Fansided

NHL Trade: Blue Jackets go all-in trading for Matt Duchene from Senators

By Brad Berreman

WINNIPEG, MB - FEBRUARY 16: Matt Duchene #95 of the Ottawa Senators plays the puck down the ice during first period action against the Winnipeg Jets at the Bell MTS Place on February 16, 2019 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Sens defeated the Jets 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)
WINNIPEG, MB - FEBRUARY 16: Matt Duchene #95 of the Ottawa Senators plays the puck down the ice during first period action against the Winnipeg Jets at the Bell MTS Place on February 16, 2019 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Sens defeated the Jets 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

As they look for a push back into a playoff spot, the Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired Matt Duchene from the Ottawa Senators.

The Blue Jackets are loading up for a playoff push, acquiring Matt Duchene from the Senators.

Thursday night’s game between the New Jersey Devils and Ottawa Senators saw multiple players as healthy scratches as the trade deadline nears, including the Senators putting center Matt Duchene on ice. It appears a trade was indeed brewing, as Darren Dreger of TSN was first to report the Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired Duchene.

As a looming unrestricted free agent, Duchene was an easy trade chip for the Senators, who currently have the lowest point total in NHL (49 points). He’s also been productive this season, with 58 points (27 goals and 31 assists) in 50 games, and over the last season-and-a-half with Ottawa, he posted 107 points in 118 games.

The Blue Jackets will reportedly send prospects Vitaly Abramov and Jonathan Davidsson to Ottawa, along with a lottery-protected 2019 first-round pick and a conditional 2020 first round pick. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports the 2019 pick is lottery-protected only if it’s a top-3 pick, and the condition on the 2020 pick is Duchene signing a contract extension with Columbus. Minor league defenseman Julius Bergman will also come to the Blue Jackets with Duchene.

Entering Friday’s action, the Blue Jackets sit one point behind the Carolina Hurricanes for the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, and they’re four points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the first Wild Card spot.

In a unique twist, the Blue Jackets play the Senators Friday night, so Duchene is expected to play his first game with his new team against his old team.

Columbus is 10th in the league in goals per game (3.19), but their power play is just 28th in the league by percentage (15.5) and raw number of goals (26). Martin St. Louis was brought in to help the power play on the coaching side a month ago, in the midst of a significant downturn, and things have improved with five power play goals in 24 opportunities (20.8 percent) over their last 11 games. But Duchene should be a big factor on the ice with the man advantage (five goals, seven assists so far this season).

Next. 5 NHL teams who need a season-saving trade. dark

Duchene joins goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and winger Artemi Panarin as pending unrestricted free agents on the Blue Jackets’ roster. But general manager Jarmo Kekalainen made an all-in move here, and it’s worth wondering if another deal along that line is coming before Monday’s trade deadline.

Home/Columbus Blue Jackets