Multiple Teams Eyeing Blue Jackets Veteran Defenseman

Teams are already giving the Columbus Blue Jackets calls about one of their top defensemen.

Oct 12, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov (9) warms up before the game against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Columbus Blue Jackets could be a very active team when the talks of trades around the NHL begin to pick up. Deals this early in the season are rare, but the Blue Jackets may have someone worth keeping an eye on.

According to the Fourth Period, multiple teams have sniffed around Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun took things a step further and said the Utah Hockey Club is one of the teams that has called.

With multiple defenseman suffering long-term injuries, Utah has holes to fill on their blue line.

“I’m told that Bill Armstrong certainly is calling around,” LeBrun said. “One of the players, I’m told, he’s checked on is Ivan Provorov.”

The 27-year-old defenseman is in the final year of his contract that earns him an affordable $4.725 million against the salary cap.

It appears as though Provorov will be one of the top names to watch when trade talks ramp up and speculation rises closer to the trade deadline in early March.

“Provorov is going to be in high demand closer to March 7,” LeBrun said. “My sense, though, is that the Blue Jackets may not be ready at this point to deal him.”

LeBrun noted that the Blue Jackets don’t want to start pulling pieces away from their roster while the season is still young. Their expectations are low, but if they aren’t anywhere near a playoff team as March gets closer, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a few pieces get dealt out of Columbus.

“If the Blue Jackets go with the kind of predictions most people have for their season,” LeBrun said. “Provorov will be among the rental players moved.”

Provorov is in his ninth NHL season and has 620 career games under his belt. Before the Blue Jackets, he spent seven years with the Philadelphia Flyers. Over the course of his career, Provorov has scored 70 goals and 181 assists for 251 total points.

As a steady left-shot defenseman, Provorov can be a useful rental for any team looking to make a run at the Stanley Cup. With early reports already indicating interest, there’s a shot he becomes the most talked-about player around the deadline.

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