Staals impact on Nash's cash

In case you missed it earlier it was announced that Eric Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes signed a 7 year deal worth 57 million. That's a great deal for Staal that averages 8.1 mil per and will take him to age 31. The 'canes lock down their franchise center but whats more interesting to me is the impact this has on the Jackets and Rick Nash.

Staal is 23 and already has 5 pro seasons under his belt (1 of which was in the AHL due to the lockout). Over his 4 NHL seasons he's averaged 70 points including a 100 point season in 2005-2006. He was scheduled to be a restricted free agent following next season but obviously he and the 'canes chose to negotiate and sign a long term deal before his current deal expired.

Remember that players can only negotiate extensions during the final year of the current contracts.

Nash as we know has two years left on his deal. He's 24 and after next season will have 6 pro seasons under his belt (one of which was overseas due to the lockout). Over that span he's averaged 55 points as a franchise winger.

Its no secret that the Jackets would like to lock down their captain and face of the franchise to an extended long term deal. If your looking for a comparable I think we need to look no further than what Staal just inked in Carolina.


If you take it purely on a points per game basis Staal certainly has him beat. When you take in the entire picture including that fact that both are young franchise players, both are playing in non-traditional markets, both are vitally important as faces of their franchises, both have incredible offensive talent, both are young leaders and both are only going to keep improving I think this contract set the market for Nash next summer.

Do I think at this point Nash is worth 57 mil over 7 years? Not quite yet but if if he blows up next season now that he's got some half decent skill to lineup next to him he'll most certainly get something in that ballpark. Heck he may get that regardlesss as he's just to important to this market.

Howson won't screw around and nickle & dime Nash. Nash will get the biggest contract ever handed out by the Jackets and it will get done a few weeks after July 1st hits. You just don't let players like Nash get away as they don't come around often.

In other news have you seen that Preds star Alexander Radulov wants back into the NHL?

My, that was quick. What happened to all this "I'm tired of the NHL taking all the Russian players" diatribe he was spewing?

The questions are now will the NHL allow him back? Would the Preds even want him back? Now what for the KHL as Radulov was their big catch as they launched their new league?

This is quite a mess but the kid made this bed....

Interested in seeing how the KHL is being spun outside of North America? Look no further than this artcle on CNNSI.com:

"We see the league as a challenge to the NHL in the future," said Vsevolod Kukushkin, a dean of European ice hockey writing.

Although dismissed by the NHL, the Russian challenge has already begun. Players like Jaromir Jagr, Ray Emery, Jozef Stumpel, Alexander Radulov and Nikita Filatov defected from the NHL to settle in with Russian teams.

Hmmm.....Filatov is in Columbus... Radulov wants back in... this article makes North American journalist look like they do their homework.

TRAVERSE CITY HERE WE COME! ...and its finally here. Actually the only two teams scheduled to skate today are Detroit and St. Louis and its just practices as the Jackets will be traveling there today.

This thing kicks into high gear tomorrow when all 8 teams will be practicing in the morning and playing in the afternoon. For the Jackets its practice at 9:30 a.m. and then a game against Minnesota at 3:30 p.m.

The full schedule can be found here.

Fire away - do you think Nash will get "Staal-like" numbers in his next contract?

-LTL

Frogger

I posted a depth chart a few months ago but thought I'd revisit it one more time before rookie camp starts tomorrow. After we can take a look back in one month's time to see how things shook out.

Left Wing
1. Rick Nash
2. Fredrik Modin
3. Jason Chimera
4. Andrew Murray
----------------------
5. Nikita Filatov
6. Tom Sestito
7. Maxim Mayorov
8. Alex Picard
9. John Vigilante
10. Nick Sucharski

Center
1. RJ Umberger
2. Derick Brassard
3. Michael Peca
4. Manny Malhotra
5. Mike York
6. Jiri Novotny
----------------------
7. Craig MacDonald
8. Derek MacKenzie
9. Steve Kelly
10. Kirill Starkov

Right Wing
1. Kristian Huselius
2. Raffi Torres
3. Jared Boll
4. Jakub Voracek
----------------------
5. Derek Dorsett
6. Adam Pineault
7. Stefan Legein
8. Jake Hansen
9. Peter Pohl
10. Robert Nyholm

