The Blue Jackets have traded forward Antoine Vermette to the Phoenix Coyotes for two draft picks and goaltender Curtis McElhinney.

The Jackets get a second-round pick in 2012 (previously owned by Ottawa) and a fifth-round pick in 2013. McElhinney, who had abdominal surgery in January is not expected to play the rest of this season.

"This is moving forward," Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson said. "We have to move forward. It wasn't working this season as we expected. We're going to move forward and this is part of the process of reshaping the team.

"Antoine was very professional, just as I expected he would be. I thanked him and his wife Karen, who did a lot of work in our comminity, for being such a good player and such a good person for our organization."

Vermette, 29, played his 600th NHL game on Tuesday. In 241 games with Columbus, Vermette had 61 goals, 91 assists and 112 penalty minutes. His best season was in 2009-10 when he had 27 goals, 38 assists and 65 points, all career highs.

McElhinney, who is in the final year of his contract, had abdominal surgery in January and is not expected to play this season. However, in order to facilitate the trade, the Coyotes needed to move a player off their roster as they were nearing the roster maximum of 50 players.

Vermette was in the first year of a four-year, $14 million contract. He is signed through the 2014-15 season with a $3.75 million cap hit.

"This gives us more flexibility," Howson said. "It's never fun trading anybody. I don't think any GM enjoys that. But this is about us moving the team forward."

More to follow.

-- Aaron Portzline

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline