Army of one

Let's talk a little CBJ leadership shall we?

When Rick Nash was drafted back in 2002 as the #1 overall pick the hope was that Nash would develop into the player and captain that the franchise could build around for the next two decades.

Fast forward 7 seasons later and not only is Rick Nash entering his 2nd full season as Blue Jackets captain but he is signed for the next 9 seasons.

Nash aspires to lead in the mold of a Joe Sakic and Steve Yzerman. Two long tenured captains who led by example on the ice and when they chose to spoke players stopped what they were doing to listen. I couldn't think of two better leaders both on and off the ice to look up to (okay..maybe Ray Bourque but that's just b/c he's my boy).

The Nash "plan" has certainly taken shape.

With 61 fully entrenched as the undisputed leader of this team for the next decade I thought it would be interesting to take at look at who will be his supporting cast for the upcoming season.

More specifically who gets the As?

Every year Hitch defines his "leadership group" in camp. The idea - he coaches the leaders and the leaders are expected to get buy in from the rest of the team. He also leans on these individuals during the ups/downs an 82 game season brings.

If I recall correctly here was last year's leadership group:

Nash
Peca
Malhotra
Modin
Klesla
Commodore

We know Peca and Malhotra will not return. From what I recall all 6 of these players shared the A at some point during the season with all the injuries.

There are a lot of worthy candidates on this Jackets squad for next season that could certainly be a part of this leadership group which is a testament to the type of players Howson has assembled.

I can't see Hitch removing Modin, Klesla or Commodore so it's a question of who replaces Peca and Manny?

I think RJ Umberger is an absolute lock to be a part of this group. As Aaron Portzline has put it so well a number of times - RJ has become the conscious of this team.

The final spot is a bit of a tossup.

At 30 years young Jason Chimera is one of the longest tenured Jackets who baring a trade will be entering his 5th season as a Jacket. I could see him being a guy who quickly gains the trust of the younger players and can fill that communication gap.

Jan Hejda puts in a hard honest night's effort night in and night out and I'm sure he would do whatever was asked of him. On the flip side I don't see him as the kind of guy who would take offense to not being a part of that group. Basically he's the ultimate team guy.

Sammy Pahlsson is the wild card for me. Commodore showed you don't have to be a long tenured Jacket to assume a leadership role. With such a well defined role on the team and being a seasoned veteran in this league he has a very real shot to fill one of those vacant leadership roles.

Fedor Tyutin has quickly become the Jackets best all around defensemen but may not be quite ready to assume a defined leadership role as he continues to round out his game. He's not going anywhere for a while so it wouldn't surprise me if he's part of that group sooner than later.

Raffi Torres is certainly a guy who has been through the nightly NHL battles and has leadership qualities but I think Hitch will want his full focus on getting his game back to his pre-injury level and let's face it, with his contract situation he may not be here past this year.

Antoine Vermette just hasn't been here long enough. If he does get extended his role as a leader could evolve quickly.

Kristian Huselius although he's a good teammate and by all accounts a respected veteran in the locker room it's just not in his persona.

Steve Mason was very vocal last season and I expect that to continue. I don't expect him to be included in this leadership team but regardless as the #1 guy Mase will have a voice in that locker room and in the media. It's just how it works.

Brassard, Voracek, Boll, Methot, Dorsett, Russell, Murray, Filatov.... certainly some of them possess leadership qualities (Brassard immediately comes to mind) but for now they won't be leaned on for any of that heavy lifting. That is for the veterans to shoulder and for the young guys to sit back, listen and learn.

So if I were a betting man here is my guess for Hitch's leadership group for the 2009-2010 season:

Nash - C
Klesla
Modin
Commodore - A
Umberger - A
Chimera

Chimera edges Pahlsson for his ability to communicate with the young players. Since I'm not in that locker I have no idea if this is true or not but it's just an educated guess based on Chimmer's personality and disposition.

Now there certainly isn't a rule that this group has to be a min/max of 6 players so perhaps Hitch goes with only 5 guys or maybe on top of Umberger he adds both Pahlsson and Chimera for a total of 7. Whatever is decided Hitch fully knows that there is such a thing as having too many chiefs and not enough indians.

Check out the new poll and vote on who you think will replace Manny and Peca in Hitch's leadership group. You can select multiple players.

-LTL

Build me up buttercup

The scene was the offseason before 2006-2007 season. Newly hired GM Scott Howson just returned from a personal trip to Ottawa with one purpose - resurrect Nikolai Zherdev.

Zherdev was coming off a holdout season in which he scored 10g, 22a for 32p and a -19. Howson knew for the Jackets to have any kind of success in the upcoming season he had to get buy in from the enigmatic winger.

Perhaps even more importantly was if Howson ever hoped to trade Zherdev and get something of value in return he knew he needed a much better performance from the former 2003 4th overall draft pick. They needed to not only resurrect the play of Zherdev but to rebuild his value on the market.

The first step was to show Zherdev the organization has confidence in him and views him as an integral piece to the coming season. Thoughts I'm sure were passed along on Howson's Ottawa visit.

The second step was to let his Stanley Cup winning career coach Ken Hitchcock sink his meat hooks into him. The question was what would come out of the Hithcock player processing plant -- a oscar meyer weiner or a filet mignon?

Hitch certainly didn't produce a filet mignon but he most certainly didn't produce weiner either.

I would say Zherdev's career high 26g 35a for 61p put him right in that Texas Roadhouse t-bone steak category.

That season made him just a juicy enough target for some GMs to wet their appetite's over.

If you recall the previous day the Jackets had swung and missed on Wade Redden. They pushed real hard for him but ultimately lost out to the bright lights and original 6 allure of the New York Rangers.

Ultimately that turned out to be the best non-deal in the Jackets 9 year history as the following day Howson received a call from Glen Sather who had too many defensemen signed and not enough cap space to address their offensive holes.

The Jackets had long since coveted defensemen Fedor Tyutin and to make the deal work had to swallow Christian Backman's 3.5 mil for a year. A few phone calls and trade proposals later and a deal was struck.

The final deal?

The Jackets would send Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche over to the Rangers in exchange for Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman.

Howson was absolutely hammered by many in the hockey community including a good number of the Jackets faithful. Many questioned how could Howson deal his second leading scorer on a team that couldn't score goals as it was for a 2nd pairing defensemen? Certainly a fair question at the time.

Instead of re-typing what I think my thoughts were at the time I'll just paste them straight from that post:

Zherdev is/was not in this team's long term plans. You have to remember that when evaluating this deal. If there is any doubt about that he was it was answered this afternoon.

He has been rumored to be on the move looong before today. The biggest knock on him was his inconsistency. He was a dis-connected player that did not fit the mold that this team moving towards. He razzled he dazzled but when the game got tough he disappeared most nights. The Jackets loved his talent - hated his competitiveness. He was never going to be re-signed after his contract expired next season and he certainly did not have the value that many think he did.

Sure he turned it around and had a much better season last year - at least the first 3/4ths of it until he packed it in. Heck, this time last year Z wouldn't have returned a 2nd round pick.

The Jackets are moving in a new direction. They know the kind of team they want to build and Z isn't a part of that.

Right now was the time to move him given his contract and given his season. There is no doubt in my mind.

I'm not sure everyone realizes the kind of player we got back for him. Make no mistake about it Fedor Tyutin is the return on this deal. Tyutin is a 24 year old 6'3" 210lb mobile defensemen.

Sportsnet.ca:

Assets
Features an impressive all-around arsenal. Has an ideal body for the defense position and excellent hockey sense.

Flaws
Could stand to add more muscle to his 6-2 frame. Needs to work on his play without the puck and adjust to the speed of the pro game.

Career potential
Top four defenseman.

This guy is signed for 4 years at an average of 2.84 million. He's got 3 pro years under his belt scoring 20, 14 & 25. This dude is only going to get better and better. He instantly improves our backend.

Tyutin fits the mold of the kind of players the Jackets have acquired. Young competitive players in their 20s who are only going to get better and grow with the Nashes, Leclaires, Kleslas, Brassards, Voraceks, Russells, Umbergers, Torres, Filatovs of this team.

Don't think for a second that Howson isn't going to address the hole left by Z. They are burning up the phone lines now looking to address those holes.

I really like this deal as I've liked Tyutin for quite a while. It makes sense as long as we fill the vacant holes on offense because as much as I won't miss Z he did score 60+ points for us last year on a team that couldn't score goals. That production needs addressed.

Of course later on that very same evening Howson nabbed Kristian Huselius to fill that offensive void left by the enigmatic one.

