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The Columbus Blue Jackets are one of the great stories of the 2024-25 National Hockey League campaign, currently right in the thick of the playoff hunt despite most preseason predictions having the club at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
As the surge in Ohio continues — the Jackets are 7-2-1 in their last 10 — the future of a couple players who once seemed destined to be traded are now up in the air. That probably applies more to defenseman Ivan Provorov than any other player on the roster with the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline less than two months away.
Although The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported on Tuesday that Columbus GM Don Waddell and Provorov's agent Mark Gandler had a conversation last week — and that Provorov himself is “very open” to signing an extension with the team — there's still a scenario where the Russian is moved.
And that's regardless of how the team performs over the next couple of weeks.
“I also think that Provorov, who turned 28 last week, will be seeking a maximum eight-year contract extension. I’m not convinced the Jackets would be comfortable with that, in part because of what they have coming up the pipeline,” wrote LeBrun.
“Provorov is earning $6.75 million this season and obviously will also be looking for a raise given the rising salary cap and his importance on the team. Provorov is second on the team in ice time behind only Norris Trophy contender Zach Werenski. If the sides can’t agree to an extension as we get closer to March 7, and if the Jackets get a first-round pick offered for Provorov, I believe they would prioritize the bigger picture and deal him regardless of where they are in the standings and playoff race.”
It would be very difficult for Waddell to turn down a first-rounder for Provorov, especially as he looks to the future. But the former Brandon Wheat King is a key part of the defensive unit, with 19 points in 47 games along with a plus-two rating.
It'll be interesting to see whether Provorov is re-signed or traded ahead of March 7, but right now, the team is just focused on banking points in the second half.
Blue Jackets in thick of Eastern Conference playoff race
On December 17, the Blue Jackets had lost eight of nine games and looked destined to fade away in the Metropolitan Division for the third consecutive year.
But Werenski has led a resurgence in Ohio; Columbus has won 10 times in 15 tries since then — and picked up a point in 12 of those contests — improving to 22-18-7 and looking like a true playoff contender. The East is a logjam, and the Jackets are one of many teams in the conference looking to sneak in come April, but there is an avenue where they get in.
The next couple of weeks are going to be absolutely critical in determining whether Waddell is selling or not come March. There's virtually no more room for error if the Blue Jackets hope to break a postseason drought that stretches back to 2020-21.
Provorov and Columbus will continue battling on the road against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night. Puck is set to drop just past 7:30 p.m. ET at Scotiabank Arena.
