COLUMBUS, Ohio – It turns out the Blue Jackets were able to replace injured center Riley Nash after all.
Nash was traded to Toronto on Friday for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2022 NHL draft. If he plays 25 percent of the Maple Leafs postseason games, the Blue Jackets will get a sixth-round pick.
It’s not exactly a blockbuster. But when last week Nash suffered a sprained left knee in a loss to Florida, the Blue Jackets and Nash thought he would be out of the market before Monday’s trade deadline.
He was surprised when Blue Jackets manager Jarmo Kekalainen called him on Friday.
“Yeah, it was,‘ Why are you calling me? “It didn’t really resonate,” said Nash, who is expected to be away from home for another three to five weeks. “I was caught a little off guard, just enjoying a casual Friday.