Fantasy Impact: The Columbus Blue Jackets traded Antoine Vermette to the Phoenix Coyotes for goaltender CurtisMcElhinney, a second-round draft pick and a fifth-round draft pick.

The Jackets get: $3.75 million off the cap, two decent picks, and believe it or not - a goalie. Only one team could get a McElhinney and actually improve their goaltending. This one.

The Coyotes get: that first-line center they have coveted for so long. Just kidding. But Vermette is an on-again/off-again second-line center who produces in spurts. He tends to follow bad seasons with good ones and if that trend holds then look for a 60-point year from him in 2012-13.

Fantasy Players Impacted: Steve Mason wouldn't have this many starts if Curtis Sanford and Mark Dekanich didn't get hurt so much. Hell, even Allan York has gotten some starts - and he's been hurt too! So the Jackets get a healthy goaltender who will spell Mason and if they catch him during a hot streak he'll do surprisingly decent. At worst they get more of the same, but with a better cap situation and more draft picks.

With Vermette out of the mix, ice time opens up for youngsters such as Ryan Johansen and possible call-ups Cam Atkinson and Matt Calvert.

In Phoenix, the arrival of Vermette will push Daymond Langkow into a checking role. I doubt Martin Hanzal will be removed from the Ray Whitney and Radim Vrbata line, so Vermette will help the other scorers such as Shane Doan, Mikkel Boedker and ...uh... well, those guys.

Fantasy Players this helps, in order:

1. Vermette

2. McElhinney

3. Doan

4. Boedker

5. Johansen

6. Atkinson/Calvert/Tomas Kubalik

Fantasy Players this hurts, in order:

1. Mason (as if his value has room to drop)

2. Dekanich (ditto)

3. Langkow

Comments (7)

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Jason Banks said:

	Re- cap floor Answer: NO Cap floor this season is 48.3 Million, Columbus to date has used $48,659,459... They have already spent the floor...
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February 22, 2012
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Draft Dodger said:

	cap floor with all the talk of cbs moving nash and carter, won't cbs have to take a boatload of salary back to stay above the cap floor? doesn't moving vermette's salary make this even worse?
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February 22, 2012
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Luke Knight said:

	Brule I wonder how this may affect Brule?
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February 22, 2012
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ynotzz said:

	Maximus: lol @ DiPietro comment
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February 22, 2012
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Maximus said:

	Only in Columbus @Excelsior "Portzline tweeted that McElhinney is not expected to play this season after recovering from abdominal surgery. " Only in Columbus can they trade for another injured goalie! Moving out Vermette's salary can only mean one thing...DiPietro is on the way to complete their band-aid boy goalie carosel.
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February 22, 2012
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Excelsior said:

	... Portzline tweeted that McElhinney is not expected to play this season after recovering from abdominal surgery.
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February 22, 2012
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Pengwin7 said:

	Good stuff. Only one team could get a McElhinney and actually improve their goaltending. This one. LOL - line of the year!
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February 22, 2012
Votes: +1