Blue Jackets' Ivan Provorov "On A Lot of People's Radars" As Top Trade Candidate

1 week ago  /  NHL Trade Rumors

As teams around the NHL start compiling their wish lists for the trade season, the Columbus Blue Jackets' top-four defenseman Ivan Provorov has started to enter the discussion as a prime trade candidate. The Blue Jackets' season certainly hasn't gone as expected, as they're riding a five-game losing streak entering Tuesday's play, in last place in the division, and some moves will definitely be coming. Provorov is in the final season of a six-year, $6.75 million AAV deal, and he's set to become an unrestricted free agent. He'll be one of the top rentals on the trade market. According to insider Elliotte Friedman, speaking on Sportnet's Hockey Show, I think he's on a lot of people's radars. I do. I think that Columbus knows they're going to be able to do something with that. I think there's a lot of teams looking at him. He added that some of the previously pending expiring contracts among defensemen are no longer available, such as Jake McCabe, who signed a long extension with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and he insists the LA Kings are expected to re-sign Vladislav Gavrikov ("He's not going anywhere," said Friedman). There are still a few blueliners who could be had, the Anaheim Ducks' Cam Fowler and the Pittsburgh Penguins' Marcus Pettersson chief among them, but clearly, Columbus will be doing some things as the season goes along, and they will want to recoup some assets for Provorov before he becomes a UFA next July. The Russian defender was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers, and after the puck-mover fell out of favor in Philly, he arrived in Columbus last season, where he posted 32 points in 82 games. This year, he has four points in 14 games with a plus/minus rating of +2, while logging a big 24:12 of ice time, the highest average TOI in three seasons for the 28-year-old. Photo: © Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images...

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