Two Blue Jackets players appear on trade board, but a trade involving either seems unlikely

You can always tell when the NHL playoffs are nearing their end. The air is warmer. There are fewer games on TV. And, everyone starts throwing their trade ideas around. Yesterday, Hockey 24/7 released Frank Seravalli's first trade board of the offseason.

Appearing on the list are two current Blue Jackets, with vastly different circumstances surrounding them. Today, we'll touch on both of them and break down the odds that either are dealt this summer. Spoiler: I don't see it happening.

Kent Johnson is #8 on the list.

Of course Kent Johnson appears on this list. You know the routine: the Blue Jackets stink. They pick a player high in the draft. He stagnates here for a few years. They trade him. He breaks out somewhere else. Rinse and repeat...

Only, I don't think that's the case with Kent Johnson. He had a brutal year for the Blue Jackets in 2025-26, scoring just 7 goals and 22 points in 76 games. We recapped his season last week, and there isn't much else to add.

Still, I'll be brave, step out on a limb, and say that this season was the outlier. Last year, Kent was nothing short of dynamic for the Blue Jackets, scoring 24 goals and 57 points in 68 games. He's only 23 years old, and I think he's going to get back to that level. Hopefully next season.

Why am I so confident that this situation will be different? Because I believe that this team has the right leadership (management and coaching) in place to help get him back on track. They also have a very good supporting cast, with great depth down the middle. That will ease the burden.

I think that all Kent needs is a summer of getting back to his heavier playing weight. He did not forget how to play hockey. These stats speak for themselves:

In my opinion, the only way Don Waddell is trading Kent Johnson, is if it's for a massive upgrade. So, the real question becomes this: are there any similarly aged players available that can be a significant upgrade to this team's top-six?

Nothing in Frank's own list that would move the needle far enough, in my opinion. They aren't throwing Johnson away for futures or secondary pieces. The best bet is to hang onto this player and try to correct the issues that caused him to fall short this year. I think they plan to do exactly that.

Elvis Merzlikins is #15 on Frank's list.

The other Blue Jacket to appear on Frank's trade board is goaltender Elvis Merzlikins. He is on the list for a far different reason than Kent Johnson.

Kent is a young player trying to find his way. Elvis is (and has been) a change of scenery candidate. He has just one year left on his contract, with a cap hit of $5.4 million dollars. But, his actual money comes down this year. The team owes him just $4.225 million.

While I do think it's possible that they finally move on from #90, I think it's highly unlikely. Consider this: trading him is absolutely going to involve retaining salary. They might also have to throw in some kind of sweetener to move him. Remember the Patrik Laine trade?

Then, they would need to go out and find another NHL goaltender. And, to be honest, unless they really believe in the ability of their pro scouts to find the right goalie, I'm not sure they are getting much of an upgrade here.

Why spend the assets, when you already have a tandem in place? That would be poor management, and this team does not have a bad manager. Keeping Elvis would allow them to punt this decision off for a year. And at that point, they may have the heir apparent ready to go.

In reality, it feels like Frank is just throwing darts at the board. I wouldn't say he has terrific sources within the organization, considering this thought from last week:

Hello Frank: it's 2026, this is about year four of Elvis wanting a trade.

I do think big moves are coming from the Blue Jackets this summer. But, I'm not fully sold that either of these players will be part of those big moves. We shall see.

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