The Blue Jackets are going to miss the playoffs a year after the best season in franchise history, so naturally there are going to be some changes.
Trading the team's best defenseman is one change Jarmo Kekalainen and co. are reportedly looking to make.
Heard from two different sources tonight that #CBJ are shopping D James Wisniewski around the #NHL, trying to move before Monday's deadline.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) February 24, 2015The Blue Jackets have struggled to keep pucks out of their net this season, and they haven't scored a ton, either, so I don't think it makes sense to move Wisniewski. Sure he turns it over a little more than you'd like, but he's very good at making smooth transitions to exit the defensive zone, and is a threat in the offensive zone. That far outweighs his faults.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman recently reported the Blue Jackets were open to changing the makeup of their defense and noted David Savard and Ryan Murray as the untouchables, so it shouldn't be a big shock to see Wisniewski's name pop up in rumors, especially after recently sitting out as a healthy scratch.
From 2012-to-present day Wisniewski is 9th (minimum 400 minutes played) in the NHL averaging 4.75 points/60 of 5 vs 4 play, which ranks ahead of Erik Karlsson, P.K. Subban, Alex Pietrangelo, and Ryan Suter, among many others.
He also ranks 34th in 5 vs 5 points/60 in that span, and is ahead of Keith Yandle, Oliver Edman-Larsson and Drew Doughty, so he's clearly also quite capable of producing at even-strength.
The points are there, and he's no slouch when it comes to driving possession, either (chart via OwnThePuck.Blogspot.ca).
The Jackets best be getting a very good return for Wisniewski, because he's a very good player, and isn't one they can afford to sell low on; especially given the current state of their defense.
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