A Mass Exodus At His Current Stop
Right now, the Blue Jackets are the only team in the NHL that can offer Matt Duchene an eight-year deal. We haven’t heard whether or not the Blue Jackets are working to re-sign Duchene, but the focus is likely on their frantic playoff push. They’ve been scratching and clawing to make the postseason, and currently sit in the second Wild Card spot, literally tied in points with the Montreal Canadiens who are outside the playoff bubble.
Say they make it in as a Wild Card one or two. Unless Sergei Bobrovsky pulls a Jean-Sebastien Giguere, this will likely be a quick exit for these Blue Jackets. Once that exit comes, the bigger exit comes next.
Right now, Duchene isn’t even one of their two biggest free agents. Bob might be their biggest free agent, and he’s looking to cash out in a major way. Artemi Panarin is another player looking to make big bucks on the open market, and the Blue Jackets have had all this time to re-sign him. If they haven’t by now, it’s probably not happening.
The Blue Jackets also have Ryan Dzingel and Adam McQuaid as unrestricted free agents. Zach Werenski is also a free agent, but luckily for Columbus he’s restricted.
Basically, Duchene is going to look back at what’s left of Columbus, and it will appear a rebuild might be on the horizon. The team is also hurt by the fact they have a 3rd and 7th-round pick in this year’s draft. Then, if Duchene signs, the Senators get the Blue Jackets 2020 1st-round pick. It’s just something that could cripple this franchise, and it will cause Duchene to choose another franchise to call home.