The Columbus Blue Jackets have been through a roller coaster of a season, as they fired head coach Dean Evason just a few weeks after a slow start. Since then, the Blue Jackets hired Rick Bowness, and are 5-1 after the coaching change. Although things seem to be going well, the Blue Jackets are still deciding if they want to be buyers or sellers.
If they do want to become sellers and begin a reset of the team, there are some players on the team who could garner some attention on the market, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.
“But if they determine during the Olympic break that they can’t stay in the race, the Jackets could be a real factor in a market that doesn’t have a lot of sellers yet. Pending unrestricted free agents include Boone Jenner, Mason Marchment, Charlie Coyle and Erik Gudbranson,” LeBrun wrote. “Some of those guys could end up being extended, but calls are coming in on them.
“Jenner would be a hot target as a leadership guy and his style of play come playoff time, and Coyle has already generated lots of calls — not surprising given how few centers are available.”
With teams looking to improve their team, and center being a high priority, there's a chance that Coyle could be on the move if the Blue Jackets want to make a deal. They'd probably want assets in return, which shouldn't be hard, especially if other teams value Coyle.
As for Jenner, he could be a good locker room guy for the team, and would elevate his game when it matters the most.