Defense
1. Fedor Tyutin
2. Mike Commodore
3. Jan Hejda
4. Rusty Klesla
5. Kristian Backman
6. Kris Russell
7. OK Tollefsen
8. Aaron Rome
----------------------
9. Marc Methot
10. Andrei Plekhanov
11. Jonathan Sigalet
12. Grant Clitsome
13. Clay Wilson
14. Nik Holden
15. Will Weber

Goaltending
1. Pascal Leclaire
2. Fredrik Norrena
----------------------
3. Steve Mason
4. Dan LaCosta
5. Allen York


The lines I have posted are the my perceived cutoffs for Jackets roster spots and who I think makes the team. If true that means the Jackets will carry 24 players. Remember a team can only dress 18 skaters plus two goalies that that would mean 4 scratches should everyone stay healthy.

Can any of those below the line force their way up by the time opening night rolls around Friday October 10th? If so what happens to the guys they leapfrog?

A couple of guys that I think have that potential to make that leap are Filatov, Dorsett, Sestito, Methot, Plekhanov and Clitsome.

The push starts tomorrowin Traverse City!

-LTL

TSN previews the Jackets and more...

TSN has been running their 30 teams in 30 days NHL previews. Today the Jackets are up.

Parting Shot: With so many changes throughout their lineup, it may take time for this Columbus team to gel properly. And even when they do, the team has its work cut out for them in a tough conference that includes the much-improved Chicago Blackhawks and defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings in their own division. That's a big mountain to climb for the only active team in the National Hockey League that hasn't reached the playoffs.

Nothing most of us here don't already know but a decent read none-the-less.

Also for you draft watchers out there TSN has an early top 10 list of draft eligilbe prospects for this season.

I will tell you one thing -- if your going to stink its a good year to do so as there are two studs right at the top in 6'7" Swedish defensemen Vitctor Hedman (or someone who can finally look Chara in the eyes) and 6'0" Canadian offensive dynamo John Tavares (who broke Gretzky's OHL record of 72 goals as a 16 year old) . The worst team in the league will get one of em.

Fortunately I don't think we have to worry much about this list this year as I just don't see the Jackets drafting top 10 this year. There, I said it!

There is also a video link here.

Fantasy watchers. CBSSports.com has listed their potential busts for the 2008-2009 season. I would have put money down that Kristian Huselius would be on that list but alas, no Jackets at all.

I am happy to report that one Predator made his list -- Dan Ellis:

2007-08 stats: 44 games, 23-10-3, 1,147 saves, six shutouts, 2.34 GAA, .924 save percentage
Analysis: The Predators traded Chris Mason to St. Louis in the offseason, clearing the way for Ellis to be Nashville's No. 1 goalie. We have seen this before. Mason took over as Nashville's top goalie last season with a strong performance in 2006-07 while Tomas Vokoun was injured. When Mason struggled, Ellis emerged as Barry Trotz's favorite in net. He finished the regular-season strong with eight wins in 15 outings, but fell apart in the playoffs -- 2-4 with a 2.52 GAA. Ellis spent many seasons in the minors before getting his chance to shine in '07-08. However, with the potential loss of Alex Radulov on offense and rookie goalie Pekka Rinne breathing down his neck, don't be surprised if Nashville uses a goalie-rotation if Ellis struggles early on.

Speaking of fantasy hockey. Light the Lamp is looking for 3 more members for its yahoo.com fantasy hockey league. If your interested post a comment below and I'll get you the league details.

Brandon Sugden has taken a new step in his bid to return to play in the NHL/AHL next season in the form of an online petition.

If you recall 4 teams blocked his application to return and according to Crunch blogger Lindsay Kramer those 4 teams have not come forward to announce themselves:

Sugden told me Wednesday that NHL attorneys have told the players union that the four dissenting teams will not be identified. Way to stand behind your beliefs. Nothing says character like blocking a man's shot at an NHL contract and then refusing to even give him the courtesy of a discussion.

So if you feel for Brandan "Sugar" Sugden's situation (which I personally do) -- head out to his petition by following this link and sign away!

If anyone makes it down to practice today please do report in the comments!

-LTL

Open practice tomorrow at 10 a.m.

I had a reader ask about open practice tomorrow and I did get confirmation from a good friend that practice is at 10 a.m. tomorrow and open to the public down at the Dispatch Ice Haus.

