Blue Jackets Trade Rumors: Columbus Ship Samuel Pahlsson To Vancouver For Picks

Rick Nash is still a Columbus Blue Jacket but he might not recognize the team by the time the trade deadline is over at the rate that the Blue Jackets are losing players. After shipping out Jeff Carter the other day to the Los Angeles Kings for Jack Johnson, the Jackets have made another trade as the deadline starts to loom nearer.

Monday the Jackets shipped off center Samuel Pahlsson to the Vancouver Canucks. Pahlsson was a -6 so far this season with only 11 points to his name, playing as a lower line center.

The Blue Jackets received two fourth round draft picks in exchange for Pahlsson, adding to the stockpile of draft picks and players that the Jackets seem to be stockpiling as the trade deadline goes along. They'll get even more if Rick Nash ever leaves the team, but at the rate that talks seem to be going it might not happen.

The trade deadline will hit at 3 p.m. Eastern time on Monday.

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Blue Jackets Trade Rumors 2012: Columbus Looking At Plenty Of Offers On Deadline Day

The NHL trade deadline is Monday at 3 p.m. and time is ticking down to the trading finale very quickly. The Columbus Blue Jackets have been one of the star teams in the headlines with superstar Rick Nash still on the trading block, and for trading center Jeff Carter to the Los Angeles Kings for Jack Johnson and a draft selection.

There's still plenty of possibilities for the rebuilding Blue Jackets, and Columbus Dispatch reporter Aaron Portzline reported via Twitter on Monday that the Jackets had 'more than 15' offers to consider for various players.

#CBJ senior adviser Craig Patrick they have "more than 15" offers to consider on a handful of players, but "we don't like any of them yet."

Time will tell if the Carter trade ends up being the biggest move that the Jackets make during the trade deadline frenzy. Rick Nash is still the biggest name and still doesn't have a new home, but the idea that there are still more Columbus players being sought by other teams makes it all the more intriguing to see what the Blue Jackets will look like after the deadline has passed.

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Rick Nash Trade Rumors: Agent 'Hopeful' A Deal Can Get Done

The first big name to really be discussed when the NHL trade deadline got near was Rick Nash. The Columbus Blue Jackets have since shipped off Jeff Carter and acquired Jack Johnson, but a potential deal with Nash could still come before the deadline on Monday. Plenty of teams remain interested in acquiring the services of Nash, currently the captain of the Blue Jackets and a big fan of the area he's in and the team he plays on.

But that doesn't mean Nash doesn't want to go elsewhere, particularly to a contender. He's not in any hurry to leave Columbus, but there was always speculation that Nash would want to go somewhere with a better chance to contend, helped along by the list of teams he'd signed off on in regards to a potential trade, which included the San Jose Sharks, who are in heavy pursuit of him.

Nash's agent, Joe Resnick, has been quiet throughout all of this, but has finally spoken up. Bob McKenzie of TSN had some quotes from Resnick over Twitter (here and here):

"We're hopeful a deal can get done prior to the trade deadline that is fair and equitable for the Blue Jackets... However, if a deal is not reached, then the list of acceptable teams will not change at a later date."

His words are significant for a couple reasons. For one, Nash seemed lukewarm to the idea of a trade when this whole saga starter, talking about how much he loves the community and his teammates, but now his agent is suggesting that getting a trade done is now the priority. Until now, it seemed like a desperation move from the Blue Jackets, now it seems like Nash wants to get things over with.

For two, the second bit notes that Nash may pursue a trade once the season is over, and will keep the teams he's already approved as options. Everything can change before then, but it's certainly worth noting at this point. If Nash wants a trade in the offseason, nobody really knows how that would go because the Blue Jackets may be cleaning house to acquire a new general manager. Should be interesting, to say the least.

For more on the Columbus Blue Jackets, go to The Cannon. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NHL hub at SBNation.com/NHL.

Rick Nash Trade Rumors: Forward Still On Trading Block; Jack Johnson 'Excited'

For those NHL fans that thought the trade talks surrounding Columbus Blue Jackets star forward Rick Nash were over because Jeff Carter was shipped to the Los Angeles Kings Thursday. Well, you have the wrong train of thought.

That's because according to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch, the Blue Jackets are still willing to listen to trade offers for Nash.

Told the trade of #CBJ C Jeff Carter does not impact CBJ's willingness to trade captain Rick Nash. He's still available for right price.

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) February 24, 2012

Meanwhile, Columbus' newly acquired defensemen Jack Johnson, who was a part of the Carter deal and is a native of Indianapolis and graduate of the University of Michigan, is excited about returning to the Midwest and a fan-friendly organization.

#CBJ D Jack Johnson tells Dispatch: "I’m excited by this. I’m excited to go to a team that wants me, and to play in a great sports city...."

