Blue Jackets Acquire Bell, Kana from Blues for Pelletier

The Columbus Blue Jackets announced today that they have acquired defenseman Brendan Bell and center Tomas Kana from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for left wing Pascal Pelletier. None of these players have played in the NHL so far this season. Pelletier appeared in seven games last season with the Chicago Blackhawks, scoring no points, while Bell played in 53 games with the Ottawa Senators last season, scoring six goals and 15 assists for 21 points. Kana has yet to appear in an NHL game. This is really just a minor league deal for both teams, as Pelletier and Kana likely won't see much, if any, NHL action this season. Bell, on the other hand, could possibly see some action this season with the Blue Jackets. He is a decent seventh defenseman who can help out a team on the power play, so if injuries become a problem for the Blue Jackets' defense throughout the season, Bell would be a suitable replacement.