Columbus Blue Jackets (Official Thread)

[jimotis4heisman]

<!--content starts here-->

<!-- ######################################################################### E N D H E A D E R H E R E ######################################################################### --><!-- ######################################################################### B E G I N F O O T E R H E R E ######################################################################### --> Wild Prospects Fall To Columbus, 4-2 Glen Andresen
September 8, 2006

<table align="right" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" width="200"> <tbody> <tr> <td>

</td> </tr> <tr> <td> Nobody knows prospects like Tom Thompson, and he offers his take on today's game in Traverse City.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> The 2006-2007 season holds the promise of many Minnesota Wild wins, but not on this day. In the first game action of any kind since April, the Wild prospects fell to the Columbus Blue Jackets, 4-2 in the first game of the NHL Centre Ice Prospect Tournament in Traverse City, Michigan.
Left wing Ryan Hamilton and the pride of Savage, A.J. Thelen, netted the two Minnesota tallies. Defenseman Clayton Stoner picked up the lone assist on the Wild’s first goal by firing a shot from the point that was tipped in by Hamilton. That tied the score at 1-1 in the second period. A Shawn Belle five-minute major and 10-minute misconduct for boarding (a questionable call according to Tom Thompson, who we’ll hear from later) turned the momentum towards Columbus. The BlueJax rattled off the next three goals before Thelen tallied with a blast from the point, assisted by Julian Walker and Peter Olvecky.
Miroslav Kopriva was saddled with the loss after playing the entire game and yielding four goals on 30 shots. The Wild, which will be back in action tomorrow against Dallas, mustered 26 shots on goal.
When it comes to Wild Prospects, Wild.com trusts no one more than Assistant General Manager Tom Thompson, who as you may have guessed, was in Traverse City for the game. The plague couldn’t keep this guy from watching the NHL’s future stars.
The city motto in Traverse City is “Take Me There.” With that in mind, Tommy is going to “Take Us There,” and give us the skinny on what transpired on Friday on the banks of Lake Michigan. In turn, we’ll keep him apprised on how his beloved Minnesota Twins are faring back home against the evil Detroit Tigers.

Tommy’s Take​

We dominated play the first half of the game. We outshot them 18-10, but the turning point was the five-minute major on Belle for boarding. He hit the guy and the guy hurt himself when he hit the glass. It didn’t appear that a penalty was called, and then they eventually blew the whistle and the guy was hurt. They scored pretty early on that power play and I think that was definitely the turning point of the game.
I thought Clayton Stoner was good on defense and I thought a lot of our forwards had a bunch of good scoring chances. Morten Madsen, the young Danish guy, had a strong game. Peter Olvecky had a strong game.
We had the pressure on early and Columbus took some penalties. We had a five-on-three with some glorious chances and we just couldn’t score on them.
The thing about a tournament with young guys like this is you’re looking to see projection. There are very few players where you’ll say, “that guy can step right into the NHL and star.” The big thing now is “who is really coming on” and “who can leapfrog someone who may have been ahead of them a year ago?”
I mentioned Thelen’s goal. We had two other number one picks in the game as well. James Sheppard, our first pick this year, was good. We didn’t know if he was going to play because he’s had a pulled muscle in his back the past couple of weeks, but he’s been getting treatment and he said he was ready to go. He had a good game, especially in killing penalties so we were pleased with him.
Benoit Pouliot made some very good plays and he missed some chances. It was some of our best players who missed our best scoring chances. Roman Voloshenko and Olvecky missed some good chances. Those are some of our best players and they just didn’t go in today.

no word on the zherdev front. and now that i think of how i heard about the "one day only offer" im not sure if it was a midnight or 24 hour deal. the sides are so close though... just about 400k now.

 

[jimotis4heisman]

http://www.nhl.com/features/system/brassard090606.html

<!------------GENERIC ARTICLE------------> <!-- DON'T MODIFY ABOVE THIS LINE-->

<!--- REMOVE THIS BLOCK IF NO UPPER LEFT IMAGE --> <table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="170"> <tbody><tr><td align="center">

</td></tr> <tr><td class="shoptext" align="left"> Selected with the sixth overall pick by Columbus, Derick Brassard could serve as the perfect compliment to Rick Nash with his playmaking abilities. </td></tr></tbody></table> Brassard can make
Columbus a winner
By Russ Cohen | NHL.com Correspondent
Sept. 6, 2006
​

<hr>
The NHL Entry Draft is set up so the teams with the worst records get first dibs on the top players each June. It's a fair system and after years of drafting near the top, the Columbus Blue Jackets are assembling an interesting team.
In 2006, the Blue Jackets selected Derick Brassard with the sixth overall pick, and he could well be the player that makes this team a real contender. It's said one player doesn't make a franchise, but the right one can make all the difference.
Brassard has the speed you need in today's NHL and he has been known to impose his will on a game, a trait that is usually reserved for the all-time greats.
<!--begin to copy blue box code here--> <table valign="top" align="right" bgcolor="#ded8b6" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="231"> <tbody><tr><td> <!--Player name/title--> <center>Related Links</center><hr>

