The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed winger Johnny Gaudreau to a seven-year contract with an AAV of $9.75 million.

Whoa. Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Long Island were believed to be Gaudreau's preferred destinations after he informed Calgary that he would not be re-signing there. However, the Blue Jackets swooped in with an offer that Gaudreau simply couldn't refuse (although if was truly about the money, he could have stayed in Calgary… or signed in New Jersey). So the Blue Jackets had some sort of X factor that appealed to Gaudreau. If Columbus is a surprise because it is not believed to be "home" for Gaudreau, it is much closer to Gaudreau's offseason home in New Jersey than Calgary is.

Okay, enough of the geography lesson. This signing instantly improves the Blue Jackets while giving the long-suffering franchise credibility in a tight Metropolitan Division. One player that jumps to mind as an instant upgrade is Patrik Laine. Although Laine did not lead the Jackets in goals or points last season due to injury, he was the only player on the team to score at a point-per-game pace. With a playmaker like Johnny Hockey, Laine might be in line for the second 40-goal season of his career. This offer also gives Laine a reason to stay if he is considering leaving Columbus. (Note: Laine is an RFA who recently received a qualifying offer.)

There are a number of options that could center that Gaudreau/Laine line. Boone Jenner, Jack Roslovic, or Cole Sillinger are all possibilities. Fantasy players will need to check Frozen Tools for the latest line combinations, as that player could be in line for a major boost in value. The 29-year-old Jenner was Laine's most frequent center in 2021-22 and also received the most power-play time of the three, so he may be the short-term winner here. Medium term, it could be the 25-year-old Roslovic. Long term, the 19-year-old Sillinger.

As for Gaudreau himself, he thrived on what was the league's top even-strength line with Matthew Tkachuk and Elias Lindholm in 2021-22. After Laine, the scoring options tend to thin out on Columbus, so another 115-point season doesn't seem likely for Johnny Hockey. Although Gaudreau should at minimum score at a point per game, he will likely lose value overall as a result of the trade. Even more so Tkachuk and Lindholm, who lose out on Gaudreau's playmaking ability. Both Tkachuk and Lindholm were 40-goal scorers in 2021-22, but they will have a tough time reaching that number again.

Long term, could Gaudreau leaving affect whether Tkachuk decides to stay in Calgary? Like Laine, Tkachuk is an RFA who recently received a qualifying offer. If Tkachuk decides to leave, the Flames’ best option might be to go the total rebuild route. It will already be impossible for the Flames to replace a scorer of Gaudreau’s caliber. This will be interesting to watch.

Andrew Mangiapane could take Gaudreau's spot on the top line and first-unit power play, thus receiving a major boost as a result. Mangiapane is more of a pure goal scorer than playmaker, so he may not actually improve on his 35 goals. However, he should have the opportunity to build on his 20 assists should his icetime improve from just under 16 minutes per game.

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Players this helps, in order:

Laine

Mangiapane

Jenner

Roslovic

Sillinger

Zach Werenski

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Players this hurts, in order:

Tkachuk

Lindholm

Gaudreau

Rasmus Andersson

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