Trade Deadline Reaction: Blue Jackets Quietly Take Care of Important Business
There were no major splashes made by the Blue Jackets ahead of Friday's NHL Trade Deadline. But, the team did take care of some really important business.
By Curtis Deem
If you were hoping for the Blue Jackets to go out and make a big acquisition today, you were probably disappointed. Likewise, if you were hoping they would trade away an Ivan Provorov or Elvis Merzlikins; you probably felt underwhelmed.
Aside from those potential happenings not coming together, I don't see how anyone can view this team's deadline as anything other than a complete win. The club made three trades on Friday, and all of them help the organization move forward.
First, the Jackets acquired goaltender Malcolm Subban from the St Louis Blues in exchange for future considerations. Subban is a former first round pick, who never quite panned out as an NHL goaltender.
Malcolm Subban Trade
My first reaction to this deal was that it could be a precursor to another move in goal for the Blue Jackets. But, that did not come to fruition today.
Instead, the Jackets added Subban simply for organizational depth. This is insurance for the Cleveland Monsters in their playoff run and championship push. It's a nice pickup for that reason - we're in no place to complain about a free goaltender.
The Jackets made two larger trades on Friday. Let's take a look.