Could the Blue Jackets look to trade these two players over the summer?
Hockey 24/7's Frank Seravalli released his latest trade board for the 2026 NHL off-season. Two Columbus Blue Jackets were featured on it, as forward Kent Johnson and goaltender Elvis Merzlikins made the cut.
Johnson was given the No. 8 spot on Seravalli's trade board. The 23-year-old forward is coming off a down 2025-26 season with the Blue Jackets, as he recorded seven goals and 22 points in 76 games. This is after he had a big year with Columbus in 2024-25, setting career highs with 24 goals, 33 assists, and 57 points in 68 games.
With Johnson having past success and being just 23 years old, there is no question that the Blue Jackets trading him would come with some risk. However, the 2021 fifth-overall pick could also be a good trade chip for them to dangle to try to improve their roster elsewhere.
As for Merzlikins, he was given the No. 15 spot on Seravalli's trade board. The 32-year-old goaltender has been the subject of trade rumors for multiple years now and could use a fresh start at this stage.
Yet, trading Merzlikins could be tricky. He had an .883 save percentage in 30 games this season and has an expensive $5.4 million cap hit until the end of next season. He has also had a save percentage under .900 in each of the last four seasons.