In 2022-23, the Columbus Blue Jacket who played the most minutes was Andrew Peeke. Fifth on the list (behind two goalies and Johnny Gaudreau) was Erik Gudbranson. The results were predictable, with a horrible defensive performance from the team. Then-GM Jarmo Kekalainen knew he couldn’t go through the off-season without adding both talent and depth to the blue line.
The first big move was trading for Ivan Provorov (on my birthday, blech). For the cost of a late first round pick (the one acquired from Los Angeles in exchange for Joonas Korpisalo and Vladislav Gavrikov) and a second round pick (in either 2024 or 2025), the Jackets got Provorov from Philadelphia, with LA retaining 30% of his salary.