After being eliminated from playoff contention on the penultimate night of the season, the Columbus Blue Jackets’ attention now shifts to the offseason and improving the club.
One of the many decisions that President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Don Waddell and his team will need to make will be on what pending free agents to bring back into the fold for the 2025-26 season.
A total of 23 rostered and non-rostered Blue Jacket players will have their contract come to an end when the NHL's season comes to its official conclusion June 30th.
Rostered players are those who are in Columbus' organization and receiving an NHL salary. Non-rostered players are those who are signed to the organization but not currently on the Blue Jackets roster.
Most of Columbus' upcoming non-roster free agents are currently playing with the AHL's Cleveland Monsters.
It is also worth noting that there is a difference in the type of free agencies these players have:
Unrestricted free agents (UFA's) are players that will no longer be under contract with the Blue Jackets when July 1st arrives. In other words, they are a "true" free agent.
Restricted free agents (RFA's) are free agents in the sense that they can sign elsewhere, however, they still have their rights maintained by the Blue Jackets. Another team can attempt to sign these players via an offer sheet, which Columbus would then have the opportunity to match in both length and dollars. If they don't, the team that made the offer would owe the Blue Jackets draft pick compensation that would be determined on the value of the contract.
Here is a complete list of UFA's and RFA's in the Blue Jackets organization:
Unrestricted Free Agents
Rostered Forwards: Justin Danforth, Christian Fischer, Luke Kunin, Sean Kuraly, Kevin Labanc, James van Riemsdyk
Non-Roster Forwards: Dylan Gambrell, Trey Fix-Wolansky, Joseph Labate, Owen Sillinger
This is where the heaviest bulk of free agents are for Columbus. Speculation is that Kuraly has played his last game for the team, and given the limited play of late-season acquisitions Fischer and Kunin, it's a safe bet to assume they will not be with the organization next season. Labanc likely falls under that umbrella, too.
Two of the more intriguing decisions from this list will be the ones made on Justin Danforth and James van Riemsdyk. Danforth was an up-for-the-challenge, bottom-six utility player under head coach Dean Evason this season, and the veteran presence of JVR was valuable for the young team throughout.
Rostered Defensemen: Dante Fabbro, Jack Johnson, Ivan Provorov
Non-Roster Defensemen: None
The quantity may be within the forwards, but the quality when it comes to UFA's comes on the blue line. Johnson's tenure with the team is more than likely over, but Waddell has expressed significant interest in bringing back both Fabbro and Provorov. Both impressed all season long in top-four roles. The team has made no secret that improving the defense is a top priority in the coming months, but to what extent they'll need to do that depends on what happens with these two.
Rostered Goaltenders: None
Non-Roster Goaltenders: Zach Sawchenko
Not a lot happening here, with Sawchenko being the only decision looming. He played 27 games with the Monsters this season, primarily in a backup role.
Restricted Free Agents
Rostered Forwards: Dmitri Voronkov
Non-Roster Forwards: Hunter McKown, Mikael Pyyhtia
The Blue Jackets are going to have options with Voronkov, but none of them will involve letting him walk. Like a bulk of RFA's, he is arbitration eligible — though both sides should see that as a last resort.
As for what Voronkov may get in terms of dollars? There's an easy comp here.
Last offseason, fellow countryman Kirill Marchenko was in a similar position before signing a three-year, $11.55 million dollar extension that carried an average annual value of $3.85 million.
Marchenko was 23 years old and coming off a season in which he had 23 goals and 19 assists (42 points) in 78 games, while averaging 16:25 per game. That was coming off a 21-goal rookie season.
Voronkov enters his negotiation at 24 years old and coming off a season with 23 goals and 24 points (47 points) in 73 games, while averaging 16:47 per game. That was coming off an 18-goal rookie season.
The Big Boss, as Voronkov has been christened, will likely command a little more on average annual value: the salary cap is going up and contracts are on the rise every offseason. He'll also be one year closer to UFA eligibility than Marchenko was, given the one-year age difference.
Rostered Defensemen: Jordan Harris
Non-Roster Defensemen: Ole Julian Bjorgvik-Holm, Cole Clayton, Daemon Hunt, Samuel Knazko
Harris played so sparingly this season that it's fair to wonder if the Blue Jackets will not make a qualifying offer and let him walk as an unrestricted free agent. Hunt, acquired along with four draft picks in the David Jiricek trade, seems most likely to return of the non-roster defensemen.
Rostered Goaltenders: Daniil Tarasov
Non-Rostered Goaltenders: None
Jet Greaves is on a one-way contract starting with the 2025-26 season and between that and the way that he closed out this season, leaving him off the Columbus opening night roster is just not going to happen. That may, in part, spell the end for Tarasov with the Blue Jackets. He did play marginally better in the second half of the season, but it's certainly possible that the Blue Jackets won't make an offer and let him enter unrestricted free agency.
