Columbus Blue Jackets trade winger Eric Robinson to Buffalo Sabres
The Columbus Blue Jackets have begun the process of thinning out their backlog of NHL players within the organization.
The team confirmed a Dispatch report Wednesday that forward Eric Robinson, 28, was traded to the Buffalo Sabres for a conditional seventh round pick in the 2025 NHL draft. The condition is that Robinson must play at least 45 of the Sabres' remaining 56 NHL games for the Blue Jackets to gain the pick.
That means Robinson, who signed with the Blue Jackets in 2018 as an non-drafted collegiate free agent from Princeton, might become a free asset for the Sabres after play in seven NHL seasons for Columbus and compiling 82 points (38 goals, 44 assists) in 266 games. He also recorded the lone hat trick of his NHL career in a 5-3 victory over the Sabres last season at KeyBank Center and could slide into a depth role while killing penalties in Buffalo.
“If I’m not skating, I’m not at my best and I’m not impacting the game the way that I should be," Robinson said last month. "I need to be first on pucks, first on the forecheck, putting pressure on the (opposing defensemen), pushing them back. That all starts with the legs, so that definitely needs to be at the forefront of my game.”
Robinson's final game for Columbus was Tuesday in the Blue Jackets’ gut-wrenching 4-3 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings at Nationwide Arena, when a 3-0 lead starting the third period disappeared for the hosts. Robinson joined his now former teammates at practice Wednesday afternoon, prior to the Jackets leaving for New York for a game Thursday at the New York Islanders.
He was informed afterward about the deal, which reduces the Blue Jackets’ organizational depth chart by one NHL “bottom six” forward. They also have Emil Bemstrom stewing at the AHL level with the Cleveland Monsters after he cleared waivers last month. Sources have told the Dispatch that Bemstrom, who's racking up points for the Monsters after stalling out again with the Blue Jackets, is hopeful of moving elsewhere with a “change of scenery” trade.
Defenseman Nick Blankenburg is also playing for the Monsters after spending last season with the Blue Jackets during an injury-plagued season. Blankenburg, like Robinson, signed with Columbus as an undrafted collegiate free agent from the University of Michigan in April 2022 ― joining the organization the same day that teammate Kent Johnson, the fifth overall pick in the 2021 NHL draft, began his professional career.
It’s unknown whether Blankenburg is hopeful of being traded, but being assigned to the AHL due to the Jackets’ backlog of defensemen couldn’t have been easy to stomach. At 43 NHL games, he was only a few more shy of shedding his waivers exempt status, which allowed the Blue Jackets to assign him to Cleveland without risk of losing him to a claim.
Blankenburg remains blocked at the NHL level by Jake Bean, rookie David Jiricek and Andrew Peeke, an NHL regular the past two years who’s been a healthy scratch most of the season. Peeke sat for 13 straight games prior to replacing Erik Gudbranson (illness) against the Kings and has only played five games.
Robinson was also riding the Jackets’ roster rollercoaster.
After playing in the season-opener Oct. 12 against the Philadelphia Flyers, he cleared waivers and was assigned to Cleveland for more than a month before being recalled. Robinson, a close friend of Johnny Gaudreau, provides size, speed and sporadic offensive outbursts that hint at a higher ceiling.
The challenge was getting to that ceiling consistently in Columbus.
Robinson played mainly at left wing on the fourth line and spent most of the past two years skating with center Sean Kuraly in that capacity under former coach Brad Larsen. They formed an effective checking line that became one of Larsen's "go-to" groups, but Alexander Texier has since shown a flare for that role this season.
Mathieu Olivier and Justin Danforth have also proven themselves on Kuraly's right side, which has squeezed Robinson out of an everyday lineup spot. That's what led to the trade, which could be followed by deals to create additional roster space up front, on the blue line and potentially in net with goalie Daniil Tarasov (knee) working to join Elvis Merzlikins and Spencer Martin in Columbus.
Robinson spoke to reporters in Newark, New Jersey after being recalled late last month and said he was aware of the Jackets' roster clog up front. It just didn't hit home until he was assigned to the AHL so quickly.
“I knew we had a lot of guys,” Robinson said. “That was clear in camp. There was kind of a logjam of forwards, so I guess I was a bit surprised, but I kind of realized there was nothing I could really do but just get back to work.”
The Dispatch will include more details about the Robinson trade once they are released.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets trade forward Eric Robinson to Sabres
