The Columbus Blue Jackets are near a playoff spot because the NHL prepares to return to motion. Team USA won gold in Milan on Sunday morning, and the league’s trade freeze has now lifted. Consequently, trade season is back on the menu. And the upcoming games for the Blue Jackets could determine their plan of action on March sixth.
The Blue Jackets were one among the worst teams within the NHL for the longest time. Nevertheless, they fired head coach Dean Evason and brought in retired veteran Rick Bowness to educate the remainder of the season. Under Bowness’s leadership, Columbus has won 10 of its last 11 games and at the moment are one of the best non-playoff team within the East on points.
Columbus is much from comfortable in its postseason contention. For starters, the Blue Jackets still trail by 4 points, lagging behind the Boston Bruins. Moreover, there are a pair teams hot on their tail trying to realize ground in a really competitive Eastern Conference.
The Blue Jackets must work out if they’re going to go for it or in the event that they wish to play this protected. Irrespective of what they select, though, there may be one veteran player on this roster who needs to be traded. Moving him at peak value may very well be a really helpful decision down the road.
Blue Jackets’ Charlie Coyle is a top trade candidate immediately
The Columbus Blue Jackets traded for Charlie Coyle in a cope with the Colorado Avalanche this summer. The move made a ton of sense on the time. Colorado needed cap space to work with within the offseason. And Columbus needed depth down the center.
Suffice it to say, the trade has worked out up to now. Coyle is top-of-the-line offensive performers for Columbus this season. He has 15 goals and 42 points through 56 games. This works out to an 82-game pace of twenty-two goals and 62 points.
Should he proceed on this pace, it might be top-of-the-line offensive seasons of his profession. Coyle is an especially vital player to this team, and has been especially strong at 5v5. The truth is, Coyle has the very best Goals For Percentage of any Blue Jackets forward who has played no less than 25 games, based on Evolving Hockey.
Coyle can also be a really solid defender. He’ll allow his fair proportion of shot attempts when he’s on the ice. Nevertheless, he is sweet at stopping goals. His 92.75% On-Ice Save Percentage is the third best amongst Columbus forwards at 5v5 this season.
Given all of this, why would the Blue Jackets trade him? Coyle feels like the type of player they need to hang on to. Keep him, ride this thing out, and see what happens within the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Nevertheless, there are some aspects that might make a Coyle trade make sense.
Coyle is an excellent player, but he isn’t a long-term option at 33 years old. Moreover, the veteran pivot is a free agent this summer. He has not signed a contract yet, and his play this 12 months is bound to see him do well financially in a little bit of a skinny NHL Free Agency pool.
The Blue Jackets should not a concrete postseason contender. In the event that they drop some games coming out of the break, it might make sense to trade Coyle for one of the best return. This provides Columbus major value for a player they might have lost in the summertime. And it might allow the team to reassess where they’re and potentially use the return in a Coyle trade to make a splash to assist their efforts in 2026.