[FONT=verdana,helvetica,arial]Blue Jackets 2005-06 rookie review[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,helvetica,arial]Written by Chris Leary on 04/30/2006[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]With their 4-3 loss April 19 to the Dallas Stars, the Columbus Blue Jackets ended their fourth straight season below .500, and more importantly on the outside of the postseason party looking in. That’s the bad news, which should be expected from a fledgling NHL expansion franchise. Running concurrent with that annual disappointment, however, is a yearly dose of great news in the form of an impact rookie. From David Vyborny’s impressive debut in the Jackets inaugural season, through a succession of strong rookie campaigns by Rostislav Klesla in 2001-02, Rick Nash in 2002-03, and Nikolai Zherdev in 2003-04, the future core of the franchise has provided reason for hope amidst what has been a lengthy bout of growing pains for the Columbus faithful. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]It should therefore come as little surprise that the second-tier showing by the Jackets this past season was highlighted by the debut of another potential franchise player in 23-year-old goaltender Pascal Leclaire. The first true No. 1 netminder promoted out of the Columbus system, Leclaire got his feet wet with two appearances in the 2003-04 season before spending the lockout year fine-tuning his craft with Syracuse of the AHL. While he started the current campaign on the red-eye between Syracuse and Columbus, Leclaire settled in with the big club in early December and spent the rest of the season alternating with Marc Denis in the Blue Jacket net. In 33 appearances with Columbus this season, Leclaire posted an 11-15 record, with a 3.23 goals against average and a .911 save percentage, the latter placing him in the top half of the league. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]And just what did Leclaire show in his first lap around the NHL circuit? In a typical NHL season, Leclaire’s performance would have been enough to merit consideration for inclusion on the all-rookie team. This season was a different animal altogether, as the otherworldly debut of Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin were matched in goal by the outstanding rookie efforts of Henrik Lundqvist, Ryan Miller, and Antero Niittymaki. Holding up Leclaire’s numbers to those produced by that trio is slightly unfair, given the defensive efforts turned in by the teams in front of them. A better comparison to be made would be with past upper-tier rookie goaltenders, a continuum that Leclaire fits in with nicely. While a losing record and a goals-against hovering around 3.50 are not impressive numbers by themselves, those numbers should be tempered by the realities of tending net for an expansion franchise that has yet to come within sight of a playoff berth. His relatively-high save percentage stands in sharp contrast to his other numbers, and that statistic is, ultimately, one of the primary measuring sticks for assessing the effectiveness of a netminder. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Following the end of the Jackets season, Leclaire returned to Syracuse as the Crunch advanced into the AHL playoffs, a move designed to provide Leclaire with more ice time in high intensity situations. Heading into next season, it seems apparent that the Jackets will give Leclaire every opportunity to stake his claim to the number one spot in the Nationwide net. With the 28-year-old Denis still under contract for next season, the possibility remains open that the Blue Jackets may elect to hand Leclaire the starting job by moving Denis in a trade over the next four months. Given that Leclaire was a high first-round pick in their second entry draft, this is the career path Columbus expected him to follow, albeit at a slightly slower pace than they most likely hoped five years ago. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]As has also been the case in the history of the Jacket franchise, the eye-opening rookie performance by a potential standard-bearer was joined by another impressive debut from a second-tier prospect. This past season it was Czech native Jaroslav Balastik that supplied the solid compliment to Leclaire’s impressive debut. The 25-year-old Czech made the jump across the pond in 2005-06 and quickly moved into the Blue Jacket lineup. Coming off of two consecutive seasons as the top goal scorer in the Czech Elite League, Balastik rose as high as a spot on the second line with countrymen Jan Hrdina and David Vyborny in his first year in the NHL. While Balastik managed to account for a dozen goals and 10 assists in 66 games, by the end of the season he was alternating between the third and fourth lines and seemed to lack the requisite speed for a sustained role in the NHL. His skills around the net notwithstanding, Balastik will need to make serious strides in his skating ability if he hopes to be anything more than a role player with Columbus next season. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Where Balastik was not necessarily on the radar of many Columbus fans entering the 2005-06 season, a pair of young centers most definitely were. Both Dan Fritsche and Gilbert Brule made their debut in the Blue Jacket colors this season, and the culture shock of moving from the amateur ranks onto the professional ice were felt in different ways by each. For Fritsche, the Jackets second round pick of the 2003 Entry Draft, his rookie campaign was a hard lesson in the pace of the NHL game. In 59 games spent mostly on the fourth line, Fritsche recorded six goals and seven assists, numbers which appear consistent with the player Danny Fritsche currently is, not the player he may eventually be. Promoted quickly through the system after an injury-shortened amateur career, Fritsche may need a good deal more ice time in order to mature into the player the Jackets envision. His demotion back to Syracuse in the latter half of the season is a move in that direction, but he’ll have to show significant gains to make his way back to the Jackets. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Where Danny Fritsche’s story becomes more complicated with a demotion out of Columbus, Gilbert Brule’s demotion may be the precursor to a dramatic 2006-07 season. The sixth overall pick of the 2005 entry draft, Brule was considered in many circles to be a darkhorse candidate for the all-rookie team, thanks to an attractive package of speed, offensive prowess, and toughness. The latter of those three, however, was put to the test in his all-too-brief first look with the Jackets, as a pair of severe injuries limited Brule to only seven games with the club. In that short time with the Jackets, Brule managed to score twice on 11 shots, and added two assists in limited action. With his demotion back to his amateur club, the Vancouver Giants of the WHL, Brule dispelled any doubts about his talent and steep potential with an impressive end of the season run into the playoffs. It seems likely that the Gilbert Brule era in Columbus will begin in earnest this coming October. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]The most unexpected debut of the season may have been that made by forward Geoff Platt. A relatively-unheralded player who exhibited a deft goal-scoring touch in the OHL, Platt went undrafted in 2005 and signed a one-year contract with the Jackets after a brief run in the ECHL. While he only managed five assists and 29 shots in his brief 15-game tryout with the big club, Platt continued to display his offensive abilities in the AHL over the remainder of the season. The fact he managed to make the jump to the NHL in 2005-06 has to be seen as a positive indication of his potential, but he most likely needs quite a bit more seasoning in the AHL before he gets another extended shot at an offensive role with Columbus. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]As with most NHL teams this season, the brighter lights of impressive rookie campaigns from what amounts to two years worth of rising stars obscures the more muted debuts of lesser-known prospects. For the Jackets, another five players made their first appearance in the NHL, combining for 27 games played and zero points. Amongst this group are several top-end prospects in the system, including forward Alexandre Picard (17 games played), center Joakim Lindstrom (three games played), and defensemen Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (five games played) and Joe Motzko (two games played). Of this bunch, Picard had the highest upside, but will most likely need additional time in the AHL to return on the Jackets’ investment of the eighth overall pick of the 2004 draft. [/FONT]
well atleast we had one positive this year...after reading that apparently not one...<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td rowspan="2"></td> <td rowspan="2">
</td> <td class="ihmiddlefeaturehead" align="left" valign="top">Running To Stand Still</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="ihmiddlefeaturesubhead" align="left" valign="bottom">by Alan Zoll</td> </tr> </tbody></table> Columbus was ready for the new wide-open 2005-06 NHL season with their defending Rocket Richard Trophy-winner poised to tear the league apart. But the best laid plans went awry this season for the Blue Jackets.
Rick Nash, who co-led the NHL with 41 goals in 80 games last season (despite the absence of an established all-star line-mate) missed almost 40% of the 2005-06 season with ankle and knee injuries turning in just 26 goals and 46 points in 47 games. While that might still seem impressive a goals-per-game pace is one thing - a team ranked 28th in total offense averaging less than three goals a game is the reality of another.
