Blue Jackets Trade Deadline Primer

NAZEM KADRI WEAVES THROUGH DEFENDERS ON HIS BACKHAND

Heading into this season's trade deadline, the Blue Jackets sit in third place in the Metropolitan division. "Not where I thought we'd be after looking at the team we assembled to begin the season," said Columbus GM, MixtureBill. "It's not all about OV and SC though. Even when your team looks great on paper, it can take time to find the right chemistry for your lines." He said the Blue Jackets are still working to find that chemistry, having recently promoted Nazem Kadri to the top line. "We've been trying out Kadri on the top line between Pacioretty and Svechnikov. Over the All Star Break, he really put in the time with the skills coaches and has been impressing head coach Todd McLellan every practice. The results haven't been the big scoring boom we were hoping for out of the top line, but the guys are starting to gel." Though it might not quite be the immediate boom that the team was looking for, the line has combined to put up an impressive 14 points in their last 5 games, so the Jackets are hoping this will be the spark that gets them on a run for the postseason.

ZACH HYMAN HANDLES THE PUCK IN THE OFFENSIVE ZONE

The main piece the Blue Jackets are dangling at the deadline is winger Zach Hyman, who has another year left on a team-friendly $3,600,000 deal. While Hyman began the year on the top line, he has been a bit buried in the Blue Jackets lineup recently, seeing mostly third line minutes. Even in his limited ice time he's on pace for 20 goals this season, and may be able to help another team more than he's currently contributing to the Blue Jackets being stuck in a third line role. "We're not trying to force Zach out of Columbus, we just think he might be able to get a better opportunity with another franchise who may need help in their top six. We see Zach as a valuable player, and we'd be happy to have him still on the roster post deadline, but we figured it could be a win/win situation for Zach and the club to see if there are any other opportunities out there," said MixtureBill. 

COLUMBUS CORNERSTONES QUINN HUGHES AND ANDREI SVECHNIKOV

MixtureBill did go on to say that there were a few untouchable players that he considered cornerstones of the franchise in home grown talents Andrei Svechnikov and Quinn Hughes, the Blue Jackets prized possessions from the 2018 draft. He also considered recently acquired Matty Beniers, who was picked up in a trade that saw Jason Robertson head to the New York Rangers. Robertson was another Jacket's first round selection in the 2018 draft, and not someone the team wanted to part with.  When asked about Robertson, MixtureBill said "we really loved Jason in his draft year. We took a chance on a player in the first round that may have been a little ahead of where he was ranked, but we were confident in our scouting staff. It's been great to see Jason bloom into the player that he has become... we just wish it was still with our franchise!" The GM said he wouldn't rule out exploring a trade to bring back the young star into the franchise. "Absolutely, we'd love to bring Jason back to Columbus! But I don't know that the Rangers would let him go at this point. The phone line is always open in Columbus!" 

JACKETS' VETERAN STARS PATRICK KANE, MAX PACIORETTY, AND ALEX PIETRANGELO

When asked if he'd be open to trading a veteran, Blue Jackets GM MixtureBill said that "nothing is off the table. If a team makes an offer that makes sense for our hockey team, then we'd have to consider it." When asked if that would include veterans, specifically players like Patrick Kane, Mika Zibanejad, or Alex Pietrangelo, MixtureBill said "if a team is going to give us a package deal including a couple high end draft picks or prospects, then we'd have to seriously consider it. We're in a great spot to make a run at the Cup this year, but we also have to keep the future of the franchise in mind. We know these guys are getting close to the ends of their deals, so we would always consider a move that would benefit our club in the future." And he said while he'd like to avoid trading away any of the team's draft picks or prospects, he's not going to put them in the untouchable category either. "I think we've got a good pool of talent in the Blue Jackets organization, but I wouldn't say it's our strength right now. But if the deal makes sense, we'll have to look at it."