There is a price to be paid for young talent.
On Wednesday TSN's Darren Dreger reported that there has been 'aggressive offers made' for the Columbus Blue Jackets' No. 3 pick in the NHL Draft.
While Dreger doesn't believe that the Blue Jackets are 'even remotely close' to trading away the pick - that is expected to be used to select Finnish forward Jesse Puljujarvi - the fact is nothing is ever absolute.
The right deal can always turn the tide for a diligent franchise and with that, here are three teams that should consider dealing for the pick and the opportunity to draft Puljujarvi.
Montreal Canadiens
To put it bluntly, the Montreal Canadiens are thin on the right side.
Behind Brendan Gallagher, the Canadiens boast the likes of Mike Brown, Sven Andrighetto, Michael McCarron, Daniel Carr, and Brian Flynn - players who are either designated right wingers or have spent time playing on that side.
The latter five players combined for just 40 points this season. So, bringing in a talented and sizeable right winger would be invaluable to the franchise. Heading into this season the Canadiens dressed the third-shortest club in the league, averaging just over 6-feet, according to The Globe and Mail's James Mirtle.
Puljujarvi stands at 6-foot-4 and 203 pounds. He is a towering force whose size hasn't hampered his speed. It wouldn't be easy for management, but coupling in the club's ninth overall pick with assets might be able to secure the right to draft the right-winger the club demands.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes find themselves in the midst of a rebuild and like the Canadiens, find themselves without a bona fide right-winger.
The club is very young and is just beginning to take strides - finishing 10th in the Eastern Conference - and continues to acquire assets, as the Eric Staal trade proved.
While the team's assets in terms of players might not be as alluring as other clubs, what makes the Hurricanes appealing is their copious amount of stocked draft picks.
The team has a combined 20 picks in the next two drafts, 13 of which are in the first three rounds. While the allure of having so many picks is the increased chance of landing a big fish, they could also exercise prudence by nabbing a player who already appears NHL-ready.
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues might not be the most needing of Puljujarvi's services, but acquiring them could also aid the team in other places.
The club's right side has the chance to grow drastically thin with Troy Brouwer and David Backes both hitting unrestricted free agency in less than a month and there are no certainties that either will be returning.
The club is also up towards the cap and as has become expected, rumours surrounding the Kevin Shattenkirk's future have arisen once again. If the Blues could package Shattenkirk in a deal they might be able to acquire the pick and in turn solve their dilemma with his impending free agency while filling a possible void left by Backes and Brouwer.
The Vancouver Canucks are another team that could benefit from the likes of Puljujarvi, but with the fifth overall pick and the chances of drafting either Matthew Tkachuk, Pierre-Luc Dubois, or a big time defender, it seems more likely the club will stand idle.
A trade for a top-three pick would not be easy, but it would certainly be one worth mulling over.
