The Columbus Blue Jackets have been one of the surprise teams in the NHL this season. After a tragic offseason with the passing of Johnny Gaudreau and multiple injuries, expectations were low. Their .500 start is a nice story but is not enough for new general manager Don Waddell to hold onto pending free agents. Defenseman Ivan Provorov is garnering interest from teams well ahead of the NHL trade deadline, per Sportnet's Elliotte Friedman.

“I think he's on a lot of people's radars.” Friedman reported this on Sportsnet's Hockey Show, according to NHL Trade Rumors. “I do, I think that Columbus knows they're going to be able to do something with that. I think there's a lot of teams looking at him.”

Provorov moved from the Flyers to the Blue Jackets ahead of the 2023-24 season. The trade sent two first-rounders back to the Flyers but only cost the Blue Jackets a second, with the Kings getting involved. While his stop in Columbus would not be very long, it would be a great piece of business for Waddell to get that pick back.

The Blue Jackets would be wise to dump all of their unrestricted free agents at the NHL trade deadline. Provorov will be the most valuable, so which teams will be calling about him come March 7?

Potential landing spots for Blue Jackets' Ivan Provorov

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov (9) warms up before the game against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena.
Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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Defensemen are a lot like pitchers in baseball; everyone needs one and they can get very expensive. Just look at last year's trade deadline where Collin Miller went for a fourth-rounder, Adam Peeke went for a third, and Chris Tanev landed Calgary a top prospect. Provorov landed Philly a second-round pick less than two years ago and should land the same again this time around.

The Washington Capitals are off to a surprisingly good start in the 2024-25 NHL season. They enter Tuesday's action with 20 points from 14 games after a shaky season last year. They made offseason additions to boost the team but could use another defensive defenseman. Provorov fits that bill well and could continue his Metropolitan Division tour in the Nation's Capital.

There may be no injured team in the league than the Colorado Avalanche. They are currently running Calvin De Haan and Sam Malinski out there as a third pair, which leaves plenty of room for improvement. They are known for going all in and should call the Blue Jackets for Provorov at the trade deadline.