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R.J. Umberger Requests Trade Out of Columbus

May 18, 2014, 12:35 PM ET [95 Comments]
Todd Cordell
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After spending the last six seasons in Columbus, it appears R.J. Umberger's time as a Blue Jacket has come to an end.

One way or another, he will be off the roster come October, as a result of either a trade or compliance buyout.

Umberger has asked for a trade out of Columbus, and GM Jarmo Kekalainen will look to grant his wish, according to Blue Jackets beat writer Aaron Portzline.

Umberger is coming off a respectable season where he scored 18 goals in 74 games, but that's hardly worth $4.6 million, and at 32 years of age, his best days are behind him.

I touched on this a few weeks ago when speculating he could be a buyout option, but Umberger's production has been on a steady decline, and with three more years at nearly $5 million per season, it's safe to say he probably doesn't have too much trade value.



As Portzline said, Kekalainen will look to move Umberger, but considering his large contract and decline in production, I'm skeptical there will be many - if any - suitors. If Kekalainen can complete a trade here, the Jackets won't get very much.

At this point in his career Umberger is a solid depth option - nothing more, nothing less - and he could help some teams, but I don't think there will be much interest unless he's bought out and teams can grab him at a reasonable salary on a short-term deal.

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