On paper this makes sense, but I just don't think there's any way the Jackets win a Boqvist trade right now. He's looked like a really gifted offensive D-man when healthy, and that's much harder to find than a physical presence (which would be the entire right side). I'd much rather go for a Peeke-for-Zadorov swap, but I think CBJ is content to see what they have with so many new parts before making any changes.

I do like Danforth in for Mathieu, that 4th line could be solid. Tex is also extremely defensively responsible (more so than Ros), so I think the lineup works. We'll just have to see if Sillinger struggles out of the gate, because he might be best off starting in the AHL to get some confidence back.

I totally respect your perspective. Boqvist has great potential and has shown undeniable flashes of brilliance as an offensive defenseman, and those players are indeed a precious commodity in the NHL. However, here's a counterpoint to consider: While Boqvist's offensive skills are exciting, the Blue Jackets have Werenski, Severson Provorov, Blankenburg and Bean who can all move the puck and contribute offensively, as well as Jiricek, Matechuck, Svozil and Ceulemans on the way. They might be facing a situation where they need to address their defensive presence as a whole rather than hang on to yet another offensive-minded dman.

Sometimes, it's not just about one player's talent but how the entire roster fits together. Moving Boqvist for a more physical presence, like Zadorov, could help bolster the team's defensive stability. As you mentioned, we have that on the right side with Peeke, Gudbranson, and maybe Blankenburg or Jiricek (I wouldn't consider Severson very physical), but there isn't really a physical precense on the left. Z and Provy are solid defenders, but Zadorov would put someone on that side who can really bang, and offers a big, familiar partner for Guddy to form a shutdown and penalty killing third pair with.

Your suggestion of a Peeke-for-Zadorov swap is interesting too. It might indeed be another way to address the need for physicality on the left side, but I think Calgary would require another asset to be included in that swap.

I agree that the lineup adjustments you mentioned, like Danforth and Tex, could add depth and defensive responsibility. And regarding Sillinger, player development is crucial. If he needs some time in the AHL to regain confidence, that might be the best path for his long-term growth. It's going to be very interesting to see how players compete for those center spots, and how Babcock manages that situation.

Under this scenerio, i could see Jenner at 1C, Fantilli at 2C and Johnson moving over into 2LW position to start the season.
As good as Fantilli may be, I think Babs will go with Jenner so as to ease Fantilli into the 1C role.

As for Peeke vs Boqvist swap, I think Peeke is valued higher due to his size, heavy play, and shot blocking ability over Boqvist.
People knock on Peeke and trade him low on this site. But nobody seems to take into consideration he was slotted at 1RD with Werenski, and probably a bit too early to rely on there to be consistent night after night against other teams' top lines...and then Werenski went out for almost the whole season. And Merzlikens laid an egg in 2022-23.
Peeke slotted in at 2C or 3C across from Provorov or another solid D man will definitely do wonders for his game.

Smart money says Boqvist, Guds and Bean are on their way out of town in the near future with Blankenburg, Jiricek, Coulemans, Mateychuk etc. all on the way very soon.

I think this is the exact argument to trade Peeke over Boqvist, based on value/perception. Peeke is coming off a year where he reliably played every game, played way up in the lineup (higher than he should), and nearly led the league in blocks. I think he's hit his ceiling, since he's already 25, and his value will never be higher; best to trade him and capitalize on that. I think it's far more likely that Peeke flops this season, or has a much worse year, than he builds on last season and actually improves. Conversely, Boqvist's value is pretty low right now (coming off injury), but he's looked good. We'd be selling low on a harder player to find when we should be selling high on a 3rd-pair ceiling coming off a career year. That's my two cents, I think both players are probably off the roster in 3 years when we're ready to compete; it's more about maximizing assets now.



I definitely agree with you that, with Jiricek and others on the way, we're going to have to move out some pieces. I doubt Boqvist or Peeke are long-term solutions, so may as well move one now; I just think you're maximizing assets by trading Peeke now rather than Boqvist. It's all shifting deck chairs though, I'm not going to be mad about one or the other being traded so long as the return is good!