Columbus Blue Jackets Trade Nathan Horton to Toronto Maple Leafs for David Clarkson

The Columbus Blue Jackets report that they have traded forward Nathan Horton, who has been sidelined with a degenerative back condition, to the Toronto Maple Leafs for forward David Clarkson.   

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Horton, who has not taken to the ice this season, was 5-14-19 in 36 games with the Jackets in the 2013-14 campaign. The straight-up, player-for-player deal brings in a struggling Clarkson who was 10-5-15 in 58 games for the Leafs.

Columbus looks to be the clear winner in this bizarre deal, given that Horton may never play hockey again even if he does undergo the recommended surgery to address his condition. Although Clarkson isn’t a goal-scoring rock star by any means, his salary hit is similar to Horton’s and any production is better than the zero playing time the Jackets would get from Horton.

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