It appears that Scott Hartnell’s time in Columbus is coming to an end.
Elliotte Friedman reported in his 30 thoughts column that the Blue Jackets have asked Hartnell to provide a list of teams he would accept being traded to, and by his report and the follow up report from Aaron Portzline, it’s not a small list.
Hartnell, who scored his 300th career goal during a 49 point campaign last season, still carries a $4.75 million cap hit through 2019. The move would immediately open space to sign Seth Jones to an extension, and could involve picks in the upcoming NHL Entry draft, prospects, or both coming back to Columbus.
A list of teams and the waiving of the no movement clause isn’t a guarantee that a trade will go down this week, or even at the Draft, but the various factors in play all add up, particularly with the strong play of several young forwards in Lake Erie and the good chance that the team will be bringing an NHL ready forward into the organization if they hold on to the #3 overall pick.
Hartnell was previously connected in talks with Nashville, where his NHL career began, and would probably be a good asset for a team with cap space who could use a veteran scoring presence. Tampa Bay seems like a real possibility, if Hartnell has them on his list, or Arizona, where he would provide some good presence for the young group of forwards there.
Regardless, it’s going to be interesting to see where this goes.