Take out the 2nd and even then it’s a maybe. The 1st would need protection, and CC may not be available.

With where CBJ are at, it’s a legit question as to whether they should give up those assets to get a guy who is a 2C. Come TDL, CBJ are more likely to be prepping themselves for Bedard or Fantilli at C than Horvat.

Even looking at this roster for what it may be next year, I just don’t think they are one 8 x $8.25M Horvat away from being so different. Particularly when, as has happened many times throughout sports history, Bo is choosing a great time to have an uncharacteristically productive year.

Not to mention, why would CBJ be dooming JG to rot of old age when you don’t even have Horvat as his C? This team’s biggest issue isn’t scoring, it’s D and goaltending.

This roster still feels incredibly week on the wings and backend. Still a long ways to go imo

They are still 2 years away but wings will be a strength of this team. Gaudreau, Laine, Kent Johnson, texier, chinakhov, marchenko could be an elite core of wings if the young guys continue to improve. Same with defense

Defense needs to grow, and the goaltending needs to bounce back, but I wouldn't anticipate big changes in either of those areas. Maybe Boqvist or Peeke gets moved out to make room for Jiricek, or Guddy gets bought out.

The wings are great. The biggest thing preventing the Blue Jackets from taking the next step is a 1C, and that is the hardest thing in hockey to acquire. Everyone should be praying for losses so they can get Bedard or Fantilli, because that is their only hope. Horvat, Larkin or any other FA is going to be an overpayment for a low-end 1C. Larkin is between 25-30th C, Horvat is 40-50th. Bedard and Fantilli have the potential to be top-20 within 3 years. And Bedard could be top-10 by then.

Goaltending will return to form when they stop getting shell shocked nightly. Not worried about their guys in net. Defense is my biggest question mark for this club

It's obvious you don't watch their games, because Elvis has clearly been in bad form. The defense isn't great, also decimated by injuries, but the goaltending has been horrid.

The average shots against each night for Columbus is almost 40 a night man. Playing in front of a depleted BAD defense will always be a recipe for failure. I've watched a handful of games cuz I really like a couple of the guys over there so im not completely in the dark. Tarasov has looked pretty good and he's what, like 22? 23? As far as Elvis, i think hes just lost his confidence tbh. He's played really solid the last 3 seasons, and now the team is horrendous and his numbers are down, thats not coincidence lol

It's chicken-or-the-egg. You can't excuse how bad the D has been, but Elvis has also really been trying to do to much to make up for it. The guy built his game in Europe for being ultra aggressive. He tampered those habits down when he got to NA, but with the team struggling, some of those bad habits are starting to show. Korpi has had a few good games, but I don't see him going back to his all-star days. Tarasov has looked good for a kid who wasn't expected to get real NHL time for another year, but he's still a kid who wasn't meant to get real NHL time this year.

Long-term, I'm more occupied with seeing the D develop. Get a good D in front of any goalie and their game will improve. Get Z back, watch guys like Jiricek (who is looking scary in the AHL), CC, Mateychuk develop, and it'll fall into place.

Goalies are voodoo. Bad goalies have great years (Jack Campbell, Matt Murray), great goalies go bad out of nowhere (remember when Helleybuck was apparently done for? Also Murray again). It really is only like, the Vasilevskiy's and Shesterkins of the world who buck the trend in the modern NHL.

Kind of a tangent, but NHL goalies are, IMO, going the way of the NFL running-back.