As the 2025 NHL offseason heats up, the Columbus Blue Jackets find themselves at a critical juncture in their rebuild. With new leadership behind the bench and a front office hungry to push the franchise forward, attention now shifts to bolstering a defensive core that has struggled with consistency and injuries in recent seasons. One name that has quickly climbed to the top of the potential free agent target list is defenseman Henri Jokiharju, and there’s a compelling case to be made for why the Finnish blueliner could be a perfect fit in Columbus.
Henri Jokiharju enters free agency as one of the more underrated defensemen on the market. At 25 years old, Jokiharju brings a solid blend of youth, NHL experience, and two-way reliability. He’s not a flashy puck-mover or a power-play quarterback, but what he does bring is exactly what Columbus has been missing — a steady presence who can eat up minutes, kill penalties, and keep things simple in his own zone. After several seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, Jokiharju has developed into a dependable second-pairing option with the upside to do more in the right environment. The Blue Jackets, still seeking stability after a turbulent few years, could offer that environment and more.
The Blue Jackets’ defensive woes in 2024-25 were well-documented. With injuries sidelining key players like Zach Werenski, and with young prospects still developing, the blue line often looked overwhelmed and outmatched against more structured opponents. Bringing in Jokiharju wouldn’t just plug a hole — it would send a message. It would show that this team is no longer content to sit at the bottom of the standings and is ready to make calculated moves to improve immediately. His style fits perfectly into what the Jackets need: low-risk, high-awareness defense that lets the offensive players take more chances without worrying about costly breakdowns.
What also makes Jokiharju an intriguing option is his versatility. He’s capable of playing on either side of the ice and has experience in all situations. Whether it’s partnering with a young talent like David Jiricek to ease his transition, or playing alongside Werenski in a top-four role, Jokiharju brings flexibility and experience that could be immensely valuable to a coaching staff looking to find chemistry in its pairings. And with his age aligning well with Columbus’ timeline, this isn’t a short-term patch — it’s a move that can pay dividends for years to come.
From a contract standpoint, Jokiharju is unlikely to command a massive deal. Given the crowded free agent market and his more subtle contributions, the Jackets may be able to land him on a reasonable contract, perhaps in the three-to-four year range with a manageable cap hit. That financial flexibility is critical for a team that still needs to fill other holes and potentially lock up emerging young stars.
If the Blue Jackets want to start climbing the standings in 2025-26, it begins with smart, strategic moves — and signing Henri Jokiharju would be exactly that. He won’t dominate headlines, but he’ll do the little things right, and in a city that’s desperate for competitive hockey again, that’s exactly what fans want to see. Don’t be surprised if Henri Jokiharju becomes one of the most impactful under-the-radar signings of the offseason — and maybe, just maybe, the stabilizing presence Columbus has needed all along