The Columbus Blue Jackets need a center.
That sentence, mostly evergreen for the history of the franchise, is even more glaring this offseason. With Pierre-Luc Dubois now in Winnipeg, the Blue Jackets badly need a player who could play first line center for the team. Jack Roslovic, acquired with Patrik Laine for PLD, played well last season, but is not the long term answer at first line center.
Enter Sam Reinhart.
Reinhart had a monster season for a poor Buffalo team that was without Jack Eichel for much of the year. Reinhart, just 25 years old and a restricted free agent this summer, put up 25 goals and 40 points over 54 games for a depleted Sabres roster that finished 31st in the league.