Derick Brassard’s History with Columbus Blue Jackets Not Important

The Columbus Blue Jackets are rumored to be in trade talks with the Florida Panthers about center, and former Blue Jackets draft pick, Derick Brassard.

Derick Brassard has been coming up in Columbus Blue Jackets rumors quite a bit as of late and while some fans wouldn’t be opposed to seeing him back with the team, others are strongly against the idea.

For those unfamiliar with Brassard, he was the Blue Jackets’ first round pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft who left the team in a trade with the New York Rangers, along with other pieces, that brought Marian Gaborik to the team shortly after Jarmo Kekalainen became the general manager in Columbus.

While it is true that Brassard has some history with the current management team, it likely isn’t enough for them to have built a relationship with each other since the move was just months after Kekalainen was named general manager. As a result, it’s unlikely the acquisition of Brassard would have much to do with his history in Columbus and more likely it would be as a result of Kekalainen thinking they’re lacking a player like Brassard and that it would be beneficial to have someone fill that role.

Brassard isn’t the same player he was four or five years ago when he was a New York Ranger, he’s been decent with Ottawa and Pittsburgh but he hasn’t even come close to his old point totals. Depth wise, he could be a decent option and make players like Alexander Wennberg more expendable going forward.

Trading for Brassard may seem like the Columbus Blue Jackets are circling around to an old player just to bring someone back, but in fact it could be a move that has little to do with that. Instead it would be a move that could benefit the team, especially if Artemi Panarin walks or gets traded. He won’t be a superstar, but he would add a layer of depth that could be massively beneficial for a playoff push.