On the Columbus Blue Jackets …
Aaron Portzline of the Athletic: (mailbag) The Blue Jackets would definitely listen to any trade talk for a top-six center and one of their defenseman that is not named Seth Jones or Zach Werenski. One issue if they were to trade David Savard is that he is right-handed and that would leave them with a second or third pairing with two left-handed defensemen.
Don’t think Pierre-Luc Dubois has shown enough to make Alexander Wennberg expendable in a trade for a No. 1 center. thinks the Blue Jackets see Wenneberg as a No. 2 center.
Defenseman Ryan Murray for Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins makes a lot of sense.
On the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens …
Chris Nichols of FanRag Sports: Elliotte Friedman on Sportsnet 960 talking about the trade market. The Canadiens and Oilers have made small trades, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot out there if wanting to make a bigger move. They may want to make a move, but it’s easy to make a bad move. Rumors on and off the ice can be crazy in Montreal.
“If you told me that Carey Price told the Montreal Canadiens he wants out of there, I would believe it 100 percent. If Carey Price is getting traded, I’m not sure it’s a hockey reason. I think it’s an ‘I’m sick of this B.S.’ reason.
“When his wife has to go on Instagram and say everything is okay, I know if that was me I’d be furious. I don’t tag my wife in social media. I don’t ever tweet at her. I don’t want people out there knowing who I’m married to. I just don’t need her getting that stuff.
“With Price, if he ever said, ‘I want to go,’ I couldn’t blame him.”