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.

Blue Jackets Sign Forward Pelletier to One-Year Contract

The Columbus Blue Jackets announced on Monday that they have signed left wing Pascal Pelletier to a one-year, two-way contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Pelletier appeared in seven games last season with the Chicago Blackhawks, scoring no points. He also played in 71 games with the Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate in Rockford last season, scoring 29 goals and 26 assists for 55 points. As I have said many times over the past week about so many players, Pelletier is nothing more than depth signing for the Blue Jackets. He has good offensive skill and goal-scoring ability at the minor league level, but hasn’t brought that success to the NHL. If he plays with the Blue Jackets at any time next season, it will likely be as a fourth line forward and only if they have an injury.