Kekalainen looks at deals already made, but more could be on the way

One year ago at the NHL trade deadline, the Blue Jackets went right down to the wire before sending forward Max Domi to the Carolina Hurricanes in a three-way deal that netted defensive prospect Aiden Hreschuk.
Jarmo Kekalainen did not want to go through that harried experience again.

"We've been thinking that way all along that we don't want to scramble right at the deadline," the CBJ general manager said Wednesday. "We did that last year. I think we completed a trade to Carolina 30 seconds before the deadline, and we were all sweating bullets in the office whether we were going to get it done or not. We didn't want to go through the same experience again."
Well, with 52 hours to spare, Kekalainen can breathe somewhat easily. The Blue Jackets announced this morning, two days and four hours ahead of Friday's 3 p.m. trade deadline,
a major deal that sends unrestricted free agents-to-be Vladislav Gavrikov and Joonas Korpisalo
to Los Angeles for two draft picks and goalie Jonathan Quick.
ANALYSIS: CBJ makes deals with an eye on the future
Add in
Tuesday's trade of wing Gustav Nyquist to Minnesota
for a draft pick, and the three biggest UFAs on the Blue Jackets roster all had been moved well ahead of the deadline. It came during a frenzy a few days ahead of the final gun that has seen such names as Patrick Kane, Ryan O'Reilly and Timo Meier already on the move.
And, perhaps crucially, it gives the Blue Jackets time to make some more deals to bolster their future. Quick, 37, may again be on the move, as the 16-year NHL veteran and two-time Stanley Cup winner may want to get back into a playoff run and Kekalainen said he deserves that right.

"We have been communicating with him and his agent," Kekalainen said. "We have the utmost respect for him and his career and his accomplishments. We're trying to do the right thing, and we'll stay in touch with him. We still have plenty of time here, and we'll see what happens."
(Edtior's note: Since this story was published,
Quick was traded to Vegas on Thursday
for goalie Michael Hutchinson and a 2025 seventh-round pick. In addition, Columbus has
traded Jakub Voracek and a '23 sixth-round pick to Arizona for goalie Jon Gillies
.)
In addition, Kekalainen acknowledged that likely having a pair of first-round picks in this year's draft -- the Jackets' own as well as the conditional pick acquired from Los Angeles -- gives the team the chance to continue to monitor the market.
Columbus has made six first-round picks in the past three drafts already, and with such veterans as Johnny Gaudreau, Zach Werenski, Patrik Laine, Boone Jenner, Sean Kuraly, Erik Gudbranson and Elvis Merzlikins signed through at least 2024-25, the Jackets will look at moves that will help the team make the most of its competitive window.
"We'll keep working at it," Kekalainen said. "With the picks that we have now and assets, we are looking to make our team better, not just be picking year after year. Obviously our first pick is not going to be in play, but the pick that we acquired and some of the future picks that we have plenty of now will be in play to try to improve our team next year -- not just next year but into the future, into the same window where we see our young group evolving into a playoff team and Cup contenders."
The moves already made mean the Blue Jackets say goodbye to three players with a combined 16 seasons with the Jackets, including two players that have worn the "A" on their sweaters in Nyquist and Gavrikov as well as the longest-tenured goalie in franchise history in Korpisalo.
The Finnish netminder was pressed into duty as a 21-year-old during the 2015-16 season for the Blue Jackets and was with Columbus ever since. While his 210 games played are fourth among CBJ goalies, he's the only one to reach the eight-season mark with the squad, and Korpisalo's highlights included an incredible run in the 2020 playoffs that included a record-breaking 85-save performance in a five-OT game vs. Tampa Bay.
This year, offseason hip surgery has allowed Korpisalo to come back from the worst season of his career to one of his best, including a .911 save percentage in 28 games. But with Merzlikins and rising prospect Daniil Tarasov both under contract for next season, Korpisalo hit the trading block.
"He's a very good goaltender and even a better human being," Kekalainen said. "He's a great teammate. We're all going to miss him, but I'm really happy that he bounced back the way he did this year. I couldn't be happier for him and his family. He's a great guy. We wish him all the best."
When it comes to Gavrikov, Kekalainen said term was the biggest stumbling block between the Blue Jackets and the 27-year-old defenseman inking an extension. The Russian had become a key piece of the CBJ blue line over the past four seasons, notching a 15-58-73 line in 256 games and going from a sixth-round pick in the 2015 draft to one of the most dependable players in the organization.
Gavrikov had been scratched from action since Feb. 14 as the Blue Jackets awaited a trade partner, and he spoke at the time of how much his tenure in Columbus meant to him.
"I've been here a while," Gavrikov said. "It's my first NHL team who drafted me -- first NHL friends, first NHL games. It's a lot of memories that were here and will be here. It's going to be part of my heart. Some of the good stuff, some of the bad stuff, we've gone through that together as a team, as a group. That means a lot."
Nyquist signed as a free agent in the summer of 2019 and quickly rose to becoming an alternate captain a season ago into this year. He was frequently praised for the way he approached the game, as the 33-year-old Swede was brought in to be a leader for a young team and performed that role admirably. A versatile player who could fit anywhere in the lineup, Nyquist posted 117 points in 200 games with the Blue Jackets.
"I have a real soft spot for Gus," CBJ head coach Brad Larsen said. "He's easy to coach. He's all in. He's the consummate pro. He's always pushing. A great mentor, a great leader, very consistent with what he brings every night. We're certainly going to miss him. He's a guy that I have nothing but tremendous respect for as an individual. As a human being, he's an unbelievable man. Just love what he brought to our team."
It might seem like many of the biggest names have been moved already, but Kekalainen said a lot is still in play until the deadline passes Friday afternoon.
"There's been a lot of phone calls, not a lot of sleep and a lot of activity the last few days," he said, "and I expect that to continue until Friday at 3 p.m."