According to multiple reports from sources including the Columbus Dispatch’s Aaron Portzline, the Columbus Blue Jackets have made a deal for Las Vegas to take either Matt Calvert or William Karlsson.
This reported deal will steer the Vegas Golden Knights away from Josh Anderson, Joonas Korpisalo, and Jack Johnson. The trade will lessen the burden of expansion on the Columbus Blue Jackets, but they will still lose depth and a fan favorite in Matt Calvert or William Karlsson.
Calvert has been with the Blue Jackets for his whole NHL career. Matt broke into the league in the 2010-2011 campaign and has played in 347 games with the club. Calvert’s offensive production is not off the charts with 24 points being his career highs in 2013-2014 and 2015-2016. His value to the team and fan base is his grit.
Matt Calvert may be one of the toughest players in the NHL which showed on November 18th against the New York Rangers. Calvert left the game receiving 36 stitches to the forehead. He returned to the game scoring the eventual game winner, shorthanded no less.
Matt Calvert took a slapshot to the face.
— NHL (@NHL) November 19, 2016
Matt Calvert returned and scored the @BlueJacketsNHL game-winner. https://t.co/JhCDd0bwiA
This game made the fan favorite into a Columbus Blue Jackets folk hero. He has been a player that has added energy to the majority of games he has played in which makes potentially losing Calvert so much harder to swallow.
The other potential player the Blue Jackets may lose is William Karlsson. Wild Bill, as the Blue Jackets knows him, is a two-way young Swedish center. Karlsson is coming off a career year tallying 25 points in 81 games for the Blue Jackets.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Like Calvert, Karlsson is not an offensive juggernaut. But he is a player that can be used on the penalty kill due to his speed and quickness. Karlsson is also a player that fans have seemed to gravitate towards because of tough play.
The Blue Jackets are lowering the burden of the Expansion Draft
The Columbus Blue Jackets will lose depth whichever way Vegas decides to pick, but the biggest impact of losing Calvert or Karlsson will be to the fan base in Columbus. With the depth of the Blue Jackets prospects pool, their loss will not be as felt as much on the ice, but in the hearts of the Blue Jackets faithful.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a team that could have been hurt much worse by the expansion draft due to depth. While losing Calvert or Karlsson will hurt them emotionally this is the best option for them as a team.