Now with the announcement that the Rangers have walked away from Zherdev making him a unrestricted free agent Howson looks like a genius. Backman is now off the books (thankfully) and Tyutin went on to score a career high 34 points and has become an integral part of the Jackets defense. He's also signed for 3 more seasons at a bargain price.

My point to this entire thing? If Howson hadn't reached out to Zherdev in that 2006-2007 offseason and Hitch hadn't been able to motivate and help rebuild Zherdev's game perhaps Fedor Tyutin is never a Jacket? Perhaps it's the Jackets walking away from this award with nothing in return?

I can get used to this competent leadership thing.

-LTL

Congrats Hitch!

As you've probably heard by now Hitch has been named as an assistant coach to the 2010 Team Canada Olympic team.

That is one helluva an honor and just goes to show we have one of the best coaching right here in Columbus.

Now maybe he can steal some PP strategies from Babcock.... that or sneak a Lidstrom back in his duffle bag.

-LTL

Whose line is it anyways?

Puck-rakers has posted the latest lines used in today's practice:

F1: Rick Nash -- Jason Williams -- Jake Voracek
F2: Kristian Huselius -- Manny Malhotra -- R.J. Umberger
F3: Andrew Murray -- Chris Gratton -- Derek Dorsett
F4: Raffi Torres -- Jiri Novotny -- Jared Boll

They also go on to note that both Michael Peca and Jason Chimera took "maintenance days".

Couple of thoughts here.

* Its definitely time to shake up the Juice/Nash pairing. They have both thrown up some points lately but the chemistry just seems off.

As Hitch mentioned on his radio show today Nash is not driving the net like he does when he's at the top of his game. He's been more of a perimeter guy lately and that's not what, where or how you want our 6'4" 220lb power forward playing.

I really really like the idea of Voracek with him at this point in the season as his game is progressing. He's a natural right wing (which allows Nash to go back to his left wing spot), he's skating well at NHL tempo, he's playing with a lot energy and he's using his vision to make those quick little plays that can free up a guy like Nash to do his thing. Maybe this shakeup sparks Nash's game and renews his energy. Voracek just has to be careful to not force feed any pucks.

* Juice is a guy I think can play with anyone. He knows how to create space and use any linemate given to him. The key for him is to not only shoot to keep his defenders honest, but to hit the net! Make the goalie make a save. He'll be playing with the hottest Jacket offensively in Umberger who is just so damn good around the net and lately the best forward driving the net... Get shots on net and let RJ cleanup up the rebounds or get a redirection.

* Not happy with Manny in the top 6 but who else is there? Manny's job won't change and that is to work hard in all 3 zones, win some key faceoffs and get the puck to the creators.

* Jason Williams quickly finds himself elevated to the first line. Williams as we know can shoot..he can also make a play...but he also gets caught going east/west more often than not and isn't the most efficient back/forechecker . He needs to keep his game north/south.

* My biggest concern w/ the Nash-Williams-Voracek line -- who is the worker? You'd hate to put that on a 19 year old's shoulders but unless this line plays a puck possession style and creates everything off the rush every shift the only guy who has shown enough energy to get deep on a forecheck and work for a turnover is Voracek.

* Chimera with the "maintenance day". Hitch also hinted today on his show that they may "shut him down". Clearly he's still bothered by his groin and Chimera without his speed has been a vastly ineffective player. He needs to rest until he's back to 100% health. No brainer here to me.

* Peca on the other hand I believe will be back in the lineup after taking a day off. Peca has been okay but he's generating next to no offense. He's got 4a in his last 15 games. I suspect he'll be in the lineup tomorrow against one of his former squad's in Edmonton.. probably in the 3rd line center knocking Gratton to the 4th.

* I'd also consider shutting down Torres. Torres has been largely ineffective but a 70% Torres getting 8 minutes a night is probably a better option than a 100% Novotny. Can't be missing open nets at this stage of the season with this much on the line.

* I like Gratton between any of these 3 players: Boll/Dorsett/Murray. This could be a terrific energy line.

* Next question.. how long until Hitch goes back with Nash and Juice if things don't quick immediately with these lines?

I know these lines are always fluid but I really like what Hitch has come up with here and hope he gives them a good run before shaking them back up.

Defensively it looks like the pairs will remain in tact. Commodore and Hejda have hit a rough patch over the last stretch while Tyutin really fought the puck last night... especially on special teams. Those 3 guys are the keys on the blueline and need to get their games cleaned up.

It really looks like the Backman run in a CBJ sweater is coming to a close. Aaron Rome is going to have to really play poorly to lose his roster spot -- this is a fantastic opportunity for him to show he belongs in the NHL for good this time.... let's hope he grabs it and doesn't let go.

Also just a heads up that I'll be live bloggin on deadline day so stop on in throughout the day. It really is one of the best "hockey days" of the year.

You've probably already read it but Howson talks about being a "buyer" in today's Dispatch:

"I believe we have a good chance to get in (the Stanley Cup playoffs) this season," general manager Scott Howson said. "We're not subtracting from our roster, I can tell you that."

"I'll be very surprised if I move a first-round pick," Howson said. "It would have to be a significant player, not just a rental."

No surprise there. Unless its a co-ed like a "Jordan Staal" don't expect any young blue chip assets or 1st round picks to move anywhere.

I voted Jeff Halpren in the poll but if Buffalo makes someone like Tim Connoly available for a 2nd round pick or lower then I really believe Howson has to roll the dice on that player. Antropov leads the way with 28% of the votes but I think Burke will want to much for him which will put Howson out of the running.

For those that want instant trade deadline news -- you can sign up here from NHL.com for mobile trade alerts.

Finally a programming alert for you.

The 15th ranked hockey Buckeyes will be televised live this Friday on the NHL Network (which I think has a free preview running) against #7 Miami. That game will be in Oxford but the Buckeyes will play them at home the following night at Value City Arena -- the Jackets have that night off so if you don't have plans here you go! I'll certainly be there!

-LTL

Stonewall?

Via Sportsnet:

Mason, who didn't even get his first start until Nov. 5 when he beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-4, has been nothing short of spectacular since that game. Through January 13, Mason is 16-9-1 and leads the NHL in goals-against average (1.80), save percentage (.936) and shutouts (six). Folks in Columbus (not exactly a hockey hotbed) have even begun calling the Oakville, ON-native Stonewall Mason.

Apparently I didn't get the memo but hey, I'm flexible. Its certainly better than Stevie "Franchise"... of which Ronny "Franchise" Francis was tagged that many moons and Whalers ago.

Plus the "Stonewall" name has civil war connections - albiet a Confederate one.

Lovin the pub though.

Speaking of hockey hotbeds... ESPN (not really) is sending out some CBJ love which an entry titled We're eating our words about Columbus ...

What the last month has also taught Hitchcock is that, regardless who is in his lineup, the Jackets have finally become a team after searching for an identity over the first two months of the season.

"I think what's happened here is a really good lesson for me and for everybody else," said Hitchcock. "Accountability takes time. It doesn't happen overnight. We made a lot of good changes over the summer for our team moving forward. But just because you add a bunch of guys to the locker room doesn't mean you're a team. I think what's happened is the grind of the schedule and the adversity we've gone through has helped make us more cohesive. Our team is starting to realize we can win games if we just become the sum of parts."

The one person Hitchcock didn't mention in all of this was the coach. We'll take care of that. Once again proving he is indeed one of the elite coaches in this league, Hitchcock has found a way to squeeze juice out of a rock over the last month. If the Jackets somehow make the playoffs, he should be considered for the Jack Adams Award.

You aren't the only one eating some of your words ESPN.. save some table space for me.

..and if Hitch gets this squad into the playoffs he better be in that Jack Adams discussion. The way this team has held things together and thrived over the past couple of weeks with all these injuries really is something special and Hitch has been a big part of that.

Derek MacKenzie has been sent down to make room for Raffi Torres.

I really like MacKenzie as a depth guy.. I love the energy he brings every shift. I hope he eventually stick with a club somewhere but for now its nice having him as an option.

As for Raffi hopefully this is the moment where he finally gets over the hump with his injuries. We've seen some flashes of what he can bring to this squad over the 14 games he's played but those injuries keep getting in the way. No doubt his rugged style will compliment this lineup.

So the question now is who is next?

If Rick Nash and Andrew Murray come of the IR which could come as early as today the Jackets are going to need to clear out some roster space.