• <!--
• 2006 NHL Draft Coverage
• Phil Coffey Draft Blog-->
• Blue Jackets official site
• Buy Blue Jackets merchandise
• In the System archive

</td></tr> </tbody></table> <!-- end blue box code--> Without a crystal ball it's impossible to say Brassard will be a dominant player in the NHL; but one thing is certain, he will make it to the NHL in the near future. Brassard is renowned as a playmaker, so he could be the perfect compliment to Rick Nash, the team's true superstar.
Brassard's initial opportunity to impress Columbus' brass at training camp will have to wait, however. Brassard suffered a dislocated shoulder this week during an exhibition game with his junior club. Presently, there is no set timetable for his return.
When Columbus drafted Nikolai Zherdev in 2003 with the fourth overall pick, the Blue Jackets thought they had "the" player to team up with Nash. As it turned out Nash was hurt for most of last season, and the young Russian has been inconsistent, so the two haven't had a lot of playing time together.
Drafting Gilbert Brule in 2005 (sixth overall) was huge for Columbus, but his season was derailed by a fractured sternum and broken leg. So, this season figures to be a learning experience for Brule. But he, Nash and Brassard could all populate the Columbus roster in 2007-08.
"They have some good young players in Brule and all their first-round picks," Brassard said. "In five or 10 years the Blue Jackets will be very competitive."
Brassard, 18, has a few years of seasoning ahead of him, but it's pretty clear that he will get a shot at the big club in the next two years. The Jackets really need for Brassard to mature into a top-notch player.
<table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="170"> <tbody><tr><td align="center">

</td></tr> <tr><td class="shoptext" align="left"> Brassard suffered a dislocated shoulder this week during an exhibition game with his junior club, with no set timetable for his return. </td></tr></tbody></table> Judging from his junior career, he is well on his way. The three seasons he has spent with the Drummondville Voltigeurs in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League have been productive, to say the least. Brassard scored more than a point per game in his second season and, by his third, he had amassed 116 points in just 58 games, helping him win the Mike Bossy Trophy, which goes to the QMJHL's best professional prospect.
Previous winners of that prestigious honor include Dale Hawerchuk in 1980-81, Mario Lemieux in 1983-84, Vincent Lecavalier in 1997-98, Ales Hemsky in 2000-01 and Sidney Crosby in 2004-05.
Columbus is an up-and-coming city that boasts many perks. But Brassard really liked the Nationwide Arena.
"I think it's the quality of the arena," he said. "I think they put a lot of money into their arena. It's a beautiful city."
Brassard is getting ready to report to rookie camp and that will give him a better idea of what the franchise can be like once he gets to play with some of those former first-round picks.
Brassard, Brule and goaltender Pascal Leclaire will give the Jackets a nice French-Canadian contingent that could be very valuable in the dressing room. They all come from similar backgrounds and have helped to build team chemistry in their respective careers. They are all young players who can grow together and, barring any severe injuries, they will give the hockey fans in Ohio something to cheer about in the very near future -- a Stanley Cup Playoff berth.
This is Columbus' sixth year in the league and Blue Jackets fans are expecting progress. Last season, the Blue Jackets finished with 74 points, but failed to make the playoffs. Youth is something Columbus has in abundance, however, and the young players will be counted upon to take the franchise to the next level.

note the jr # i think thats going to have to change. (amazing how cool that number has gotten)

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

NHL
Jackets try again with Zherdev

Saturday, September 09, 2006

Michael Arace
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

<!--PHOTOS--><TABLE class=phototableright align=right border=0><!-- begin large ad code --><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE align=center><TBODY></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


After months of sporadic negotiation between the Blue Jackets and restricted free agent Nikolai Zherdev, a recent flurry of talks is bringing the situation to a head.
Blue Jackets president and general manager Doug MacLean said the team made three recent offers: $1.25 million for one year, $3.9 million for two years and $6.6 million for three years.
Zherdev?s agent, Rolland Hedges, countered Thursday night. The counter, MacLean said, went as follows: $2.75 million for one year, $5.75 million for two years and $9 million for three years.
Yesterday, MacLean said, the team made another offer ? $6.9 million for three years.
Zherdev had the day to think about it before the offer was pulled from the table.
"I?m just not sure where to go," MacLean said. "I?m sort of maxed out right now."
MacLean said he is more seriously considering alternative plans. Training camp opens Friday.
"If we can?t get something done, I will be moving into the (free-agent) market," MacLean said. "That?s not a threat. It?s just that I?ve got no choice."
Hedges did not return phone calls yesterday.
A Hedges associate, Sasha Tyjnych, still holds out hope something will get done.
"We have received offers, and we have our own numbers," Tyjnych said. "Obviously, we?re not really close. (But) we?re moving in the right direction. Both sides are. Hopefully, we?ll have a solution in the next few days. If not, by opening night (Oct. 6)."
Zherdev, 21, was a first-round (fourth overall) draft pick in 2003. He was second on the team in goals (27) and tied for second in points (54) last season.
He is playing for a Russian league team, Khimik Voskresenk. He has an "out" in the Russian contract if he signs with the Blue Jackets before Oct. 6.
Hendrikx signs

