Looking at the larger picture, today’s trade for Marian Gaborik makes perfect sense. Both teams were trying to replace what they lost in this Summer’s Rick Nash deal.
So let’s recap the big picture.
The Rangers acquired:
- Rick Nash
- Derek Brassard
- Derek Dorsett
- John Moore
The Blue Jackets acquired:
- Marian Gaborik
- Artem Anismov
- Brandon Dubinsky
- Tim Erixon
Does that seem rather symmetrical to anyone else? Both teams traded away and received a 30+ goal scorer, a talented, if inconsistent, playmaker, a high energy, physical player, and a decent prospect on defense. That’s a whole lot of running to stand still.
On the other hand, Nash clearly wanted out of Columbus, Gaborik clearly needed to be gone from New York, and some of the Blue Jackets were “Howson guys” who weren’t as highly prized by the new management team, so it makes sense. On paper, it seems like a wash, but we all know the game isn’t played on paper. The Blue Jackets, despite losing Nash, have been much better than anyone thought they would be this year, and the Rangers have been a disappointment. Will this latest trade change the fortunes of both teams, or push them further along their current track? Will Gaborik get injured again and again, will Moore or Erixon turn into the better prospect? Will Brassard suddenly blossom into the player Jackets fans have been waiting for? Time will tell.
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