Don Waddell's phone is getting a serious workout.
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Since becoming the Blue Jackets' president of hockey operations/general manager , he's taking and making calls related to potential trades.
"It's a combination. ... It rings and I call," Waddell said. "I'm a communicator."
He's also an avid notetaker who owns a workbook filled with players he's discussed with opposing GMs at some point. Waddell is still assessing what he has in Columbus and will consult with the team's pro scouting staff this week, but trade calls are happening.
"I'm trying to find out what everybody's looking for," Waddell said. "They're asking me the same thing, and I'm telling them that we have pro meetings coming up. After those, I'll have a better feel for what we have as an organization, what we need, and what we're willing to part with."
Blue Jackets players, prospects and draft picks will be assessed values during those meetings and placed into a ranked order. At this point, every asset the Blue Jackets own is technically available, including the fourth overall pick in this year's draft .
"As the general manager, I have to listen to all options," Waddell said. "So, you listen to all the dialogue. Teams have asked me already, 'Is your (fourth) pick in play?' And I've said, 'For the right price, everything is in play.'"
One of the players Waddell is likely to be asked about, if it hasn't happened already, is Patrik Laine .
The talented Finnish forward has two years left on a contract that costs $8.7 million against the NHL salary cap and is still getting treatment within the NHL/NHL Players' Association's player assistance program . Laine began the program Jan. 28, and the situation is merely the latest hurdle in what's been a turbulent existence for Laine in Columbus since the Blue Jackets acquired him in January 2021 from the Winnipeg Jets .
Laine has played for three head coaches with the Blue Jackets – not including Mike Babcock's 78-day stint last summer – and he's been slowed by numerous injuries . The Blue Jackets have yet to get a full season of Laine's elite goal-scoring, and both sides are frustrated about it.
Still, he's only 26 and opposing GMs may wonder if Laine is a "change of scenery" reclamation project who's worth pursuing. It's something Waddell wants to explore, too. He's hoping to speak with Laine soon, which he's been cleared to do and is trying to set up through agent Andy Scott.
Once that happens, Waddell will ask Laine something he's asking all Blue Jackets this summer.
"I always ask, 'Do you want to be part of this team?' because I want guys who want to be here," Waddell said. "Every player I've talked to, and I've talked to probably 11 or 12 players already, I've asked them that question. I want people who want to be here. That's where it starts. That's just a conversation I want to have."
It doesn't mean trades will automatically happen if the answer is no, but it gives Waddell a list of the potential trade assets he's most comfortable dealing.
"You've got to have two things for a trade," Waddell said. "You've got to have a trading partner and you also need value, what you think is equal value to who you're trying to trade, regardless of who the player is."
There's also an elephant in the room with Laine.
"You don't lie," Waddell said. "If you want to make trades continuously with teams in this league, you've got to be pretty open. If you know of big issues, like, Laine is one that everybody knows about. So, there's no hiding behind that. We all know he's a hell of a player, so the first question people are going to ask me, if that name comes up, is 'What's going on with him?' And, as of today, I'll tell them ... I'm working on that."
Waddell wants to be prepared for all scenarios going into this year's draft, which will be followed closely by the July 1 start of free agency.
"I don't want to be thrown something where it's like, 'We need to watch this player or do this or that,' because a lot of times it involves picks that are already happening and you've got to make quick decisions," he said. "The only way you can make those is to be prepared, and your staff plays a big part in that. You've got to know the value of every player on a bunch of other teams so that you're not scrambling if something is offered to you."
Assessing the values of draft picks and prospects is part of it, along with a willingness to give up good assets to get something that's lacking. Waddell now has NHL talent, a horde of prospects and a total of 23 picks over the next three drafts to potentially utilize for a roster overhaul he feels can make the Blue Jackets competitive next season.
To that end, Waddell could trade for veterans with winning experience to boost the Jackets' immediate chances while helping young players develop good habits. Those types of trades usually happen before or during the draft.
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So, fans may want to buckle their seat belts.
"I don't know how many trades I've made in my life, but it's been a lot," Waddell said. "If you want to help your team, more than likely you're giving up something on your team that you like, too, because that's the way it works."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets willing to make big trades, including top NHL draft pick
