The NHL’s trade deadline has come and gone, and now it is time to look at teams’ free agents as they gear up for the playoffs.
For the Columbus Blue Jackets, they have nine pending unrestricted free agents (UFA) and three restricted free agents (RFA) on their roster.
The Blue Jackets have some big decisions to make this summer. With roughly $45 million in cap space, they will need to decide who they are keeping and who they aren’t.
Unrestricted Free Agents:
- Luke Kunin
- Sean Kuraly
- Christian Fischer
- Justin Danforth
- James van Riemsdyk
- Kevin Labanc
- Ivan Provorov
- Dante Fabbro
- Jack Johnson
There is no bigger name on this list than Ivan Provorov, and the Blue Jackets will need to decide if they are going to keep him. Ultimately, it will come down to his asking price—if it is too high, Columbus will likely walk away and let him test the open market.
Luke Kunin and Dante Fabbro are both players the Blue Jackets will likely extend before the market even opens. Fabbro has been a great fit with Zach Werenski since joining the team, while Kunin is a player that head coach Dean Evason has liked from their time together with the Minnesota Wild.
Sean Kuraly, Kevin Labanc, Justin Danforth, and Christian Fischer will be lower on the priority list. However, they will still have communication with the Blue Jackets about a new contract but could ultimately end up hitting the open market.
Jack Johnson and James van Riemsdyk are both nearing the end of their careers, which will likely mean they will chase a chance at winning the Stanley Cup with the best team that offers them a deal.
Restricted Free Agents:
- Dmitri Voronkov
- Jordan Harris
- Daniil Tarasov
The Blue Jackets own the rights to all three of these players, and it is more than likely that they will reach a deal with each of them. However, with Jet Greaves ready to take the next step and become an NHL backup goalie, Daniil Tarasov’s rights could be dealt to make room for Greaves.
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