Columbus Blue Jackets Expansion Trade Has to be Happening
The Columbus Blue Jackets are four days away from submitting their expansion draft list. There surely is a trade in place at this point in time.
The compressed NHL offseason is off and running just two days after the Stanley Cup Finals ended. The Columbus Blue Jackets have had rumors swirling around them heavily for the last two weeks regarding their expansion strategy.
All 30 NHL teams are working to protect their roster as much as possible ahead of the expansion draft but few have more to loose than Columbus.
From Hartnell to Clarkson to Johnson, player names have been floated by insiders and experts for weeks. The Jackets on Monday announced that they did not contact Scott Hartnell about waiving his no trade clause.
This certainly means that the Jackets have a deal in place with the Vegas Golden Knights. Without such a deal in place, protecting Josh Anderson would be almost impossible without Hartnell waiving his no move clause.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Further rumors regarding David Clarkson moving to Vegas have been loud. Dumping Clarkson’s $5.25 million contract frees up valuable cap space over the next two years. This very sensible move has been reported on frequently by Elliot Friedman of Sportsnet.
It opens up an offseason that could see the Jackets pursue a free agent pick up such as Martin Hanzal or Kris Versteeg. It could even lead to the CBJ making a big time trade and taking on a highly paid player.
Sweetening the Deal
Of course Vegas taking on such a contract means the CBJ have to throw in a few sweeteners. Such a deal would surely include a prospect and pick combination. Some have talked of a first round pick and Sonny Milano.
I find this high price difficult to believe due to Jarmo’s value of the draft. He speaks regularly of the importance of drafting well. It is a specialty of his that has helped the Jackets grow into a top tier NHL squad.
With the Jackets not even asking Hartnell to waive his NMC, a deal is surely in place. Jarmo and the front office wouldn’t have any rocks unturned. This would strongly indicate that the Jackets have a deal in place already. Now how much do the Jackets have to give up to protect Korpi and Anderson.
A lot.