The Blue Jackets signed defenseman/ pugilist Trevor Hendrikx to a standard entry-level contract, which is a three-year deal worth $450,000 at the major-league level.
Hendrikx was the guy the Blue Jackets drafted with their last pick of the draft in 2003, failed to sign and redrafted with their last pick in 2005.
"We feel he?ll be an important part of our defensive group in Syracuse this season and continue to develop into a solid NHL player," assistant general manager Jim Clark said.
Tickets on sale

Dave Paitson, vice president of ticketing, said season tickets have been selling at a regular pace and that the team should have "somewhere under 12,000" season tickets sold by the opener.
"The positive thing is, we?re tracking ahead on group sales and pick-six sales," Paitson said.
Single-game sales for Blue Jackets games go on sale at 10 a.m. today.
They can be purchased at any Chiller location, at the Nationwide Arena box office and at Ticketmaster ticket centers. Fans also can call the Blue Jackets at (614) 431-3600 or visit the team?s Web site, BlueJackets.com, or Ticketmaster.com.
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

NHL NOTEBOOK
After a bone-dry August, Zherdev talks finally heat up

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Michael Arace
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

<!--PHOTOS--><TABLE class=phototableright align=right border=0><!-- begin large ad code --><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE align=center><TBODY></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


There was a sincere attempt to un-stick the negotiations between the Blue Jackets and unrestricted free agent Nikolai Zherdev last week. It was a nice change of pace.
Blue Jackets president and general manager Doug MacLean said the team made three offers: $1.25 million for one year, $3.9 million for two years and $6.6 million for three years.
Zherdev?s primary agent, Rolland Hedges, countered Thursday night. The counter, MacLean said, went as follows: $2.75 million for one year, $5.75 million for two years and $9 million for three years.
On Friday, the team made another offer: $6.9 million for three years. If interested, Hedges was to call back by 5 p.m. Hedges didn?t call.
It?s unclear exactly where this leaves things. Does the offer still stand? MacLean didn?t specify. Can the two sides use the offer to shape a contract and bring an end to this mess? Blue Jackets fans can only hope.
MacLean might be questioned for his hard line on negotiations throughout August. For most of the month, he left a two-year, $3.8 million offer on the table and did not budge. He also went public, repeatedly, to trumpet the fairness of his offer and disparage Zherdev?s decision to sign with a Russian team. Had there been more constructive dialogue, the two sides could have closed the gap some time ago.
This must be said: The gap closed Friday. MacLean tendered a very good offer. He put it on the clock, which might be construed as another attempt at strong-arming, or as a desperate stab to settle the situation. In any event, it was a very good offer.
MacLean said the Blue Jackets are using the following for comparable contracts: Colorado forward Marek Svatos (one year, $1.05 million), Florida forward Nathan Horton (one year, $1.1 million) and Edmonton forward Joffrey Lupul (who has been offered a three-year deal with an annual worth of more than $2.1 million).
They?re also using Pittsburgh?s Marc-Andre Fleury (two years, $1.3 million average) and Atlanta?s Kari Lehtonen (two years, $1.9 million average), but goaltenders are difficult to compare.
Those players were all high firstround draft picks. They don?t, as of yet, have arbitration rights. Zherdev is in the same boat.
Contracts for longer term yield a greater premium because those players will have arbitration rights starting next year. In other words, they need to be paid for every year they turn their back on arbitration. That is why Zherdev?s offer and counteroffer escalate to such a degree.
And that is why Boston forward Patrice Bergeron (five years, $4.75 million average), Carolina playoff hero Eric Staal (three years, $4.5 million average) and Edmonton forward Ales Hemsky (six years, $4.1 million average) received the monster deals they got. Another reason is Bergeron, Staal and, to a degree, Hemsky have been identified as franchise cornerstones, just as Rick Nash, who signed a five-year contract worth $27 million last summer, has been described in Columbus.
It?s no surprise that MacLean said he was using the first group ? Svatos, Horton, Lupul, et al ? as comparables. And it?s not a shock that, MacLean said, the Zherdev representatives were using the second group ? Bergeron, Staal, Hemsky, and possibly even Nash ? as comparables.
The reality is, they were working between those two groups of comparables, with the Blue Jackets on the low end and Zherdev?s agent on the high.
Zherdev?s agents say there is no true comparable, and they might be right.
MacLean says negotiations have dragged on because they were waiting to see what Lupul might get.
Fans remain divided. Some believe the team has been more than fair. Others think that, given Zherdev?s importance, something ought to have been done by now.
Everyone has a point, and the threeyear, $6.9 million offer Friday seems to cover them all. Can the kid walk away from that chunk of change?
Brassard might face surgery

