Columbus Blue Jackets (Official Thread)

[Buck Nasty]

Are we still holding out hope that Ottawa will pick up someone that would cause them to need to move someone like Spezza?

 

[jimotis4heisman]

jo4h, a few thoughts.

1. To begin with, it is clear you know way more about hockey than I do; in discussing the Jackets with me you are truly engaged in a "battle of wits with an unarmed man.":tongue2:
disagree, can we agree to disagree?

2. The Huselius signing was a very pleasant surprise to me. beatlejuice! Commodore not so much. He was -9 on a playoff team (Senators) in 26 games; the team was 9-13-4 after he joined the team, and they had been 34-18-4 before the trade. WTF? Doesn't seem like he was a positive addition to the Sens. (OTOH, we are clearly not the Sens.)
wasnt commodore 2nd in ice time for the sens during the playoffs? he was a key player in two cup runs. one with the oilers and one with the canes. big physical, nasty. great "character guy" that trade included corvo and eaves i believe? hes a big guy that can play against the likes of #96 with the wheel on his sweater, beach (chicagos big boy first rounder) etc for years to come. you dont hang around commodores crease without paying a price, and if you go into the corner hes gonna be on you like a wet canvas tarp. hes not fast but hes mobile. toots is a better skater and has more upside but commodore youll like. columbus will like him. he has the ability to stick up for anyone, against anyone. no more play 11 guys and havesome take a run at a player and shelley has to climb over the wall. with the possibility (likelyhood) of brassard, jake and nikita in the lineup in the next 2 years you need someone who can keep the other team honest. commodore will do that. he also should be coming into his prime. the next 4 years should be his best 4 years. long story short, maybe those stats say something. maybe they dont. all i know is mike commodore is a guy you go to battle with. hitch likes battlers. the bugs are going to play a battling game. you want see alfie, spezza, etc here. you wont sorry. i can see your disapointment but i like the move. he can move the puck on the first pass and the facts are he wont generate any offense for you. cold hard truth.

3. I guess I am more of a Hainsey fan than most on here. I think in today's NHL he is well worth $4.5 mil per year, and I think more of an effort should've been made to keep him.
could be. but like i said, he limits your ability to generate transition game. he doesnt check, doesnt play great positional defence. he does carry the puck well and he shoots a lot. not exceptionally hard, not exceptionally accurate. like bk said i think he leaves a hole on the man power, but even strength we have an upgrade. toots ran the second pp unit in the garden. i think what you saw is hainsey hang around a long time, maybe his value isnt what it seems. atlanta needed something. nice guy, im willing to let him go. i dont think his terms are redic, you probably would have signed here earlier this year for 3.75 type deal. but time will tell.

4. Zherdev I am conflicted about, but the trade seemed one-sided (and not in the CBJ's favor) to me.
could be. but what was nik? a kid who didnt fit into the system. played and east west game. is he going to head home to russia if that big contract comes? if you keep nik you need 2 more e-w type guys. some of the stuff has been aired. trust me i doubt it would work. toots is a good player on a contract that right now looks awesome, next year will look better and by 2011-2012 will be a steal. i think fans will like him. z had skill and flare. i dont know how he fits in with what you want to do in columbus.

5. You brought up a number of excellent points that had not occurred to me. Thanks for the education!
hey its up to you. but you never told me. upgrade downgrade?

hey its up to you. but you never told me. upgrade downgrade?

 

[jimotis4heisman]

Are we still holding out hope that Ottawa will pick up someone that would cause them to need to move someone like Spezza?

spezza maybe, if you want to give up nash or pazzy and a first. maybe...

no way. i have no idea where people got that name. but crazy. no way. no shape, not gonna happen. none.

not to go off on you but just the world in general. spezza is a franchise type player.

 

[jimotis4heisman]

The fans will love Commodore for not only that crazy hair, but his hip checks. As long as everyone understands he's a three-toed sloth when it comes to skating , he'll be a contributer, just not a very big one.
but you need someone to go toe to toe with homer/franzen in the painted area. beach in chicago etc. hes more mobile than some think, but not fast. 2nd pairing warrior. hes a great guy and good character.

I'll just have to wait and see the season before I believe that the Jackets did not get fleeced in the Rangers trade.
defined fleeced? i think the rangers may win the trade but the move is an upgrade for columbus. the jackets lost points and a wizard. if i owned stock in pepcid or advil for the columbus distributor id sell it. zherdev wasnt a long term solution. im sorry. the trade was more than a+b for c+d if you ask me.

What do the updated lines look like, JO?

who knows. hitch likes his pairs. so youd have to toss those into the random generate. hes always liked nash-modin but nash-huselius coudl be exciting. nash plays with a similar style to iginla who works very well with huselius.

im not willing to do anything more than pencil a lineup.

 

[Brutus1]

Well, then pencil away. Unless you're expecting some more moves today.

Some guy on TSN was speculating a 3 way trade with Boyle going to the Sens, Vermette to the CBJ and OKT and Klesla to the 'Bolts. I got a nice kick out of that one.

 

[ScriptOhio]

Former Blue Jacket:

Montreal also announced the signing of goaltender Marc Denis to a one-year, two-way contract. Denis was recently bought out by the Tampa Bay Lightning after playing just 10 games in 2007-08

Entire article: Laraque, Denis return home, sign with Canadiens

OK, what's a "two-way contract"?