Guys on the bubble would be: Alex Picard, Craig MacDonald & Nikita Filatov

If Rick Nash is back I think Filatov is sent down. Filatov is a top 6 skill player and was recalled to replace Nash which he did admirably (visions of his hat trick still dancin in my head). However the Jackets want this kid developing and playing key minutes so he can solidfy his spot in the lineup next year --- there is no reason to keep him up and play him 4 minutes a night. Let him develop -- didn't hurt Brassard right?

If Murray comes back then things get interesting. Which guy do you send down between Picard and MacDonald? Both have played well. I think you choose the one least likely to get claimed on waivers (although I read somewhere that Picard may not have to pass through them again due to some 30 day rule). Personally I think Picard stays up and they'll send MacDonald down.

The roster should look something like this:

Top 6: Nash, Huselius, Voracek, Umberger, Modin, Malhotra
Bottom 6: Boll, Peca, Torres, Murray, Dorsett, Williams
Scratch: Picard

In case you hadn't heard yet Brendan Shanahan has signed with the New Jersey Devils and will finish the year with them.... and whadyaknow -- the Jackets will be his first game back tonight.

Hopefully he doesn't shake off the rust until his second game!

Finally the Jackets look to be on the hunt for a goaltender. How serious they get will depend on Leclaire and the report they get on his ankle.

This comment from Leclaire didn't strike me the best:

"If I can't play, I can't play," Leclaire said. "But if there's an option and I can come back and play, that's what I want to do."

I'm probably reading into this alot more than I should but it sounds pretty ho-hum. You'd think this guy would be chomping at the bit to get back in there and get his pipes back.

I'll have some pre-game thoughts up a little later today!

-LTL

Shakeup not a question of if...

You know what I'm real sick of? Seeing teams that were better than the Jackets when they entered this league actually become worse than the Jackets for a few years....and are now better than them and contending again.

Teams like Chicago, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Boston, Philly, LA, Carolina...heck even the Rangers were worse than us back in the '04 season. All either are contenders now or have been the last couple of seasons.

Meanwhile, the Jackets continue the same circle of suck.

I look at the standings over the past 8 seasons and the only team that hasn't made the playoffs at least once is the Florida Panthers. Still they've managed 3 seasons of .500 or better hockey in that stretch.

Of course the ultimate measure is to look at our sister expansion team, the Minnesota Wild, a team who has made the playoffs 3 out of their first 7 years including a conference final.

The Jackets are a miracle that they have essentially accomplished nothing in their 7 year existence...outside of a Rocket Richard trophy.

They've have never played .500 hockey. They have averaged the highest first round pick since they came into the league. They have averaged 69 points per year with their best coming last year @ 80. Their best finish in the division was 3rd in 2005-2006. They've blown through 4 coaches and are on their 2nd GM. They've never been good enough to sniff the playoffs, lucky enough to win the lottery or bad enough to guarantee a top 2 two impact player (without trading up).

This season the playoffs are now a pipe dream. Their PP is the worst in the league. Their offense has collapsed like the stock market after a 21 rookie went on the shelf. With 6 of their next 7 on the road the Jackets will likely fall out of contention by the mid January.

This team is fragile, complacent and lacks any killer instinct. Yeah they have competed most nights but if you don't have wins to show for it...so what?

They are not nearly good while also being not nearly bad enough.

I read message boards where season ticket holders are finally saying enough is enough. I want to tell them a bad hockey team is better than no hockey team but how can you say that to folks who have shelled their hard earned cash for 8 years...stood by this franchise with a year of no hockey...and haven't been rewarded with a team that can at least play .500 hockey? Its embarrassing to even type that... I mean .500 hockey still blows but I suspect many folks paying the bills would consider that a positive step.

These are folks who drag their butts out to support this team in horrible conditions like against LA only to watch a group of paid professional athletes sleepwalk their way through a game.

Its unacceptable and its not the fans fault. They've stood by this team longer than most fans in any city of any team with a similar losing record would. In fact I'd challenge anyone to find better numbers with a similar track record.

I'm not sure how you can fix what ails this franchise...the disappointment almost seems to just linger in the fibers of anyone who straps that jersey on. Moves are made but the holes and results remain the same.

I realize there are up and downs in a season and this is a very big down right now but I can't stomach anymore the Jackets are 'x' amount of points out of a playoff spot. I've heard it for 7 seasons and we know those results. They need to be in the playoffs right now!This season is on the same path as the rest. At this point this team is what it is -- ain't no magical trade going to fix it.

One thing is for sure...if the panic button wasn't hit yet....Howson better be whacking it with a sledge hammer now as this season is spiraling out of control.

Its not a question of if at this point, but a question of when....when does the shakeup come?

First things first... Howson and Hitch aren't going anywhere. Howson will be given more than two years and Hitch just signed a 3 year extension that kicks in the start of next year. Quite frankly I don't think it does any good to throw more turmoil into the front office or coaching staff right now - we need some stability there. Howson has rid himself of some fat but he has got to start filling some real holes now. We all know what they are.

So if not a coaching or GM change then what?

I think Howson makes a couple of mid level moves which has been hinted in the paper (i.e bring in a guy like Doug Weight) to try to keep the Jackets in it...ultimately its just a band aid on a broken leg that's not going to heal anything.

I think a much bigger shakeup will need to occur most likely in the offseason unless something presents itself sooner...unlikely.

This team has got to get much stronger up the middle of the ice and it has got to upgrade its skill on the blueline. This will drastically improve our scoring punch and special teams.

I know some are saying.. well that's just great LTL....why not throw me a winning lottery ticket while your at it. How do you propose we get those assets Captain Obvious?

Let me ask you a question. Who or what are the Jackets most valuable assets? Rick Nash right? Everything says time and time again just get this guy a center and he'll go nuts. Well what about getting a center for Rick Nash?

Here me out.

First off. I love Rick Nash. He is a class act on and off the ice. He is the kind of pro athlest you want your kids looking up to. He is always willing to represent the city of Columbus and we know he's a very talented player. The biased fan in me says no way you can deal this guy....he our captain and face of the franchise....but putting my blind homerism aside for a sec the big picure objective guy in me says lets take a step back and look at the situation.

Nash has never broken 70 points over his 5 year NHL career. He has a good shot this season as TSN has him on pace for 77 points. He is making 6.5 this season and 7 next. That is a lot of dough for a small market team to tie up in their "franchise player" who has yet to lead them even to a .500 record. There are also many nights when he isn't noticeable...which to me you can't have... even if he's not scoring he must be noticable night in and night out.

Lets look at guys who make 6.5+ mil a year:

Ovechkin, Crosby, Richards, Heatley, Chara, Hossa, Lindstrom, Gomez, Thornton, Vanek, Campbell, Drury, Spezza, Iginla, Lundqvist, Lecavalier, Luongo, Khabibulin, Niedermayer, Datsyuk, Boyle, Briere, Redden, Phaneuf, Jovanovski, Kovalchuk, Timonen, Smyth, Kiprusoff & Visnovsky

Add Malkin and Zetterberg in that group next season.

There are some duds in the there who shouldn't be making that dough (Redden, Drury, Smyth), but for those most part these are your impact players in the NHL right now.

Does Nash belong in that group because if the Jackets re-sign him he's going to get at least 7+ mil a year? Over his 5 year career he's scored 39, 57, 54, 57 and 69 points. He's primarily a goal scorer and has topped 30 goals 3 out of those 6 seasos.

Of course on the flip side 40 goal scorers don't grow on trees and Nash is only 24. He should only keep improving both in his skill and leadership abilities.

Some say well just get him a center and he'll be better. My argument is shouldn't your franchise player have the ability to make the players around him better?

If your going to consider moving him now or this summer is the time. He is signed for one more year after this and then he's a UFA. His value will be at his highest this summer and lets be honest here, he may also look to move on as losing year after year will wear on anybody.

Honestly my thoughts are that if things continue on the same route they are there are two things that must happen before next year -- 1. Howson must bring in a legit #1 d-man...and 2. How must either bring Nash a center (unlikely) or consider moving him as the way this team is currently configured with him as the centerpiece is not working.

To get those kinds of assets you have to be willing to part with something significant.

I'll throw one scenario out there just for the sake of discussion: Rick Nash for Eric Staal

Huselius Staal Voracek
Modin Brassard Filatov
Chimera Umberger XXX
Boll XXX Dorsett

Gone: Nash, Malhotra, Novotny, Peca

Kaberle Tyutin
Commodore Hejda
Russell Methot

Gone: Klesla, Backman, Tollefsen

Mason
Leclaire

If I ever consider moving Nash it has to be value for value and I don't move him unless its for a legit young #1 center or for a legit young #1 d-man. I don't ever consider a package of picks or players -- that does us no good and those kinds of deals rarely pay off (think Joe Thornton/Marian Hossa/Roberto Luongo trades) -- we need to address the center of the ice or #1 d-man.