Center Derick Brassard, the Blue Jackets? first-round pick in the June draft, could need surgery to repair damage to the shoulder he dislocated last week. There is a chance Brassard could miss five or six months.
Brassard was hit from behind while playing in an exhibition with his junior team, the Drummondville Voltigeurs. Brassard?s shoulder was out of joint for 90 minutes, which probably exacerbated his injury. The pain was such that Brassard had to be sedated.
Brassard has been seen by an Ottawa Senators doctor. He?s due in Columbus, any day so Jackets doctors can have a look.
"It would appear that he needs surgery for a dislocation, and maybe a tear," MacLean said. "He could be out one to five months, mostly likely the latter."
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

BLUE JACKETS
Westcott signs 3-year contract extension

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Michael Arace
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

<!--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></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


Duvie Westcott?s path seemed clear. He would put in another solid season for the Blue Jackets, be heralded as one of the most underrated ? and underpaid ? defensemen in the NHL and then cash in as an unrestricted free agent. He would be in his prime and in demand.
"But I didn?t want to go that route, even if I got more money," Westcott said.
Instead, Westcott yesterday signed a three-year contract extension that will keep him in a Blue Jackets uniform through the 2009-10 season. The deal is worth $4.8 million.
"I really like Columbus," Westcott said. "It?s the only (NHL) team I?ve played for, and I really didn?t want to play for anyone else. If they wanted to have me back, I was more than willing to work with them to get it done."
Westcott, 28, is one of the Blue Jackets? best finds. He signed with the team as an undrafted free agent out of St. Cloud State in 2001. At 5 feet 11 and 197 pounds, he is a smallish defenseman but, because of his grit, is rarely overmatched.
Last season, he set career highs for games played (78), goals (six), assists (22), points (28), penalty minutes (133) and plus-minus rating (plus-1). He was one of three Blue Jackets regulars, with Rick Nash and Manny Malhotra, who was a plus player.
"(Westcott) plays with passion and consistency every night," president and general manager Doug MacLean said in a statement. "We?re thrilled he?ll remain a part of our organization for the next four years."
Westcott has become a defenseman with whom his peers want to be paired. Last season, he led the team in minutes and was third in average ice time (22 minutes, 34 seconds) behind Adam Foote (24:33) and Bryan Berard (22:39).
If Westcott had another such season he would have commanded a relatively steep price on the free-agent market.
"This is a good, young team that?s going to be getting even better," Westcott said. "With the young guys like Nasher and Z (Zherdev, who has yet to re-sign with the team) and all the other guys coming into their own, it?s going to be pretty special. I didn?t want to go anywhere."
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

GTATIONS
Gilbert Brule enters lue Jackets training camp as one of the league?s top ookies ? as long as he can stay on the ice

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Aaron Portzline
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

<!--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></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


Gilbert Brule arrived in Columbus late Monday with a nasty head cold. Considering what he has been through during a brief stint with the Blue Jackets ? a broken sternum and a fractured right leg in only seven games ? Brule was the picture of health. "I think I?ll make it," he joked.
On Friday, when the Blue Jackets open their sixth training camp, plenty of eyes will be on Brule, and not just in Nationwide Arena.
Brule, a center, is among a handful of young players expected to make a major impact in the NHL this season, one of the contenders to win the Calder Trophy, given to the league?s top rookie.
"There?s a little more attention on me this year," Brule said. "That makes it a little more nerve-racking, for sure. It?s very cool to see your name up there with all of the top young players in the world."
Brule, a 19-year-old center, has been penciled in for a spot among the Blue Jackets? top six forwards. He could end up between wingers Rick Nash and David Vyborny or he could have veteran acquisition Fredrik Modin on one side and Nikolai Zherdev on the other (if Zherdev and the Jackets come to terms on a contract).
Either way, Brule would have a chance to put up a lot of points on a Blue Jackets offense that should be much improved. Then again, Brule?s spot has been written in pencil, not carved in stone.
"Gilbert knows he?ll have to earn it in camp," coach Gerard Gallant said. "It?s not his spot to lose, it?s his spot to earn. He?s going to be a top-six forward in this league, no doubt about that. But it might be this or next year, we?ll see."
Brule isn?t taking anything for granted. He was the Blue Jackets? best player in training camp last year, and he plans on being that again
"My first goal is just to make the team," Brule said. "They don?t hand out jobs in the NHL. I?m going to have to do extra well in camp if I?m going to play up there (on a scoring line). But if it worked out that way, it would be awesome."
The key for Brule is to stay healthy, to prove he can play his two-way, wrecking-ball style against the grown men of the NHL.
Last year, in the home opener against the Calgary Flames, Brule suffered a cracked sternum when he was slammed into the boards by defenseman Roman Hamrlik. Brule returned two months later, only to suffer a broken leg in his fifth game back while getting tangled up with two Minnesota Wild defenders.
"I have a style that I play," Brule said. "I?m a physical guy. That?s part of what I bring to the table.
"But I have to be more careful trying to go through guys like (Hamrlik). I can?t try to run over guys all night who are 6-4 or 6-5. You have to pick your spots, be a little smarter about it."
Brule?s 5-foot-10 frame now packs 190 pounds, some 10 pounds heavier than last year.
"I?m ready to roll," Brule said. "I can?t wait to get started again. The first goal is help us get to the playoffs. That was the goal last year, and it didn?t happen. But with the way (the Blue Jackets) finished last season, everybody?s expectations are way up there."
Down on the list ? but not too far ? are Brule?s Calder Trophy hopes.
The rookie class this season doesn?t appear as strong as last season?s, when Washington winger Alexander Ovechkin, Pittsburgh center Sidney Crosby, Calgary defenseman Dion Phaneuf and New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist established themselves among the NHL?s best players, not just among rookies. Ovechkin won the Calder.
But this rookie class still looks very good. Pittsburgh?s Evgeni Malkin, long considered the best player outside the NHL, is the preseason favorite to win the award, but Brule and a handful of others are in the hunt.
"You have to be careful," Blue Jackets president and general manager Doug MacLean said. "I don?t know how many older guys are going to fit into that mix ? you know, 24-year-olds who are coming out of the minors, or guys who went through the college route.
"I don?t like to say he?s going to be a Calder candidate. He has a chance to be important to our team, that?s what I care about. The Calder will take care of itself."
[email protected]

