When word surfaced that the Columbus Blue Jackets made James Wisniewski a healthy scratch, it only seemed natural that trade rumors would percolate. It sounds like such rumblings were unfounded, however.
GM Jarmo Kekalainen told the Columbus Dispatch’s Aaron Portzline that “there is no pending trade” for the expensive-but-marketable defenseman.
There are two ways to look at this from a trade perspective (there are plenty of ways to interpret Wisniewski sitting, on the other hand):
1. The Blue Jackets simply have zero interest in trading him.
2. Kekalainen is using tricky wording by saying nothing is pending, yet he still wants to shop Wisniewski.
Overall, it sounds like we can turn that hot stove down to medium for now. Could we hear a different tone from Columbus as the March 2 trade deadline approaches, though?