One Final Trade Deadline Primer for the Blue Jackets
The week of the trade deadline has finally arrived, and at some point over the next five days we’ll have some answers on several players for the Columbus Blue Jackets. A flurry of trades happened over the weekend – including some big names being moved – but so far, things have been quiet for GM Jarmo Kekalainen. I expect that to change soon.
The Jackets have plenty of names in the rumor mill, though I suspect some of them are probably just dreamt up by opposition fanbases. We know that Vladislav Gavrikov, Joonas Korpisalo, and possibly Gustav Nyquist are being actively shopped. Some other names have popped up, like Andrew Peeke and Boone Jenner; but ultimately a move like that feels better suited for an upgrade package this summer if it’s going to be made.
With the team sitting dead last in the standings however, anything is possible. When you look at the return Tanner Jeannot got for the Nashville Predators yesterday, you get a sense of what we’re talking about here. If someone wants to come along and pluck away a player you don’t want to trade – you have to listen.
So, while we consider it highly unlikely that a player like Jenner will be playing somewhere else this spring, a seismic shift like that could potentially happen. Today we’ll run down the names most rumored one more time, and give a brief idea of how these trades might go down.
D Vladislav Gavrikov – UFA ($2.8m AAV)
Gavrikov has been a healthy scratch for “trade related reasons” for more than two weeks now, and we all want to see this one come to an end soon, for his sake if nothing else. Good guy Vlad wants, and deserves to play; and if a rumored trade with the Bruins hadn’t fell through, I feel like this one would have been over by now.
Rumored asking price: 1st + 3rd round picks. Teams interested: LA Kings, Edmonton, Toronto.
The Jackets will probably have to back off of that asking price at this point, if they want to move Vlad early and try to take a run at Jakob Chychrun (more on that later). After seeing Edmonton this weekend, I feel like they could really benefit from an in-zone defender like this, and the smoke around Jesse Puljujarvi could make this interesting for Columbus. Would something like a 2nd, 3rd and Puljujarvi get it done?
G Joonas Korpiaslo – UFA ($1.3m AAV)
Last season, we watched as Joonas Korpisalo struggled and played his way out of a trade, eventually learning that he needed season-ending hip surgery. This year, we’re watching history repeat itself. Though, not exactly. Joonas is playing at the opposite end of the spectrum this season, giving this team stellar goaltending and a chance to win every night. Will Jarmo be forced to hold onto him?
Rumored asking price: Draft capital, can they get a 2nd round pick here? Teams interested: Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton, LA Kings, Vegas
The return here will likely depend on whether or not the acquiring team wants to sign Korpisalo beyond this season. If a team sees him as a longer-term fit, the Jackets could very well get a high pick in this trade (say, a 2nd rounder). If not, I would expect the return to be a couple of mid/low round draft picks. Which is great, for a guy they owed one more opportunity to – Korpisalo has been a great competitor for this team, and he deserves a chance to succeed as a starter somewhere else.
hug your goalie today 🥰 pic.twitter.com/lZOseFCGA5
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) February 25, 2023
F Gustav Nyquist – UFA ($5.5m AAV) (Currently on IR)
If you’re wondering why the Jackets are holding Gavrikov out of the lineup, you can probably look no further than Nyquist, who has been on the IR for over a month now. He may return at season’s end, which is perfect for a team eyeing a long playoff run, and in my opinion, hypothetically, could actually generate more of a return than if he were healthy. Sounds odd, doesn’t it?
Rumored asking price: Draft capital (probably a conditional mid-round pick). Teams interested: Edmonton, Dallas, Toronto
How can he generate more of a return? Take a team like Toronto, for example: they used their cap space to acquire Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari, leaving them with literally no room to add money. Nyquist won’t cost a dime towards the cap because he’s on IR, projected to return just in time for the playoffs. Something like a conditional 3rd round pick would be perfect here – if Nyquist doesn’t play a certain number of games, it becomes a 5th or 6th rounder.
Jarmo Kekalainen has not been shy when it comes to improving this team for the longer-term. One thing I love about this management regime: they’re in on the big names. Is it possible that the Jackets could actually go out and add a piece at the deadline? Absolutely. Is is likely? I’m not so sure.
We’ve beaten the Jakob Chychrun rumors to death this year, and that cloud still hangs in the air over our heads. I think there is something to that rumor, especially since the Coyotes have not yet moved Chychrun – they may be waiting to see what kind of package the Jackets get for Gavrikov, before making a final decision. That could help their decision process in a couple of ways.
Beyond the Chychrun rumors, we have to talk about the other names who are popping up for the Jackets. Let’s start with Boone Jenner.
Take all of the facts into consideration here: Jenner is nearing the tail end of his prime, and is signed for three more seasons after this one, with a team-friendly cap hit of $3.75m AAV. He’s currently the team’s top line center and captain, leading the way with 18 goals this year. In short, I have a really hard time seeing this player dealt … but it’s not impossible.
I have two comparable trades to look at here, both within the last week. First, look at what the Leafs gave up for Ryan O’Reilly. Boone is three years younger, has 3 more goals, 10 more points, and is under team control, at a lower cap hit, for three more years – whereas O’Reilly is a UFA. Then, look back at what Tampa Bay traded for Tanner Jeannot. This is an example of a player that Nashville didn’t necessarily want to trade, so the Lightning had to go well above and beyond what they might typically give up for a player of this caliber.
QUICK TIPS FROM CAPTAIN BOONE 🫡 pic.twitter.com/w2V4lT6jde
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) February 25, 2023
If the Jackets were to trade Jenner, I would expect Jarmo to ask for a huge bounty here. In the case of Jeannot, basically an entire draft class was dealt. Can you really ignore a team when they’re throwing that much value at a guy who is ultimately a depth player on a good team?
The other name we’re hearing in the rumors is defenseman Andrew Peeke. The big, stay-at-home defender’s new three-year contract kicks in next season with a $2.75m AAV, which is palatable for any team in the league who needs a reliable bottom-four defenseman.
Why would the Jackets move a good, young asset like Peeke? Too many bodies for one position. The list of right-hand shot defensemen that are signed here next year are: Peeke, Erik Gudbranson, Adam Boqvist, Nick Blankenburg, and upcomer David Jiricek. Billy Sweezey is signed for one more year as depth, and Marcus Bjork is an RFA that the team could look to bring back as well. That’s 5 players battling for 3-4 roster spots, not including the depth players that could be recalled in a bind.
In reality, I have a hard time seeing Peeke dealt this week. This team is just too thin on defense already – but, I would not be surprised if he or one of the other right-hand shooters on our blue line are dealt this summer. Ultimately, I do think this will still be a busy week for the Jackets, and we’ll do our best to keep you posted with news and notes as moves are made.
dark. Next. Bruins Back out of Gavrikov Deal, Can Jackets Benefit?