Will the Blue Jackets Find a New Team for Vladislav Gavrikov?

Vladislav Gavrikov was linked to the Boston Bruins last week before they acquired Dmitry Orlov. Who else may be interested in him before the NHL trade deadline?

A week ago, the Columbus Blue Jackets appeared to have a deal in place to ship Vladislav Gavrikov to the Boston Bruins. That came undone when the Bruins opted instead to acquire Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway last Thursday from the Washington Capitals.

Gavrikov's been held out of the lineup by the Jackets for trade-related reasons since Feb. 14. There has been plenty of speculation over where the Blue Jackets could ship the 27-year-old defenseman. A pending UFA with a cap hit of $2.8 million, he'd be an affordable pickup for cap-strapped contenders seeking blueline depth.

The Athletic's Aaron Portzline reported Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen seeks a first-round pick and a third-rounder for Gavrikov. However, interested clubs could be reluctant to pony up that much given the glut of defensemen in the trade market and a dwindling number of clubs seeking blueliners. Kekalainen could face lowering his asking price before Friday's trade deadline.

Portzline also reported the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings were among the clubs seeking a left-side defenseman. The Edmonton Journal's Jim Matheson noted the Oilers have been linked to Gavrikov in the rumor mill but doubted they're willing to part with a first-rounder for him.

Cap space is also an issue for the Oilers. CapFriendly indicates they have $1.4 million in projected trade deadline cap room. Assuming GM Ken Holland can work out a deal with Kekalainen, he'll have to include winger Jesse Puljujarvi and his $3-million cap hit as part of the return to make the dollars fit.