But the entire season was a missed opportunity on every front for the revamped Blue Jackets. All-Star Cup MVP Sergei Fedorov was acquired from the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, where he had failed to live up to his once-league-MVP billing, and managed 35 points in 55 games for Columbus. While fans are already saying, “Yeah but wait until next year when Nash is healthy!” the reality of the situation is that Fedorov will then be a 37-year-old veteran who hasn’t scored 30 goals since 2002-03 and will be making $6 million a season for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in their five years in the league.
With the injury-plagued Nash and the still-waiting-to-rebound Fedorov held in check, the crux of the Blue Jackets offense fell on the burgeoning shoulders of forwards David Vyborny and Nikolai Zherdev. The 30-year-old Vyborny, who actually led Columbus with 31 assists last season, posted career-highs in assists (37) and points (55) this year to lead the team. The 21-year-old Zherdev, who showed his ability to play in this league in his rookie season of 2003-04 by posting 34 points in 57 games, led the team with 27 goals and posted 54 points in 73 games.
But for the hapless Blue Jackets, that’s where the offensive attack pretty much ends. While many of their second and third line players turned in career-years, it was nowhere near enough to propel Columbus into the playoffs. Jan Hrdina, once a 57-point producer in Pittsburgh, managed only 30 points in 68 games. Veteran Manny Malhotra, limited to just 51 games from injury, still posted a respectable career-high 28 points. Jason Chimera turned in a career-best 17 goals and 26 points with 88 penalty minutes in 73 games. Twenty-nine-year-old winger Trevor Letowski dropped from a 32-point season in 2003-04 to 23 points in 74 games this year. And rookie Jaroslav Balastik posted 12 goals and 20 points in his first 59 games in the NHL.
As the Blue Jackets had expected the young core of Nash, Vyborny and Zherdev to carry the offense, their main focus during the off-season had been to overhaul their tattered defense. While Columbus had improved their goals-against from 263 to 238 in 2003-04, it still placed them 24th in the NHL in team defense.
They made two all-star-caliber free agent signings, bringing in veterans Adam Foote and Bryan Berard, immediately handing them the leadership reigns for the young and directionless Blue Jackets. Now that may seem like an unfair burden to place on two proven veterans, but this is what made Mark Messier, the savior of the Rangers, and what separates the men from the boys. Unfortunately, despite valiant efforts on both great players’ parts, it flopped.
Berard, who made a heroic comeback in 2001-02 from what should have been a career-ending eye injury suffered in 2000, had his season ended by a back injury. While he still managed to lead the defensive corps with 12 goals and 32 points in 44 games, the former Calder Trophy-winner was an abysmal -29 (only Carolina’s Mark Recchi’s rating is worse at -34).
Adam Foote, who served as an alternate captain in Colorado where he won two Stanley Cup championships in thirteen seasons, was handed the Blue Jackets’ captaincy when it was abdicated by the now departed Luke Richardson. While Foote truly turned the defensive work ethic around in Columbus, he too was hampered by injury. The 34-year-old veteran of over 800 NHL games (154 in the playoffs) managed a mere 19 points in 58 games after posting back-to-back 30-point seasons in Colorado and was a -17.
The Blue Jackets also brought Radoslav Suchy in from Phoenix where he had spent the last five seasons and had once posted a +25 rating in 81 games (2001-02). But the 29-year-old Suchy posted near-career-lows with only eight points and a -6 rating in 72 games. Twenty-four-year-old Rostislav Klesla still managed a career-high 17 points despite an injury-riddled season that held him to 47 games, and Ron Hainsey was claimed off waivers from Montreal in November and posted 17 points with a +7 rating in 48 games.
In net, there were high hopes for 30-year-old Martin Prusek who was signed as a free agent from the Ottawa Senators where he posted a career 28-9-4 record. But it appeared that perhaps Prusek’s impressive career record was owed almost entirely to the Senators’ all-star-packed lineup as Czech-born netminder was 3-3 with a 3.22 goals-against-average in only nine appearances before being relegated to the AHL.