The Hurricanes are sputtering and Eric Staal has been struggling (although he's come alive recently under his new coach) so maybe a guy like that is available. He's signed for the next 4 seasons. I feel we'd be left in decent shape on the wing with a combo of Huselius/Modin/Vorack/Filatov and even moving an Umberger there if needed.

I highly doubt Kaberle waives his NTC to come here but that is the caliber of player the Jackets must acquire. I'm done watching the Jackets PP sputter b/c of lack of skill on the blueline. I offer up our first rounder and what ever 2nd tier prospects/players or additional picks it takes to make a deal. Ain't no UFA of this caliber of player going to sign here like a Bouwmeester so I think it has to come via trade.

I'll throw yet another scenario at you. What if a guy like Evgeni Malkin became available? Nash would sure look good riding shotgun for Crosby....but how would adding the leagues top scorer to the top of this lineup look? I doubt Pitt would part with him, it would take more than Nash to get him and you worry about the Russians bolting at any time but that is the kind of impact player I'm talking about...

Bottom line -- if we miss the playoffs, again, then I'm shaking things up in a big way even if it takes moving the face of the franchise to get it done b/c quite frankly if we haven't been able to take the next step (even if that is a .500 record) with him as the focal point....whose to say we ever will? This market doesn't have the available capital to add another 7 mil a year player to help him

...and with him scheduled to be a UFA after next season this summer a big decision has to be made on the direction to take this franchise. Are the Jackets prepared to tie 7 million up in a guy per season on a long term deal who has yet to crack the 70 point plateau or lead this team into the playoffs?

In losing Nash it would be a big PR hit for the Jackets short term and I'd hate to see him go as he's a very likable guy but my bigger concern at this point is losing this franchise and if this losing continues. who knows what may happen.....

If they miss the playoffs, the Jackets will tie a league record for most consecutive season without the playoffs this season with 8. Its time to start asking/exploring the tough questions.

Enough is enough.

Now all this said, watch 61 get a hat trick tonight.

Fire away - would you ever consider moving Nash? If so, what would it take?

-LTL

What does Nash at center really tell us?

I said yesterday it was time to panic. Well in a certain way I think Hitch's trial of Nash at center shows he agrees. Although you'd never hear it described that way.

How else can you describe the move? Panic, desperation...same thing to me.

Even more importantly I think it sends a message to upper management that he is very unhappy with his center situation.

..and who can blame him?

The only guy up the middle doing anything is a rookie in Derek Brassard. He's played wonderful actually and certainly looks like the real deal. Through 9 games he has as many points (7) as Malhotra, Peca, Umberger and Novotny have combined. Not nearly good enough.

Lets be honest here, I give the Nash experiment at center a period...maybe two. Its not going to work. Just to cover everyone neither will Modin, Voracek, Filatov. Only a few select players can make that transition and have an immediate impact -- Zetterberg is a guy who comes to mind.

After 8 games with RJ up the middle that move has proved to be a bust...he's back at wing at least for now.

Peca, Manny, Novotny and Murray are in no/way/shape/form top six centers. They are not the answers.

However after thinking about this move through the night I now understand its importance as a signal to management that if we are serious about contending, if you really want to "win now" then something has to be done.

The bottom line is that Howson has got to make a move here.

Now I'm not talking about giving up the world to land some elite center. While an elite center would be nice, trading away the young players like Brass/Voracek/Filatov/Mayorov/Mason would be counterproductive to the long term success of the franchise as it appears that we are finally hitting on these guys.

No, what we need is a capable competent player. Now this player isn't going to be perfect. I mentioned in the comments that a Robert Lang type...a veteran guy who knows the game, can put up points and has a short term contract and could be had for a reasonable price could work.

Now if they are willing to part with some young assets then maybe you look for something different which I have an idea I'll share in a bit.

So who do the Jackets target?

If I'm Howson I start with other teams that are struggling out of the gate that may need a shakeup. Ottawa, Islanders, Tampa, Phoenix, LA, Dallas, Atlanta...

Then there are the teams up against the cap like your Wings, Bruins, Ducks, Flyers, Captials. These teams aren't struggling but may want to clear out some salary or make some early adjustments to their squads.

Now its early so teams may be reluctant to deal but I at least get conversations started with them.

Two ideas I'll throw out there.

Michael Nylander. Now stay with me for a sec. I know he's older at age 36 and doesn't have the best contract out there (3 years left at 4.875) but he fills the hole and he's productive (has 8 points in 9 games). He's veteran who is great on the PP and really good with the puck and finding the open man. The risk is that he becomes the new "Fedorov" and he has been injury prone lately. The Caps would likely move him relatively cheap to get out from under his contract.

Profile:
ASSETS: Has terrific playmaking ability and excellent vision. When hot, he's an assist machine. Is improving his defensive game with experience.
FLAWS: Does not possess a knack for scoring goals, and too often will pass up a shot in the slot area. Plays a passive game and can get pushed around physically.
CAREER POTENTIAL: Second line center.

David Krejci. Now here is a guy at the other end of the spectrum. He's a 22 year old center for the Bruins who is just now finding his way in the NHL. He had 27 points in 56 games last year and has 6 in 10 so far this season. I have watched this kid a lot and I absolutely love him. The B's have Savard, Bergeron, Axlesson, Yell and even Kessel playing some center so may want to unload one as they need puck-movers on the backend. The risk is that he gets to Columbus and flames out or that he commands the world this offseason as he's an RFA. That would also give Hitch two young 22 and under centers as his top 6 guys....and we know how Hitch likes his vets.

Proflie:
ASSETS: Has excellent vision and passing skills, and profiles as a classic playmaking center. His head is always in the game, and he possesses great hockey sense.
FLAWS: Must get physically stronger in order to maximize his offensive potential at the highest level. Needs to work on his play without the puck.
CAREER POTENTIAL: Second line center.

So there are two names for you. Again not perfect answers but they are top 6 centers who could help this lineup and shouldn't take the sun (and the moon) to acquire.

If Dallas continues to struggle another guy I would love to have as a stop gap is Mike Modano. He has one more year left after this one at 3.45 mil and there is the Hitch connection and I think he could really help this Jackets lineup. Would the Stars part with their life long player (including his Minny years) is a very good question?

There are some other names as well. Spezza is getting tossed around a lot in the rumor mill. Would the Jackets revisit the Brad Richards scenario as he's not exactly setting the world on fire in Dallas?

So what would the Jackets have to give up to get someone? I think anything short of Nash, Leclaire, Voracek, Brassard, Filatov, and Mason has to be on the table. I can't see any of the new faces going anywhere in Commodore, Tyutin, Huselius, Backman or Torres yet.

For a young guy like Kreci I think it starts with Russell going the other way -- in fact that is really the only asset the Jackets have defensively that would be of any attraction to the Bruins. They won't want prospects or picks back -- they are in "win now" mode as well.

For a guy like Nylander the Jackets would have to send some salary back. The paper has mentioned a few times now that the Jackets are deep at wing. The obvious name for me would be Freddy Modin. He would give the caps another big body who is playoff tested and after Ovechkin they could use some help at LW. His contract has one year left after this at 3.35. Both teams take some risk with the injuries. He could be had for a draft pick/prospect I think but ownership would really have to step up financially in addition to what they already have which, judging by Monday's attendance -- ain't happening anytime soon.

So there is a couple of scenarios. I love Russell and like Modin but something has to go the other way.

Now I don't see Howson doing anything for a few more games, if at all, but I would be burning up the phone lines right now to see what's available in the middle. This team can't afford to dig a bigger hole that what it has and this franchise can't afford another top 10 draft pick year.

As far as what to do now in the immediate short term?

1. Its wake up call time. I play the best players in the moment. Brass and Voracek may not be the best players, yet, but they are currently playing like it. They get prime ice time.

2. I sure don't break up the only thing that is working for me in the Chimera-Brassard-Voracek line. In fact I elevate them to #1 until the Nash line takes it back over or this line goes sour.

3. I take the next best option I have at center and elevate Peca to the #2 hole between Nash & Huselius. Its not ideal but its all we've got.

4. Time to take the kid gloves off with Nash. If he's playing well, play him. If not, then play who is. He certainly stays at wing.

