It wasn't going to be easy to keep Ian Cole.
After joining the Blue Jackets at the trade deadline, he was a solid player down the stretch and into the Stanley Cup playoffs. GM Jarmo Kekalainen indicated late in the season and this offseason that he had interest in retaining Cole, who he drafted in St. Louis, but the price tag would be key.
It appears as though the free agent bidding war has taken him out of the running to stay in Columbus.
Elliotte Friedman (among a few other reporters) has Cole signing with the Colorado Avalanche, who desperately need upgrades on defense, to a three-year deal.
rumblings that Ian Cole will go to COL, hearing 3x4.25
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 1, 2018
That's probably too rich for the Blue Jackets' blood, especially when they have a few young players ready for more responsibility (Dean Kukan, Gabriel Carlsson among them).