 

[Buck Nasty]

Hey JO with Edmonton signing Lupul for $ 6.9 do you think that definitively sets the market for Z. their numbers are virtually identical. Any word on any progress?

 

[Fungo Squiggly]

Looks like the CBJ may finally have multiple lines that will produce some goals. If Nik comes to his senses in the next couple weeks, goal scoring should be up significantly this year with the return of Brule and the additions of Modin and Carter.

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=750 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class="" vAlign=top width=560>Columbus signs Anson Carter to 1-year deal

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=7><SPACER width="1" type="block" height="1"></TD></TR><TR><TD class=yspsctnhdln>Columbus signs Anson Carter to 1-year deal</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7><SPACER width="1" type="block" height="1"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>September 13, 2006

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Anson Carter signed a one-year contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday, two days before the team opens training camp.
Carter, who has played nine years in the NHL, is coming off a career-best, 33-goal season with Vancouver.
The Blue Jackets hope he will serve as the big, physical player they have been missing on their top lines. He also could spark the offense for Columbus, which still hasn't signed young Russian star Nikolai Zherdev. The forward's agent and the Blue Jackets' front office have traded threats and contentious talk throughout the summer.
With Carter joining forwards Sergei Fedorov, Rick Nash, David Vyborny and recent acquisition Fredrik Modin, the Blue Jackets have upgraded their depth up front.
Carter also had 22 assists for 55 points in 81 games last season. He led the Canucks in goals, power-play goals (15), game-winning goals (7) and shooting percentage (22.6 percent).
He has played in 610 career NHL games with 191 goals and 202 assists. Since 1998, the right winger has averaged 23 goals a season and has scored 10 or more power-play goals in three of four campaigns.
"Anson Carter is a big, strong power forward who is a proven 25- to 30-goal scorer," Columbus general manager Doug MacLean said.
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Carter has also played for Washington, Boston, Edmonton and the New York Rangers. The Toronto native helped Canada win gold medals at the 1997 and 2003 world championships and the 1994 world junior championships.

Updated on ​

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[jimotis4heisman]

Hey JO with Edmonton signing Lupul for $ 6.9 do you think that definitively sets the market for Z. their numbers are virtually identical. Any word on any progress?

i have no idea. i knew a signing was comming but i didnt expect a carter caliber guy. (my expectation was the next notch down)

carter is a guy with over six hundred nhl games to his belt and almost 200 goals and a shade over 202 assists. hes solid on both ends of the ice with 33 goals and 20some helpers last year. any time you can sign a guy with 8 40plus point seasons hes gonna help your club, especially if hes a solid defensive player like carter. he wont take a lot of penalties and is a surefire top six caliber forward (amazingly it wasnt to long ago i really could look you in the eye and honestly say we had 2 guys as good as carter in our forwards.)

on sherdev. i dont know. will he be traded? if they can get decent value out of him. will they let him rot in russia? hes done enough to the club to let him hang around in russia for 4 years if you ask me. or will he be signed after oct 4th and play in columbus next year. or will he be signed and in columbus before the first gmea? who knows. i cant get shit out of anyone.

right now you are looking at
nash/fed/vyborny
modin/brule/carter
chimera/malhotra/picard
shelley/svitov/balastik

with hartigan/fritsche in their somewheres

as of now i this teams payroll is about 34 million.




i think the question was z to lupoul. seems zherdevs people think nik is worth more. id disagree, using frolov amongst others. id like to see nik sign a contract of some sort and prove his worth. (granted i dont want to pull a nyii and give the kid a 10 or fifteen year deal)

what do you think of zherdev, carter bk?