5. I shake up the defensive pairings. Tyutin goes with Commodore. Hedja goes with Klesla.

6. I start LaCosta for a game and give the kid a chance. Its a risk but so is starting Norrena.

My lineup tomorrow night:

Chimera Brassard Voracek
Nash Peca Huselius
Umberger Malhotra Boll
Murray Novotny Dorsett

Klesla Hejda
Commodore Tyutin
Backman Methot
Tollefsen

LaCosta
Norrena

Bottom line is that while I don't agree with moving Nash to center Hitch knows you can't just sit still and hope something happens. I think the same applies to Howson.

Fire away - time to make a move or to early?

-LTL

This and that

CBS Sports has their season preview of all 30 teams up. Here are some highlights of the Jackets:

Did the offseason overhaul finally make them a playoff team? That's still open to debate, although there is little doubt second-year GM Scott Howson has given coach Ken Hitchcock a lot more to work with. For one thing, the Jackets should improve on their 29th-place ranking in offense after adding forwards Kristian Huselius, R.J. Umberger and Rafi Torres. And the Columbus defense, which was eighth overall last season, looks better on paper with newcomers Fedor Tyutin, Mike Commodore and Christian Backman.

None of their experts predict Columbus to finish higher than 3rd in the Central Division.

Check out HockeyDB.com's redesign. Big time improvement!

Fox Sports has their first power rankings out. The Jackets check in at #23:

The additions of Kristian Huselius, R.J. Umberger and Raffi Torres up front and Mike Commodore, Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman to the backline should not only be enough to move the Blue Jackets up the power rankings, it may also be enough to land the club in the postseason for the first time in franchise history.

Bob McKenzie weighs in on the Filatov situation (thanks to anonymous for pointing this one out!):

In fact, even if Filatov were currently eligible to go to Sudbury, the Blue Jackets wouldn't make that commitment at this time. They want him in Syracuse for now.

By assigning him to the AHL, the Blue Jackets could recall him at any time they see fit, in a day, a week, a month, whenever… Based on how he finished training camp, this kid would appear to be close to being able to play for the Jackets. An assignment in Syracuse offers greater flexibility and a higher level of play than junior. Assignment to the Wolves, however, would mean he has to finish out the season in the OHL and could not be recalled to the NHL except under emergency conditions.

Kevin Allen of USAToday.com has a good read about the top 5 picks in this past year's draft class making the opening night rosters of their respective teams:

As expected, No. 1 pick Steve Stamkos will play for the Tampa Bay Lightning, but surprisingly all of the defensemen picked No. 2 through 5 made their teams. It's more rare for an 18-year-old defenseman to make a roster than a forward because defense is considered more difficult to master at a young age.

But the Los Angeles Kings kept Drew Doughty (No. 2), the Atlanta Thrashers will use Zach Bogosian (No. 3), the St. Louis Blues will play Alex Pietrangelo (No. 4) and the Toronto Maple Leafs will keep Luke Schenn (No. 5). According to the NHL, eight 18-year-olds were on opening-day rosters in 2003-04. The record was 10 in 1983-84.

He also says that Phoenix is keeping Boedker and Tikhonov and Josh Bailey made the Islanders. Finally he notes that the decision on Filatov will be made today.

The most ever 18 year olds to debut in one season was back in 1983-84 when 10 made their debuts.

The Jackets first opponent this season, the Dallas Stars, believe they can win it all:

So as the Stars prepare for Friday night’s season opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets, he talked about a potential Cup run, how far the Stars have come, and his ever-increasing love of hockey.

"In the last month we’ve been hearing from [co-general managers] Les [Jackson] and Brett [Hull], and Brett kind of clearly says the players think they’re going to win it all this year. They have a lot of confidence, and that’s a great starting point. You go back 10 years, I think we had that feeling we were going to win it all that year. We’re not as experienced a team as that one was, so you have a lot of unknowns that creep into it. But we have an opportunity to be special."

It sure would be nice if the Jackets could roll into Dallas and grab two points from them right off the bat. Its certainly not going to be easy but the Jackets are an unknown right now and they could sneak up on some squads.

Great coverage (again) today in the 'patch. Arace has a piece on the Hitchionary (very clever!) that was a fun read.

Remeber the coaches show is on again today on 1460thefan.com @ 3 EST.

Also in the paper today Howson is quoted as saying that he is not involved in any trade discussions and will not claim anyone on waivers.

No suprise there. The focus now is on the current group of guys and building team chemistry. If the team struggles out of the gate then Howson may then look to shake things up but I think for now they are very comfortable with the team they have and think (as do I) that this will be a competitive squad this season.

Just kind of a final thought on this post. Reading all these previews and rankings the prevailing feeling I get is that most of the "experts" are taking a wait and see approach with the Jackets (which is probably the same approach many fans in town are taking). They see improvements but aren't willing to put themselves out there quite yet and take a chance on em. They'll need to get it done on the ice first -- fair enough.

-LTL

Hitch's coaches show starts today at 3!

We know the season is about ready to start when 1460 The Fan actually starts airing dedicated hockey programming again. To hear 1 of our 2 hours worth of this dedicated hockey talk per week be sure to tune into Hitchcock's coaches show today at 3 p.m. on 1460 The Fan either by radio or by online stream.

I will give them this, that graphic is pretty creative...and I shouldn't complain too much as that 2 hours worth of coverage is probably better than most US hockey markets.

Blue Jackets live season special starts today at 4:30 EST on FSN Ohio. It will air another 6 times after that.

I checked my DVR last night to record this today but it wasn't showing up in the 4:30 slot. The earliest I could find was 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. If you have better luck than me please post in the comments.

CBSSports.com's Wes Goldstein thinks the Summer overhaul puts Blue Jackets in legitimate position to contend for a playoff position.

I certain CBJ blogger (you may know him!) contributed to this blogger's Western Conference preview. Check out what he had to say about the CBJ here. The Eastern Conference preview can be found here.

There was a really good turn out last night at the season ticket holder event at the Columbus Zoo. In fact there seemed to be a lot more people compared to the similar event they held back in 2005 coming out of the lockout.

So with Torres out for 6 weeks who gets that extra roster spot? That is the question the boys at the Dispatch looked at in today's addition.

Before the scratch appeared to be one of Novonty, Malhotra, Murray or Chimera. All of those faces will be in the lineup now.

So who gets that 13th forward spot? The names tossed around in the paper were Filatov, Dorsett, Sestito, Picard, MacKenzie and Pinealut.

Depending on how Filatov does in his first pre-season action this Thursday or Friday (or both) I can certainly see the Jackets hanging onto this kid for at least 9 games fora taste before sending him down (which I think they eventually will do). The last thing I want is this kid playing in the bottom 6 when he could be getting prime minutes in Sudury while the Jackets also save a year on his contract. We've seen what the extra year or two has done for Brass and Voracek so why stray from the formula?

After the Filatov situation works itselft out my money is on Dorsett.

Why?

I just think this kid can add a lot to our lineup in a 4th line role. He's shown he can play at this level and this dude is a tough as nails to play against. Not only will he drop the mitts if needed but he hits, can pot a goal here or there and isn't afraid of doing the dirty work it takes to win.....and as Portzline stated yesterday, he's proud to be a Blue Jacket which is icing on the cake.

I think Picard has done a pretty good job this pre-season to make a case for himself and I did not realize he was waiver eligible which may tip the scales in his favor as I think he's got a decent shot at getting claimed. Derek MacKenzie has also shown well but he is center depth and with Novonty and Manny very capable of playing those roles I can't see him getting the nod (although I think we'll see him on the big club for a few stints) even though I'm sure he can play wing no problem.

All things being considered though if it were me making the decision right now its Dorsett.

-LTL

This and that

Peca is out according to the Dispatch. The good news is that its just an illness (bronchitis) so he should be back before we know it. I'd much rather a vet like Peca miss time than say a guy like Voracek or Brassard. Lets hope this isn't the start of a bad trend.

Sportsnet's Mike Brophy thinks the following

about the Jackets:

Can the Columbus Blue Jackets make the playoffs for the first time? (No)

TheFourthPeriod.com has us ranked 24th heading into the season:

Still without a true No.1 center, the Blue Jackets managed to bolster their roster this summer with the acquisitions of R.J. Umberger, Kristian Huselius, Christian Backman, Raffi Torres and Mike Commodore. Trading away Nikolai Zherdev is also a positive, as he never seemed to fit in Ken Hitchcock's system.

