"Work in progress" as Blue Jackets assemble

Not one to be shy just two days into his tenure as GM and Team President of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Thomas Gidlow has made waves as the dust settles on the 2017 MRFHL Entry Draft.

Within 48 hours of being hired, Gidlow has moved three former pro roster members, ten draft picks, and several prospects in order to procure a bevy of impact players.

Gone are Radim Vrbata, Dave Bolland, and David Booth. Gone are several young futures, including Mitchell Stephens, Jeremy Roy, and Michael McLeod - along with a high first round pick and the rest of the 2017 & 2018 selection cupboard.

Incoming are Patrick Marleau, Dustin Byfuglien, Daniel Sedin, Jack Johnson, and Mats Zuccarello. Joining them will be Alexander Edler, Anton Stralman, Patrick Hornqvist, and Carter Hutton.

And it was all according to plan.

"We took a long look at the league and where GM's seemed to be going in terms of direction ahead of the draft," stated Gidlow, who watched much of the five-round affair from the comfort of his home office. "We feel we took advantage. A lot of teams were looking to rebuild long-term, and we were obviously accommodating."

"We approached it very much like an expansion draft. Get as much top-end talent as possible."

The comparison may not make sense on the surface. But after some thought, it actually bears some semblance of fruit.

The Blue Jackets faced a very difficult offseason with many of their top players heading toward unrestricted free agency. Faced with limited assets to move from the pro roster, Gidlow moved futures to get better assets now as GM's were primed to add picks ahead of Sunday's Entry Draft.

"We didn't feel as though the 2017 draft was one we needed to be a part of," mentioned Gidlow. "We felt we got a solid prospect in Morgan Geekie at pick 77, and to us, there wasn't a lot of difference from the middle of the first round to where we were able to land Geekie."

"We see the 2018 and '19 drafts as ones where we'll have more of a presence. But job one was getting top assets at low prices when futures were in high demand. We feel we did a solid job at that."

Columbus is obviously not done. The Blue Jackets now have roughly $62 million tied into 14 pro roster players, and with free agency on the horizon - a period Columbus figures to be active in - there will be more deals to come.

"There's a lot of talent in this league and we've acquired a good share of it," said Gidlow. "But there's plenty more out there, and we want to be competing for more than just a playoff spot next season and each season after."

Gidlow wasn't around for the Blue Jackets collapse last season. Near a playoff spot with just four games left, Columbus went 1-3-0 to end the 2016-17 campaign, and missed the postseason by six points.

"We'll re-assess, see what fits where, and go from there. But our goal won't change. We're building to win, now and in the future."

"We're a work in progress, but we're on our way."

And only time will tell the tale of whether they succeed or not.

Chip Whitley, Associated Press