Even more Zubov

CNNSI's Allen Muir chimes in on the Zubov "mystery":

No one questions Zubov's talent. The question is whether he can utilize it. Surgery on a sports hernia and a hip limited the defender, who turns 39 next week, to 56 games over the past two seasons with the Dallas Stars; just 10 of them in 2008-09. He last played on November 28, and while doctors have said he'll be ready to go for the upcoming season, they have in the past erred on the side of optimism with Zubov.

Still, in a league where Claude Lemieux found gainful employment after four years spent cashing pension checks, you know there are going to be some tire-kickers. Considering what Zubov might bring to the table, there should be 30 of them, but his agent, Jay Grossman, says nine teams have expressed interest. The Bruins (cap issues be damned), Rangers, Devils, Blue Jackets (where former coach Ken Hitchcock could really use Zubov's help on the PP) and Blues are thought to be among them. But none have yet been willing to pull the trigger.

I'm sure he'd love to stay in Dallas but should that not work out (which is the way it's lookin) and even if it takes pliers to pry my off my homer hat, I just can't help but think Columbus would be a perfect destination fo Zubov.

Unfortunately as it's been hashed and re-hashed at lot has to fall in place to make it work.

* Zubov would have to want to come to Columbus
* Zubov would have to take a reduced incentive laden deal
* Howson would have to find a way to clear out a veteran winger and that salary

It makes so much sense that it probably won't happen.

Check out this nugget from that same article:

Interest in Alex Tanguay is starting to build. The Panthers, who've lost Richard Zednik and Ville Peltonen, need a top-six body up front and were rumored to have signed the winger yesterday. Those rumors were denied late in the day by a team official. Whispers suggest the Predators and Blue Jackets also are sniffing around the speedy winger, despite his coming off a career-low 41-point campaign. He could be snapped up as soon as this weekend . . .

Apparently somebody forgot to look at our traffic jam of wingers. No chance.

Good read here from Lindsay Kramer about next year's crunch team. Check out this little nugget:

Syracuse will be hard-pressed to win any game in which the opponent scores more than a couple of goals. After MacKenzie and Pelletier, who is the go-to guy? Pic? Maybe, but as soon as he, or anyone, gets hot, you know he's going up. Mayorov is still inconsistent, and I'm hearing bad things about Legein's outlook on possibly playing with the Crunch.

Lots of speculation in that line but absolutely nothing would surprise me about Legein. If that kid thinks he's got a free ride to the NHL after the stunt he pulled last summer he's got another thing comin. He's lucky to even have a roster spot in the AHL.

He can't be that ignorant.... can he?

-LTL

Oh Eklund...why the Jackets won't acquire Tanguay

Let me start by saying I'm not an Eklund hater. The guy has found a niche as a NHL rumor monger and gives NHL fanboys (like myself) across the web all kinds of fodder to chew on.

..but....if its not obvious to you by now, all he's basically doing is throwing shit against the wall and seeing what sticks. There really doesn't seem to be a whole lot of thought put behind some of his rumors -- especially teams not named Philadelphia or Toronto.

So his latest Jackets rumor has the Jackets interested in Alex Tanguay of the Calgary Flames. Tanguay is an excellent player. He a 28 year old winger whose making 5.375 million this season and next. His best years came as a Colorado Avalanche where he scored 70+ point 3 out of the 6 years he was there. He's solid - real solid.

The probelm is that wing is the deepest position the Jackets have. If they are going to throw money around they need to throw it at center and defense and Howson knows this. Sure if the Jackets had the luxury of spending to the cap then Tanguay may make sense -- the problem is they can't thus they need to fill their biggest needs first before looking at positions of relative strength.

Yes he can score, but the Jackets need transition players on defense and centers who can get the puck to guys like Nash, Modin and Chimera....and Tanguay while a better playmaker than those three would still need people to get him the puck.

So unless JMac really increases the budget for next year which would still allow for Howson to fill bigger needs in the offseason, I would not count on Tanguay becoming a Jacket any time soon.

-LTL