Blue Jackets: Management Negotiates with Adam Foote

From Puck-rakers:

Scott Howson confirmed Thursday morning that he will be talking to Rick Curran either today or Friday about whether the Blue Jackets can afford to resign the team captain.  

Adam Foote, 36, is an unrestricted free agent and is believed to be seeking a two- or three-year deal.

The general manager said he won’t need to talk to Foote again before discussing money with his agent.  The Jackets have seven unrestricted free agents and Foote is the only one with whom management is negotiating, Howson said.  And this is the key.

It’s obvious the organization would like Foote back for his leadership and competitiveness and it's crucial that they check that the dollars and terms make sense, because otherwise Foote would be a valuable trading asset.  

Now perhaps the organization has no intention of trading a guy like Hejda.  Perhaps they’d like to lock him up long term and they feel confident that's possible, and this is why negotiations aren't happening yet.

Still, Hejda has made it publicly known that he would like to sign a long term deal here, and judging by what has been printed, management has yet to make contact.  I'm just not sold that they’re sold on this guy.

The Blue Jackets just traded for Tarnstrom so he won't be dealt, and he could have a future here depending on how he performs down the stretch.

As for Fedorov, Peca, Hainsey, and Vyborny, their CBJ days are quickly coming to an end.

Quite frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if any of them—Fedorov, Peca, Vyborny, Hainsey, Tarnstrom, Hejda—were resigned for next year.

The team really needs roster changes.  They need veterans, competitive ones, made even more apparent by last night’s performance.

With so many impending UFAs, it’s Howson's time to really move away from the MacLean era and build the team his way and Hitch's way—which I firmly believe will be the right way.