Waddell: Blue Jackets won't trade Provorov

Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell confirmed he won't be trading defenseman Ivan Provorov prior to Friday's deadline.

"It's different this year, for me, than probably other years as a GM," Waddell told Sportsnet. "What these guys have gone through this year, and how they stuck together, I'm very impressed with that. I can't even comprehend how they've done it all year long with all the injuries, and everything we've had.

"For me to rip out a key player of our locker room right now, I just don't feel good doing it."

The Blue Jackets currently hold the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference through 61 games. Their surge up the standings comes after the death of Johnny Gaudreau over the summer, as well as a series of injuries to key players throughout the season.

Provorov was viewed to be a strong rental candidate earlier in the campaign, but Waddell noted he and the blue-liner's agent are actively working on an extension. Provorov, a pending unrestricted free agent, is in his second season with the Blue Jackets and the final campaign of a six-year, $40.5-million contract he signed while a member of the Philadelphia Flyers.

The 28-year-old has registered 28 points in 61 games this season while averaging more than 23 minutes per contest.

The Blue Jackets have missed the playoffs in four consecutive seasons and finished last in the Metropolitan Division in three of those instances.