NHL Trade Rumors: Jeff Carter Is on the Trade Market?

Jeff Carter is officially on the trade market. A series of tweets sent out by Columbus Blue Jackets beat writer Aaron Portzline only further confirms a report posted Sunday.

Here is an excerpt of a full report of the agenda from a Columbus Blue Jackets owners' meeting.

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They will come out of the break as one of the league’s more compelling teams heading into the Feb. 27 trade deadline.

Don’t be surprised if Carter—ballyhooed as the long-awaited No. 1 center just six months ago—is sent packing to one of the many clubs in the NHL who are looking for a top-six forward.

Carter and Nash have never shown signs of enhancing each other’s games, and although Carter has said all the right things about wanting to make it work in Columbus, his body language on the ice has been something different.

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This is certainly some disappointing news for the Blue Jackets. When they traded their first-round draft pick and Jakub Voracek, they thought they would be receiving a top-notch player. Up until this year, Carter had scored 29 goals or more the past five seasons. This year, Sean Couturier and Jakub Voracek have combined for 18 goals and 29 assists. 

Carter was acquired to be the piece to help Rick Nash bring the Blue Jackets to the playoffs. The season has been dismal for the Blue Jackets, and they were always expected to clean house at the deadline. The question becomes, what team will make an investment in Carter?

Most teams will likely believe that this year is a fluke for Carter and that in a new environment he will thrive. However, his contract and cap hit of $5,272,727 expires after the 2021-22 season. Any teams that consider adding Carter will have to realize this risk.

Carter is a talented player that would be a great pickup for a team looking for a center or winger. His versatility makes him a valuable pickup, but the cost has to be right for teams to invest the next few years in Carter. 

While the Blue Jackets will not just ditch Carter for spare parts, the possibility that he is going to be traded is very likely. He hasn't been told to pack his bags yet, but he might be changing cities sooner rather than later.

Tom Urtz, Jr. is an NHL featured columnist. For NHL news, updates and alerts about players: