The Columbus Blue Jackets made a surprising move on Friday, trading for center Matt Duchene in an ambitious deal, per Darren Dreger. For a team expected to be sellers at the deadline with Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky with one foot out the door, the Blue Jackets indicate with this deal that they're content with trying to make a run this year.
Panarin was the winger whose name was drawing the most interest, but he and Bobrovsky are now joined by Duchene as players who will be free agents next season.
This might actually be an incredibly deft move by the Blue Jackets, even if they do now risk losing Panarin, Bobrovsky and now Duchene for nothing. They're only a game back of the Hurricanes for a wild card spot in the East. Furthermore, according to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline, Duchene has potentially changed his tune about potentially re-signing with the Blue Jackets in the offseason, so if nothing else they may end up with more than a rental.
According to Portzline, Blue Jacket prospects were involved in the deal, including Vitali Abramov and Jonathan Davidsson.
Duchene is the first domino to fall for the Senators. He was the player who was apparently being shopped by them with the most urgency, so the futures of Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingel are still in the air.
