The Columbus Blue Jackets are expected to keep most of their players together, as the NHL trade deadline approaches this season. Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell wants to give his team more time to gel and win.
“Sometimes, as much as you like to get those assets, this is a different year as I’d probably look at it normally,” Waddell said, per NHL.com, “just because of what the guys have been through and how they continue to battle every day of the season and keep us in the position we’re in as of (February) 27. And for me to trade players for mid-round picks, it doesn’t make sense.
“At the beginning of the season, I just hoped we’d have some kind of meaningful games in March. I didn’t realize we’d be in a playoff spot. And so now, the way I look at it, I don’t know if selling off is the right thing for this group. This group has done a great job of sticking together, and whether we can get there or not, I think I’ve got to give this group a chance.”
The Blue Jackets are hanging in there this season, with a 29-22-8 record. Columbus is on a three-game winning streak. The squad is third in the Eastern Conference’s Metropolitan Division.
Can the Blue Jackets make noise in the final weeks of the season?
Columbus is not known as a typical power in the NHL. The franchise is one of the newest teams in the league, and Columbus hasn’t won a Stanley Cup, conference championship or even a division title in its history.
Waddell likes though what he sees from this club. The Blue Jackets have forced 200 goals this season. That’s good enough for second in scoring offense in the division.
“The thing is, my job is to manage our assets, so I can’t make decisions that hurt us in the long term,” Waddell added. “We have a couple of first-round picks this year, and I’m not using them for rental players. That makes no sense at all. If someone’s got term, well, that’s different.”
Time will tell how this team fares moving forward. The Blue Jackets next play the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night, in the Stadium Series contest. The stakes are high as the Blue Jackets can overtake Detroit in the standings with a win.
The NHL Trade Deadline is March 7.
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