It appears negotiations between the club and restricted free agent Josh Anderson have not improved. Anderson, according to Elliotte Friedman has requested a trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Josh Anderson and Columbus: https://t.co/iPoNeRJr5n
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) September 28, 2017
As Friedman notes the two sides are close, according to a report from Aaron Portzline, the two sides are “as little as $150,000 per year (apart) on a three-year contract – but both sides are standing firm on principle.…
This is a big turn of events. Just last week we discovered that Colorado had asked about Anderson as part of a Matt Duchene trade, but the Blue Jackets were refusing to include him in a deal. This request changes everything. The Jackets should be more motivated to move him now, and there should be plenty of interest. Teams like what Anderson brings, he’s 6’3, 221, scored 17 goals last season and is just 23 years old.
Shortly after Friedman’s report, others were reporting that Jarmo Kekalainen had not received a trade request from Anderson.
#CBJ GM Jarmo Kekalainen said club has received no trade request from Josh Anderson or his agent, Darren Ferris.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) September 28, 2017
Friedman updated his report and included this quote from Kekalainen. “This trade request is news to me,… he said. “And we are not looking to trade Josh Anderson.… Friedman went on to say “This might be an issue of semantics… that the idea of a sign-and-trade was broached, but it’s clear a difficult negotiation has taken its toll.… A sign and trade would out well for both parties. Anderson could get what he wants in a contract and the Jackets could get some value out a player who currently is not going to play for them.
It’s still shocking to me that the Jackets do not want to include Anderson in a trade. I've said this many many times, Anderson is a depth winger and those are very replaceable. The Jackets have plenty of young wingers and with them switching Dubois back to wing they have a big bodied winger who can score ready to take over Anderson’s spot in the line-up. With the way this negotiation has dragged it out it might be best to just move on and give Anderson a fresh start. Even if a deal does get signed what’s the negotiation going to be like in two or three years? Sure the relationship can heal, but people don’t forget easily. We saw what happened with Ryan Johansen.
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