Breaking: Matt Duchene reportedly traded to Columbus!

We are on the verge of a blockbuster deal. 

It appears that the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Ottawa Senators are nearing an agreement on a trade that would include Matt Duchene. 

According to Sportnet's Elliotte Friedman and many other insiders, a deal for Duchene with the Blue Jackets is in the works. Jackets insider Aaron Portzline and TSN's Darren Dreger reported that prospects Jonathan Davidsson and Vitaly Abramov were pulled from practice in Columbus this morning and would be part of the deal going to Ottawa. 

Senators' Julius Bergman is also going to the Jackets.

Here is the full deal from TSN's Bob McKenzie: I believe it’s a first rounder, Abramov and Davidsson for Duchene and Bergman plus a conditional first to OTT if Duchene signs in CBJ. So if Duchene re-signs in CBJ, it would two firsts plus the two prospects.

A lot of teams had been looking at Senators pending free agents Mark Stone and Matt Duchene as trade chatter has heated up for the past several weeks. It seems like Stone and Duchene officially hit the trade market last night when the Sens unsurprisingly pulled them out of the lineup for Thursday’s game against the New Jersey Devils and it didn't take long for the latter. 

Duchene had become one of the most coveted rentals on the trade market in the recent months. Talks had heated up since he had revealed that he isn’t ready to sign an eight-year deal worth in excess of $65 million with the Senators. The Nashville Predators were also believed to be in the mix. 

The funny thing is that the Senators are facing the Jackets tonight, in Ottawa...

Brought here from the Colorado Avalanche in a massive three-way deal in Nov., 2017 that sent Kyle Turris to Nashville, Duchene is in his second season with the Senators and has 58 points in 50 games this year. 

Duchene, whose deal expires after this season, has posted 27 goals and 31 assists in 50 games with the Senators this season.

More details to come...