Zak MacMillan

"CBJ"

Harrisburg, PA • United States • 23 Years Old • Male

CBJ- Catch Up du jour

The Columbus Blue Jackets' rumors have decreased as a result of consecutive wins; however, there is still discussion around the league of players' availability.

Let's start with the number one center. According to The Fourth Period, teams around the league called Columbus regarding Ryan Johansen. Simply, almost every talented superstar is somewhat discussed in trade rumors, and Joey is no exception. I wouldn't be surprised if teams in need of number one centers or teams that want a 1 + 1A center call Columbus in regards to his discussion. Some teams that might make some sense in this situation currently could be Winnipeg, Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, Florida, Arizona, and Colorado. Those are just teams that make sense, I don't have any proof of any which team called Columbus, but I feel that it doesn't make sense to trade a number one center.

Next is a former first round pick, and a recent acquisition by Jarmo Kekalainen. Scott Hartnell was mentioned last week in a rumor with Edmonton in exchange for Mark Fayne. Just looking at this rumor, I feel there isn't enough coming from the Edmonton side of things because Fayne is a bottom paring defenseman, and that is not the necessary need of the Jackets squad as Kevin Connuaton, Dalton Prout, and Cody Goloubef are in a tight race for the bottom two spots on the backend. If JK is looking to make this deal with the Oilers, I would be looking for a couple of diamonds in the rough of the Oilers' organization as well, or a couple late-round draft choices as Columbus lacks those this year. Does Scott Hartnell make sense for the Jackets to move? Personally, I feel that he is one of the most consistent Jackets, and his leadership and experience is vital for a young Jackets squad, so my answer is absolutely no way he gets moved.

Two guys that have been rumored for a while are popping up again- Cam Atkinson and Kerby Rychel, but no specific teams were mentioned. Earlier this season, Rychel was mentioned in possible deals with Winnipeg and Calgary for secondary scoring. Atkinson has been rumored since the deadline, but signed a healthy three year contract to stay in Ohio.

As for other players around the league, the Colorado Avalanche had plenty of guys mentioned in trade rumors including Jarome Ignila, Alex Tanguay, Matt Duchene, and Tyson Barrie. Earlier this season, JK mentioned desire for a top-4 defenseman and Barrie is definitely one that fits into that group. For Colorado, he may be a top-2 d-man with the defensemen on their roster. I wouldn't be surprised if Columbus made a call about Barrie to Joe Sakic. The most intriguing player in this list is Matt Duchene, a former number three pick in the 2009 NHL Entrt Draft. With his move to the wing, he has performed better as of late, but teams are still calling for him. Not Columbus because they acquired Brandon Saad this summer, but Ottawa is on the list as they have been looking for a top-6 forward for years.

Lately, Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Trevor Daley has been mentioned in trade rumors as he has struggled in Chicago. He apparently fit better in Dallas than in Chitown. Boston and Montreal have been discussed, and why hasn't Columbus? He is an experienced defenseman whose contract is up. It wouldn't be a bad experiment, and since he's play hasn't been the greatest, his value might be lower.

As for news, Brandon Dubinsky is on IR with an upper-body injury and is out 2-3 weeks. Hopefully, he returns soon, but until then, Kerby Rychel will stay up and play games or improve his trade value.

More to come...