As pointed out in the comments of another post Puck-rakers has a summary on today's practice. A couple of the highlights:

-- Nikita Filatov looked like a great skater, but he wasn't that sharp with the puck. Two things to consider: this was, essentially, a game of shinny; and the kid is probably jet-lagged from traveling half way around the world.

-- I wrote on Tuesday that I wouldn't be surprised if Huselius had 45 to 50 points this season, down from 70 the past two with Calgary. I might have to reconsider. I've been describing him as a bigger, faster, strong David Vyborny. I may have to consider. He was absolutely sick with the puck on Wednesday. "We've never had a player like him," one scout said.

That was Filatov's first skate after a long couple of days so I wouldn't put a whole lot of stock into his performance today. Where it will get really interesting is how he does in the rookie tourney this weekend.

Love to hear that about Huselius though...

Check out the rest of Portzline's observations here.

Some other Wednesday night reading for you. Craig Custance of sportingnews.com is an early entrant to the Columbus Blue Jackets band wagon:

In case you were wondering, I'm firmly on board the Columbus bandwagon. No, I don't think they're going to win the Stanley Cup anytime soon, but I believe in Scott Howson and what he's doing with the Blue Jackets. I'm already on record as saying Columbus will make the playoffs this season, and you'll see it again when our NHL preview comes out in Sporting News Magazine. But still, I wanted a little reassurance.

I got it today from Michael Peca. He flat out said that this is a 100-point team right now in Columbus. Last year, they had trouble getting the puck to their forwards. That's been solved with a revamped blue line. Rick Nash has never had an equally skilled player to get him the puck. Enter Kristian Huselius.

You could tell that Peca loves the acquisition of R.J. Umberger, who he thinks would do well skating with Nash and Huselius.

"I think we have a great blend of youth and experience, size and skill," Peca said. "There are just a lot of things to be upbeat and excited about."

Wow.... never thought I'd hear those words from Peca and he is a guy who has always struck me as someone who chooses his words carefully. Those boys are believers in that locker room.

-LTL

Traverse City Tournament to be televised

Thanks to a heads up from a poster in the comments (thanks June!) we learned yesterday from this blog that the Traverse City Tournament will be televised on the NHL Network.

Hey — big news! If you’d like to see Filatov, Mayorov and lots of other top rookies and prospects play, including Steven (Don’t Call Me Steve) Stamkos, the NHL Network has just announced it will televise the entire Traverse City tournament, starting on September 14. These are not live telecasts, but so what? We got the email from the NHL Network PR department telling us of the telecasts, but nothing has yet shown up on their website or on NHL.com

Tape delayed isn't ideal but its much better than not being able to see it all. I'll gladly take it! For Time Warner customers its channel 590 but you have to call and add the sports tier its on -- I think its like 5 extra bucks a month.

The first game is Saturday Sept 13th @ 3:30 p.m. against Minnesota.

Update: NHL Network has updated their TV schedule for the tournament here.

Jackets television schedule:

Mon Sept 15th - Jackets vs. Stars
10:00 p.m.

Tues Sept 16th - Jackets vs. Stars

4:00 a.m.

10:00 a.m.

4:00 p.m.

Fri Sept 19th - Medal games

2:00 a.m. Third place game

4:00 a.m. Gold place game

8:00 a.m. Third place game
10:00 a.m. Gold place game

2:00 p.m. Third place game
4:00 p.m. Gold place game

So looks like only one game against the Stars is televised unless they get to the medal rounds. The Jackets even get hosed on televising an 8 team prospect tourney.

That same blog has some interesting quotes from the new kid on the block in regards to playing wing versus center:

Filatov trained for a while during the off-season with Alex Ovechkin and Ilya Kovalchuk among others, and the Caps star gave little Nikita some advice on his new adventure: “Sasha Overchkin, whom I’ve known a long time, advised me not to play center at first until I learn how the physical game is played overseas. I’ll learn only if I play left wing. If I play center, I won’t be able to play my game. Of course, I’ll listen. Ovechkin is the best player in the world right now and it would be foolish of me to not pay attention to his advice.”

About having his IIHF transfer investigation dropped by the KHL, he said, “I did not worry about this, when it was taking place. I was not able to change anything, but still hoped for a good ending to the story. The ban was to be playing for the national team, I do not think that anyone could benefit from this. But now all these problems are behind me, and for that I’m very thankful.”

