Blue Jackets mailbag, part 1: Fabbro's future, trade possibilities, contender status check

New York Times

17-06-2025

As great as the Stanley Cup Final has been, there are 30 other clubs ready to get on with the offseason.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are hoping to make significant upgrades this summer after taking a major step forward and nearly making the playoffs in 2024-25, and the fun is right around the corner. The first round of the NHL is draft is 10 days away. The start of free agency is just a two-week wait.
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We asked for your questions, Blue Jackets fans, and, as usual, you did not disappoint. There are too many to cram into one mailbag, so we're going to spread it out over two days.
In today's bag of letters, we get to the major task facing GM Don Waddell in reshaping the Blue Jackets' defensive corps, plus what trades they might consider with their two first-round picks, how far away Columbus might be from contender status, and what the future might hold for James van Riemsdyk.
On Wednesday, we'll try to tackle what lies ahead with the troubled goaltenders, whether or not Waddell would consider buyouts, the possibility of offers sheets and more.
Hope you enjoy!
(Some questions have been lightly edited for style and clarity.)
Seems like the Blue Jackets are going to try to bring back Dante Fabbro and Ivan Provorov. If so, how do they upgrade the defense from last season? — Finn M.
Great question, and one I posed to Waddell last week. He acknowledged the issue, and said that he'd be happy to add to last year's group and let training camp and the early season decide who plays and where. But there's only so much he can say at this point because there's (probably) only so much he knows at this point. There's a reason he's trying to mine the trade market first, because that doesn't have to wait until July 1, which is when Provorov can sign elsewhere. If he can swing a trade now, he'll have a better sense of what he has — or doesn't have — heading into free agency. He didn't say this, but that could also be a reason talks with Provorov have been exceedingly slow. If he makes a trade for a right-side top-four defensemen, the urge to re-sign Provorov may not be as urgent.
Likelihood they keep Dante Fabbro? Likelihood they keep Ivan Provorov? — Scott Q.
The sense as of this weekend is that Fabbro was moving in the right direction toward a deal and Provorov was yet to really get serious. Obviously, this can all change quickly. But I'd put Fabbro at a 'quite likely' to re-sign and Provorov at a couple of spots below that.
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Who plays next to Zach Werenski if we don't sign Fabbro? Seems like he's more valuable to us than he is with anyone else. — G.R.
Is this J.P. Barry? I'm guessing Barry, Fabbro's agent, has posed these same questions in his talks with Waddell over the last week or so. That's his leverage. I'm sure the Blue Jackets have mentioned that Fabbro was out of sorts in Nashville last season before they rescued him off waivers. But to answer your question … there is no obvious choice for a top-pair partner with Werenski. Now, they could land a player via trade or free agency, and Waddell would have a better sense of that possibility than anybody. But if Fabbro walks and is not replaced, well, the Blue Jackets would be where they were last season before they claimed Fabbro. And, well, that's why they claimed him.
Waddell has to get the club out from under the Damon Severson contract. What are the chances that he can pull off a decent deal? — Michael E.K.
Not quite sure what you mean by 'decent.' It's not a trade the Blue Jackets would win at this juncture. Obviously, Severson has not had a smooth landing in Columbus. You thought it might get better last season, his second with the Jackets, but it just really didn't. I'm not ready to give up on him, but in order to trade him — he has six years(!) remaining on his contract — the Blue Jackets would almost certainly have to retain a significant portion of his contract and/or sweeten the deal by sending a prospect or a draft pick along with him to a new destination. It's not an ideal spot.
What do you believe in Severson's mindset? Does he believe he's the liability that most believe him to be? Will he be content taking his money while being a healthy scratch? — Joseph M.
I don't pretend to know him well, but we've had good conversations and he's a guy who cares deeply about how he's playing and how he is contributing to the team. There may be some imposter syndrome at play here. The massive contract seemed to weird him out during his first season in Columbus. He even admitted that he was trying to hang points and make perfect plays to justify the Jackets' confidence in him. Strangely, maybe the salary cap going up and other defensemen joining the organization who draw bigger paychecks may help. He's a mobile player who has decent skills as a puck-mover. He doesn't need to be any more than he is, but he's been making brain-cramp plays all the way back to his New Jersey days. Simplify, man.
I was hearing Jason Robertson trade talks with the Blue Jackets. Have you heard anything similar? — Ua G.
I would put it this way: I've seen his name mentioned in trade rumors, and if there's any whiff that he's available, you'd be safe to assume that Waddell would make contact. Hell, he's probably spoken with Stars GM Jim Nill on a number of occasions this summer, because Waddell is actively making calls. But — not to kill a perfectly wonderful rumor — I have no substantive proof that the Blue Jackets have had trade talks specifically regarding Robertson.
Besides draft picks, who are the most likely trade candidates that could net real value? — Aaron P.
(For the record, this is a different Aaron P.) I would start with Yegor Chinakhov. I don't think the return would be huge, but it wouldn't be too late of a draft pick or too low of a prospect in return. If it becomes clear that the Blue Jackets aren't going to resign Provorov, I could see his rights becoming available. Outside chance that Elvis Merzlikins gets moved, but his March and April didn't help.
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What do you think would be available for the Blue Jackets' first-round picks, separate or together? — Jack H.
Great question. Honestly, at No. 14 and No. 20, the Blue Jackets may be just outside the window where clubs think they can find big-time, sure-fire NHL players. I'm pretty certain that neither of those picks alone would land an established NHL difference-maker, but if the right player falls and another club gets excited to add him … you never know. More likely, I'd guess, is that the Blue Jackets use the No. 14 or No. 20 as a package with something else.
