Trade analysis: Blue Jackets say goodbye to three mainstays

With the NHL trade deadline mere days away, the Blue Jackets have now made a big splash.
In two separate deals, they said goodbye to forward Gustav Nyquist, defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, the team's three biggest pieces heading into the deadline.

Nyquist was the first domino to fall, with the injured alternate captain
going to Minnesota for Boston's fifth-round pick in the 2023 draft
. Then came today's big deal, with
Gavrikov and Korpisalo being traded to Los Angeles
for a 2023 conditional first-round pick, a 2024 third-round pick and Kings legend Jonathan Quick.
Here's five things Blue Jackets fans should know about the flurry of player movement.
1. First off, the Blue Jackets were sellers this season in the midst of a difficult, injury-plagued season that has Columbus last in the NHL in points even after a recent 5-2-2 stretch. And anytime a team is not going to make the postseason, those on expiring contracts are in the trade crosshairs, with Nyquist, Gavrikov and Korpisalo all fitting the bill. They were big pieces for the Jackets on the ice and in the locker room, but now they likely are getting the chance to play postseason hockey. In return, Columbus adds three draft picks, including what will likely be a second first-round pick this season from Los Angeles (there are conditions on the deal contingent on the Kings making the playoffs, but that seems likely with the team 10 points clear of a playoff spot). For a Blue Jackets squad that has already made six first-round selections in the past three drafts, it just adds draft capital to a rebuild that has brought in some high-end talent in recent seasons.
2. The writing had been on the wall for a Gavrikov trade ever since he was pulled from the lineup two weeks ago. He had been a mainstay since arriving, as the one-time sixth-round draft pick built his game in the KHL to the point the Jackets felt comfortable inserting him into the lineup during the 2019 playoff series with Boston even though he had yet to play an NHL regular-season game. On the ice, he's been compared to an octopus by coaches because once he got a hold of an opposing player, they weren't getting out of his grasp. He also had an underrated scoring touch, too, as evidenced by his 73 points in 256 NHL games. Meanwhile, he was a popular teammate and fan favorite because of his deadpan sense of humor, evidenced in his "Fifth Line Help Line" videos and the fun he had engaging with fans and reporters alike. He and the Jackets couldn't come to a deal to extend his time in Columbus, especially with a trove of young blueliners coming, but he was a big part of the organization the past few seasons and will be missed.
3. Korpisalo, meanwhile, wasn't talked about nearly as much on the trade market as the deadline neared, but as he kept playing better and better this season, it made sense that a team looking for goaltending depth for the postseason would be interested. Los Angeles fits the bill with a team save percentage this year of .881 that places 31st in the league. Korpisalo leaves Columbus as the longest-tenured CBJ goalie of all time, as he is the only Blue Jackets netminder to reach eight seasons with the squad. He had his share of adversity to overcome but was respected by everyone in the CBJ room for his work ethic as well as a kind but competitive personality. His performance in the 2020 playoff bubble won't ever be forgotten, including the epic 85-save contest in a game vs. Tampa Bay. His bounce-back season, which includes a .919 save percentage since early December, has been one of the best stories of the CBJ season, but it was a move that made sense with both Elvis Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov under contract for next season.
4. Nyquist also will be remembered fondly by many for his professionalism, as he was exactly what the Blue Jackets expected he would be when he was signed in the summer of 2019 at the same time others were headed out the door in free agency. He played exactly 200 games in a CBJ uniform and wore an "A" on his sweater the past two seasons, embracing a leadership role that he earned despite being not coming up through the CBJ system like such other members of the leadership group as Boone Jenner, Zach Werenski and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Nyquist was a valuable sounding board and role model for the many youngsters in the Jackets' dressing room, and his ability to play in just about every situation made him a favorite of the coaching staff. The shoulder injury that will keep him out of most if not all of the regular season hurt the Jackets from a negotiating standpoint, but ideally for Nyquist, he'll be ready to go for the Wild once the postseason starts.
5. So what of the returns? Los Angeles deciding to trade Quick, a likely Hall of Famer and two-time Stanley Cup winner, after 16 years with the Kings will be a shock to the hockey world, but at 37 years old he wasn't exactly set to be the future for LA. They had to make the deal work somehow, but as it goes in these types of trades, the draft picks are the real bounty for Columbus. The Blue Jackets continue to add to a fold that now includes 10 picks in the 2023 draft should Kings make the playoffs. That's especially nice going into what is thought to be a a deep, talented draft. Or, perhaps, these moves could give the Jackets some flexibility to make another move before the Friday afternoon deadline?