COLUMBUS, Ohio — Like most other NHL clubs, the Columbus Blue Jackets are heading into the biggest stretch of the offseason looking to add a forward near the top of their lineup. The most likely way this happens is via trade.

Why? Well, there aren’t many difference makers available via free agency, and the Blue Jackets can’t expect to add immediate help with the No. 14 pick at the NHL Draft this month.

So, general manager Don Waddell, who has already swung 14 trades in his two years on the job in Columbus, will need to keep the swap meet going if the Blue Jackets are going to fortify their top two lines.

There have already been scores of conversations toward this goal, Waddell said in an interview on Sunday. He ran into fellow GMs in Switzerland during the IIHF World Championships. He had further chats with his contemporaries at the NHL scouting combine in Buffalo, N.Y.

Many of those potential deals may need to wait until the draft is staged June 26-27, but the end of the Stanley Cup Final on Sunday signaled the official start of the offseason. There were two trades already on Tuesday.

It’s time for Waddell to join the party, and we’re happy to help. Using colleague Chris Johnston’s NHL offseason trade board, we’ve picked five names that would make sense for the Blue Jackets to acquire via trade.

The names run the gamut from big-contract, high-price acquisitions to high-risk, low-cost options, but they have one thing in common: We’ve listed players known to play predominantly on the wing.

Yes, centers can often be shifted to the wing, and — like defensemen — an NHL club can never have too many options down the middle.

But there is a premium price tag for centers, and the Blue Jackets feel pretty good about their depth with Adam Fantilli, Charlie Coyle, Sean Monahan, and Isac Lundeström down the middle, plus a collection of other players (Cole Sillinger, Dmitri Voronkov, Luca Del Bel Belluz) who can play the pivot.

The following wingers are listed in order from “dream scenario” to “well, give it a shot!”

Matthew Knies, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs

Full disclosure: It makes zero sense for the Maple Leafs to move a 23-year-old power forward who is trending toward point-a-game production, but Knies’ name has been all over the rumor mill for months now, and the Leafs make moves all the time that don’t make sense. (Reportedly, they nearly traded him to Montreal at the March trade deadline.) This would be a huge get for the Blue Jackets, as it would change their look up front and add another young talent to their budding group. A Knies-Fantilli-Marchenko line could be dominant for years to come.

Trade considerations: This would cost the Blue Jackets dearly: at least one roster player and a top prospect, and perhaps also this year’s No. 14 pick. The roster hole it creates could precipitate other moves, but some players are worth it. Knies, under contract for five more seasons, does not have any no-trade or no-move clauses in his contract until the 2030-31 season, when a modified no-trade kicks in.

Pure strength from Matthew Knies makes this goal possible! 💪 pic.twitter.com/PzhdpgnWtR

— NHL (@NHL) March 25, 2026

Mason McTavish, C/LW, Anaheim Ducks

This is an extremely talented player coming off a difficult season — he was a healthy scratch late, including in the playoffs — so it could be the right time to strike. McTavish, 23, moved from center to wing at midseason, and that’s probably where he’ll spend most of his career, as his only real limitation is his skating. McTavish has averaged 19 goals and 45 points in his first four full NHL seasons, but most are waiting for a breakout. He’s under contract for five more seasons at $7 million per season.

Trade considerations: Ducks GM Pat Verbeek may drive the hardest bargain in the NHL, so a deal might not be plausible. But a young player with term would certainly be enticing to Waddell. McTavish has no contract clauses until a modified no-trade gets added for the 2029-30 season. Here’s a spot where the Blue Jackets’ No. 14 pick could be enticing, as the Ducks do not own a first-round pick.

Mason McTavish is back at it with his signature shootout move 👀 pic.twitter.com/bjiGlIZvmE

— NHL (@NHL) March 2, 2026

Jordan Kyrou, LW, St. Louis Blues

There’s a bit of a risk here, as Kyrou carries a big ticket — $8.13 million per season through 2030-31 — and he’s coming off his worst full season yet in the NHL. After averaging 33 goals and 71 points in the previous four seasons, Kyrou dipped to 18-28-46 this season, one of many Blues to crater. There’s also the issue of his full no-trade clause. Still, if he returned to form, Kyrou would give the Blue Jackets a much-needed scoring punch, not to mention a much-needed burst of speed in their top six.

Trade considerations: The Jackets’ No. 14 pick might not be much of a sweetener for the Blues, who already have three picks — Nos. 11, 15 and 29 — in this year’s first round.

Go for a skate, Jordan Kyrou! 💨 pic.twitter.com/8vmUjnZ1do

— NHL (@NHL) January 25, 2026

Jake DeBrusk, LW/RW, Vancouver Canucks

The Blue Jackets have already plucked one winger out of Vancouver, adding Conor Garland at the trade deadline in March. But the Canucks are just getting started on clearing out veteran players to facilitate a rebuild. DeBrusk, 29, has been a consistent 20-plus goal-scorer, with a 28-goal season and two 27-goal seasons on his resume. He also has 27 goals in 86 career playoff games. DeBrusk, who can play on both sides of center, has five years remaining on a contract that pays him a very reasonable $5.5 million per season.

Trade considerations: DeBrusk has a no-move clause through next season, so he’s not going to land this summer in a place he doesn’t want to be. But given the way things are going in Vancouver, he may be amenable to places he wouldn’t have considered previously. The Canucks own two first-round picks — Nos. 3 and 24 — but given their rebuilding plans, the No. 14 could make sense.

DEBRUSK CALLS GAME 🗣️

Jake DeBrusk scores the winner for the @Canucks in @Energizer overtime! pic.twitter.com/DMgnsb7jqw

— NHL (@NHL) April 15, 2026

Blake Coleman, LW/RW, Calgary Flames

This would be a short-term fix, as Coleman will turn 35 in November and is entering the final year of a contract that will pay him $4.9 million. If the Blue Jackets lose captain Boone Jenner and winger Mason Marchment to free agency, Coleman could help patch both of those losses with his leadership and gritty play. Following a solid season in Calgary — his fourth career season with at least 20 goals — he hasn’t yet shown signs of slowing down. He still skates very well and is a dangerous penalty killer, which is something the Blue Jackets could desperately use.

Trade considerations: Coleman has a modified no-trade list, allowing him to pick 10 NHL clubs as possible destinations. You wonder, though, after all the players the Flames have moved off the roster in anticipation of a rebuild, if he might expand that list a bit. It might cost the Blue Jackets only a mid-round draft pick.

Oh my, that was filthy, Blake Coleman 🫢 pic.twitter.com/gWLNgycVla

— NHL (@NHL) March 10, 2026