COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Blue Jackets’ pro scouting staff was in Nationwide Arena this week to study the NHL landscape, players who might be available from across the league in free agency and through trades.



Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen went “all in” at the NHL trade deadline and his club won a Stanley Cup playoff series for the first time in franchise history.



Now Kekalainen and his staff are preparing for what could be a hectic next month — the NHL Draft in Vancouver is two weeks from today and free agency opens July 1.



The Blue Jackets seem likely to lose marquee forwards Artemi Panarin and Matt Duchene and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to unrestricted free agency, a crushing blow for any roster. They could also lose forward Ryan Dzingel.



The goal is to fill all of those holes in the lineup, either by giving bigger roles to young players already in the system or by going outside the organization for...