Hitch was interviewed by NHL.com and has some good quotes:

"We changed out a third of our roster, which is significant," the Blue Jackets coach said. "We think we know what we have and we're really happy with our changes, but I don't think anybody in the NHL knows what we have. We're the mystery team in the West because we've made such significant changes."

"We feel like there is a definitive spot for everybody, but I'm curious just like our fans are," Hitchcock said. "How good is Umberger going to be? Is Brassard as ready as people think he is? Does Voracek make our team? How good is our defense with all the changes we made? I mean, we changed out half our group on defense."

He pretty much sums up my thoughts.

I was thinking (yep, it happens once in a while!) about the Chicago Blackhawks yesterday. Remeber when they added big time UFAs (at the time) Nikolai Khabibulin and Adrian Aucoin as their headline grabbing offseason acquisitions and everyone thought they were playoff bound? ...but instead they crashed and burned? It wasn't until last year when they finally hit on some rookies in Toews and Kane that the 'haws took big strides.

I think the Jackets are well aware of this... and I think they are also very aware that while their offseason acquisitions are smart, big competitive players who will help it won't be until the likes of Brassard, Voracek, Russell and Filatov find their strides at the highest level when they will take the biggest strides.

Most of the time history has shown that UFAs just compliment an already strong roster. They aren't neccesarily part of the core - especially in that first year.. For every Marc Savard there is a Mark Parrish. For every Scott Niedermeyer there is a Adrian Aucoin.

As we see all the new faces this morning don't be surprised if say a Kristian Huselius only hits the 50 point plateau instead of that 70-80 point one in this first year or if say a Fedor Tyutin only puts 15 points on the board. Its going to take these guys some time to adjust and no matter whom the Jackets would have acquired this offseason they will have still needed guys like Voracek and Brassard to contribute to make that playoff push.

I'm as excited as the next guy with our acquistions and the more I think (there I go again) the more I think Howson was right to pursue the kind of a 2nd tier players that he did. The hard working no frills types who give you an honest effort night in and night out. The risk of those guys busting out drop dramtically. The high skill will have to come from our draft picks and looking at other successfull organizations in this league that is the template --- from Detroit to Pittsburgh to Washington to Chicago and Edmonton -- their high end skill are draft picks.

So off we go today on another year of professional hockey in Columbus -- one in which I can honestly say, that while not a cup contender, is a team that I think we will all be proud of the effort and outcome once it concludes.

I look forward to seeing many of you down at camp today and over at Boston Pizza after.

GO JACKETS!!

-LTL

Here we go!

Is this finally the year the Jackets make the playoffs? The roller coaster ride starts today Columbus fans!

Today is physicals and paper work and tomorrow its time to get to work on the ice.

In case you haven't seen it yet there are a couple of good vids over on Jackets TV that preview the season. They have interviews with Howson, Hitch, Commodore, Umberger, Leclaire & Nash. Be sure to check em out.

THN.com's Adam Adam Proteau ranks the West. The Jackets check in at #11 on his list:

11. Columbus Blue Jackets
Always-Look-On-The Bright-Side Adam Says: Jackets GM Scott Howson didn’t mess around this summer in renovating Columbus’ lineup, first bringing Ohio State alumnus R.J. Umberger into the fold, along with former Flames sniper Kristian Huselius and ex-Oilers ball of energy Raffi Torres. That gives coach Ken Hitchcock and star winger Rick Nash some serious talent to work with up front.

Always-Assume-The-Worst Adam Says: For all the good he did to the forward unit, Howson failed to bring in an honest-to-goodness difference maker on defense. You might say Mike Commodore and/or Fedor Tyutin fits the bill; I might wet myself laughing in return. Until Rostislav Klesla is no longer this team’s top blueliner, it will continue to tread water.

THN also makes some wacky predictions for the 2008 NHL season and here is Portzline's:

COLUMBUS – Aaron Portzline
KHL czar Alexander Medvedev gets fed up and decides to buy the NHL for $2 trillion. No more quibbling over players. No more dealing with the IIHF. Say hello to the Kolomna Blue Jackets!

Looks like some New York media members aren't drinking the Zherdev kool-aid. Check out this rip job by Larry Brooks on Z:

Though his teammates competed for the puck, took the body and drove to the net as if this were a mid-season practice conducted by a seething coach Tom Renney - much like the one in Philadelphia last Jan. 30, for example - Zherdev displayed no urgency whatsoever.

The 23-year-old took short cuts throughout the charged morning scrimmage, once turning over the puck while dangling one-on-one three feet inside the offensive line, the giveaway leading to a goal-against, and consistently failed to move either the puck or his feet with any obvious purpose.

Indeed, Zherdev, whose pseudo star-like body language on the ice has by far eclipsed his performance the first two days on the ice, was so ineffective with linemates Scott GomezScott Gomez and Markus Naslund that Renney switched the combination for a handful of shifts.

But after a second day of camp in which No. 13 was the laziest athlete on the ice. Yes, it's just two days, but it took only one day in 1999 to expose Pavel Brendl - there's not much question why Zherdev, the fourth overall selection of the 2003 Entry Draft, was an underachiever for most of his four-year tenure with the Blue Jackets.

Yikes...I thought the diverse bright lights of New York would change Z? Its still early and who knows maybe he will indeed put that enormous talent to good use but what's the saying...you can't change a tiger stripes? ....you can polish a turd but its still a turd? ...something like that.

He may wish he was back in cow town sooner rather than later as if there is one thing you can say about the NY media and that is that they aren't known as a very forgiving bunch.

Some good news though for a fomer Jackets in NY:

Fritsche - a right-hand shot playing the off-wing - scored the day's highlight goal, burning Michal Rozsival with outside speed before cutting to the net to beat Steve Valiquette . . .

Rangers fans take heed, Fritsche is the anti-Z. Works hard every shift, good in the room, great off the ice...unfortunately he just doesn't have that elite talent.

Remember that single game tickets go on sale today (lets pack opening night!) and if your close to downtown there is a CBJ event down at Nationwide Plaza where Donatos is giving away free grub to the first 2000 folks in attendace. Tyutin, Hueslius, Filatov & Voracek will all be making an appearance at the event.

Wanted to take a moment to send a shout out to Bethany over at Bethany's hockey rants. She has changed homes to KuklasKorner (which is a great site I visit all the time) and will be a permanent CBJ blogger over there....which I think is fantastic. You can check out and bookmark her new home here.

Hope to see a packed house down at the Ice Haus supporting our boys tomorrow morning! Remember to stop on over to Boston Pizza after - I'll be getting heading over around 12:30.

Camp has finally arrived -- yes!!



-LTL

Hitch on NHL Network

I grabbed this off a post from HFBoards but wanted to share here as well to make sure it reached as many eyes as possible.

Hitch was interviewed during the 3rd period of the Jackets-Stars prospect game last night and here is a great summary by a poster named "Iron Mike":

Announcer: Welcome, Hitch, how are you?
Hitch: It's fun watching hockey again.
Ann: Recap your summer.
Hitch: Not so much golf anymore, part marketer, part coach.
Ann: How so
Hitch: Needed to talk with season ticket holders, explain our plan. Believe we have genuine support. Fans in Columbus are a lot like Canadian fans, they like to analyze and critique, very much are football thing. General feeling is that fans are excited for this year.
Ann: How do you deal with tough questions about making the playoffs?
Hitch: Fans want value for their dollar, be honest with them. We weren't deep enough. Needed to change players and change culture.

Ann: Voracek, top six?
Hitch: Hopefully, unsure about durability. Put on 25 lbs from September to September, lost 2% body fat in the same time.
Ideal situation is both Voracek and Brassard in the top six. Voracek has great talent, skill and patience. Looks and plays like a man.

Ann: Highly skilled team on the ice right now, can we except the same in Columbus?
Hitch: Weren't sure what we had here (Traverse City) since we left Filatov (didn't mention injury), mason and first year AHLers (mentioned Dorsett, Sestito and Brassard specifically). So far have been pleasantly surprised by John Hughes, Blair Yaworsky and Matt Calvert ( I have Calvert underlined in my notes and don't remember specifics but Hitch definitely singled him out as someone who has played well).

Ann: LW has been dominant in this game (references the fight that spoon mentioned, Devon Didiomete was ejected for removing his elbow pad before the fight was the given explanation, although he looked to not have had his jersey tied down either, and I didn't see him remove the elbow pad) any other thoughts on Voracek?
Hitch: Very efficient player, understands the nuances of the game.
Ann: He (Voracek) plays a very North-South game.
Hitch: Agreed, he understands speed through the neutral zone, carry the puck and play with speed through the neutral zone. Sets himself up well to pass across the ice or drive the net. Backs the defense off with his speed.

