The rumor mill is really starting to heat up. The name I keep getting hits on is that the Blue Jackets are actively after Doug Weight from the New York Islanders. This doesn't come as much surprise but the amount of chatter about it is interesting.
There are a couple of things at play here with this trade rumor:
1. Cap Floor - The Islanders are not far above the Cap Floor and if they traded Weight without salary coming back, it would put them below the floor. In a twist of fate, Weight's hit to the cap based off of Cap Center here at Hockeybuzz is $4.3 million. (now stay with me here because this is going to turn into a Chinese Trigonometry Equation) His actual salary though is $1.75 million. This trade would make a lot of economic sense as well as the benefit on the ice for the Jackets due to this. Now you have to send salary back or NYI will be below the floor yet the Islanders would want that salary in it's final year so it would clear for UFA time. Enter Christian Backman. $2.3 million cap hit and $3.4 million actual salary and he is in his final year of his contract. This still leaves $2 million seperation on the cap that the Islanders would like to get closer to but there will be more on that later.
2. York to New York - Even though Mike York was sent down to Syracuse his equipment is still in Columbus. What does that mean? Could mean nothing or it could mean that the Jackets are just cutting out the middle man and will be sending his stuff directly to the Islanders. York's cap hit would be $750,000 if he remained with the Islanders. Now were getting close enough to make sense.
3. What they are after - What the Islanders are after is draft picks and prospects as they are in a rebuild mode. The prospect that the Islanders might like to get their hands on and that Scott Howson might be willing to part with would be Maxim Mayorov. Mayorov was a 1st round graded talent in the draft of 2007 but slid due to no transfer agreement with Russia. He is currently with the Syracuse Crunch and has shown that is has some big upside. Now if the Islanders bring him up to give him some seasoning, his cap hit is almost $892,000. Now we are at almost a wash in regards to the cap. I doubt Howson will give up the Jackets 1st rounder but a 2nd rounder might do the trick.
Let's review - Weight & maybe a late round pick for Backman, York, Mayorov and a 2nd rounder. What the real trade is Weight for Mayorov and 2nd rounder but the rest is cap gynastics stuff.
I will keep my ear to the ground but Howson plays it close to the vest. Look for movement tomorrow and see what could be in store. If they still want to make a run this year, they can't wait until after this long road trip because it will be a lost cause by then. Need to move now or what for the trade deadline and be a seller again.
Stay tuned. If I hear anything, I will let you know.
Fire The Cannon!
Eric Smith
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Columbus Blue Jackets Blogger • 
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