According to the latest NHL trade rumors, the Columbus Blue Jackets are going to acquire Matt Duchene from the Ottawa Senators.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have been a team to watch over the past month. With decisions to make regarding soon to be free agents Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, everyone has been waiting to see what they will do at the trade deadline. According to the latest NHL trade rumors, they will be buyers. They are set to acquire Matt Duchene from the Ottawa Senators.
This deal has not been finalized, but it appears the package will revolve around two prospects. The first is forward Vitaly Abramov, who was a third-round pick back in 2016. He has 22 points in 52 games in his first AHL season.
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UPDATE (11:51 am EST): Darren Dreger is reporting the deal is done.
UPDATE (12:06 pm EST): Bob McKenzie has the details.
There is also Jonathan Davidsson, who has 20 points in 35 games overseas in Sweden. He was a sixth-round pick back in 2017. There will most likely be a draft pick involved. It wouldn’t be surprising if it was the Blue Jackets’ 2019 first-round pick.
Abramov is the crown jewel of this trade for the Senators. He has put up great numbers in juniors and is doing a pretty solid job in the AHL in his first season.
Abramov is a smaller player, but he can definitely put pucks in the net. He has a similar playing style to Alex DeBrincat, though DeBrincat has been much more successful.
The Blue Jackets have been interested in Duchene for a while. In fact, they nearly traded for him way back in 2017 before the Colorado Avalanche traded him to the Senators. The Blue Jackets need a second line center if they want to make a push in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Duchene should provide them with that.
With the Metropolitan Division wide open for the taking, the Blue Jackets appear to be pushing in all of their chips. They have never won a postseason series and they could be on the verge of losing three key players (Duchene, Panarin, Bobrovsky) to free agency. But it appears the Blue Jackets are ready to go down swinging or finally have some postseason success.
For updated NHL trade rumors, check out our Rumors page.