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) February 24, 2012

More Johnson: "I want to be part of the solution there. I know they’ve had some bad breaks and some tough seasons, but it’s going ... "

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) February 24, 2012

Portzline reported earlier that Johnson will wear jersey number seven.

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Jeff Carter Traded To Kings As Blue Jackets Acquire Jack Johnson, First-Round Pick

It wasn't the blockbuster that everyone was waiting for, but it isn't a shocker either. The Columbus Blue Jackets have traded center Jeff Carter to the Los Angeles Kings for defensemen Jack Johnson and a conditional first-round draft pick, reports Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch via Twitter. The trade is pending a medical examination that will be performed Friday.

Cater, who was acquired in June in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers, has tallied 15 goals, 11 assists in 39 games for the last-place Jackets. The Kings gain a much needed goal scorer, though, some fans were hoping that Columbus' Rick Nash, who's also on the trading block, was going to be the man headed West.

The Jackets acquire Johnson, who has played the last four seasons for the Kings after being the No. 3-overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. Last season, Johnson netted just five goals but dished out 37 apples and is considered one of the better young defenders in the league.

For more on the Columbus Blue Jackets, go to The Cannon. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NHL hub at SBNation.com/NHL.

Antoine Vermette Traded From Blue Jackets To Coyotes, According To Report

The Columbus Blue Jackets have finally made a trade. It isn't the big trade that has dominated the deadline headlines, and thus doesn't contain Rick Nash, but it's a trade nonetheless. According to Bob McKenzie of TSN on Twitter, the Blue Jackets have traded forward Antoine Vermette to the Phoenix Coyotes. The second tweet suggested that a couple picks be included, and the TSN website verifies this:

The Columbus Blue Jackets have traded veteran forward Antoine Vermette to the Phoenix Coyotes for a second round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft (via Ottawa), a conditional fifth round selection in the 2013 Draft and minor-league goaltender Curtis McElhinney.

At first glance, it seems like the Blue Jackets got the better end of that deal. A second-round pick alone seems a little much, with the other considerations being a bonus. That isn't to say that Vermette is useless or anything like that - he's a solid veteran with eight seasons of experience in the NHL. He spent time with the Ottawa Senators and has a wealth of playoff experience.

He's got three seasons following this one left on his contract. At 29 years-old, he's still got some potential to contribute, and could be solid for the Coyotes, given the fact that they're on the cusp of seriously competing. Vermette was mentioned being on the trade block some time ago.

For more on the Columbus Blue Jackets, go to The Cannon. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NHL hub at SBNation.com/NHL.

Blue Jackets Trade Rumors 2012: Buffalo Could Make Play For Jeff Carter

Rick Nash is the marquee name this trade deadline, and certainly the most important player on the Columbus Blue Jackets right now when it comes to getting something to rebuild the team up with. There's another wild-card on the squad though, center Jeff Carter.

Jeremy White of WGR Buffalo produced a stream of tweets early on Tuesday that brought up some decent points involving the Buffalo Sabres perhaps being interested in Carter. Certainly, the Sabres are in need of some sort of scoring spark and their lack of talent at the center position has been in contention for the whole season, well shown last year when they were injured against and lost horribly to the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round.

I already wrote an article on The Hockey Writers dissecting this trade through Buffalo's perspective back on Tuesday. It could be a good move for both sides; the biggest question would be what Buffalo would be able to give up in such a trade. They do have plenty of wing depth and could send a guy like Tyler Ennis over to Columbus to help bolster their offense with youth along with a draft pick or two. There have been rumors that Columbus are looking for a strong, experienced goalkeeper to help themselves out as well, so this could be the trade that finally gets Ryan Miller out of Buffalo even though there have been better trades suggested in Buffalo's favor.

It also begs the question, how much would Columbus want for Carter? With all of the hoopla about Rick Nash out there, Carter seems to be on the backburner even though he may be the better buy overall with a significantly smaller cap hit even with the enormous contract length-wise -- Carter is set to stay under contract for almost a decade after signing a huge contract extension when he was still with the Flyers before the Jackets picked him up.

Carter's stock is up as well, after getting a hat trick for himself in the Blue Jackets' most recent win against the San Jose Sharks. Keep an eye out, it could be that the Jeff Carter story turns even more intriguing than the Rick Nash story by the time February 27th and the trade deadline come around.

For more on Jeff Carter and the Columbus Blue Jackets, check out The Cannon. For more on the NHL in general, head to the SB Nation NHL hub at sbnation.com/NHL.

Blue Jackets Trade Rumors 2012: Rick Nash On The Market For Columbus

The Columbus Blue Jackets have only one thing to do as the trade deadline approaches, and that's sell Rick Nash to the highest bidder.