...and even more Filatov quotes from this mornings Dispatch:

"I'm so excited," Filatov said. "Beautiful building, great (dressing room). You can't imagine. It's so different (from Russia)."

"I feel like I'm ready," Filatov said. "I've trained hard this summer, very hard. I did off-ice conditioning for six weeks, and I've been on the ice more than a month now.

"The main goal is to make the Blue Jackets. Once I finish all this training camp, have the (prospects) tournament (next weekend in Traverse City, Mich.) and then the preseason, the goal is to finish it and be on the first team."

He's trained his entire life for this opportunity and I'm sure its an exciting time in his life. I know there are a bunch of fans (..and coaches and even players) who are excited to see what this kid can bring to the table.

Of course I don't want to raise expectations but I've heard his game compared mostly to two guys -- Datsyuk and Bure. That is fine company so we'll see soon enough. Don't expect him to come out and put up sick numbers right off the bat though -- remember this kid is only 18.

He hits the ice today with the other players in town. I don't know if practice is open to the public but if anybody happens to make it down there and catches a glimpse be sure to let us all know what you thought in the comments.

The Puck Daddy blog over on Yahoo.com (as pointed out by Rick!) has their season preview of the Jackets up.

Some highlights include his grades of the Jackets:

Forwards: B
Defense: C
Goaltending: B
Special Teams: C+
Coaching: A-
Management: B (maybe this goes up a notch if Umberger proves himself as a center).

...and his prediction:

Anyone who says they have this team figured out is fooling themselves. There's every chance Hitchcock could take this roster and create a playoff team out of it. There's every chance the team's top line meshes, and Nash scores 50 goals. There's every chance Leclaire is in the Vezina conversation again, or that some of these No. 1 picks start playing like one. There are few other teams in the NHL right now that have this strikeout or home run dichotomy like Columbus does. I can't, in good faith, predict this team will make the postseason, because the Western Conference is too tough. I want them to, for the sake of the franchise and its underrated fan base. But I look at the 12 teams who finished in front of the Jackets last season, and I have a good idea who each of their second-line centers are. In Columbus, not so much. And that's scary.

Its certainly a unique and entertaining read so check it out. Plus he also gives a shout out to LTL which I always appreciate!

-LTL

The new "Nik" has arrived

Puck-rakers has just reported that Nikita Filatov has landed in Columbus.

*breaths sigh of relief*

Honestly I had my doubts but true to his words he made it to North America.

This kid just seems to be the anti-Zherdev. No BS. No escaping under the cover of darkness. Hell, he already knows English!

He'll probably hit the ice with some of his future linemates tomorrow.

Brassard.....Voracek...now Filatov...OH MY!

-LTL

Nash is game...

Today is the debut of Rick Nash on the cover of NHL2K9. NHL.com has a great read up regarding the roll out today at the NHL store in New York. Be sure to check it out here.

This is just fantastic exposure for Nash, the Jackets and city of Columbus. Well done 61!

Hockey's Future has released their fall rankings of the Jackets top 20 propsects. There are some movers and shakers from their last kick at this can.

The highest mover was Russian defensemen Andrei Plekhanov who jumped from 20 all the way to 6.

Their top 10 is as follows:

1. Jakub Voracek, RW
2. Nikita Filatov, LW
3. Derick Brassard, C
4. Steve Mason, G
5. Cody Goloubef, D
6. Andrei Plekhanov, D
7. Jake Hansen, RW
8. Marc Methot, D
9. Tom Sestito, LW
10. Teddy Ruth, D

You can view the entire list here with explanations.

I personally think Plekhanov is a bit to high and Sestito a bit low. Derek Dorsett also comes in at 19 which to me is waaay to low for him. I'd also have Clitsome in my top 20 - probably in my top 15.

Still a fun read so be sure to check it out.

Manny Malhotra was recognized as being one of the top faceoff men in the Western Conference by NHL.com:

Manny Malhotra, Columbus Blue Jackets – Malhotra, drafted seventh by the New York Rangers in the 1998 Entry Draft, hasn’t developed into a top-line talent, but as the Blue Jackets’ third-line center, he has excelled in the faceoff circle.

