Trade Deadline Reaction: Blue Jackets Quietly Take Care of Important Business

The only real surprise of the day from a CBJ perspective might have been the Andrew Peeke deal.

Rumors were that Peeke could be a potential buyout candidate this summer. For good reason, really. He struggled to secure a job on the blue line of one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL.

Somehow, the Jackets were able to trade him to the Boston Bruins this afternoon. In exchange, the Jackets get back minor league defenseman (former first round pick) Jakub Zboril and a draft pick.

The important part of this trade: zero salary retention. I'm absolutely stunned that the Jackets were able to get rid of Peeke and his $2.8M AAV without retention - a cap hit which carries over for two more seasons.

It's not that Peeke was terrible for the Blue Jackets. It's just that he was horribly overpaid. He's a serviceable #7 defenseman who can play spot duty on the third pair. He doesn't bring much (anything) to the table offensively, but he never complained and did his job when called upon.

Peeke was a Jarmo Kekalainen draft pick - taken in the second round (#34 overall) at the 2016 NHL Draft. This is another trade that spells the end of the Jarmo era in Columbus (see Bemstrom, Emil).

I'm even more stunned that the Jackets were able to net a third round pick in return. This is some serious master class work by John Davidson and his staff. They could have given up Peeke for virtually nothing and I would have been okay with it.

Zboril doesn't move the needle coming in return, really, in any direction. He was the 13th overall pick at the 2015 NHL Draft, but hasn't found his footing firmly, really even in the AHL. His inclusion brings a pro contract off of Boston's books, to allow room for Peeke.

Easy win for the Blue Jackets here. I can say virtually nothing negative about this trade. The last trade the Blue Jackets made sent a hometown kid away.