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Columbus Blue Jackets working the 'edges' of NHL trade market with deadline looming
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- Columbus Blue Jackets working the 'edges' of NHL trade market with deadline looming
The NHL's 3 p.m. Friday trade deadline is fast approaching, and the Blue Jackets have given their front office an interesting situation to manage.
Their climb from the bottom of the NHL into legitimate playoff contention despite the loss of Johnny Gaudreau and multiple key injuries has taken the league by surprise. Don Waddell, who took over as the Blue Jackets' president of hockey operations/general manager in May, is no exception.
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He said he has waited for the other shoe to drop all season but that his upstart team keeps finding ways to stay afloat in the postseason hunt. The Blue Jackets still have eight unrestricted free agents left after signing Mathieu Olivier to a six-year deal Wednesday, but Waddell said he isn't looking to ship out "rental" players for draft picks or prospects just to avoid losing them for nothing as free agents.
He was quick to reply when asked if there's any pressure to trade his pending UFAs.
"No, not at all," Waddell said. "Not at this point. We have lots of assets and ... it's a little different year than normal, but if I rip a guy out of this locker room right now (who's) playing a role for us on this hockey club, I think that's pretty devastating to our team. I think it's the wrong message from my end. I think it's the wrong message to our fans, the coaches and the players."
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So don't expect to see any significant Blue Jackets "rentals" on the move for draft picks and/or prospects. Swaps that GMs call "hockey trades" are what the Blue Jackets hope to complete, sending out established NHL talent in trades that return useful NHL players to Columbus.
Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov is an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Ivan Provorov , a stout two-way defenseman in his prime , is a great example. The Blue Jackets could probably get a first-round pick or more by trading the pending UFA, but that would create a void where he usually plays on the second pairing. Damon Severson , who shoots right-handed, could be a natural fit in that role, but that would leave the Jackets' third pairing with three lefties in a mix that includes veteran Jack Johnson , Jake Christiansen and Jordan Harris .
Erik Gudbranson , who usually plays the right side on the third pairing, is recovering from October shoulder surgery and might not be ready until April. Should Waddell trade Provorov, who will likely seek a long-term contract and significant pay boost as a free agent, he'll want a useful NHL player in return who has time left on his deal beyond this season.
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"We're exploring as many of those (trade ideas) as we can," Waddell said. "We've got another 48 hours ... to try to come up with something that we feel good about."
Blue Jackets general manager said the team doesn't want to trade defenseman Zach Werenski, but if they think a deal is necessary, they will seek a "boatload" in return.
Waddell said the Blue Jackets also aren't in the market for parting with valuable draft capital or prospects to acquire rental help for this season.
"If we can add around the edges, certainly we're going to try that," he said. "The other thing, though, most importantly is (culture fit). We want to bring in the best players we can, but we've also got to make sure we know their character and know how they're going to be in the locker room."
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As for keeping additional UFAs with extensions, don't expect any new announcements until the season ends.
"This group has been remarkable all season with how, regardless of the adversity that's been thrown at us, they've stuck together, which I'm very proud of," Waddell said. "Instead of getting into negotiations, sometimes where there's not a good ending, I think it might be better (to wait), and I've told agents this. Let's just wait until the end of the season. If players want to stay here and we can find a compromise between salary and term, we will keep them."
In the meantime, Waddell and his staff will keep working the "edges" of the trade market until the deadline passes.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: NHL trade deadline: Columbus Blue Jackets GM discusses team moves
