Blue Jackets Making It Clear That Peeke Is Their Top Trade Candidate

Since Zach Werenski got injured in the team's first game of the season, they had to pivot real quick. Fortunately he isn't out for long. But it has shown the intentions of the Columbus Blue Jackets in regards to what value they hold in their defensemen.

With Werenski out, it has opened up a spot in the lineup. Many would have thought that Andrew Peeke would have taken that spot or at least been utilized throughout the season in the lineup since he's a talented defensive player. That isn't the case as David Jiricek was recalled from the AHL and placed on the top pairing. He isn't playing a ton of minutes, but Peeke remains out of the lineup regardless.

While the Blue Jackets already had a logjam on defense that they had to take care of, scratching Peeke in favour of a defender just called up means the team has likely chosen who they are going to trade when a trade happens. Jiricek is showing why he deserves a spot on the team, so then Peeke would be moved to the eighth defenseman. With how good of a player he is, the Blue Jackets can't waste this chance to move him. They clearly won't be utilizing him that often this season and have chosen Adam Boqvist, Jake Bean, and Jiricek over him. Many teams will show interest if Peeke is made available.