Malhotra’s 59.0-percent faceoff success rate was the second in the League, but he took just 1,158 faceoffs – No. 35 in the League – last season. Malhotra isn’t Columbus’ most potent offensive weapon, but he still took 110 power-play faceoffs last season. Malhotra, who has led the Blue Jackets in faceoff winning percentage the last four seasons, has long been relied upon by Columbus coaches to win important draws.

Manny has certainly found his niche in the NHL as a bottom 6 player with big time skills in the circle. You can carve out a decent career for yourself being a top flight face off center in this league.

THN.com takes a look at the top 10 fighters in the league. Yep, Jared Boll makes this list:

Jared Boll, Columbus (27 fights in ’07-08)Led the league in tilts last season. As soon as he adds a few pounds to his 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame he’ll be one of the game’s elite, if he isn’t already.

Of course reports out of Columbus are that Boll is already up in that 210 pound range after a strong offseason in the weight room. Now to get that hand healed up.

Aaron Portzline has a entertaining read up on the Puck-rakers blog titled "It wouldn't suprise me if..."... some highlights:

-- Rick Nash has a "go" with former captain Adam Foote on Jan. 13 when Colorado plays in Nationwide Arena

-- Boll vs. Tootoo happens six times

-- Jon "Nasty" Mirasty dresses for both of the Nashville preseason games

-- Jon "Nasty" Mirasty plays in two regular-season games against Nashville

-- the Blue Jackets finish 7th in the West and win their first playoff series (over San Jose)

-- the Blue Jackets finish 10th in the West

You can tell the hockey season is starting to kick into gear with the new articles and blog posts starting to get pumped out there.

Yahoo reviews the Jackets and this is their prediction:

Analysis and prediction: The center-ice problem figures to be significant because there are so many difficult match-ups at that position, not only throughout the Western Conference but also particularly in the Central Division – think Detroit and Chicago. You can never put it past Hitchcock to tweak and devise a winning formula, but it’s just hard to imagine

Until they actually do it on the ice don't expect many of the experts out there to pick the Jackets in the top 8.

Remember this team was just 5 points out of the playoffs with the group they had last season -- nobody can tell me they haven't drastically improved from that roster this offseason....and you better believe that if the Jackets are 5 points out this year Howson is buying!

-LTL

Awesome!

Skraut has done it again!!! Here is his latest CBJ vid that will get your blood pumpin for this season!!



Who else got the chills watching that baby? Start the season already...!

Less than 3 days til camp!

-LTL

Filatov Columbus bound today?

Nikita Filatov has a new blog entry up. Unfortunately my Russian tranlation skills aren't quite up to par but a poster over on HF used babblefish to get a rough translation and it appears that he will arrive in Toronto today, change planes, and then should be in Columbus sometime today.

Another poster on HF mentioned that he spoke with Tyler Wright at one of the Chillers and he mentioned that he will be picking him up from the airport.

All I know is that we can all breath a little easier once this kid touches down in in Port Columbus.

I know we all think of him as a young potential superstar who should be excited to get here and start his pro career...however we need to remind ourselves that he's only 18 and is leaving the familiar surroundings and faces of his native country for an unfamiliar one in the US and Columbus Ohio. Its certainly not an easy thing to do.

Still I'll be pumped to get him and here and can't wait to see him in action. A big question I think everyone has is just how good is this kid and where does he play this coming season?

Looks like we'll find out soon!

Update: As a reader pointed out Puck-rakers has just posted the following about Filatov's travel plans:

He's expected to arrive in Toronto tonight between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. After a night in TO, he'll fly to Columbus tomorrow afternoon, arriving around 3:30 p.m.

Apparently he is flying solo and his mom will meet him in Columbus in a month's time.

Welcome to Columbus Nikita! Hope you didn't forget your skates!

A reader also pointed out this article from Terry Frei over on ESPN regarding NHL ticket prices and how they are quickly spinning out of control:

As an individual, you're a bad hockey fan if you now can't justify paying $7,000 for two decent season tickets? As a company, you're miserly if you cut back from eight tickets to two? No. You're prioritizing.

The stunning thing about all this is not that there are many empty seats at NHL games, but that there aren't more. Fans maintain interest, but instead watch more games in front of the big-screen sets. Winning still creates demand, but the price of tickets lessens the margin for error. Exoduses have a way of gaining momentum. The fewer season-ticket holders, the less incentive there is to buy season tickets, even for decent teams. And the slide is difficult to stop.

