Elias on the Move

[MJK]

The Columbus Blue Jackets are off to an above average start to the 2013-14 season because of hot goaltending and good team defense. That being said, one of the biggest issues with the team is offense.

Patrick Elias was picked up in the offseason because he was a proven CPHL scorer and we thought he would be a top end player for us, but so far this season he has really struggled which has ultimately led to his departure. With only 7 points in 14 games, he was expected to contribute much more, especially with his $9.5mill contract, but instead, found himself parked on the 2nd line with limited PP time. In an attempt to spake some Offense, the Jackets traded Elias.

The Jackets and Canadiens made a trade on Friday which shakes out as follows:

To Montreal:
Patrick Elias + $2.0mill

To Columbus:
Patrick Sharp

If anything, Sharpe has been even more of a disappointment this season but we are hoping he can find his game in Columbus on the 2nd line and chip in on the PP. This deal makes us a little younger but we do take a 3OV hit however, we like the way Sharp has been playing in the NHL.

Our high hopes for Elias are now gone and we now wish him all the best with his new team in Montreal.

[Daradon]

As I mentioned in the trade block thread my first line has been struggling immensely and I got to the point where I felt I needed to do something about it. Looking at my players stats I noticed that while their OV's and passing ratings were high, we lacked a finisher.

Put the word out and got many nibbles, but MJK had the quick lateral swap I was looking for. Excited to get the increase in OV, though I do realize I'm giving up a bit of future to get it. Really all I'm hoping for now is to get this first line cooking again. We'll figure out things from there.

Sharp was one of my favorite players the past two years, moving between the first two lines and playing all forward positions. He's been very versitile and prior to this consistent. He's still strong in the NHL, but he never really found that chemistry with Bergeron (though I noticed they paired up for my only goal last night...) and so I must say goodbye and good luck in Columbus.

Thanks to MJK for the super easy deal, one I feel is about as even as they come. One correction to his post though, we received 2 mill in cap in the deal, not 2.5.