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The 2014-15 season for the Columbus Blue Jackets was supposed to be one of a young team taking the next step and becoming a contender. A myriad of injuries and ineffective play throughout the lineup made this a lost cause for the Jackets and forced them into being a seller at the deadline. One player the team shrewdly decided to keep around was winger Cam Atkinson, who the Jackets inked to a very fair three-year deal that will pay the former Boston College star $3.5 million per season.
What Atkinson lacks in size, he more than makes up for with a very high hockey IQ that allows him to be a very effective offensive player. Atkinson may not be a star, but he is a bona fide top-six forward in the NHL who can really succeed if he’s put into the right situation.
There was surely interest in Atkinson as teams around the league would have been willing to trade for him for help down the stretch. In the end the Jackets, did the smart thing and kept the known commodity around rather than bringing in unknowns in the form of draft picks or prospects. Atkinson is familiar with the Jackets’ system and clearly wants to be around when the team finally turns things around.
Next season has to be better than this one in Columbus. Hopefully, the team will finally break their streak of bad luck and grow into a legitimate contender. Look for Atkinson to be at the forefront of those brighter days as both he and the team will be happy he re-signed.