Ticket prices keep going up, in part to keep up with the payroll demands created by the rising cap, which includes a floor and also pressures to at least get in a "competitive" payroll realm; and the cap goes up in part because of the additional revenue generated by the increased ticket prices; and …

Or is it the other way around?

The following is a grab bag of apples (dollar figures) and oranges (percentages), but it gives you an idea. The Los Angeles Kings raised prices roughly 5 to 16 percent. Colorado's prices went up roughly $3 per ticket; for example, a corner loge seat went from $91 to $94. A similar seat costs about 15 percent less at Columbus, but Blue Jackets fans are up in arms over an increase.



Unless the NHL becomes a very TV friendly sport in the US and attracts those hefty network dollars, the NHL is and will always be a gate driven league.

Frei makes some good points though about when enough is enough? At what point are you pricing your heart and soul fans out of seeing your product live which most people will tell you is the real beauty and hook of this game.

I'm not sure how they can do it but the league must somehow find a way to cap ticket prices and start focusing on new revenue streams. Games have to be affordable in this league -- no ifs ands or butts -- its a must.

For me what will be really interesting is to see what happens to the cap and ticket prices once the Canadian dollar starts to level off or even declines in value? I think, like many others out there, that is a huge reason why the league has seen the bottom line growth that it has which I think has somewhat camouflaged these big jumps in the upper cap limits these past few seasons.

-LTL

Filatov case dropped by KHL...Mayorov is another story..

Not that it would have mattered in terms of being a Blue Jacket or not but Slapshots.blog.nytimes.com has learned that the claimes again Jackets 6th overall pick from the 2008 NHL draft, Nikita Filatov, have been dropped by the KHL.

However, the IIHF announced the KHL dropped its claims on five players it said were under contract but who signed instead with the NHL: Nikita Filatov (Columbus), Jason Krog (Vancouver), Tomas Mojzis (Minnesota), Fyodor Fedorov (New Jersey) and Viktor Tikhonov (San Jose).

Even though he would have been in Columbus anyways its still good news as Nikita is clear to participate in any international tournaments including the World Junior Championships this December which we know is important to him. Of course that will all depend on how he performs in camp and where he ends up come the regular season. If he's on the big squad then no WJCs but say he's in the AHL then I could see Columbus letting the kid represent his country in that tournament.

The latest report is that Filatov should arrive in Columbus next week on September 10th.

The new news here out of the same post is that now Columbus' other young Russian signed this summer, Maxim (or is it Maksim?) Mayorov, is now under IIHF review.

The IIHF also announced court or binding arbitration in three new cases that the KHL disputes involving teenaged Russian players signed by NHL clubs in the last 10 days, Andrei Loktionov and Vyacheslav Voynov of the Kings and Maxim Mayorov of the Blue Jackets.

Mayorov signed his deal just over a week ago and this is the first I'm hearing of any dispute of his eligibility to be signed by the NHL. I'm sure the Dispatch will have more on this as the story develops.

In signing his contract Mayorov certainly signaled that he's committed to play in North America this season - probably the AHL - so it will be interesting to learn if he had a previous contract comittement in Russia or what the dispute by the KHL is here. The good news for Mayorov and Jacket fans is that he is already in North America.

One thing is for sure -- its going to get a lot uglier between the KHL and NHL before it gets better.

For now lets continue to cross our fingers that Filatov is in Cbus sometime next week.

Update: A poster in the comments (thanks June!) pointed out this new article from THN.com about some new even newer developments between the KHL vs. NHL war. Apparently now the KHL is willing to send the Radulov dispute to a third party for final resolution:

“We have gone with an open hand to the NHL,” KHL president Alexander Medvedev told thn.com in a telephone interview Saturday. “We are hoping to get a positive reaction from the NHL.”

“We would like to create an environment where mutual respect of contracts is more than just a nice slogan,” Medvedev said. “I believe every objective analyst or supporter of hockey, regardless of nationality or location, should appreciate that we are doing everything possible to have a civilized, transparent and legally solid method of player transfers between the KHL and the NHL. Our friends will never forgive (the KHL and NHL) if we create an environment and all of hockey will suffer. We know people are watching us and waiting for a decision.”

