Blue Jackets’ Trade Deadline Acquisitions Are Already in the Organization – The Hockey Writers – Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets find themselves in a place they may not have expected to be at the beginning of the season – squarely within the hunt for a playoff spot. Heavily aided by their group of young players seemingly all taking huge leaps forward in development, this team is going to be playing meaningful games late in the season. Because of the tragic way that the season began and since everyone loves an underdog story, there is going to be a lot of speculation as to how the Blue Jackets handle the March 7 trade deadline. Their general manager (GM) Don Waddell says they will be moderate buyers, and they can be because their big deadline acquisitions are already within the organization.

Injuries have been a major factor for Columbus over the last few seasons and they’ve again taken several key losses in that regard. Most players that are out right now are expected to come back at some point before the team’s 82nd game in April, so the Blue Jackets shouldn’t go too “hog wild” in an effort to replace them in the short term.

Blue Jackets’ Returning Forwards

At the top of the list of forwards soon to return is Blue Jackets’ captain Boone Jenner. He’s been out after having shoulder surgery just before the start of the season. The longest-tenured Blue Jacket is versatile enough to play anywhere in the lineup and can slot in beside anyone that might need a boost in energy. It’s been speculated that if all goes well Jenner could be back late this month after the 4 Nations Face-Off break. His return will provide a jolt to the lineup.

Sean Monahan was in the midst of the best season of his career. Resolidifying that he’s capable of playing as the number one center on an NHL team, flanked by Kirill Marchenko and Dmitri Voronkov, he was part of one of the best lines in hockey. A wrist injury suffered against the Pittsburgh Penguins in January has had a setback and he’s expected to miss another five to seven weeks.

Yegor Chinakhov has been another subtraction from the Blue Jackets’ top-nine forwards. While there’s been no official word from the team as to what exactly his upper-body injury is, it’s become a far more significant issue than many initially expected. He’s currently sitting at 35 games missed and as someone who was building on a breakout last season, his loss has been felt. Despite the lack of a timeline for his return,