Ann: Thoughts on Dallas prospect James Neal?
Hitch: Not the first time seeing him, he played on a line with Sestito and Boll in juniors (Plymouth). He impressed at Traverse City last year. Dallas has a good future in Neal and Fabian Bruunstrom.

Ann: Spend time with prospects over the summer? (development camp) What direction do you given them?
Hitch: Howson asked the coaches to be on the ice during the development camp. Help them "play the way we want to play, high tempo, all out, whistle-to-whistle. When you play Detroit 8 times, you have a choice, if you don't at least play with the puck a little, you won't have success. We talk to them (prospects) about making plays through the neutral zone, can't always chip or dump the puck. When you play Detroit it's always a challenge and that's how you beat them."

*Voracek to Hughes for a goal*
Ann: Impressions of Voracek so far?
Hitch: Playing well, controlling tempo and the puck, not panicking. Voracek and Brassard give us scorers, something we haven't had, save for Nash, for the last couple years, especially with Modin being out last year. Couldn't come back in games, with Voracek and Brassard believe we have a fighting chance.
Ann: Comebacks are more commonplace these days, than say, 5-10 years ago.
Hitch: no hold-up rule has been effective. If you work, you can go get the puck and there is more play in either the offensive zone or defensive zone, the puck has been taken out of the middle of the ice.

Ann: Playoffs? How much more competitive will the division be compared to last year?
Hitch: Chicago has made big strides last year and in the off season. Nashville will always be competitive with their talented young defense. Detroit is in a class of its own.

Ann: How does the schedule affect your approach?
Hitch: Last year we couldn't beat Nashville, that kept us out of the playoffs, only took 2 points from them all year. only 6 games this year (down from 8 last year) takes some pressure off but division games are still very important. This is a key for this season, "we know we have to be better in our division."

Ann: Shootouts? Will coaches ever be comfortable going into a season, knowing they can score, or is it hit or miss (no one foresaw Edmonton last year).
Hitch: You have to know you have players who can score, we have that now with Nash, Voracek and Brassard. Shootout was not the problem last year, overtime was. Not good 4 on 4, lost too much in OT, must improve in this area.

Ann: What players are you counting on this year?
Hitch: Modin, getting him back is like getting a free player. Excited and curious to see the team with Tyutin, Umberger and Huselius firing on all cylinders. They bring a lot to the team, this is the first time the team is 4 lines deep.

Ann: Talking about first round picks, thoughts on Nash?
Hitch: "He has another gear and I believe he will find it." He's great now, with a chance to be unbelievable, had a great summer, got even bigger and stronger. Klesla is also impressive, found a role as a shut down defenseman who plays against the other teams top players and will only get better.
Ann: How do the new players fit in, Tyutin, Backman and Commodore?
Hitch: Needed Commodore as a player and a personality. Feel Tyutin has great offensive upside, didn't play much on NYR PP, they used Straka at the left point. He will play more in Columbus. Backman plays the right point as a left shot, never had someone to play there. That is one reason he was traded for, we always had to set up on one the left side because we didn't have someone to play the right point.

Ann: Thoughts on Mayorov?
Hitch: He's getting better and more confident, plays a very low lever of hockey last year, lower than Tier II juniors. Has been in Columbus for 5 weeks, benefited greatly, really improved last 2-3 weeks.
Ann: He's a force, fending off defenseman and driving to the net.
Hitch: Has good speed, one step on the defender and he can get to the net. European ice caused him to play outside a lot, but he is learning the North American game.

Ann: Thoughts on fatigue in Traverse City?
Hitch: Lots of special teams play, some players end up playing 25 minutes and some play 7. Tough playing back to backs the first weekend back, barely 24 hours between games.

Ann: Can Leclaire pick up where he left off?
Hitch: Think so, no question he is one of the top goalies in the league. Has the ability to steal games, something we need.

Hitch: We are the unknown team in the West, we have 4 lines who have never played together. Need to work out chemistry. Much depth added, players who played on the 2nd line last year will be on the 4th line this year.

Ann: Was there a point last year where you thought you had a chance to make the playoffs?
Hitch: Yes, (after beating Ottawa, Feb 21, and Montreal, Feb 23) we were three points out but then we traded Fedorov and Foote. Didn't foresee trading Foote, didn't want to trade Foote. Felt the team started to play its best hockey after the trades but weren't deep enough to beat better teams.

Ann: Final thoughts, describe the team in one word.
Hitch: Tempo. We are 4 lines deep with 3 quality defensive pairs. Want to wear teams out and earn wins.

I was able to catch the 1st period over at a buddy's house last night (b/c unfortunately I'm still without power) and will post some of my thoughts a little later today and hope to get some of yours as well.

-LTL

A conversation with Hitch

Hello readers. I've got a a Light the Lamp exclusive for ya (I"ve always wanted to type that!).

Thanks to a good friend and reader of Light the Lamp, I had the great fortune to sit down with Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Ken Hitchcock today over lunch and discuss a wide array of Blue Jackets topics including offseason moves, prospects, players, camp and expectations heading into the season.

Here is a recap of some of the topics we touched on:

* Brassard and Voracek are key. They aren't make or break it but the message I received is that these two will be given every opportunity to be impact players this coming season for our offense to really take step we need these two to contribute.

* The Jackets need to improve their goals for and goals against by 1 to be a playoff team. How that divides up it doesn't matter as long as it equals '1'. For instance the Jackets averaged 2.4 goals for last year and 2.54 goals against last year -- if they were to improve that to say 3.1 goals for and 2.24 goals against there would be your '1' improvement goal.

* On Brassard. Says Brass needs to work on his ability to manage the game. Right now he is a guy who likes to get the puck when he's on the move up the ice. That won't work all the time at the NHL level. He needs to learn to take what the opposition gives him. Said he did a much better job of managing the game in the AHL playoffs. We really need him to be able to hold his own out there. Said he is up to 190 lbs -- last year he came to camp at 175.

* On Voracek. Said he is incredibly aware of what is going on the ice. Said his body is NHL ready as he's gained some 20 lbs. Will have to see where he's at in camp and when I asked him where he sees him starting the year he said he would most likely start him lower in the lineup and let his "skill take over" and then go from there.

* On Filatov. Said the thing he's got going for him is that he's played against men for a year. The league he played in was comparable to the ECHL. He's only been able to watch a game of him on video but said he doesn't see a whole lot of separation between he and Stamkos. He, like the rest of us, are interested in seeing what this kid has in camp.

* On Umberger. He isn't your puck possession type of guy who can carry the puck and dipsy-doo -- he's more of a big body who goes through you and is very good down low. The thing that impresses him the most about RJ is his ability to score the tough goals down low and he just doesn't miss much from there. He also creates plays and notches assist with those little poke type passes to guys in tight traffic areas. Nothing fancy about RJ's game.

* On Huselius. A finesse player who creates space for guys like Nash. Like we've heard him say before he expects him to help Nash like he did Iginla since they play the same similar style. Said he is by far the best player we have at using mis-direction when making plays.

* Reports are that Nash has been a monster in the gym in Toronto and is really working out hard. He worked out a lot with Boll and guys like Brad Boyes. Expects an even bigger year from the franchise.

* Kelsa - Tyutin; Commodore - Hejda; Backman - Russell/Tolly/etc --- that is the initial thought on d-man pairings. Said that he will use Commodore in the exact same role that Foote was used for. Said Commodore role was lost in Ottawa and they will have a clearly defined role for him. Thinks the Tyutin pairing with Klesla will be a big key if they can mesh. Of course he re-itereated that it will take camp to sort them out.

* Would rather have two top flight pairs and then match the 3 pair up against weaker lines throughout the game.

* Backman will be the PPQB. Likes offensive game and he QBs the PP for Sweden in international competitions well. He does needs to work on his defensive game which they will focus on as coaches.

* I asked him how thing operate behind the bench defensively - i.e. does Gord Murphy call out the matchups? He said in game he controls the D but they gameplan the matchups before the game and during each intermission in case they need to change things up.

* The tentative plan is to carry 8 d-men. When I asked what happens if they have to choose between Rome and Methot due to waivers he said they get calls all the time about both of these guys so they may have a tough decision to make. Also thought Sigalet would be in the mix.

