Did Adam Foote Threaten To Become A Disruption If He Wasn't Traded?

Followers of the Columbus Blue Jackets are still up in arms over the perceived "fishiness" of the Adam Foote trade to Colorado.

Many are claiming that Foote basically forced a trade back to the Avalanche by not only demanding a ridiculous contract but also threatening to be a "bad teammate" if he didn't get his way. Foote has denied this emphatically.

The Columbus Dispatch covers the story:

"It's believed that Foote and his agent, Rick Curran, set their contract demands at a height they knew the Blue Jackets wouldn't accept.

When Howson suggested to Foote that the sides continue negotiating beyond the trade deadline -- that the Blue Jackets' playoff hopes, faint as they are, deserve a hearty attempt -- Foote responded in a way nobody could have predicted.

According to numerous NHL sources, Foote threatened to be "a bad teammate, a bad captain and a bad player" the rest of the season if he weren't re-signed or traded to his preferred destination -- the Colorado Avalanche, where his best NHL years were spent.

The Blue Jackets made a final plea, urging Foote to consider all that the Blue Jackets' ownership group, the coaching staff and the fans had done for him the past three seasons.

Again, according to sources, he responded by saying that he "doesn't owe anybody anything."

Foote has denied saying he would become a distraction.

"I would never say stuff like that. I'm a professional," he said. "I've never been that way throughout my career. All I told them is it would be too stressful for my wife and I to stay without knowing for sure I was part of the future there. "

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Dispatch columnist Rob Oller certainly isn't bemoaning the departure of Foote:

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"Adam Foote cut a deal for himself, plain and simple. Deal with it. The NHL is a business, not a cozy cottage industry where every athlete puts team first.

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Foote took care of his own, knowing full well he'll have to face the Nationwide Arena firing squad the next time he shows up in town. It was a bush move, but it won't be the last time a Blue Jacket pulls a fast one.

Just be thankful Foote's departure didn't destroy the team's playoff chances. Honestly, trading him to the Avalanche actually could help the CBJ's cause.

If true that Foote threatened to quit on his teammates if the franchise didn't move him before last Tuesday's trade deadline, then better to be rid of him than risk poisoning the dressing room with his pessimism. Especially during this period of unparalleled optimism. "