TRADE: Sharks Continue Dealing, Send Luke Kunin To Blue Jackets

Columbus Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell had said he wanted to reward his team for their gutsy performance this season, and he's done a little bit of that today, adding physical center Luke Kunin to the mix in a deal with the San Jose Sharks.

#CBJ NEWS: The Blue Jackets have acquired center Luke Kunin from San Jose in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

The pick originally belonged to St. Louis but was acquired this summer in the Alexandre Texier deal. https://t.co/wO7quFwUNI
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) March 7, 2025

A fourth-round pick in this year's draft heads to the Sharks in return.

Kunin is a pending UFA, after earning $2.75M this year.

In 63 games with the Sharks, he has 11 goals and 18 points while dealing out 163 hits.

Kunin has played in the NHL for Minnesota, Nashville and San Jose over the course of his eight-year career. In 422 games, he has 73 goals, 69 assists and 143 points, to go along with 378 penalty minutes.

It's been a busy trade season for the Sharks, who have also dealt off Jake Walman, Nico Sturm, Vitek Vanecek, and earlier in the year, Mackenzie Blackwood, Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci.

The Blue Jackets, despite a year full of tragedy and injury troubles, find themselves holding down the first Wild Card spot in a loaded five-team chase for the two extra playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.