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Columbus Blue Jackets Potential Trade Chips

By Lansing Murphy |
SUNRISE, FL - JUNE 26: President of Hockey Operations of the Columbus Blue Jackets John Davidson (L) and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen of the Columbus Blue Jackets look on from their draft table during Round One of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center on June 26, 2015 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)
SUNRISE, FL - JUNE 26: President of Hockey Operations of the Columbus Blue Jackets John Davidson (L) and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen of the Columbus Blue Jackets look on from their draft table during Round One of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center on June 26, 2015 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)
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OTTAWA, ON – DECEMBER 29: Columbus Blue Jackets Left Wing Artemi Panarin (9) stcihandles the puck as Columbus Blue Jackets Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (72) watches on during the first period of the NHL game between the Ottawa Senators and the Columbus Blue Jackets on Dec. 29, 2017 at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Steven Kingsman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
OTTAWA, ON – DECEMBER 29: Columbus Blue Jackets Left Wing Artemi Panarin (9) stcihandles the puck as Columbus Blue Jackets Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (72) watches on during the first period of the NHL game between the Ottawa Senators and the Columbus Blue Jackets on Dec. 29, 2017 at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Steven Kingsman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

What trade chips do the Columbus Blue Jackets have to trade if they decide to go all-in?

The Columbus Blue Jackets are in a precarious position heading into the 2018-2019 season. With uncertainty surrounding Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, the team can go in one of many directions. They could either blow up and start shipping away these guys or look to add players for a Stanley Cup push.

Either way the team is going to need to be prepared to trade some guys that we may not be thinking about. Artemi and Bob are obvious trade chips if it all goes downhill and they refuse to sign with the Jackets. But down the roster and in the prospect pipeline there are plenty of trade chips that have high value.

Jarmo has proven time and time again he isn’t afraid to make big deals with big time players so no player, unless they have a no trade clause, is safe. Lets look at three Columbus Blue Jackets that could be trade chips if the Jackets decide to go for it all this year.

Sonny Milano

COLUMBUS, OH – APRIL 19: Sonny Milano #22 of the Columbus Blue Jackets skates against the Washington Capitals in Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 19, 2018 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Sonny Milano
COLUMBUS, OH – APRIL 19: Sonny Milano #22 of the Columbus Blue Jackets skates against the Washington Capitals in Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 19, 2018 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Sonny Milano /

Sonny Milano’s future is still very much unknown. That’s part of the reason why he is such a valuable trade chip. The former 1st round pick is only 22-year-old and has only played in 62 NHL games. 55 of those came last year when he scored 14 goals and added eight assist.

Another GM could look at Milano and see a top six forward that is just being misused on the third and fourth lines in Columbus. And this armchair GM would agree with you. There just isn’t a ton of opportunity for Milano right now unless Panarin leaves or Milano takes a massive step forward.

That leaves him as an underutilized, young forward with pedigree. An ideal candidate for a trade. The Jackets also believe they have a decent stable of players that could fill in Sonny’s place such as Markus Hannikainen, Anthony Duclair or Lukas Sedlak.

Milano is in the final year of his entry level contact and won’t demand a huge raise. He is in RFA status heading into the next negotiations which is even more attractive to future teams. You hate to see a player with so much potential like Sonny go, but he would help bring back a win-now player.

Ryan Murray

COLUMBUS, OH – APRIL 17: Ryan Murray #27 of the Columbus Blue Jackets skates with the puck during game 3 in the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio on April 17, 2018. Washington Capitals won 3-2 in double overtime. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH – APRIL 17: Ryan Murray #27 of the Columbus Blue Jackets skates with the puck during game 3 in the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio on April 17, 2018. Washington Capitals won 3-2 in double overtime. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Serviceable defenseman are valuable around the trade deadline and contenders are always willing to overpay to sure up their blue line. If the Jackets are in sell mode, Ryan Murray would be one of the first to go.

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The 24-year-old has only played 264 games in the NHL despite playing five season’s in the big leagues. Murray has been dogged by injuries his entire time in Columbus. Only once has he played more than 70 games in a season.

But it only takes one GM or coach to say, “I can turn that guys career around”. And when talking about a former #2 overall pick, there will be plenty of managers who think that.

It’s not that Murray hasn’t shown us flashes. He has played well in short stretches of time including last season. But the question is can he put it together for 82 games more than once in his career?

The Columbus Blue Jackets have a ton of defensive depth on the squad and in the prospect pipeline so losing a player like Murray wouldn’t be devastating. I think that they might move him even if they are pushing to win this season.

With Andrew Peeke, Gabriel Carlsson, Scott Harrington, Dean Kukan, and Vladislav Gavrikov all in the system, the Jackets have plenty of options to find his replacement.

Much like Milano, Murray is on a nice deal that teams will value in a trade. Ryan just signed a one-year contract worth $2.85 million and he will be a restricted free agent at the end of the year. Put Murray and Milano together and you have a nice package of players that can play now and still have room to grow for a team looking toward the future.

Vitaly Abramov

BUFFALO, NY – JANUARY 02: Vitali Abramov
BUFFALO, NY – JANUARY 02: Vitali Abramov /

If the Jackets decide to go all in this year and push for a Stanley Cup before they lose Artemi Panarin, then Abramov has to be on the table. He is the Jackets top prospect and can contribute almost immediately to any NHL team.

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The supremely skilled forward has dominated the QMJHL over the last few seasons and is projecting nicely as a top six NHL forward. The problem for Abramov is that the Jackets don’t really have a spot for him on the NHL squad. With Panarin, Atkinson, Foligno, and Bjorkstrand the top four wing spots are pretty much locked up.

The Jackets already have players like Josh Anderson and Sonny Milano who are top six style forwards playing on the 3rd or 4th lines as well. Whats the team to do with another skilled scorer that doesn’t play elite defense on the bottom six?

That’s why the Jackets should consider trading Abramov if that’s what it takes to get an elite player that can push them on a Stanley Cup run. It won’t be easy to give up this guy who we’ve tracked and been so excited about for years. That’s what it takes to win though and this is the Jackets best chance to do that in franchise history.

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If history tells us anything it’s that Jarmo and JD don’t consider anyone untradeable. Whether the Jackets decided to sell off or push all-in, these guys are prime trade candidates this year.

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