The Blue Jackets are sorting through a quarter century of franchise history, and that means some names are going to hit like a clean open-ice shoulder from the blind side. Sergei Bobrovsky, Seth Jones, and Zach Werenski sit right in the middle of the conversation, which tells you how much of Columbus’ identity has been built around star talent and survival mode. These lists always stir up old debates in the room and in the press box, especially when a franchise is still defining its own legacy.

Boone Jenner sitting at the top of a thin UFA board tells you everything you need to know about this summer’s center market. When a player rises to No. 1 in a “bone-dry” class, the leverage starts talking louder than the stat sheet. Teams looking for help down the middle are about to discover that scarcity is the real cap killer. This is the kind of market where one solid center can warp an entire free-agent conversation.