The Blue Jackets Get: D Kyle Quincey
Quincey is a steady 31-year-old veteran blueliner, who should be a fine third-pair addition for the Blue Jackets. He doesn’t score a bunch, but tends to keep the play moving the right way.
Making $1.25-million this season, Quincey will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer. He figures to come in and play third-pair minutes for the Blue Jackets and is probably a little more reliable than rookie Markus Nutivaara for that role.
Verdict: The Blue Jackets are headed to the playoffs and have shored up their defence corps with the addition of Quincey; an entirely reasonable strategy from their side. At the same time, Quincey is a pending free agent, so it makes lots of sense for the Devils to add another blueline asset, in the hopes that Prout can establish himself as an NHL regular.