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Carter in; Zherdev out
Signing of forward likely means Russian won?t play for Jackets this season

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Michael Arace
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

<!--PHOTOS--><TABLE class=phototableright align=right border=0><!-- begin large ad code --><TBODY><TR><TD width=200>

• The Sports Hot Issue: What's your reaction to the Blue Jackets signing Anson Carter and likely facing the 2006-07 season without Nikolai Zherdev?
• Carter in; Zherdev out
• Fritsche gives in, accepts contract
• MacLean comes up with a beautiful quick fix for Jackets

</TD></TR><TR><TD><TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>

</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Anson Carter, who played with the Canucks last season, has scored at least 40 points in seven of his eight full NHL seasons. </TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>

</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>NEAL C . LAURON DISPATCH </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Carter?s signing likely ends any remaining hopes of coming to terms with Nikolai Zherdev, who will play in Russia if he isn?t traded. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


President and general manager Doug MacLean came up with a last-minute gift for Blue Jackets fans on the eve of training camp. Unable to reach contract terms with Nikolai Zherdev, MacLean made the best of a vexing situation by signing right winger Anson Carter, 32, the premier forward remaining in the picked-over free-agent market. With that, a gaping hole in the team?s offense was filled yesterday.
On the heels of the Carter signing, restricted free agent Dan Fritsche, who is penciled in at left wing on the third line, agreed to terms on a two-year contract. Players are to report for physicals today and begin on-ice workouts Friday, and the Blue Jackets have their team.
"It has been a tough summer, tough on everybody," MacLean said. "There?s no question, it was important to have the team set heading into camp. The Carter deal, the timing was just right. He was anxious to get a contract, and we were anxious (to replace Zherdev?s scoring). It?s just a real good fit."
Carter signed a one-year contract worth $2.5 million. The salary is in line with the Jackets? last offer to Zherdev, for three years at $2.3 million a season.
Zherdev?s agent, Rolland Hedges, said the Carter signing "doesn?t surprise me. I?ve thought they would want to trade Nikolai or keep him in Russia. We knew Doug?s position, and now we know the next step. What?s the next step after this? That is the question."
Does Zherdev now want a trade?
"We asked Columbus to trade him months ago if they couldn?t sign him," Hedges said. "As I?ve told everyone, Nikolai wants to play in the NHL."
MacLean has been adamant: He?s not trading Zherdev. MacLean recently told a satellite radio audience that Zherdev, who is playing for Khimik Voskresenk in Russia, can stay "in that developmental league" for the year and face a $500,000 offer when he decides to return.
MacLean toned down his rhetoric last night.
"I?ve met with ownership and discussed the matter at great length," MacLean said. "We are committed to negotiating with Zherdev. ? It (an agreement) is just not happening right now. For whatever reason, we just haven?t been able to find common ground. We can?t agree on comparables."
It?s unlikely a deal will get done between now and Oct. 6, when Zherdev?s contract with his Russian league team kicks in for the full season. He will make more than $1.5 million, tax-free.
Enter Carter, who was thought to be close to re-signing with Vancouver before the Canucks ran short of salary-cap space. Only recently has Carter been entertaining offers from other teams.
"Whether I was going to sign in July or September, it wasn?t going to affect the way I train," Carter said. "I wanted to check the lay of the land, which is a luxury you have as an unrestricted free agent. I wanted to find a place where I could fit in, where there was potential for team success, and where, potentially, I could put down some roots and maybe be there long term."
He?s attractive to the Blue Jackets on many levels. He?s known as a conscientious two-way player, so he?s comfortable alongside younger players. He?s a right-hand shot and he?s strong in front of the net, both assets for the power play. And he?s a consistent scorer with a proven record of turning garbage into goals.
Carter has scored 40 or more points in seven of his eight full seasons in the league. He has reached 60 points twice. Last season, he had 33 goals, a career high, playing on a line with the Sedin twins in Vancouver.
Carter should fit nicely among the Blue Jackets? cast of top-six forwards, which includes centers Sergei Fedorov and Gilbert Brule, left wingers Rick Nash and Fredrik Modin and right winger David Vyborny.
"There?s a great mix of top-six forwards, and it?s just a great fit for me," Carter said. "Whoever they ask me to play with, I?m going to do my best to make the team better."
Carter?s agent, Pat Brisson, said he opened a dialogue with MacLean last week. Brisson said $2.5 million is "fair-market value" on a one-year contract for a player of Carter?s ilk. He added that the Blue Jackets? youthful talent was a powerful attraction.
"He?s going to the right environment and he?s very excited," Brisson said. "He wants to produce and hopefully sign a longer-term deal."
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

MacLean comes up with a beautiful quick fix for Jackets

Thursday, September 14, 2006


BOB HUNTER

<!--PHOTOS--><TABLE class=phototableright align=right border=0><!-- begin large ad code --><TBODY><TR><TD width=200>

• The Sports Hot Issue: What's your reaction to the Blue Jackets signing Anson Carter and likely facing the 2006-07 season without Nikolai Zherdev?
• Carter in; Zherdev out
• Fritsche gives in, accepts contract
• MacLean comes up with a beautiful quick fix for Jackets

