Top 3 Trade Destinations for Blue Jackets' Ivan Provorov

The Columbus Blue Jackets have been on a nice run lately, 6-2-1 in their last nine games and only two points out of a Wild Card spot at the moment. But that doesn't mean that GM Don Waddell isn't still looking to make moves.

Defenseman Ivan Provorov is considered one of the top trade candidates around the NHL this season, and certainly the Jackets' most marketable asset. He's a pending unrestricted free agent as his six-year deal is about to expire. It carries an AAV of $6.75 million, but the Blue Jackets (and any acquiring team) are only responsible for a $4.725 million cap hit as the remaining $2.5M has been retained from an earlier trade.

The 6'3" top-four defender will be on many teams' radars as we approach the trade deadline, but let's take a look at the top 3 potential landing spots from the rumors making the rounds.

Dallas Stars

GM Jim Nill has proven that he is ready to make significant additions if his team is a Stanley Cup contender. Last year, he traded for Chris Tanev at the deadline, and Provorov could be his target this time around. The Stars will once again be "all-in" this season.

New York Rangers

It emerged last week that GM Chris Drury is looking to shake things up, and that defenseman Jacob Trouba could be on the move. Provorov would be a huge improvement on the blueline, and as noted by Lyle Richardson in Bleacher Report, showing they're serious about making a Cup run "could make it more enticing for (pending UFA Igor Shesterkin) to remain in the Big Apple".

Winnipeg Jets

Another team with Stanley Cup aspirations, despite a current three-game losing streak, the Jets are still tied atop the overall standings with 36 points, at 18-7-0. But if there's one area that needs reinforcements, it would be the blueline. "Provorov would significantly help relieve the pressure on top d-man Josh Morrissey and allow them to have three pairings with an experienced defenseman on one side," writes Jacob Punuri in si.com. And we know that GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has also proven that he's not shy about making an impact addition if he feels his team has a real chance to go the distance.