scored 267 goals (7th) but allowed 265 (25th).
How does Waddell improve that defense without sacrificing too much offense? Keep an eye out at the draft for some signs.
Vancouver, Minnesota, And Marco Rossi?
Patrick Johnston of The Province: So, what did Vancouver really offer for Marco Rossi? No one will really say. Clearly, Minnesota listened and that was about the extent of things. Again, Bill Guerin wanted an NHL-ready player and pick at least. That is the belief, anyway. Now, it is somewhat clear that what Vancouver offered did not move the needle.
Yes, a bigger offer could still happen. Evidently the 15th pick and whatever else Vancouver Canucks’ brass came up with just was not enough. It is no secret that Guerin and Marco Rossi are far apart in negotiations. It will be interesting to see what the Canucks can do to up the offer without giving too much off their roster.
The search for a pivot behind Elias Pettersson is clear.
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Now, the question is can Vancouver find, err, get their guy? Unlike Columbus, this one may be a more uphill struggle.
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