* Said he was surprised at Torres' size. He is really thick and oh yeah, he has beached blond hair. When I asked about his injury he seem to be confident he'll respond.

* When asked who would surprise this year. First name was Mason. Said this kid is that good. Second was Russell.

* Speaking of Mason, he hit the ice for the first time today in terms of taking pucks. I asked if his injury was worse than we expected he said that actually they took no risks with him and shut him down immediately. Wouldn't let him touch the ice until he was absolutely 100%.

* He loves Clitsome and sees no reason why this kid can't be an NHL defensemen after he gets at least 1 year of AHL seasoning under his belt. When I asked if he thought its b/c he played in the college for 4 years he said that two years ago the staff asked Clitsome to get in better shape -- said that was the motivation to him that said hey, maybe I have what it takes to get to the highest level. Said in college they played him 30 minutes a night so he conserved himself which hurt his conditioning. Said he loves his poise and calmness with the puck and he's really worked on his conditioning. He's just got "it". Is very interested to see if his solid performances in camp translate in games.

* Speaking of Clitsome he said these are the types of guys we need to start hitting on with late picks. Also mentioned Plekhanov as being one of those -- thinks he's maybe a 1/2 season away from being ready to play in the NHL. Loves his shot.

* Fredrik Modin got in town yesterday. Said he feels 100%. Will need camp to evaluate where he's at.

* Brule was just to small for the NHL when the organization brought him up and that hurt his development. Thinks he'll be okay and carve out a role for himself as he continues to fill out.

* He made a good point about the Swedes -- what is it about guys like Sundin, Alfredsson, Nylander and guys like that enable them to play at such a high level so late in their careers? Said someone should do a study :)

* I asked him how he was going to keep Boll's gloves on during camp -- he said "no fighting". He said this could be a really good thing for Boll as it will allow him to concentrate on other areas of his game and become a better player. You can just tell he loves this kid and thinks he can be much more than just a brawler.

* I asked him about any new philosophies coming into the season. He said he learned some new things from coaches at the World Championships and that there will be some adjustments to things like the PP, entering the zone, etc.

* On the coaching subject Hitch and his coaching staff start their day long season preparation sessions tomorrow.

* On philosophy I asked specifically if we had enough skill to enter the zone the way the Wings did on their PP which was to draw the opposition to the sides of the ice to allow a d-man like Lindstrom to carry the puck directly up the ice while backing off the d and then drop the pass to a forward like Datsyuk/Zetterberg to gain the zone. He was well aware of this strategy and said Russell and Huselius are two guys who could make that work. Didn't get sense into how confident his thoughts were in terms of having the player personnel to pull it off.

* Said Russell was more of a back door type player as opposed to a guy who sits on the point and rockets shots. Said right now his slapper isn't hard enough to scare opponents. He did say that Backman's was.

* I told him Tyutin was my favorite acquisition this offseason and asked if he could play the point. Said in NY he was a 2nd PP unit guy behind Straka (who played the point) and Rozsival -- but he's got the ability to be that #1 unit type guys including the shot. He'll definitely see time on special teams. As I stated he really wants to see how he works with Klesla.

* Another nugget on Umberger was that most of his points did not come on the PP.

* I asked him about where the offensive production on the back end would come from and he said that is going to have be answered in camp.

* Is very excited about the depth. Said a guy like Kelly would have been our second line center at the end of last season (sad I know). Said the organization is spending money to bring in guys on 2-ways and on PTOs.

* Speaking of PTOs -- another guy coming in is a guy by the name of Shane Willis.

* When I asked what if Brassard wasn't as ready as we hoped he said he would have to rely on the veterans like York, Peca, Malhotra, Kelly, MacDonald to pick up the slack. Again though I want to reiterate that Hitch realizes the importance of getting guys like Brassard and Voracek meshed into this team -- says those are the type of guys will take us to the next step.

* Hitch is excited about this market. Says now is the time to make a significant move. He doesn't want to be chasing the playoff pack this season - his goal is to be in that playoff pack jockeying for position.

* Said that when talking with various folks in the know that they told him when we played Nashville that even though we outworked them they weren't worried b/c they knew only 1 or 2 guys could score.

* When I asked him if we'd finally be able to kick Nashville's ass this season Hitch looked at me and smiled. (I know I said previously that it was Hitch who said we'd kick their ass but after thinking about it more today and running it past the reader who was there with me I think I actually asked the question -- I know its no big deal but I apologize -- the last thing I want to do is mis-represent anything or one)

It really was a fantastic meeting and he sounds genuinly excited about this upcoming season. I could have talked with him all day but I had to get back to work and he had to get to the golf course for one last round before they hit it hard tomorrow.

Thanks again to the reader whom set this up (your the best!) and for Hitch taking the time to talk a little CBJ hockey with LTL.

-LTL

The dog days

Alls quiet on the Blue Jackets front and it will most likely remain that way for the next couple of weeks as players start to trickle into town for the start of veteran camp on September 19th.

In the meantime we do have some new Filatov news courtesy of Puck-rakers:

The agent for Nikita Filatov said Wednesday that the Blue Jackets’ first-round pick could have his work visa by the end of the week.

Don Meehan, who also represents goalie Pascal Leclaire, is optimistic the U.S. Consulate in Moscow will issue the work document in the coming days although the wait might stretch into next week.

The agent said Filatov, the No. 6 overall pick, already has been through the interview process and U.S. officials have his passport on file. Filatov probably won’t leave Russia immediately, Meehan said. The forward will spend a little more time at home before flying to Columbus.

That is good news. Not sure why he wants to spend more time in Russia as I thought the plan all along was to come to Columbus in early August. Hopefully there aren't any feet starting to get cold if so Howson better ship over some warmer socks stat!

Draft watchers. THN.com has released their preliminary rankings for next season and if your going to stink its a good year to be the absolutely worst in the league as there are 2 studs expected to sit right at the top until next June in John Tavares and Victor Hedman. Here are the early top 5:

1. John Tavares, C – Oshawa Generals (OHL): Will he still be the No. 1 draft pick in 2009? Will the Gens trade him to the London Knights? Is Johnny T burning out under the spotlight or will he rise to levels we’ve never seen before? All provocative questions; for the answers, of course, we’ll have to wait. Draft eligible in 2009.

2. Victor Hedman, D – MoDo (Swe.): The dude with the chance to dethrone Tavares, Hedman has NHL size (6-foot-5, 220 pounds) and a whole basket of good traits to go with it. He has also played against men twice his age already in the Swedish Elite League. Draft eligible in 2009.

3. Brayden Schenn, C – Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL): After putting up more than a point per game as a 16-year-old in the Dub, look for Schenn to rack up even bigger numbers in ’08-09 – especially if older brother Luke isn’t defending in Kelowna. Draft eligible in 2009.

4. Taylor Hall, C – Windsor Spitfires (OHL): He doesn’t have the same level of hype as Tavares, but Hall is another 16-year-old who put up serious numbers in his rookie campaign and will be gunning for more this year. Plus, he’s also a late birthday, so NHL teams will have to wait a little longer for this sniper. Draft eligible in 2010.

5. Jeremy Morin, C – U.S. NTDP (NAHL): Morin led Team USA in scoring last season and recently scored an invite to Team USA’s evaluation camp for the world juniors, despite being only 17. Draft eligible in 2009.

The 2009 draft is said to be even deeper than the 2008 one -- lets hope for once the Jackets don't have to worry about scouting the top 10.

Unfortunately THN also has the Jackets as one of the top 10 teams in contention for John Tavares:

9. Columbus Blue Jackets. It’ll be eight years and no NHL playoffs in Ohio.

Oooh how I hope the Jackets shut guys like this up this season.

Allen Muir is CNNSI.com speculates on who will make the Canadian men's Olympic hockey team in 2010. Nash makes the list:

Pencil the silky smooth Vincent Lecavalier in for the second line. It's impossible to forget his magnificent performance during Tampa Bay's Stanley Cup run in 2004, or his clutch overtime goal against the Czechs that advanced Canada to the finals of the last World Cup. His passing skills should make the most of Rick Nash, who has 21 goals in 27 games at the Worlds and should be motivated by his poor performance in Torino.

As does Hitch:

Grab Mike Babcock as the head coach, assisted by Ken Hitchcock and Dave Tippett, and you'll have an elite bench staff.

Man the Canadians are going to crazy good let alone they'll be the hosting country. Yowza.

Puck-rakers also is encouraging readers to email in questions to Scott Howson -- here's your chance to fire away -- email @ treed@dispatch.com.

-LTL