I'm probably in the minority, but I don't think the Blue Jackets should trade their first-round picks this year? I say keep adding prospects. Disagree? — Alex E.
I'd have to know what's available in trade to answer that. I'm not opposed to spending those picks, but if there is immediate help — young player with term, especially — I would argue that the Blue Jackets are well within the window now where it's appropriate to start trading mid-first-round picks in order to immediately help the young wunderkinds already in place. The goal is still continuing to improve, of course, but being top-eight in the East next season is the target.
Thoughts on plans for Yegor Chinakhov? How does the team view him? — Dan C.
I started to sense real frustration last season. He's missed a lot of games the last three seasons. And as much as that may not be anybody's fault — injured is injured — you're trying to build a competitive team here. As a former Blue Jackets coach used to say: 'Guys who are always hurt … are always hurt.' You saw what Waddell did last summer with the likes of Jake Bean, Adam Boqvist, Nick Blankenburg and others. Waddell seems to avoid guys who are chronically injured. I won't be surprised if he's traded. If he stays and stays healthy, the sky is the limit. That kid is talented.
I'm not buying into this Mitch Marner thing. Playing in Toronto takes a thick skin but it seems a lot had to do with ego. — Salvatore T.
I've never gotten any sense that Marner is anything other than a good dude and a good teammate, but that's a hard thing to judge from the press box, especially one a few hundred miles away. I'll grant you that the Blue Jackets need to be cognizant now of not just collecting high-end skill, but in adding the right parts to fit their roster needs. But the idea of adding Marner, one of the most talented forwards in the game, to that forward group is plenty enticing. That kind of player lifts everyone around him.
If Waddell gets a good (but not necessarily Marner) winger, retools the defense and the goaltending situation, this team makes the playoffs but is one or two years away from being a serious contender. Agree? — George M.
Would you settle for 'on the right track'? All of those things you mentioned are key. And, yes, it would make them more competitive, especially when added to the continue growth of their top-notch young players. But I ponder two things with this. First, what's going to happen around the Eastern Conference over the next two or three weeks? The Blue Jackets aren't the only team trying to take big steps forward. The Rangers are not going to rest. The Red Wings, at some point, are going to elevate. Is Boston down for a while now? Maybe not. The other issue is, this Blue Jackets group almost certainly has some tough lessons ahead to learn in the playoffs. They have to taste it first. It usually has to hurt like hell a couple of times before you break through. Three of four years, maybe.
We still don't look anywhere close to competing with the Oilers or Panthers of the world. Do we really think a goalie and another forward is enough? We might be further away that we hope. — Drew T.
I don't. I don't think most people do, either. No, there's plenty of work to be done here still. They need a goalie. They could use another forward. This is the building that has to continue. The 2025-26 season won't be the peak of this roster, not with all of the 20-to-24-year-olds. The future is bright and the trajectory seems to be pointed upward. But that's rarely in a straight line. Can they keep this group together? There's a question. But to think they're two players away from being a conference champion is a stretch.
James van Riemsdyk's veteran and net presence is needed, no? — Steve F.
I think so, but I would understand both parties going to July 1 to see what's out there. (Not saying that's the plan, just that I could understand it.) The Blue Jackets are expected to let Sean Kuraly walk and might lose Justin Danforth, too, although the two sides are talking. To lose those three would be quite a blow, and it would be imperative that they add some competitive veterans lower in the lineup. But nobody knows how all of this will shake out in the next couple of weeks. I was more than a little mystified late last season when van Riemsdyk, with 16 goals, was sitting during the most important time of the season.
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It seems like almost every team is in the same position as CBJ: money to burn, assets to spend, and a desire to upgrade. — Jonathan B.
That is the truth. The infusion of cap space has opened up the possibilities for many teams this summer, and the promise of significantly more cap space in subsequent years will give them confidence to look boldly into the future, too. My prediction: free-agent prices are going to skyrocket this year, and moderately effective players will start making the money of much better players. I'm also guessing that some young players will take short-term deals, knowing there will be big tickets waiting and available for them in a few years. Get ready for sticker shock.
Trent Vogelhuber has been great with AHL Cleveland. Any word on if he's getting NHL buzz from Columbus or others? — Charles P.
Well, with the Blue Jackets' entire coaching staff back next season — that was made clear right after the season — there doesn't appear to be a vacancy for him to fill in Columbus as of now. The other thing to consider is, that for many AHL guys ,it's a question of what's best for their careers and their career path. For some, they'd rather be an AHL coach than an NHL assistant because they want that head coaching experience. At some point, as a guy who didn't play in the NHL, I'm guessing Vogelhuber will need his next step to be as an NHL assistant. Not ruling it out. Jared Bednar, for one, made the leap form the minors to the NHL without playing in the NHL or serving as an NHL assistant. It can be done. Vogelhuber is very highly regarded around the NHL and AHL. It'd be a shame if the Dublin, Ohio, native was snatched away.
Will we ever update our primary sweater logo? — John B.
Why would you do that? How can something become classic if you keep changing it? I like the sweater, but I don't get too hung up on such details. To each their own.
(Photo of Dante Fabbro: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)