The Columbus Blue Jackets [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets] seem to be on everyone's tongue this offseason. Everyone is the media expects and hopes GM Don Waddell does something to bolster the lineup. From trading up to trading down, to trading players, everything seems to be on the table. Just recently, a national NHL talking head suggested that anyone who plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets is a trade target. I'm not sure if he was joking or not, but you can see where we're at. Someone even suggested that Kirill Marchenko is on the trade block? Yeah, I'm not so sure about that one. Yesterday, though, Dave Pagnotta of The 4th Period reported that Jake DeBrusk [https://www.thefourthperiod.com/pagnotta/canucks-listening-on-debrusk-pettersson]doesn't want to sit through a Vancouver rebuild. He even mentioned that the CBJ were interested in the 29-year-old left winger. It's intriguing to think about. He's going into year three of a seven-year, $38.5 million contract. At $5.5 million AAV, that's not a bad contract. He's coming off of a season where he scored 23 goals and totaled 42 points. His career high in goals and points is 27 and 50, set when he played for the Boston Bruins during the 2022-23 season. The Bruins had the best regular season in NHL history, winning 65 games and finishing with 135 points. Everyone on that team had good seasons. DeBrusk has played the last couple of seasons with Conor Garland, and before that, played with Charlie Coyle in Boston, so the familiarity is there. But would a DeBrusk trade move the needle for the CBJ fans? And more importantly, would he provide a spark enough to get this team over the hump and into the playoffs? I guess it depends on what Don Waddell would need to give up to get him. Personally, I don't think he's worth the #14 pick alone. What about a player in return? The Canucks are all about getting picks back, I'm assuming, unless it's a young prospect. I think landing DeBrusk is a start, but I don't think it's enough to get the team over the hump. There would need to be other moves made. As long as were looking at Canucks, might I interest you in one Brock Boeser. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft is on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo, where the CBJ will own pick #14. Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwm-DfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] and never miss a story. Let us know what you think below. For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
