Dream Realistic roster

Team: 2023-24 Columbus Blue Jackets

Initial Creation Date: Jan. 31, 2023

Published: Feb. 2, 2023

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

With a top 3 pick this year, I think the upcoming offseason becomes one where you start making moves to win, and win now. Bedard, Fantilli or even Carlsson all fill the last real hole in columbus's system (1C star prospect). I'm not even gonna hope for Bedard because the odds of *Columbus* getting him feel low as hell.

With a top 3 selection, you have pretty much every position desired to be filled stocked either via prospect or active player with term. My only questions would be in net with Tarasov (I like him but how does he hold up over a full NHL season in a platoon or starters role?) and obviously Elvis and his struggles.

Defensively, there's lots of talent in the cupboard. But if the top 3 pick circumstance happens... your window to start winning more than you lose opens immediately and you best not waste it. Jakob Chychrun is a stud defenseman, and I believe we have the assets to pull off a trade. The pieces needed to pull it off are a bit debatable (I considered making the 3rd Ottawa's 2nd for value purposes), but I don't see many teams being able to compete with a package that includes a young NHL defenseman (albeit one who can be inconsistent), a quality defensive prospect in Stanislav Svozil, a later first round pick and an additional pick. It would be for 2 years of Chychrun at that point, which isn't all that long.

Obviously Werenski and Jiricek are the building blocks of this defense going forward. A short term and reasonable UFA defenseman to stabilize the third pair (could be someone other than DeHaan) would be a worthwhile investment imo. Bean when healthy and with a good partner would be serviceable on the second pair. Third pair Blankenburg and Guddy would rotate in and out depending on if Blankenburg can stay healthy.

The ottawa deal was honestly just spitballing and taking advantage of ample cap space. Other than Jiricek there's a good bit of mid on our right side and the goal would be to trim some fat. I don't see Peeke becoming a top 4 guy for us but as a young third pair guy he's fine. For that deal I looked at it as a 2nd for taking Zaitsev and then a 4th for Peeke.

The TDL deals were just guesses based on rumors and some past precedence. If savard got a 1st and 4th in 2021, it seems reasonable that gavrikov would fetch a similar haul. Korpisalo has been the best goalie option in columbus this year. The kraken have a lot of goalies but they're not great goalies... figured a 3rd for a quality rental goalie at an extremely reasonable cap hit was fair.

Long term, I think the 2024 offseason you buy out Gudbranson. It's a deal that isn't great and is only going to age worse. Buying out the last 2 years isn't too crazy either, a 1.67m x 4 year dead hit is at least manageable. Merzlikins, all we can do is hope he bounces back. Until then it's a damn near immovable contract. His buyout isn't terrible either but it doesn't make a ton of sense to buy him out until he's proven he just cannot bounce back (2024 or 25 before that point probably).

Also I left enough cap space so that if Voracek returns (unlikely but who knows), the team isn't screwed over cap wise. Would probably slot him in third line replacing roslovic if that were to occur.

PS... INVEST IN AND READDRESS PLAYER HEALTH AND PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE AGAIN. I don't believe that it was coincidence that when we hired Nelson Ayotte in 2016, our man games lost to injury dropped drastically from 2014-16 to 2016-19. It's shot up drastically again, and you can't help but think at least some of this in preventable. And the coaching staff could use an overhaul as well, from top to bottom the organization needs to look in the mirror this offseason.

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