There's simply no denying the strength of the Columbus Blue Jackets roster lies with their forwards.
From Ryan Johansen to Alexander Wennberg to Boone Jenner, it's a young group and a talented group and, perhaps most importantly, a deep group.
Unfortunately for Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen and head coach Todd Richards, the same cannot be said for the defensive depth chart, where the overrated Jack Johnson headlines a set of mostly mediocre players.
It's not a bad group, but it's also not a great group and likely not a playoff-worthy group.
As such, Kekalainen will likely expend much of his energy this offseason attempting to find ways to bolsters his defensive pairings. According to at least one NHL insider, this makes Columbus a team to pay attention to when the NHL Draft rolls around this summer.
"No. 2 is where do you think everything is going to unfold. I think a team to watch is Columbus," Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said while appearing on Calgary's Sportsnet 960 on Monday, via TodaysSlapshot.com. "They have the 8th pick. We all know they're looking for defense. I could see - and I don't know that Hanifin is the guy they like - But I could see Columbus sitting there and saying, 'We want a defenseman like Hanifin. There's no way he's falling to 8. Where do we have to get to.'
"And I think Columbus - like I said, I don't know if it's Hanifin, but I think they want a defenseman. They're looking at it and they're saying, 'Are we going to get this guy at 8? Probably not.'"
Noah Hanifin is widely regarded as one of the top few prospects in the 2015 NHL Draft and far and away the best defenseman available.
TSN's Bob McKenzie has Hanifin, 6-foot-3, 203-pounds, slotted as the third-overall prospect in his final pre-draft rankings. Despite having him so high, McKenzie seems less than excited over his NHL future.
"Effortless skater with excellent mobility and footwork," McKenzie writes. "I see him as a very good player in the mold of Jay Bouwmeester not as an elite defenseman because I have yet to see a clear demonstration of elite offensive creativity. That is why in my estimation, he is not the best defenseman in the draft."
McKenzie's "best defenseman in the draft" title actually belongs to Ivan Provorov, who he, ironically, has ranked as his eighth-overall prospect.
"Ivan understands the game extremely well and is able to use his considerable talents to contribute in any area and every situation. Calm, poised and competitive he is in command when he's on the ice. The best defenceman in this draft and I see him as a number one who will anchor a blue line."
Whether Hanifin or Provorov are targets or not and whether they come via the first-round of the draft or not, there's simply no doubting that the Blue Jackets require an influx of talent along the blueline. There's also no doubting that Columbus fans should stay tuned, as Friedman remained adamant that Kekalainen and Co. are a group to keep a particularly close eye on once the NHL rookie market kicks off.
"I think Columbus is going to be an interesting team to watch."
