The Fan Hub

The trade of Jeff Carter from the Flyers to the Blue Jackets during the offseason came as a shock to most people, including Carter himself. In fact, it was so much of a shock to Carter that most reports out of Columbus say that the former 40-goal scorer, who is on pace for his worst scoring season since his rookie year, has been ineffective mainly because he’s been moping through the season. The whispers have been prevalent enough that teams are already reportedly backing away from trade talks with Columbus, who are the NHL’s worst team by far with 34 points through 52 games.

The reason for Carter’s malcontent nature this year is partially due to the fact that he loved playing in Philadelphia, and partially because Columbus is so awful. But at the same time, he has to give teams a reason to want to trade for him and his lengthy contract, which runs for another 10 years after this season at a $5.27 million cap hit.

So what are some possible destinations for Carter? The New York Rangers should be considered a serious candidate given their mediocre offense; already the top team in the NHL, they could be a scorer away from being a true juggernaut. And though Carter is a natural center, his shoot-first mentality lends itself very well to the wing, and he could be just what Brad Richards needs to get going. How to fit him under the cap, however, is another issue. Brandon Dubinsky would almost certainly have to be headed back the other way, along with another young player and a draft pick or two.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have also been mentioned as a possibility given that they have shown to have a strong nucleus which should be getting even better in the coming years. With Carter and Phil Kessel anchoring their top two lines (their styles of play indicate that they probably wouldn’t play well together), teams would have to spread out their defensive lines and wouldn’t be able to focus on shutting down just Kessel. A package built around Luke Schenn could be enough to get things started, but it would take a lot more than that. If they could be talked into relinquishing a top prospect like Joe Colborne or Keith Aulie as well, it might be enough to get a deal done.