When Kirill Marchenko signed a new contract last summer, Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell challenged him to become a more physically engaged player, especially in the defensive zone. A month earlier, when Kent Johnson signed his new deal, Waddell pressed him to keep getting stronger and better maintain possession of the puck.

With the majority of high-end free agents off the board, the Columbus Blue Jackets are focusing on some internal matters they need to handle. They have a few restricted free agents (RFAs) to address,