Veteran starter Marc Denis’ career record is still taking a beating as he posted his fifth consecutive losing season (don’t worry, Marc, Ken Wregget has a beer waiting for you at the Mangy Moose Saloon). Denis’ 19-24 record with a 3.23 goals-against-average must have management and fans alike wondering if he is, in fact, the future of the franchise in goal. Rookie Pascal Leclaire didn’t fare much better going 10-13-3 with a 3.28 goals-against-average, but posted a team-leading .910 save percentage.
The Blue Jackets’ long awaited 2005-06 season was a wash. While their total team offense improved from 2003-04, it still failed to set a franchise high and their goals allowed could become an all-time team worst. They enter the off-season having posted their fourth consecutive 40-loss record and have still not made the playoffs in their first five NHL seasons. While a starting lineup featuring names like Rich Nash, Sergei Fedorov, Bryan Berard and Adam Foote may seem impressive, the fact that those four standout players have combined to miss 30% of the Blue Jackets’ season is cause for concern. Can Nash really bond with Vyborny and Zherdev to form an unstoppable first line? Were the additions of injury-plagued veterans Fedorov, Berard and Foote too little, too late? And who will emerge as the Jackets’ starting goalie, one who can finally backstop them to a playoff berth? Columbus’ management has a lot more to think about this summer than tee times.
did you guys all watch this or would you like a review?jimotis4heisman said:
JACKETS GOING TO THE MARKET
Sunday, May 07, 2006
<!--PHOTOS--><TABLE class=phototableright align=right border=0><!-- begin large ad code --><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle></IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Jason Arnott of the Dallas Stars will be one of the top centers available on the free-agent marker this summer. </TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>
</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Maxim Afinogenov is one of a trio of good Sabres wingers. </TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>
</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman might decide to retire. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
The Blue Jackets have some $23 million tied up in five forwards and four defensemen and, when they’re done with their own free agents, they could have about $30 million committed for 2006-07.
The salary-cap ceiling is expected to rise from $39 million to as much as $46 million. Does that leave the team a lot of room to ply the free-agent market this summer? Interesting question.
Jackets management is on record as saying it won’t spend to the ceiling because it doesn’t make business sense, so, to use a round figure, the team might have about $5 million to play with this summer. And the Jackets have needs. They need a center to play with Rick Nash and David Vyborny if rookie Gilbert Brule isn’t yet the answer. They need a big winger — their most likely free-agent target — to play with Sergei Fedorov and Nikolai Zherdev. They’re comfortable with their defensive corps, provided Ole-Kristian Tollefsen is ready for prime time. What can $5 million fetch this summer? This should be said: The potential free-agent market is huge. It could rival what was on the table last summer, when hundreds of players were looking for contracts after the lockout. What follows is a small selection of players whose contracts have reached term and who could be unrestricted free agents as of July 1, when the signing season begins.
<table style="width: 100%;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td> <table id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_GridView1" style="border: 1px solid Silver; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); width: 98%; border-collapse: collapse;" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0"> <caption></caption><tbody><tr style="border: 1px solid Silver;"> <td>No Blogs Listed For Today</td> </tr> </tbody></table>Today's Posts
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</td> </tr> <tr> <td> <table id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_GridView2" style="border: 1px solid Silver; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); width: 98%; border-collapse: collapse;" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0"> <caption></caption><tbody><tr style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(247, 246, 243);"> <td> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td> Blogging from somewhere above Moose Jaw 05/10/2006 @ 04:49 PM </td> </tr> <tr><td bgcolor="#d3d3d3" height="1">Yesterdays's Posts
</td></tr> <tr> <td> Here’s a first for me –I’m blogging from the airplane, while I fly across the Canadian prairies. <o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
I’m on my way back to <st1:city><st1>:place>Vancouver</st1>:place></st1:city> -- quietly thankful that the WHL Giants were able to sweep their way past yet another series and advance to the Memorial Cup -- thus avoiding two extra days in the metropolis of <st1>:place><st1:city>Moose Jaw</st1:city>, <st1:state>Saskatchewan</st1:state></st1>:place>.<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Not that I have anything against Moose Jaw – please don’t put me make the same claim while hooked up to a lie detector – but once it became apparent that those 34,000 people who make up that town’s population didn’t have a chance to celebrate a championship, well you can finish the sentence….<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
