Five Big Name Columbus Blue Jackets Trade Options
By William Espy
4. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins could be a star in Columbus. The third line center for the Edmonton Oilers is stuck behind the NHL’s best player, Connor McDavid, and Leon Draisaitl. The 25-year-old has had a hot start with limited ice time two seasons in a row and is currently over a point per game through 13 games.
Unfortunately for Nugent-Hopkins, his goal scoring seems to be dropping off a bit from last season as he only has 3 goals but 11 assists to start the year. The center currently has three years left on his deal at a $6M cap hit per season according to Capfriendly.com.
He’s one of the most skilled centers in the NHL despite his current third line role with Edmonton. On a majority of NHL teams, he’d certainly be a top line center or second line player at worst.
Another player to keep an eye on from Edmonton is former Columbus Blue Jackets almost draft pick Jesse Puljujarvi who Jarmo Kekalainen passed on for Pierre-Luc Dubois. It was rumored at the beginning of the season that the Oilers would shop veteran winger Milan Lucic, but it’s not a good fit for the Columbus Blue Jackets as he’s an underperforming, overpaid player on the decline.
Our Jason-Scott Greenberg mentioned Nugent-Hopkins in a potential Ryan Murray trade recently. This is another potential spot where Sonny Milano could thrive, but it would likely be a defenseman as the main piece for a trade with Edmonton. With Edmonton’s lackluster blue line, they’ll be less likely to be interested in forwards.