When you think of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Cam Atkinson is one of the first names that comes to mind. Drafted 157th overall in the 2008 draft, the 5’8 forward worked his tail off to crack the roster and gradually became one of the greatest scorers in the franchise’s history. But since becoming a regular in the 2011-12 season, Atkinson has played beyond the first round just once and the losing finally got to him.
After discovering he was headed to the Flyers in a rare one-for-one swap for Jakub Voracek, the 32-year-old admitted he was tired of losing, expressed his disappointed in seeing his buddies get traded, and acknowledged the franchise is going through a rebuilding process. Here’s his full statement:
Over the last year, the Jackets have said goodbye to Josh Anderson, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and more recently captain Nick Foligno and defenceman Seth Jones. Columbus owned three first round picks and are very clearly preparing for their future.
Atkinson now joins a Flyers squad that just added Ryan Ellis and Rasmus Ristolainen just before acquiring him. If Carter Hart can bounce back this could be a dangerous team this upcoming season. Don’t expect the Jackets, however, to be near the top of the standings.
(H/T Aaron Portzline)
