Blue Jackets acquire Conor Garland from Canucks in exchange for picks

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/garland-conor/nPXjRrP8/"]Garland[/a], 29, has a six-year contract extension that will kick in next year. He will earn $6 million annually until he becomes an unrestricted free agent following the 2031-2032 season. [/p][p]The eight-year right wing has seven goals and 19 assists through 50 games this season for the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/vancouver-canucks/YiOrnTV9/"]Canucks[/a]. He left the matchup against the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/carolina-hurricanes/Sx0gl0tm/"]Carolina Hurricanes[/a] on Wednesday after taking an awkward hit that forced him to leave the game, grabbing his left arm. [/p][embed guid="c9a5f0f7-a615-4543-bbea-166452b212f9" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2029790986382065868?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Prior to this season, Garland had put up at least 17 goals and 27 assists in each of the last four seasons. The former fifth-round pick from the 2015 NHL Draft spent the first three years of his career with the then-[a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arizona-coyotes/zF94DRgp/"]Arizona Coyotes[/a] (now [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/utah-mammoth/hnwxhtVp/"]Utah Mammoth[/a]), before joining Vancouver in 2021. [/p][p]He spent four-and-a-half seasons with the Canucks before they dealt him to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/columbus-blue-jackets/0vCzmbQ5/"]Columbus[/a]. [/p][p]Vancouver is currently the worst team in the NHL with a 18-36-7 record. They are the only team that has yet to reach 20 wins this season. The team also traded superstar [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hughes-quinn/M1xKD9sj/"]Quinn Hughes[/a] to the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/minnesota-wild/j9Ck7BHi/"]Minnesota Wild[/a] back in December, defenseman [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/smith-tyler/OrA8fwrK/"]Tyler Smith[/a] to the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/dallas-stars/vVAvnIuC/"]Dallas Stars[/a] two days ago on February 4th, defenseman [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/woo-jett/6RT0fNBL/"]Jett Woo[/a] to the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/san-jose-sharks/E588Co9j/"]San Jose Sharks[/a] on February 6th, and forward [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sherwood-kiefer/n1B3OCCm/"]Kiefer Sherwood[/a] to the Sharks, also on February 4th, who then signed a five-year, $28.75 million contract extension.[/p][p]Meanwhile, Columbus is on the brink of claiming the second Wild Card spot from the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/boston-bruins/jeans23J/"]Boston Bruins[/a] as they sit just one point below them with just 21 games left to go in the regular season. [/p]