5 worst contracts signed in Columbus Blue Jackets franchise history feat. RJ Umberger

Last season, the Columbus Blue Jackets struggled, posting the worst record in the Metropolitan Division, while missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fourth straight year. Because of that, the team's front office has been tasked with bolstering their lines this summer ahead of next season.

After naming Dean Evason as head coach, the front office will shift its focus to the open market. There, it will look to fill out its roster with players to complement the slew of young prospects it has acquired in recent years.

With the offseason underway, and deals continuing to flood the transaction report, some will emerge as great ones, while others are viewed as total whiffs. In some cases, these good and bad deals will become apparent over time, while others will immediately stick out as poor decisions.

Throughout the team's history, there have been some deals that stand out more so than others.

Five worst contracts signed in Columbus Blue Jackets history

#5: Brandon Dubinsky

NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Tampa Bay Lightning at Columbus Blue Jackets - Source: Imagn

Heading into the 2015-16 season, the Columbus Blue Jackets handed Brandon Dubinsky a six-year deal worth $35.1 million. After two healthy seasons that saw Dubinsky and the team underperform as a collective unit, his play began to decline at an alarming rate.

In the third year of his extension, he logged just 16 points in 62 games. Then in Year 4, he finished with just 14 points in 61 games before landing on the long-term injury reserve list and retiring from the game.

#4: Mike Commodore

NHL: St. Louis Blues at Tampa Bay Lightning - Source: Imagn

After winning a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus took a swing on defenseman Mike Commodore, signing him to a five-year, $18.75 million deal. Commodore never lived up to the valuation despite receiving plenty of playing time, ultimately winding up in the AHL by the third year of his contract.

He played a total of just 31 games in his final year between the NHL and AHL before being bought out.

#3: Patrik Laine

NHL: Ottawa Senators at Columbus Blue Jackets - Source: Imagn

When healthy, Patrik Laine has shown that he's able to average nearly a point per game, doing so with the Winnipeg Jets during the 2019-20 season, as well as with the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2021-22 season and the 2022-23 season.

Despite that, he has struggled to stay healthy, never playing more than 60 games in a single season during his time with the team. Since signing a four-year contract worth $34.8 million heading into the 2022-23 season, he's played just 73 games and appears likely to be traded.

#2: Alexander Wennberg

NHL: Chicago Blackhawks at Florida Panthers - Source: Imagn

Heading into the 2017-18 season, the Blue Jackets signed Alexander Wennberg to a six-year deal worth a total of $29.4 million following his rookie contract. Over the next three years, Wennberg's numbers continued to drop, with the winger going from 35 points during the 2017-18 season to 25 points the following year.

In his final season, Wennberg had a disappointing 22 points during the 2019-20 campaign. Ultimately he was bought out, with the Blue Jackets eating the remaining three years of his deal.

#1: RJ Umberger

NHL: Columbus Blue Jackets at Anaheim Ducks - Source: Imagn

A contract that will live on in infamy. Heading into the shortened 2012-13 season, the Columbus Blue Jackets decided to offer RJ Umberger a five-year deal worth $23 million. Almost immediately, his play saw a noticeable decline.

In the first year of his deal, he logged 18 points after the league returned from the lockout, before then logging 34 points in the 2013-14 season. By this point, the Blue Jackets had seen enough and shipped Umberger, along with a fourth-round pick, to the Flyers just to get his contract off the books.