</TD></TR><TR><TD><TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>

</IMG> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

It?s almost a match made in hockey heaven. Anson Carter, an excellent NHL forward who had all but priced himself out of a shrinking market. Doug MacLean, an NHL team president who faced a hole the size of the Ukraine in his offense when his last reasonable offer of three years for $6.9 million to Nikolai Zherdev went nowhere.
Gentleman, could you both give us a cheerful "I do" and maybe a sigh of relief for the camera?
Just like that Carter has a place to play and the gaping hole in the Blue Jackets? lineup has closed. The move leaves MacLean free to bleat like a billy goat at his former first-round draft pick and boast that he wasn?t kidding when he said he was prepared to let him stay in Russia.
After a puzzling summer of negotiations, it was a brilliant move on MacLean?s part, because the team might actually be better this season with Carter in the lineup than it would have been with Zherdev. There?s no way to know, of course ? as a rising young star, Zherdev might have scored 50 goals and Carter?s most productive offensive season was the 33 he scored last year for Vancouver ? but Carter is big and strong and a nine-year veteran whose NHL game is more polished than Zherdev?s.
The move also helps assuage, at least temporarily, a public-relations crisis that threatened to drive a rift between the Blue Jackets? front office and the team?s fans. Two weeks ago when MacLean offered Zherdev only a two-year deal for $3.7 million and said he could stay in Russia if he didn?t accept it, a column here opposing that hard-line position drew a remarkable 61-2 e-mail tally in Zherdev?s favor.
To his credit, MacLean softened his position and gave Zherdev a good three-year offer, and when agent Rolland Hedges came back with a $9 million counter from The Twilight Zone ? this supposedly because MacLean refused to negotiate earlier ? the Blue Jackets president countered with an even better one. Hedges, probably sensing that he had a superior negotiating position, moved only slightly and here we are: Carter, who has been waiting all summer for a team to meet his price, now has a nice chunk of Zherdev?s money ($2.5 million) and is a Blue Jacket.
Were it not for salary-cap issues, Carter likely would have already signed with one of several NHL teams that coveted his services. But he does not come totally risk free, despite his 55-point season last season with Vancouver.
A sports hernia limited his production in 2003-04 to 15 goals, and some believe his best point production with the Canucks had more to do with his linemates, Henrik and Daniel Sedin, than it did him. On the other hand, the Sedins also had their most productive seasons, so it could be the other way around.
Besides, Carter had two productive seasons before that (55 and 60 points for Edmonton) and he figures to go on the right side of a talented top-two line in Columbus.
The only downside to the deal is that it dropped a hydrogen bomb into the smoldering dispute between MacLean and Zherdev, whose agent immediately demanded a trade. Although MacLean has vowed repeatedly not to trade him, it?s difficult to imagine Zherdev happily returning from Russia in 2007 and settling in for a long, productive career with the Blue Jackets.
As an organization, the Blue Jackets would be better off with a happy young star who wants to play in Columbus forever than a happy 32-year-old with a one-year contract.
But under the circumstances, this was a terrific move.

Bob Hunter is a sports columnist for The Dispatch
.
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

BLUE JACKETS NOTEBOOK
Fritsche gives in, accepts contract

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Michael Arace
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

<!--PHOTOS--><TABLE class=phototableright align=right border=0><!-- begin large ad code --><TBODY><TR><TD width=200>

• The Sports Hot Issue: What's your reaction to the Blue Jackets signing Anson Carter and likely facing the 2006-07 season without Nikolai Zherdev?
• Carter in; Zherdev out
• Fritsche gives in, accepts contract
• MacLean comes up with a beautiful quick fix for Jackets

</TD></TR><TR><TD><TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>

</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>JAMES D . DECAMP COLUMBUS DISPATCH </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Dan Fritsche is only guaranteed a major-league salary next season. If he doesn?t make the Jackets roster this season, he?ll be paid just $60,000. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


Restricted free agent Dan Fritsche has had a two-year offer sitting on the table for a couple of weeks. Last night, he told his agent, Tom Laidlaw, to accept the deal.
"The reality is, the player wanted to accept the offer and get in there and play for the Columbus Blue Jackets," Laidlaw said. "He wanted to get a deal done."
The first year of the deal is two-way, worth $475,000 at the major-league level and $60,000 at the minor-league level. The second year is guaranteed at $750,000.
Fritsche?s side had balked at the nonguaranteed first year. Formerly, it was guaranteed, but that changed after it was determined that Fritche is not eligible for waivers until next year ? which is to say the Jackets gained more leverage, and they used it.
"I was really just getting sick about the fact of not being in training camp, when all I want to be doing is playing hockey," Fritsche said. "If all my teammates were there and I?m not, I just really didn?t want to do that. It?s been a long summer already; I hate the business part."
Earlier yesterday, Laidlaw and Blue Jackets president and general manager Doug MacLean were not only at loggerheads about the contract, but about whether Fritsche would be allowed to report without a contract.
Fritsche wanted to report, but MacLean said he wouldn?t allow it without a contract. MacLean said he didn?t want "the distraction."
As of this morning, bygones are bygones.
"We?ve agreed to terms, and I?m obviously happy about that," MacLean said. "He?s a good prospect for us, and we want him to have a great year."
Games apace

