COLUMBUS, Ohio – To say that the 2015-2016 season for the Columbus Blue Jackets is disappointing is an understatement. Although the Jackets are listed at the bottom of the pack, they are currently in a three-way tie with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers with 43 points in the standings.
A far cry from making a 15-1-1 at the end of last season. With 31 games remaining, it is highly unlikely that the Jackets will make the playoffs. The question is not whether the Jackets should rebuild, the remaining question is how?
Various fans on social media have been screaming for some veterans to be traded. Blue Jackets Xtra commentator Michael Arace has echoed this sentiment.
“If you are the Jackets, what you want to do is lose, artfully and otherwise. You want to dump veterans at the trade deadline, bring up a bunch of Lake Erie Monsters and see what the kids can do. You want to make February, March and April into three more Octobers.”
The disconnectedness of Arace’s comments are inappropriate, unprofessional, irresponsible.
First of all to even say that a team should lose deliberately is as bad as stealing money from the pockets of loyal fans.
Let’s say the Jackets do tank the rest of the season to get more chips in the lottery. Do fans actually want to spend their hard-earned money to see their team tank? Not loyal fans or anyone with any kind of moral compass.
A team that would do this is a team that does not belong in the NHL or professional sports for that matter.
In the same statement, Arace suggests that, “You want to dump veterans at the trade deadline, bring up a bunch of Lake Erie Monsters and see what the kids can do.”
What veterans is Arace talking about? If Arace is talking about defensemen such as Fedor Tyutin, Dalton Prout and Jack Johnson, then he might have something. These three individuals are as productive as Barney Fife in the Andy Griffith Show. 
This would be an insult to Don Knotts who played Fife.
To get rid of these three for a stronger defensive corps would be a smart move. The addition of Seth Jones has added some strength to the blue line. However the defense is still lacking.
Many people have suggested bringing up Zach Werenski from the Michigan Wolverines. Scouts have said that he is now NHL ready.
There is healthy skepticism over this suggestion. Werenski did put on a great showing at this year’s Junior World Championships, however, this was against 20-year olds most of whom have never set foot on NHL ice. The suggestion would be bring him up next year. Let him finish out the season in Michigan, then bring him up.
Why would Jarmo Kekalainen trade people who are putting pucks in the net? Veterans such as Brandon Saad, Scott Hartnell, Nick Foligno, and Brandon Dubinsky are the most productive on the team. The only reason is cap space, but at the same time, with whom are the Jackets going to replace them?
So, if Arace is suggesting trading one or all of these players, which one is he suggesting? If so, for whom does he suggest the Jackets trade? 
As for bringing a few guys up from Cleveland, who does Arace suggest? Guys like Michael Chaput have made it to Columbus to play for the Jackets, but have played at a mediocre level at best. Sonny Milano has only played 25 games with five goals, nine assists for 14 points, not exactly a big splash.
The lack of professional sport sense in the Arace article is mystifying. That Arace has left more questions unanswered than answered is disappointing as he advocates no real solution.
The Jackets should rebuild, that is without question. To suggest that a team should do so by deliberately losing or by trading veterans without offering who, why and whom they should be replaced with is substandard punditry.
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