With draft looming, Provorov trade kicks off busy summer for Blue Jackets

With exactly three weeks to go until the 2023 NHL Draft, it's time to start thinking about what should be a busy week for the Blue Jackets when the annual selection event takes place June 28-29 in Nashville.

What happens in Music City could be music to the ears of CBJ fans, at least those who like adding talented young players to the equation. Columbus owns the third overall selection in the first round of the draft and is expected to draft a player that should be a franchise cornerstone for years to come.

And, as yesterday's acquisition of Ivan Provorov for a first-round pick shows, it wouldn't be a shock to see the Blue Jackets be one of the busiest teams in the league this offseason -- and perhaps at the draft. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen acknowleged his goal is for the Blue Jackets to work their way back into postseason contention after three straight seasons without playoff hockey, and adding the veteran defenseman is step one to add some size, dependability and experience to the roster.

This past season was the nadir, one hopes, as a franchise high in man-games lost to injury led to another team record -- players used in a season. It followed, then, that the Blue Jackets finished 31st in the 32-team league and posted the second-worst points percentage for a full season in team history.

But with improved health, young players continuing to progress and an offseason of moves ahead, Kekalainen said he expects to see steps taken next season.

"I think once we get everybody healthy, even the guys that are here, we're going to look like a completely different team," the general manager said. "But there's going to be some changes, too. We'll look at every position, and we're going to make the necessary changes. We want to get back into the playoffs.

"We've had enough of being on the outside looking in and watching the playoffs on TV. We got a taste of it for a few years in a row (from 2017-20), and not enough taste of success. We want to get back in there."

Free agency quickly follows the draft and begins July 1, and the draft floor is a notoriously busy place when it comes to remaking rosters. In other words, over the next month, the Blue Jackets could continue be a team to watch.

Here's an early look at what's next for the Blue Jackets.

Where do things stand?

When it comes to the draft, the Blue Jackets likely have a pretty good sense of the top of their board at the moment. The team held its annual amateur scouting meetings last month, and while the World Championships have taken place in the meantime, the hardest work -- with scouts grinding their way across the prairies of Canada, the width of the United States and all across Europe -- has been done over the past few years and months.

There still is one chance to add some information to the equation, though, and that comes this week at the NHL Scouting Combine. More than 100 players -- 106 to be exact -- are in Buffalo this week to meet with teams as well as perform physical testing that will be one of the last data points for teams to consider before setting their final lists.

The Blue Jackets also must name a head coach after the team parted ways with Brad Larsen at the end of the season, but that should have little impact on the team's drafting philosophy.

What of the third pick?

Blue Jackets fans on social media have been debating what the team should do with the third overall pick, which is where Columbus will choose after falling one spot in the draft lottery a month ago.

Pretty much everyone under the sun knows that superstar-in-waiting Connor Bedard is expected go to Chicago with the No. 1 overall pick after record-setting performances with Regina of the WHL and at the World Juniors this past season.

What happens after that will largely shape the Blue Jackets' fortunes. University of Michigan center Adam Fantilli is coming off being just the third freshman to win the NCAA Hober Baker Award, and many feel he'll go to Anaheim with the No. 2 overall pick. After that, the top names include Swedish center/wing Leo Carlsson, U.S. National Team Development Program center Will Smith and Russian wing Matvei Michkov.

All have had their fair share of successes over the years and posted historic production in their respective situations, and many analysts feel those players could be potential No. 1 overall picks in different drafts.

"We're going to get a hell of a player at three," Kekalainen said.

What have they been up to?

Other than inline hockey with CBJ forward Kent Johnson, Bedard hasn't played competitively since the Pats' season ended in the WHL playoffs, but the other players in the mix have been quite busy.

Both Fantilli and Carlson suited up at the IIHF World Championships in late May with their home countries, and both showed the promise one would hope for out of such highly touted players. Carlsson largely played center at the event and finished with a 3-2-5 line and plus-5 rating in eight games while averaging 15:38 per contest. Fantilli won a gold medal with Canada, skating an average of 12:25 in 10 games and posting a 1-2-3 line and plus-3 rating.

Smith, meanwhile, competed at the IIHF Under-18 Worlds a few weeks earlier and had his own impressive performance, producing nine goals in seven games and being named tournament MVP. Smith also tied Jack Hughes' American record with 20 points at the event while leading Team USA to gold.

Russian national teams are currently unable to compete in IIHF tournaments, but coming off the best KHL season ever in points per game for a draft-eligible player, Michkov has been skating for a Russian U-25 national team in events.

Fantilli, Carlson and Smith will be at the Scouting Combine this week for the Blue Jackets to get another up-close look at the trio.

What other picks do the Blue Jackets have?

Columbus went into the offseason also holding Los Angeles' first-round pick after acquiring it for Vladislav Gavrikov and Joonas Korpisalo at the deadline, but that is now gone after it was sent to Philadelphia in the Provorov deal. Kekalainen had previously suggested the Blue Jackets might deal the pick to add to the current roster, especially after Columbus stocked the cupboard with five first-round picks over the past two drafts.

But even after the Provorov trade, Columbus retains six picks in the first four rounds of the 2023 draft and eight picks overall. In addition to the third overall choice, the Blue Jackets have their second-round pick; their own pick and Calgary's pick in the third round; their own pick and Winnipeg's pick in the fourth round; Boston's pick in the fifth round; and their own pick in the seventh round.

And after that?

The addition of Provorov was one signal the Blue Jackets will be active this summer, with the veteran blueliner expected to slot into the second pair to help solidify a defense that has struggled the past two seasons. Add in the return of Alexandre Texier from Europe and the signing of Russian forward and 2019 draft pick Dmitri Voronkov, and Columbus already has added three potential everyday players to the lineup.

Whether it's via trade or free agency, Kekalainen has options to continue to tweak the roster. Free agency begins July 1, and the Blue Jackets could be in an advantageous position there. Columbus still has a handful of restricted free agents -- Mathieu Olivier, Tim Berni, Joshua Dunne, Trey Fix-Wolansky, Carson Meyer and Marcus Bjork fall into that group -- to sign, while Lane Pederson, Gavin Bayreuther, Joona Luoto, Justin Richards, Michael Hutchinson and Jon Gillies are unrestricted free agents.

Once Columbus sorts through those deals, there will still be money available for next season. The Blue Jackets currently have more than $12 million in cap space per CapFriendly, a good number for a squad that doesn't have big-ticket RFA or UFA deals to take care of from the 2022-23 roster.

One has to remember what happens this summer has ramifications down the road -- Kent Johnson, Kirill Marchenko, Cole Sillinger, Yegor Chinakhov and others are due new deals after next season -- but it's still a pretty good spot to be in.

In the salary cap era, flexibility is key, and the Blue Jackets have enough to get done what Kekalainen wants to do.