The Blue Jackets will have their first on-ice workout Friday, although many of the players have been skating together, informally, for many days. They?ll be hit with a string of exhibitions, straightaway.
The Blue Jackets play host to the Nashville Predators on Sunday in Nationwide Arena. It will be the first of six exhibitions in eight days. The stretch includes four games on consecutive days, Sept. 21-24.
"If we stay healthy, it?s perfect," coach Gerard Gallant said. "We can look at a lot of guys and try a lot of things. (At the end of the month), we?ve got four days off, then a game (at Carolina on Sept. 29) where we can play our top guys, and then a week off to work before the start of the regular season. I like the way it?s laid out."
[email protected]

 

[Fungo Squiggly]

i have no idea. i knew a signing was comming but i didnt expect a carter caliber guy. (my expectation was the next notch down)

carter is a guy with over six hundred nhl games to his belt and almost 200 goals and a shade over 202 assists. hes solid on both ends of the ice with 33 goals and 20some helpers last year. any time you can sign a guy with 8 40plus point seasons hes gonna help your club, especially if hes a solid defensive player like carter. he wont take a lot of penalties and is a surefire top six caliber forward (amazingly it wasnt to long ago i really could look you in the eye and honestly say we had 2 guys as good as carter in our forwards.)

on sherdev. i dont know. will he be traded? if they can get decent value out of him. will they let him rot in russia? hes done enough to the club to let him hang around in russia for 4 years if you ask me. or will he be signed after oct 4th and play in columbus next year. or will he be signed and in columbus before the first gmea? who knows. i cant get shit out of anyone.

i think the question was z to lupoul. seems zherdevs people think nik is worth more. id disagree, using frolov amongst others. id like to see nik sign a contract of some sort and prove his worth. (granted i dont want to pull a nyii and give the kid a 10 or fifteen year deal)

what do you think of zherdev, carter bk?

I don't really know what to make of this mess. It doesn't seem to me that the Jackets are being unfair to Nik. Just seems like, for whatever reason, he (or his agent) has gotten it in his head that MacLean has it out for Z and is low-balling him. Hard to figure.

I don't really see this Carter signing as an either/or type deal, though. If Nik changes his mind and wants to sign, I don't think MacLean refuses to take him back. The kid's just so damn talented.

right now you are looking at
nash/fed/vyborny
modin/brule/carter
chimera/malhotra/picard
shelley/svitov/balastik

with hartigan/fritsche in their somewheres

If Z comes back, I'd love to see this:

Nash/Brule/Vybory
Modin/Federov/Zherdev - RED LINE! Damn Russkies!!!!:tongue2:
Chimera/Malhotra/Carter
Fritsche/Hartigan/Picard

That fourth line is hard to figure. I'd love to see Fritsche & Picard on a line together. The energy they bring to every game is really something. Not a whole lot of "skill" per se, but putting a skilled-guy like Hartigan in between them couldn't hurt.
I just don't see the need for a big lumbering guy like Shelley anymore. Svitov didn't impress me in his time here a couple years back. I do like Balastik, and the team may be better with him on the 4th in place of one of Fritsche or Picard, but he's pretty much one-dimensional (as a shooter and not much else).

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. I sure hope Z comes back, but if he doesn't...oh, well. He can stay in Russia. His problem, not mine.

 

[jimotis4heisman]

my personal thoughts on z are the same as yours.
a pic, he doesnt seem to have some of the obvious "skills" but hes the type of player you need come playoff time. hes a hardworker and does all the little things.
i agree on shelley, in reality i hope to see svitov weed shelley out of the picture. although he will never live up to his billing (as a top of 1st round guy) i def think he can bring more skill and hopefully a willingness to drop the mitts and play a phyiscal brand to protect his skill guys.
on jaro balastik two words, so specialist it has become a very important thing. i hope to see his all around game evolve more towards the na game. hes always going to skate slow as death, but better postioning could make it a little less obvious.
modin is actually a sweede too.

all things said, this is i believe the best team columbus has ever put on the ice opening night.

 

[Fungo Squiggly]

my personal thoughts on z are the same as yours.
a pic, he doesnt seem to have some of the obvious "skills" but hes the type of player you need come playoff time. hes a hardworker and does all the little things.
i agree on shelley, in reality i hope to see svitov weed shelley out of the picture. although he will never live up to his billing (as a top of 1st round guy) i def think he can bring more skill and hopefully a willingness to drop the mitts and play a phyiscal brand to protect his skill guys.
on jaro balastik two words, so specialist it has become a very important thing. i hope to see his all around game evolve more towards the na game. hes always going to skate slow as death, but better postioning could make it a little less obvious.
modin is actually a sweede too.

Hmmm...not sure why I thought Modin was Russian. Oops. :!

all things said, this is i believe the best team columbus has ever put on the ice opening night.

I agree. If the goaltending is good, there is no reason this team shouldn't be in the playoffs. Of course, I've thought that same thing the last several seasons, so what the heck do I know?