The struggling Columbus Blue Jackets will likely be selling at the trade deadline this season as they currently sit near the bottom of the standings at the end of January. With the team having some money locked up in a few players, they are expected to try and listen to offers on just about anybody, and those beliefs were confirmed Thursday (Jan. 25) evening.
According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Blue Jackets are willing to listen to trade offers for defenceman Ivan Provorov and forward Patrik Laine. At the same time, he mentioned that there is plenty of interest in Boone Jenner, but there is almost no chance they move him unless a team overpays.
Provorov, who is 27 years old, is in his first season as a member of the Blue Jackets and has a $4.725 million cap hit. This season with the Blue Jackets, he has scored four goals and added 19 assists for 23 points through 47 games. In 578 career games in the NHL, he has scored 69 goals and added 171 assists for 240 points.
Laine, who is 25 years old, is in his fourth season as a Blue Jacket and has a $8.7 million cap hit. This season, he has been battling injuries but has still managed to score six goals and add three assists through 18 games.
Will Teams Make Offers This Season?
Neither Laine nor Provorov are on expiring contracts. Provorov has two seasons left on his deal while Laine has three. Both of them are solid players, but it may take a lot for a team to bring them in. The Blue Jackets won’t part with either of them for nothing but depending on what they ask for in return, they may have issues moving either one of them this season unless they agree to retain some salary.
Teams will likely reach out to gauge what the price would be to bring them in, but I highly doubt a trade happens before the trade deadline if one even does. Teams like the Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Pittsburgh Penguins could all look to bolster their roster with either player, but no connections have been made as of yet.
