As we approach the start of training camps in a little over a month, the Columbus Blue Jackets still have plenty of work to do in order to have the best players ready from day one. Alexander Wennberg and Josh Anderson both remain unsigned restricted free agents, and as Aaron Portzline of The Athletic points out, those negotiations could be holding up extension talks for Cam Atkinson as well. 
Atkinson will hit unrestricted free agency next summer and is coming off a 35-goal performance in 2016-17. His goal explosion earned him his first all-star appearance, and set career highs in almost every offensive category. Heading into this season at just 28, he would be one of the prized forward options should he end up on the open market.
Wennberg and Anderson on the other hand represent two big parts of the Blue Jackets’ forward group that need contracts just to start the season on time. While there has been no negative reports out of Columbus that either is heading towards a lockout, the team does have to be careful with how they spend their funds. After clearing room by buying out Scott Hartnell, the team has just under $12.9MM left to spend for this season. That number isn’t hard to fit the pair under, but going forward the team has many other contracts to consider.
Along with Atkinson’s UFA status, Boone Jenner and Ryan Murray are both restricted free agents next summer, while Artemi Panarin and Zach Werenski are due up in the summer of 2019. Panarin will be looking for a deal closer to $10MM per season than his current $6MM, and Werenski looks like a franchise defenseman that the team needs to lock up long term as soon as possible.
It’s rough waters to navigate for GM Jarmko Kekalainen, but for now the team is in pretty good shape. Not a single long-term deal will pay more than $5.85MM per season, and the team has options at nearly every position. Their solid drafting and development of young defensemen has come in handy, not to mention some successful trading to acquire certain assets. The Blue Jackets should be considered a top contender in the Metropolitan division once again, but it’ll take some more work this summer to get there.
Lot of talent in Columbus