One of the biggest stories in the NHL right now is the ongoing drama surrounding Vadim Shipachyov and the Vegas Golden Knights. After being sent down once again to the minor leagues this week, reports broke yesterday that the team had given his representatives the green light to seek out potential trade partners. We already heard that Montreal is likely not interested, and now Aaron Portzline of The Athletic crosses another name off the list. Portzline has been told that Columbus “will not be a landing spot” for the Russian forward, despite having a perceived depth issue at center.
Columbus recently lost Lukas Sedlak for six weeks to an ankle injury, and had already moved Nick Foligno to center ice full-time for the first time in his NHL career. While they certainly have the wing depth to keep him there all season—and why not, his play has been excellent so far—adding depth at an important position is never a bad thing.
Still, Shipachyov comes with a hefty price tag as he’s owed $4.5MM this year and next. While Columbus would have the cap room should they change their minds, committing that much money to a player who so far hasn’t shown much in his short NHL career is a tough decision to make. Add in whatever asset the Golden Knights are looking for in trade, and you have a risky proposition for any team, let alone one that is already considered a Stanley Cup contender. If the Blue Jackets do make a forward addition, it likely won’t be Shipachyov.