Apr 8, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets goalie
Sergei Bobrovsky(72) against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Nationwide Arena. The Jackets won 5-0. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
1. Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets shocked the hockey world when they acquired Brandon Saad from the Blackhawks in a deal that seemed to come out of left field. The return for Saad was fairly large, but Columbus has a boat load of young depth within the organization.
This seems to be a trend for the top three teams, and proves why they are so interchangeable, but Columbus has a very suspect defensive corps as well. The addition of Saad has made the Jackets one of the deeper teams in the league from a forwards perspective, and the good news is that they still have some cap room to sign a solid blue-liner.
Saad hasn’t been inked to his deal just yet, and is still technically susceptible to an offer sheet. While Columbus said that they’ll definitely match any offer sent, that could put them in a rough spot under the cap if someone raises the price on them. I assume a deal will get done within the next few days, but if someone would happen to swoop in and steal Saad these rankings would change quickly.
With names like Ryan Johansen, Brandon Dubinsky, Nick Foligno, Scott Hartnell, and Cam Atkinson, it’s easy to see why this team will be tough to match up against. They’ll be rolling four solid lines that contain youth and skill.
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