The Blue Jackets have finally come to terms with the fact that they are going to be sellers at the deadline. With that being said, they only have a select amount of players that they can deal at the deadline that are going to fetch any sort of return.
Making matters even worse or more difficult is a flat cap that a lot of teams are having to deal with at the deadline. Luckily for a player near the league minimum like Michael Del Zotto, he could have more suitors than one would think.
Here are three teams that make sense for the veteran defenseman:
Tampa Bay Lightning
This was a destination that was making a lot of noise around David Savard but this feels like a more natural fit for a player with a lower cap hit. They don't need a top-four player in the mix, they need someone that can fill in near the bottom of the rotation and isn't a total liability.
Additionally, someone that can be scratched for games at a time then go into the lineup and contribute. It fits Del Zotto to a tee and should be a conversation both sides have as the deadline approaches.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Oh, no. Here is where it may get controversial. Although they aren't in the same division currently, the two sides just rarely make deals with one another. With Jim Rutherford gone and the Penguins fighting for a spot, they need reinforcements with their back end not as strong as in years past.
They don't have a lot of cap space so a player like Del Zotto could fill that role well. They don't have a lot of time left in the Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby contender era and bolstering the back end could do wonders for a team that needs help offensively at times.
Boston Bruins
With Brandon Carlo and John Moore out, the Bruins have been relying on a steady mix of young defensemen to help eat up minutes. They aren't bonafide contenders but they also aren't a team many want to face come playoff time.
Considering how depleted they have been at times, adding a player with Del Zotto's pedigree could make sense to give them some reinforcements that they weren't expecting otherwise. Outside of Charlie McAvoy, it is hard to see where a lot of offense is going to be coming from with their current group of defensemen.