The Moose Jaw fans did have a very good team to cheer for this year, with the Warriors improving from 14 to 43 wins in one season, and their first ever appearance in the finals. But like every other team that faced <st1:city><st1>:place>Vancouver</st1>:place></st1:city>, they were simply overwhelmed. <o>:p></o>:p>
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*<o>:p></o>:p>
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As regular readers are aware I had the pleasure of calling games on SHAW TV for yet another season – and having called WHL games off-and-on for over 20 years, I can tell you this was one of the most dominating playoff performances ever. <o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
What made it so unbelievable is how they steamrolled over every team they played.<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Since the WHL went to four best-of-seven rounds in 1999 no team has rolled through quicker. All toll <st1:city><st1>:place>Vancouver</st1>:place></st1:city> went 16-2 against <st1:city><st1>:place>Prince George</st1>:place></st1:city>, <st1:city><st1>:place>Portland</st1>:place></st1:city>, <st1:city><st1>:place><st1>:personname>Eve</st1>:personname>rett</st1>:place></st1:city> and <st1:city><st1>:place>Moose Jaw</st1>:place></st1:city>. <o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
They won their last 12 games to tie a WHL playoff record for consecutive wins. They won all eight of their playoff road games. They were out shot only once in 18 games, and only six times in 90 regular season and playoff games. <o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Their goalie Dustin Slade posted six playoff shutouts, including three in a row to set a new WHL playoff record. At one stage they killed off 63 penalties consecutively.<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
The only two losses they suffered were games that they out shot their opponents by a combined margin of 80-33!<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
There were only a couple of nailbiters – both finished in OT by the great Gilbert Brule, who was named the playoff MVP after he scored 16 goals and 30 points in the 18 playoff games, including five goals and 12 points in the four game final.<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
It’s the first WHL championship for <st1:city><st1>:place>Vancouver</st1>:place></st1:city> – and really it was the ultimate “five year plan”, as they capture the title after capturing 13 wins in their 2001/02 expansion season.<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p></o>:p>
*<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
I’ve said this before on this blog, but I will repeat for those fans in <st1:state><st1>:place>Ohio</st1>:place></st1:state> who will soon be treated to a steady Brule diet. <o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Get ready to embrace one of the most competitive young hockey players ever turned out.<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Over the years I’ve seen plenty of players returned to junior hockey after a short stint in the NHL and many of them appear (perhaps unintentionally) to be passing time until their next pro camp. <o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Not Brule.<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
When Gilbert came back to the WHL, it was really the complete opposite – with no player working harder on or off the ice.<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
His hell-bent fearless play sent a clear message to all who observed. If he wasn’t going to get a chance to compete for the <st1:city><st1>:place>Stanley</st1>:place></st1:city> Cup, then he’d go through a wall to win a trophy that’s arguably more difficult to win – the Memorial Cup.<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
During his six point performance in game two of the series last Saturday at the Pacific Coliseum, I had a chance to talk with <st1:state><st1>:place>Florida</st1>:place></st1:state> GM Mike Keenan in one of the intermissions. Keenan was here to see his first round pick Kenndal McArdle, but he couldn’t help but marvel at the offensive and physical show Brule was putting on in front of nearly 14,000 fans. <o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Pat Quinn was at the same game, and told Giants majority owner Ron Toigo that he knew Brule was good – but didn’t know he was that good. <o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Keenan did wonder if Brule would be able to get away with the same kind of physical play at the NHL level? At the end of our conversation he said, “but Brule appears to be enjoying that physical play while he can at this level”.<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
I’m not so sure Brule won’t enjoy more of it at the NHL level. In fact he once wondered out loud a few months ago what it’d be like to try and knock down Todd Bertuzzi.<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
If you’re asking me for a comparison, my impression of Brule is that he is a hybrid between Pat Lafontaine and Mike Peca.<o>:p></o>:p>