Unfortunately this latest article also says this:

The KHL, however, continues to dispute the NHL contracts signed by Andrei Lohtionev and Vyacheslav Voinov of the Los Angeles Kings and Andrei Mayorov of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

I personally don't see the NHL agreeing to a third party as they will continue to say that Radulov had a signed contract and he broke it thus there is nothing for an independent party to rule on.

My question is this -- where was the NHL last year when Svitov broke his contract last season and bolted for Russia? How was that any different from this Radulov case? The obvious answer -- its not except Radulov carries a much higher profile.

-LTL

Some light reading

There are a couple of articles I wanted to point out to you today.

The first is this article by Gare Joyce on Stefan Legein. Not a lot of new info but Joyce does make some interesting points.

Then we have another article on Sportsnet.ca about our good ole pal Doug MacLean joining the their Hockeycentral Panel for the 2008-2009 season. I love this paragraph:

MacLean, the Summerside, PEI native, is viewed as one of the most intelligent hockey minds in the business. His NHL experience is highlighted by coaching the Florida Panthers to the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals. In 1998, MacLean became the first GM of the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets and took over as interim Head Coach during the 2002-03 season. His tenure with Columbus concluded at the end of the 2006-07 season.

Most intelligent hockey mind in the business? Haha. Thanks for the laugh this mornin. I will say one thing though, the guy can certainly BS with the best of em. Can't wait to hear his thoughts on the Jackets (not really).

Things should really start picking up next week as believe it or not, rookie camp begins next Friday!!!

REMINDER: Blue Jackets pre-season special debuts today at 12:30 on FSN Ohio.

-LTL

TV alert and more

FSN Ohio hosts their annual Blue Jackets season preview starting tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. Oddly enough that is right smack dab in the middle of an Ohio State football game. That time slot should really generate an audience (not really) and shows how much FSN really cares about this preview.

They do however have repeat showings:

Sunday, September 7 - 12:30 p.m.
Wednesday, September 10 - 12:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Friday, September 12 - 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, September 13 - 5 p.m.
Tuesday, September 16 - 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Thursday, September 18 - 6 p.m.

So if you miss Saturday's special there are plenty of opportunities to catch it. Of course there is always DVR as well and generally speaking this show is one big infomercial to sell tickets but there should be some new interviews and looks at the new faces.

Attention gamers! So I finally got around to playing both demos last night for the two new hockey games coming out - NHL2K9 and NHL 09. I used to always be a NHL2K guy until last year when EA really upped their "game" with NHL 08 and blew the 2K series out of the water --- I have played it ever since.


While 2K Sports has improved this year's game in my opinion it still hasn't closed the gap enough with EA. In fact EA's new "Be A Pro" feature is really slick but the game play is very similar to last year with the players being a little smoother and there are some new animations -- and that's a good thing as the gameplay last year was the best I've ever played for a hockey title. Why fix what's not broken?


Where 2K has a leg up (well besides the fact that our boy is on the cover) is that it will be the only NHL game available on the Wii and I'm very interested to see how the game interacts with the Wii-motes.

I own both an Xbox and Wii so I'll pick up both titles but if I had to choose just one EA retains the title for 2009. Sorry Nasher.

Looks like this week's poll is a landslide with currently 59% of you choosing "Failure to land a #1 center" as your biggest disappointment this offseason.

As much as the organization and media talked about this need heading into this offseason this one is certainly no surprise. I am a bit surprised more did not choose "not spending to the cap" as an option as it only captured 5 votes.

Spector over on FoxSports.com takes a look at players most likely to get dealt this season. Here were his thoughts on the Jackets:

Columbus Blue Jackets: Fredrik Norrena. He's been a capable backup to Pascal Leclaire, but he could find himself challenged by young netminder Steve Mason. If Mason proves ready to slide into the backup role Norrena, who's also a UFA next summer, could be shopped.

Really its hard to argue with that selection. The other higher profile UFAs to be are Malhotra, Peca & Backman any of which, depending on how the season goes, I could see being dealt. I really do think we'll be buyers this year at the deadline though.