Edit; I found this....A two-way contract simply means that a player will earn different amounts of money depending on whether he is currently playing for the NHL team, or one of their minor league affiliates ('farm teams'). While playing in one of the lower leagues, the player's salary, though still paid by the NHL team, will be a lower amount than his NHL salary.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Bob Hunter commentary: Leaving Jackets intact wasn't an option

Friday, July 4, 2008 3:03 AM
By Bob Hunter


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

• 
  

From the tone on some message boards, you'd think Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson was breaking up the Stanley Cup champions.
Some of the most vocal complainers made it sound as if trading Nikolai Zherdev to the New York Rangers for two defensemen was akin to the Pittsburgh Penguins giving away Sidney Crosby for a sack of pucks. One person used the word "horrifying." Another called it "the worst trade ever." Even with my computer safely shut down and surrounded by a firewall thicker than the Berlin Wall, I couldn't escape the madness.
"They traded Zherdev for two defensemen?" my son erupted. "That's ridiculous. That's c razy. Zherdev is going to be a star."

Continued.....

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Blue Jackets: Peca might be swayed to return
Veteran center impressed by recent roster makeover
Friday, July 4, 2008 3:03 AM
By Aaron Portzline


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The Blue Jackets might not be done with free agency yet.
Center Michael Peca, who played for the Jackets last season, is negotiating contract terms with the club, The Dispatch has learned.
General manager Scott Howson would not comment on the report yesterday, but Peca said by phone from Buffalo, N.Y., that he hopes to return.
"I'd like at least a two-year deal," Peca said. "I'd like to grow and be a part of something, not just a short-term piece."
The Blue Jackets, NHL sources say, want Peca back to help fortify a weak spot on the roster and to help young captain Rick Nash.
Peca, 34, played in 65 games last season after missing most of the 2006-07 because of a broken leg. He had eight goals and 26 assists.

Continued.......

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Jackets notebook: Winger joins Jackets after late-night call
Howson wouldn't let Huselius delay decision until morning
Friday, July 4, 2008 3:07 AM
By Aaron Portzline


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The Blue Jackets couldn't afford to let Kristian Huselius get a good night's sleep.
With permission from Huselius' agent, Don Meehan, Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson and coach Ken Hitchcock made their final sales pitch to Huselius at about 2 a.m. yesterday in his native Sweden.
It was about 8 p.m. Wednesday in Columbus.
"We woke him up," Howson said. "We needed an answer; otherwise, we were going to move on."
The Blue Jackets signed Huselius to a four-year, $19 million contract, perhaps the biggest splash in a two-day spree that reshaped the roster.
Only hours earlier Wednesday, the Blue Jackets traded right wingers Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche to the New York Rangers for defensemen Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman, taking a huge bite out of an already weak Blue Jackets offense.

Continued.........

 

[ysubuck]

Hearing Peca talk makes me feel even better about the moves that have been made.

Players of all people know the guys and to hear that he's happy about the moves instills me with a lot of confidence.

 

[LitlBuck]

I would like to see Peca return. From what I saw of him last year and in previous years, he is a scrappy center iceman who could give some leadership.

 

[BuckTwenty]

Just thought I'd post a crazy ass guess at a lineup, using available personnel at the moment:

LW C RW
Nash -- Umberger -- Huselius
Modin -- Brassard? -- Torres
Chimera -- Peca/Malholtra -- Boll
Picard?-- Malholtra/Murray -- Voracek?

D
Tyutin -- Klesla
Backman -- Commodore
Hejda -- Russell
Tollefsen -- Rome

G
LeClaire
Norrena
Mason

For the first time that I can remember, we ACTUALLY have depth at D and G. Lots of room for guys to step up at C and on the wings. We've accomplished 3 of the 4 goals that JO stated previous to free agency. We've got the puck moving defenseman [Tyutin, Backman], brusing defenseman [Commodore], and skilled forward [Huselius, Torres], but we're still looking for a #1 C.

 

[ysubuck]

Wouldn't Tyutin and Commodore go on the top line?

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Blue Jackets
Center's job is still open for Brassard
Prospect ready to step up to anchor Jackets' No. 2 line
Saturday, July 5, 2008 3:11 AM
By Aaron Portzline


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Neal C. Lauron | DISPATCH
Jackets prospect Derick Brassard, 21, believes his 17 games with Columbus last season have him ready for the NHL.



The Blue Jackets tried to get Brad Richards at the trade deadline last February, Patrick Marleau and Olli Jokinen at the draft in June and Brendan Morrison through free agency this week.
That should explain how badly general manager Scott Howson wanted to add a proven, skilled center to his roster.
That Howson was unable to land any of those four players shows how expensive and rare No. 1 centers are in today's NHL.
The pursuit has since been called off. Howson decided to bulk up other areas of his roster instead and will turn to a highly touted prospect to fill the void.

Continued.....

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Blue Jackets
This is looking more like a Hitchcock team
GM agrees with coach's belief in physical play
Sunday, July 6, 2008 3:41 AM
By Aaron Portzline


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The Blue Jackets' summer of significant change has made the club bigger, stronger, faster and nastier.
One word might sum it up: Hitchcockian.
From the day Scott Howson was hired as general manager more than a year ago, it was obvious he saw his dream hockey club through the same lens as coach Ken Hitchcock.
"We're on the same page," Howson said. "We have the same opinion on how you build a hockey club."
Since the NHL draft two weeks ago, Howson has acquired hyperactive winger Raffi Torres and hard-skating center R.J. Umberger. Defenseman Fedor Tyutin, with a propensity for thunderous hip checks, has joined the blue line.
"We wanted to add competitive players," Howson said. "The way we want to play, size and speed are very important.

Continued......