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*<o>:p></o>:p>
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After finishing SPORTSTALK from the arena I returned late to my wonderful Moose Jaw digs – the multi story, sorry that should read two-story (with stairs only) Heritage Inn -- I stumbled upon a victory celebration going on in one of the ball rooms. <o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Invited in, I saw 20 young hockey players celebrating – each taking pictures with the big trophy they had won. <o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
When I looked at one side of the ball room I saw Brule clutching his MVP trophy, which had been presented to him on the ice four hours earlier. I watched for a few minutes as he walked around the room chatting with teammates – and every where he went the trophy was in his hands.<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
One of his teammates told me that Brule wouldn’t even put the trophy on a table -- that he had to have it in his hands at all times. <o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
I spoke with Brule privately for a few minutes and he made it clear to me that this was the sweetest thing that had happened to him in the game so far, and that he absolutely loved playing with this team. <o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
The reality is most of Brule’s teammates won’t realize the same dream of one day playing in the NHL – yet Brule spoke of them as a “hockey brother”, and he was glad when I remarked as to his willingness to go through a wall for them.<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
*<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
The Giants are the first team to represent <st1:city><st1>:place>Vancouver</st1>:place></st1:city> in the Memorial Cup since the old <st1:city><st1>:place>New Westminster</st1>:place></st1:city> Bruins, who went to four straight national championships, most recently in 1978.<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Two original Giants -- Mark Fistric and Mitch Bartley -- came up to my broadcast location during SPORTSTALK on Tuesday night, and they lugged the heavy WHL championship trophy to the booth.<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
I’ve now had the pleasure of holding both the Stanley Cup – when the NY Islanders won in 1982 at the Pacific Coliseum (Billy Smith asked me to hold it while he poured three or four cans of beer in it) – and the WHL trophy. <o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
From what I can remember, I’d say the <st1:city><st1>:place>Stanley</st1>:place></st1:city> Cup is lighter.<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Fistric, the captain and a first round Dallas pick, said he was “honored” to win the trophy especially because his father Boris had won it with the old <st1:city><st1>:place>New Westminster</st1>:place></st1:city> Bruins -- and of course he grew up hearing how special it was to win the league championship.<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
*<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Now as for the arena where the Giants won their first championship in, well that’s quite another story as well. Pretty much the opposite of their home rink.<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Its actually one of the things that makes the WHL so special. You can have a game in the <st1:city><st1>:place>Portland</st1>:place></st1:city> Rose Garden with 20,000 fans – and you can have a game in <st1:city><st1>:place>Moose Jaw</st1>:place></st1:city> with the community owned Warriors with 2900 fans shoe-horned in. <o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
(For games in the finals fans came an hour early just to guard their standing room position)<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
The <st1:city><st1>:place>Moose Jaw</st1>:place></st1:city> Civic Centre, built in 1958, is perhaps the most unusual rink ever built. One of my callers last night said it was “funky”. I think if <st1>:personname>Brian Burke</st1>:personname> saw the designers he may have called them “drug induced”.<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
The rink is nicknamed the “Crushed Can”, because it literally looks like someone stepped on a pop can. <o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Outside, where you park, the roof seems to be about 10 feet from the ground at its lowest point. Because the ice bowl is built a little under ground, its not quite like that inside – but it is only 34 feet from the ice to the lowest part of the roof.<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
No overhanging scoreboard in this place. <o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Unaware rookies are often warned while traveling on the bus for their first trip into <st1:city><st1>:place>Moose Jaw</st1>:place></st1:city> to be careful not to lift their stick to celebrate a goal, as they might hit the roof.<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Seriously, it’s a bizarre place. Upstairs where we broadcast you can only see the first three rows on the other side. <o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
One fan told me the best thing about it is he’s able to bring both his wife and girlfriend to the same game – and they wouldn’t see each other.
