*Photo from The Athletic*
After a disappointing regular season, the Columbus Blue Jackets have had an offseason of overhauling, which has brought them some good value. Last season, the Blue Jackets finished in last place in the Discover Central Division, with a 18-26-12 record, failing to make the playoffs.
They started off the offseason with a change behind the bench. Head coach John Tortorella had his contract expire and did not return. This left a vacancy, which was filled by Tortorella assistant Brad Larsen.
In terms of the actual team, an important face of the defense in Seth Jones is gone, as he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks. The good news for the Jackets is they got an incredible return for him. They also lost D-Man Michael Del Zotto to the Ottawa Senators in free agency. Forward Cam Atkinson is also gone, traded to the Flyers, and F Mikhail Grigorenko signed in Russia.
Coming in to Columbus is Adam Boqvist, the key piece of the Jones trade, along with plenty of draft picks. He'll likely fill the void left by Jones. Replacing Del Zotto will be Jake Bean, acquired from the Hurricanes in exchange for a draft pick. Top scorer Jakub Voracek is also coming in, acquired from the Flyers in the Atkinson trade. They also signed bottom sixer and Ohio native Sean Kuraly in free agency.
The Blue Jackets will, in all likelihood, miss the playoffs again, but they have set themselves up well for the future, mostly due to the Jones trade.
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