NHL Rumors: Blue Jackets Forward Could Be On The Move

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Gustav Nyquist could be traded before the end of the season, according to Dan Rosen.

At this point of the season, it seems that Nyquist could get the Blue Jackets a decent return. After missing the entirety of last season, he has come back strongly. In 38 contests thus far, he has 10 goals to go along with 11 helpers. That kind of production is solid and would be welcomed by a playoff team, too.

Nyquist does have a little bit of an expensive contract, however. The 32-year-old winger is locked up until the end of the 2022-23 season and carries a $5.5 million cap hit. However, some teams may like the idea of him being more than a rental and be willing to acquire him from Columbus.

At this point of the season, the Blue Jackets aren't out of the playoff hunt, but they do have a lot of work to do to make them. They have an 18-19-1 record and are nine points behind the Boston Bruins for the second Wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. Unless they can go on a big winning streak from here, it seems likely that they won't be competing for the Stanley Cup this year.

If Columbus really begins to fall out of the playoff hunt, we could see them elect to move veterans like Nyquist. For now, we will just have to wait and see how they perform from here.