Flames, Blue Jackets and 3rd Overall
By Kent Wilson
7 years agoWe previously looked at the possibility of trading up to third overall, but the conclusion at the time was that the price demanded by Columbus would make the move untenable.
Today, however, Bob McKenzie appeared on Vancouver radio and suggested the Blue Jackets have their eye on Logan Brown or Clayton Keller, suggesting they may be willing to move down.
“Of the three (CBJ, EDM & VAN), Columbus might be the one most open to do something right now…
They’ve got the third pick…the sense that a lot of people are getting right now is that Columbus Blue Jackets are not sold on Jesse Puljujarvi in that spot and they may be looking for positionally oriented need. Specifically two centres come to mind… one is Logan Brown… and the other is Clayton Keller.
…
There is this sense that if somebody wants to move to number three to draft Puljujarvi, if the Blue Jackets could get themselves a pick that’s a few picks later and not drop out of the top 10, they’d still have a shot at Brown or Keller.”
With that in mind, the Flames would seem to be the Blue Jackets’ ideal trading partner.
- Calgary with the sixth overall pick puts the Blue Jackets in perfect position to move down but still have the option to pick either Brown or Keller (probably both), but not too far down to risk both being gone.
- In addition, it’s a big enough leap forward to make trading up worthwhile for the Flames, but not so far that the price would become prohibitive.
- In addition, Puljujarvi ticks a lot of boxes for the Flames in particular: a big, strong, scoring RW who can play with either Monahan or Bennett. Calgary’s right side is possibly the weakest position organizationally. Adding a prospect of Puljujarvi’s quality would instantly fix that.
- Finally, aside from pick six, the Flames have a lot of other mid-round picks that could be part of the trade package, including three second rounders.
Of course, none of this means that the Blue Jackets won’t still demand a king’s ransom in return for the third pick for anyone who comes knocking. If Columbus starts asking for core roster players in return, the Flames will no doubt walk away. However, if the price is a mix of picks and prospects, Calgary would be well advised to seriously consider it.
So what would you be willing to trade for Puljujarvi folks?
Recent articles from Kent Wilson
