The Columbus Blue Jackets have seen an uptick in play, especially defensively, since John Tortorella came onboard. The team has been struggling offensively of late, thanks in large part to Torts' increased focus on the Blue Jackets playing a stingy, responsible game in their own end, but as with all things in hockey, the improvement of one area should, through a kind of trickle down effect, improve the entire team. The addition of a top-four defenseman - something Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen is reportedly pursuing - would presumably allow the team's forwards a little more leeway when it comes to backchecking and breaking out of the defensive zone, which should in turn allow for more offensive opportunities.
Unfortunately, adding that top-four defender won't be easy or cheap. According to a Sunday report from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, Kekalainen is hot on the trail of a blueline addition and has been shopping prospect Kerby Rychel in order to see a deal gets done.
"The 21-year-old, a No. 19 overall selection in 2013, has suited up for 11 games and has three assists but many believe the asking price is far too high. The teams that have top end blueliners want a lot in return because of demand," Garrioch wrote.
Really, it's not surprising that teams are balking at such a trade scenario. Rychel, who was recently loaned to the AHL, is a strong prospect, but as his statline in 11 games shows, he's nowhere near a finished product. He's got solid hands and has grown considerably since being drafted in 2013, and his output in the AHL has been stellar, but he won't provide the kind of on-ice impact now, or what can rightly be considered the near future that the top-four defender Kekalainen is chasing would.
In short, if this is a deal that Kekalainen is serious about enacting he'll likely have to up his offer significantly. And really, if Kekalainen is serious about seeing his team take a step forward and pull themselves out of the NHL's doldrums, it's a deal he may have to find a way to make.
