Blue Jackets Hit the Panic Button Early, Send Heinen and Andrae to Waivers

The Columbus Blue Jackets are doing some early-season roster housekeeping, officially placing Danton Heinen and Emil Andrae on waivers according to Elliotte Friedman.

Waivers in November are basically the NHL's version of returning a sweater you bought on impulse because it looked good in the store lighting. Columbus is officially clearing out the closet and admitting a few things are just not fitting right.

"Elliotte Friedman reported: 'Heinen & Andrae (CLB) on waivers'"

Danton Heinen is hitting the wire after putting up a grand total of zero points in seven games this season. He is sitting on a $1 million contract that expires in 2027, which means Columbus has been paying a premium for a guy who has spent more time as a healthy scratch lately than actually impacting the box score.

Then you have Emil Andrae. The 24-year-old defenseman carries a $1.6 million cap hit and was just acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in September. Flipping a guy to the waiver wire barely two months after trading for him is the kind of asset management that makes you wonder if the front office lost a bet.

For anyone looking at the betting board, this is a clear signal that Columbus is shuffling the deck to find a lineup combination that actually works. When a team starts dumping veterans and recent acquisitions, you know the internal panic meter is starting to twitch, which makes their upcoming moneylines incredibly volatile.

We will see if anyone bites on these contracts by tomorrow afternoon. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets have to figure out their actual rotation before hosting the Dallas Stars on November 6. If they do not find some stability soon, the waiver wire might need a dedicated Columbus express lane.