The trade deadline has come and gone, but rumors surrounding the Columbus Blue Jackets continued to swirl well after the final buzzer. Elliotte Friedman noted on his 32 Thoughts podcast that there is “real smoke” around Kevin Hayes to Columbus talk. A day later, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reported that Jarmo Kekalainen is making finding veterans an offseason priority. It certainly sounds like Hayes is in Jarmo’s crosshairs, so let’s take a look at what that deal could look like and if it’s a good idea.
First off, who is Kevin Hayes? He is a 30 year old 6’5” center that was drafted by Chicago in the first round of the 2010 draft.