Don Waddell, the Blue Jackets’ president/general manager, approached the NHL’s trade deadline not expecting to do a lot.
More: Conor Garland on joining Blue Jackets, ‘It’s an exciting time’
His decision to replace former head coach Dean Evason with Rick Bowness on Jan. 12 sparked a resurgence that pushed the Blue Jackets back into the race for a playoff spot.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – FEBRUARY 28: Conor Garland #8 of the Vancouver Canucks skates against the Seattle Kraken during the third period at Climate Pledge Arena on February 28, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
After consulting with his staff about a week out from the 3 p.m. March 6 deadline, Waddell opted to keep his unrestricted free agents and view them as “rentals” that other GMs still needed to add rather than assets to be traded away.
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The Jackets’ biggest need, as the front office saw it, was a productive forward with scoring capability, playoff experience and cost certainty for the future with multiple years left under contract.
Enter Waddell’s only trade acquisition, Conor Garland, an experienced top nine forward with eight NHL seasons to his credit, proven two-way ability plus a six-year contract extension worth a cost effective $6 million a year that starts July 1.
Blue Jackets President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Don Waddell speaks during the team media day at Nationwide Arena on Sept. 15, 2025.
Adding Garland from the Vancouver Canucks for two draft picks (2026 third round, 2028 second round) fit everything Waddell hoped to acquire at this deadline and a massive side benefit was keeping his locker room happy. No UFAs were shipped away. No rentals were added. One big message was sent to a team that’s hotly tracking the scent of a playoff spot Columbus hasn’t had since 2020.
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“We added another piece that can bring (scoring) to us, which we felt we needed,” Waddell said. “And the other thing, contracts in this league continue to escalate, and we’re getting a player who’s 29 and is going to be 30 (on March 11). Cost certainty is important.”
If that’s not already clear with the Blue Jackets’ payroll, it will be when Waddell begins doling out pay raises to keep restricted and unrestricted free agents in Columbus. It’s going to take salary-cap space to comfortably fit the future salaries of young stars Adam Fantilli, Kirill Marchenko and Denton Mateychuk along with Kent Johnson and Cole Sillinger to a lesser extent.
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (8) talks to Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (19) during the NHL hockey game against the Calgary Flames at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Jan. 13, 2026. The blue jackets won 5-3.
That’s not to mention the biggest ticket item on Waddell’s list.
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Zach Werenski, the Blue Jackets’ star defenseman and leading scorer, can test unrestricted free agency on July 1, 2028, giving the team’s front office a window to re-sign him starting July 1, 2027.
Werenski makes $9.58 million per season now, and you can only imagine how much that will skyrocket after finishing runner-up for the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman last season and putting together an even stronger bid to win it this year.
Should Waddell keep the Blue Jackets’ core group together amid a bunch of upcoming pay bumps, a big part of the equation will be moves such as adding Garland at a salary number that will seemingly shrink when juxtaposed against a salary-cap ceiling that’s expected to rise from $95.5 million to $104 million next season and $113.5 million for 2027-28.
Garland is aging into a point in his career when players tend to experience drop-offs, and his offense has lagged the past two years. Waddle, however, said scouts who have tracked Garland believe a fresh start in Columbus could give him a significant boost.
COLUMBUS, OHIO – JANUARY 15: Conor Garland #8 of the Vancouver Canucks shoots the puck during the first period against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on January 15, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images)
Garland goes to the Blue Jackets with just seven goals, 19 assists and 26 points in 50 games this season for the Canucks, but it must also be noted that a rebuild is starting in Vancouver. After trading star Quinn Hughes, the Canucks shipped away other NHL veterans prior to dealing Garland.
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Getting a change of scenery with the Blue Jackets amid their push for a playoff spot could be just what Garland needs to revive himself as a top six forward. Waddell and the Blue Jackets are literally banking on it.
“Everybody we talked about, all the guys had term (left),” Waddell said. “So, when we knew Conor was going to be made available by Vancouver, we were pretty aggressive to get him.”
Their focus now is entirely about making the playoffs.
“Taking that step to the Stanley Cup is a big one,” Waddell said. “There’s only one winner each year, so to sit here and say, ‘We’re a Stanley Cup team,’ there’s steps to take there. Do I believe that we’re headed in that direction? Absolutely. Do I believe we can get in the playoffs and win some rounds with this hockey club? Yes.”
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Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com and @BrianHedger.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets hit the mark with Conor Garland trade