The clock is ticking for the Blue Jackets and Sergei Bobrovsky.
It's widely believed that 2018-19 will be the two-time Vezina Trophy winner's final season in Columbus, which will be an unfortunate end to the best goaltending run by any player in franchise history. Bobrovsky has been the Blue Jackets' rock, the foundation of their five-year run of success that's resulted in annual playoff expectations.
But change is imminent. Bobrovsky is a pending unrestricted free agent and the Blue Jackets have to decided before the Feb. 25 trade deadline whether to keep him through the season or move him. According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, that decision doesn't appear to be a slam-dunk in either direction.
Sergei Bobrovsky’s situation is murky. He’s signalled he’s willing to consider certain locations, but there is no indication he’s actually put that down on paper. Writing makes it binding, and there is doubt he wants to lose that leverage. One possibility: an extension in exchange for waiving. It is also believed Columbus made its own recent extension attempt, but things don’t sound optimistic.
Interesting to note here that the Blue Jackets have indeed tried to extend Bobrovsky, which has been a pain their you-know-what to do over the years (2013, then 2015). It's likely, as Friedman notes, those conversations didn't go very far, but also an example that the Blue Jackets are leaving no stone unturned as we approach this fascination trade deadline season.
