Columbus Blue Jackets (Official Thread)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Johnstown of ECHL becomes Blue Jackets farm club

Saturday, August 23, 2008 7:13 AM

The Blue Jackets will have their third ECHL affiliate in as many years when the Johnstown Chiefs become a part of their system in 2008-2009.
The Blue Jackets announced yesterday they had reached an agreement with the Chiefs and will continue their affiliation with the American Hockey League's Syracuse Crunch.
The Blue Jackets' ECHL affiliate was Dayton from 2000 to 2007, then Elmira, N.Y., last season.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Q&A | John P. McCONNELL, BLUE JACKETS OWNER
Heir's presence to be less apparent

Sunday, August 24, 2008 3:42 AM
By Aaron Portzline


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Jeff Hinckley | dispatch
John P. McConnell says the Blue Jackets' primary goal is to win and fill Nationwide Arena.

Jeff Hinckley | Dispatch



The Blue Jackets' summer of significant change began on a sad note shortly after the club's seventh season.



John H. McConnell, the team's majority owner and a pioneer in the business world, died April 28, passing majority control to his son, John P. McConnell.
For any sports franchise, a change in ownership can be a tricky time, even a team being passed from one generation to another.
In his first public comments since he assumed majority control of the Blue Jackets, John P. McConnell sat down with The Dispatch last week for a wide-ranging interview.
Question: How have the past four months been for you and your family?

Continued.....

 

[BuckeyeTillIDie]

Rick Nash on the cover of NHL 2K9

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

NHL Blue Jackets
Top draft pick told not to play

Monday, August 25, 2008 3:10 AM
By Tom Reed


The Columbus Dispatch

If the Blue Jackets must lose players to injury, they would prefer it happen during the season -- and while they are representing, you know, the Blue Jackets.
The franchise has asked first-round draft pick Nikita Filatov to stop playing exhibition games with the junior club of his former Russian hockey team. The Jackets made the request to ensure that the 18-year-old forward does not get injured before arriving for rookie training camp, which starts Sept. 12, general manager Scott Howson said.
Earlier this summer,

Continued.........

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Blue Jackets strength and conditioning coach Barry Brennan has been given a nickname, "Big Summer," because the players he often works with need to have a big offseason to move onto the team's radar in the fall.

It is a term of endearment, particularly with the results Brennan has gotten. Jared Boll's success with Brennan last year was well-documented; after getting into top shape, Boll came out of nowhere to make the team.
This summer, Brennan has worked with three of the team's top prospects -- Derick Brassard, Jakub Voracek and Kris Russell -- and the results have been impressive. Voracek has put on 23 pounds since last summer, and Brassard and Russell have gained 12 pounds each this summer.

Continued.....

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

NHL
Blue Jackets sign draft pick Mayorov

Saturday, August 30, 2008 3:16 AM
By Aaron Portzline


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The Blue Jackets yesterday signed right winger Maksim Mayorov to a three-year, entry-level contract worth $1.8 million.
The deal will pay Mayorov base salaries of $525,000, $600,000 and $675,000, and it also includes bonus money if he plays a certain number of games in the NHL.
The Blue Jackets traded three fourth-round picks to Dallas in the 2007 draft to move up and select Mayorov with the No. 94 overall pick. He was projected to go in the middle of the first round, but NHL teams shied away from Russian prospects because there was no transfer agreement in place between the NHL and Russia.

Continued.......

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Blue jackets: Modin finally healthy, can't wait to get started

Sunday, August 31, 2008 3:36 AM
By Aaron Portzline


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Mike Munden | Dispatch
Fredrik Modin, right, played in only 23 games last season thanks to an assortment of injuries.



Fredrik Modin could see the question coming like a Zamboni down Nationwide Boulevard. So rather than wait for a reporter to open his notebook and pose the query, the Blue Jackets left winger just started talking.
"I feel good," Modin said. "The back feels good. No pain. I'm able to work out in a way that I haven't been able to do for a long time, and I'm ready to play hockey.
"That's what you wanted to know, right?"

Continued.......

 

[Mike80]

A healthy Modin gives them another scorer that defenses would have to respect....

Let's see if it holds though....

BTW I'm almost certain the Wings will be trading a defenseman (Lilja still comes to mind to me) and I can see the CBJ going for him....

 

[LitlBuck]

Not many sports teams trade with opponents that are in the same division. I don't know if hockey is any different.

 

[jimotis4heisman]

A healthy Modin gives them another scorer that defenses would have to respect....

Let's see if it holds though....

BTW I'm almost certain the Wings will be trading a defenseman (Lilja still comes to mind to me) and I can see the CBJ going for him....

modin is also very tough along the wall and a very solid player in his own zone. two things that hitch loves.

factor in the last of the "old cba" contracts and their cap hits are coming off the books, id tend to agree. atleast for the short term. columbus was built to play in the west, not head to head toe to toe against det, rather to beat and pound them. no one will be able to out skate/finesse the wings.

Not many sports teams trade with opponents that are in the same division. I don't know if hockey is any different.

the wings only have 980k in cap room.
hossa ufa
zetterberg ufa
samy ufa
hudler rfa
franzen ufa


trust me that they would like to lock up a few of those guys and have some "certainty"

also toss in netminders of oz and conks, theyd surely like some surety there also...

that being said i havent heard such a thing but id look at it, if the deal was right.

 

[Mike80]

Not many sports teams trade with opponents that are in the same division. I don't know if hockey is any different.

It usually isn't, but short of Lidstrom, Rafalski, Kronwall or Stuart being traded, Chelios or Lilja or any of the other young guys aren't going to make much of a difference short term and has JO pointed out, the Wings have a LOT of big contracts coming up....

 

[Mike80]

the wings only have 980k in cap room.
hossa ufa
zetterberg ufa
samy ufa
hudler rfa
franzen ufa


trust me that they would like to lock up a few of those guys and have some "certainty"

also toss in netminders of oz and conks, theyd surely like some surety there also...

that being said i havent heard such a thing but id look at it, if the deal was right.

Sammy and Hossa are likely going to both walk....

Zetterburg will bust the bank and look for Franzen to get into the $5m per year range also....I'm not so sure about Hudler....I don't think he'll get more than about 1.5M per or so unless it goes to arbitration or he becomes the reincarnation of Theo Fluery (due to his lack of height if nothing else )

 

[jimotis4heisman]

and keep in mind they want freedom to bring in a player midseason/deadline. while i dont want to say the window is closing for the wings i think most reasonable fans feel that the super team window is closing as lidstrom ages...

 

[Mike80]

and keep in mind they want freedom to bring in a player midseason/deadline. while i dont want to say the window is closing for the wings i think most reasonable fans feel that the super team window is closing as lidstrom ages...

Oh it is, I admit it.

in fact I think that's why this team has been built the way it is....their minors are stacked...they have some players who are aging and who (like Lidstrom) has indicated he isn't going to play in the NHL forever.

this is a team built to win NOW. Last year's team was a bit of a surprise - it was all supposed to come together this year.

 

[jimotis4heisman]

Joyce: Making sense of Legein - Sportsnet.ca