We’re down to the final eight days before the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline. The Columbus Blue Jackets will have until Mar 3 at 3 P.M. eastern to decide what moves they want to make.
We’re going to update you on what we know at this point. Things can obviously change in a heartbeat so stay tuned as we’ll keep you updated on any trades that do take place. For now though, let’s reset the situation with the three big names in play for the Blue Jackets.
Gavrikov Still Waiting
The entire hockey world continues to wait to see what will happen with Vladislav Gavrikov. He is sitting out for trade-related reasons. He is not expected to play Thursday night against the Minnesota Wild. He is practicing with the team though.
The question on everyone’s mind is how long is this going to go? From a Blue Jackets’ perspective, it’s a smart move especially if a trade is close or agreed upon in principle. The last thing they need is for their player to get injured.
The general belief is that the Boston Bruins are highly involved in this situation. However without clearing cap space, they can’t acquire Gavrikov. A move would have to happen first. But as this is written, the Bruins haven’t made a move.
Even noted insiders don’t have a handle on the situation. On Wednesday, Elliotte Friedman admitted this on the Jeff Marek show. You can see the clip below.
The interesting thing to watch now is if the Bruins do complete this deal or if another team comes in with a better offer. The fact that Gavrikov has sat out does point to a deal being close enough that the team doesn’t want to risk injury. Aaron Portzline recently said a deal was in place but that it was pending based on another transaction taking place first. “The Blue Jackets are waiting for the trade partner to settle some other business before the deal can be made official.” (from Blue Jackets Trade Tiers: Who’s Available, Who’s Off Limits as Deadline Nears, 2/21/2023, Aaron Portzline, the Athletic)
The belief is if a deal is reached, the Blue Jackets would get at least a first-round pick back. That could open other doors for them such as exploring a Jakob Chychrun deal with the Arizona Coyotes.
Stay tuned on this one and watch the Bruins if they make any interesting roster moves. That could tell us how close we are to a conclusion.
Korpisalo Will Generate Interest
As we’ve spoken about, Joonas Korpisalo’s game has elevated recently. He’s over his hip surgery and showing what kind of goalie he can be.
Contenders will inquire about Korpisalo. In our Sunday long read, we looked at other goalie trades and what the return was. Although there isn’t a lot out there on who some of the interested teams could be, here is a short list of teams that could look into him where it would make sense.
- Buffalo Sabres: They’re right in the playoff fight in the East. Sure seems they could use an upgrade for depth purposes. For a mid-round pick, why not inquire?
- Los Angeles Kings: Goaltending for them has been an issue all season. Adding depth would be of utmost importance for them.
- New York Rangers: Igor Shesterkin is the obvious starter. But if something happened, would they trust Jaroslav Halak to jump in?
- Edmonton Oilers: Just how much do they trust Stuart Skinner and Jack Campbell these days?
- Toronto Maple Leafs: Same question for Ilya Samsonov and Matt Murray?
- Vegas Golden Knights: They have a lot of goalies. But they would have room for depth help behind Logan Thompson.
This will come down to who steps up to offer the Blue Jackets a reasonable return. Elvis Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov appear set to start next season as the 1-2 punch in the crease. Barring injury, Korpisalo seems the odd-man out.
Side Dishes
- The Gus Nyquist situation is still worth watching. If he’s ready to go for the playoffs, he can be acquired, placed on LTIR and then activated for a potential Game 1.
- Teams would need to have enough cap space in order to acquire him. We could see the Sabres and Red Wings jump in on this as each are fighting to make the playoffs. The cost to acquire would be less than the top players. These teams could reward their roster with depth help. The Wild, Jets and Golden Knights also make sense here.
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- Back to Gavrikov. He and his family went to the Cannonball on Tuesday night. That’s a classy move for someone who’s waiting for a potential trade. But that’s the kind of class he has.
- Johnny Gaudreau missed the two-game road trip to Dallas and Arizona. He is expected back for Thursday’s game against the Wild.