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Zherdev and Vyborny
Scott Cullen
5/11/2006 6:35:59 PM
Though the Blue Jackets finished a long way from the playoffs once again in 2005-2006, a strong second half to the season (23-16-2 after a 12-27-2 first half) has injected the franchise with optimism that they are finally turning the corner and ready to push for a playoff spot next year.
Of course, there is no coincidence that the Blue Jackets improved in the second half when Rick Nash managed to stay healthy after a miserable start to the campaign during which he managed to play just three games before mid-December.
Nash is well on his way to becoming one of the league's elite goal-scoring forwards and his continued development will be crucial to any success the Blue Jackets are going to experience.
In addition to Nash, the Jackets do have skilled veterans Sergei Federov and David Vyborny and the exciting potential of winger Nikolai Zherdev and top prospect Gilbert Brule. That means that Columbus needs to acquire at least one perhaps two, if Brule isn't considered ready to make the jump, forwards that can play on the top two lines. Free agent Scoring wingers like Sergei Samsonov, Petr Sykora, J.P. Dumont or Jamie Langenbrunner all could provide the kind of complementary offence that the Blue Jackets require.
The checking units will probably undergo some retooling as there are several free agents, but there's no reason to think that Columbus won't be able to keep some of their own guys or, failing that, pick up a few reliable veterans from other teams to fill those holes.
Holding the sixth pick in the draft, the Blue Jackets will also likely be in position to add another quality forward -- Nicklas Backstrom, Peter Mueller, Michael Frolik or James Sheppard -- for the future. If the franchise develops as they hope next season, it could be the last high pick for a while.
Defensively, the Blue Jackets have the makings of a decent unit, so long as Bryan Berard is limited to power play duty. Otherwise, the acquisitions of Adam Foote and Ron Hainsey combined with the emergence of Duvie Westcott gave the Blue Jackets strong enough play that they can reasonably expect to build upon that progress next season. Adding another veteran and perhaps promoting hard-hitting Ole-Kristian Tollefsen should be enough for Columbus to believe their defence is capable of living up to legitimate playoff hopes.
Naturally, it won't much matter how well the defence plays if the goaltending isn't up to par and there are questions about who will be handling the bulk of the workload. With Marc Denis a restricted free agent, there is some thinking that Pascal Leclaire, who had superior numbers this season, could take over the starting job. The final analysis on that could depend on how much it would cost to retain Denis' services, but if the Blue Jackets decide that Leclaire is going to be the guy, then Denis becomes a valuable trade commodity.
The fans in Columbus have been patient, but now it's time for the Blue Jackets to take the next step and, in order to do that, they will need their young talent to keep improving in addition to adding a couple more pieces through free agency. With the right moves, it's not unreasonable to expect the Jackets to be one of the more improved teams in 2006-2007.
GM/COACH
Doug MacLean/Gerard Gallant
FORWARDS
Returning: Rick Nash, Sergei Fedorov, David Vyborny, Dan Fritsche, Mark Hartigan, Jody Shelley, Steven Goertzen
Free Agents: Nikolai Zherdev (RFA), Jaroslav Balastik (RFA), Jason Chimera (RFA), Michael Rupp (RFA), Ben Simon (RFA), Manny Malhotra (UFA), Jan Hrdina (UFA), Trevor Letowski (UFA)
Top Prospects: Gilbert Brule, Alexandre Picard, Joakim Lindstrom
DEFENCE
Returning: Adam Foote, Bryan Berard, Duvie Westcott, Ron Hainsey, Aaron Johnson
Free Agents: Rostislav Klesla (RFA), Radoslav Suchy (UFA)
Top Prospects: Ole-Kristian Tollefsen, Kris Russel, Adam McQuaid
GOALTENDING
Returning:
Free Agents: Marc Denis (RFA), Pascal Leclaire (RFA), Martin Prusek (UFA)
Top Prospect: Andrew Penner
DRAFT
6th
FREE AGENCY
one-two top six forwards, one-two checking forwards, one defenceman
TRADE MARKET
Marc Denis