Wes Goldstein of CBSSports.com take a really good look at the remaining veterans still on the market and what their status is. Here are a couple he notes:

1. Teemu Selanne: Selanne wants to come back to Anaheim and the Ducks want him back, they just don't have the cap space right now to sign him. Anaheim is more than $3 million over the limit, a problem they could solve by moving defenseman Mathieu Schneider and his $5 million salary. Problem is trading a 38-year-old with that kind of contract isn't easy these days. Anaheim has until opening night to get to the limit -- whether it involves Schneider or other players -- so they'll have to make some kind of move. In the meantime, Selanne is back in town after spending the summer at home in Finland, and waiting.

2. Brendan Shanahan: The future Hall of Famer is coming off a respectable season with the Rangers that earned him $5 million, but he's 39 and no longer an impact player. Shanahan wants to return to New York, even if it means taking a substantial pay cut, but the Rangers have had other priorities over the summer. The veteran has had other suitors, notably the St. Louis Blues who would pay him more than New York would, but so far Shanahan seems to be clinging to the hope he can still work out something with the Rangers.

Some of the other names like Lapointe, Hedican, Cullimore and Carney I didn't realize were still hanging out there. Should some teams suffer some injuries in the presason look for some of these guys to find homes quickly albeit at drastrically reduced rates from what they were previously making.

-LTL

Crowd control

As the NHL.com season preview of the Jackets stated yesterday -- this is by far the deepest team the Jackets have ever entered training camp with. A lot of that depth lies in their defensive core which Hitch comments on in that article:

"We're going to end up with six good players with the possibility for eight or nine," Hitchcock said. "We're in a situation where we can have significant depth on the back end that we have never had before. We have four or five big-minute players."

So whom are these 8 or 9 players. Well lets take a look.

The locks

Mike Commodore

Age: 28

How acquired: Free agent 2008

2008 Salary: 4.3 million

2008 Projection: Top 4; PK, 2nd unit PP

Skinny: Commodore is expected to fill the role vacated by Adam Foote. He isn't as strong of a shot blocker or in the corners as Foote but he's got size, physical presence and can certainly play a shutdown role and eat tough minutes. He's also got on and off ice leadership intangibles that this team desperately needs to get over the hump. He had a bumpy year last year but Hitch will have play him in a well defined role and he'll respond. The Jackets also love that he's a right handed shot and that he isn't afraid to stick up for teammates.

Fedor Tyutin

Age: 24

How acquired: Trade 2008 (Rangers)

Salary: 2.250 million

2008 Projection: Top 4; PK, 2nd unit PP

Skinny: Tyutin plays solid in all 3 zones and like Commodore, eats the tough minutes. He's known for his wicked hip checks and the Jackets feel he's got a lot of untapped offensive potential. Being only 24 he's just now figuring out how good he can be at this level. Expect Hitch to ride this horse all season long as he is the Jackets best all around d-man.

Jan Hejda

Age: 30

How acquired: Free agent 2007

Salary: 2 million

2008 Projection: Top 4; PK, 2nd unit PP

Skinny: Hejda stepped into the top 4 last season and played a solid mistake free game leading the Jackets to a club record +20. He's not a bone cruncher but he hits. He's not a barn burner but he can skate. He's not offensive but he makes a decent outlet pass. He plays against the other team's best players and on the top PK unit. Expect Hejda to continue in this role and the Jackets will ask him to contribute more offensively. He needs to work on his shot.

Rusty Klesla

Age: 26

How acquired: Draft 2000 (1st round)

Salary: 1.620 million

2008 Projection: Top 4; PK, 2nd unit PP

Skinny: Klesla hasn't quite lived up to his draft potential as a franchise defensemen but he has found his niche in the top 4 as a solid yet unspectacular defensive defensemen. He had his first ever + season last year and after Foote left he showed he can eat major minutes. He was the only Jacket defensemen to play in all 82 games last season. Klesla isn't afraid to play a physical game and has become a very good PKer. Expect Klesla to continue in the same top 4 role he played last year. The Jackets would like to see him contribute more offensively.

Christian Backman

Age: 28

How acquired: Trade 2008 (Rangers)

Salary: 3.4 million

2008 Projection: Top 6; 1st unit PPQB

Skinny: Backman is known as an offensive d-man who could use work in the defensive zone and on his conditioning. The early reports are that offensively he's the best the Jackets have ever had and that his conditioning is up to par. Expect Backman to be given every opportunity to quarterback this Jackets powerplay and play in the bottom pair against the opposition's weaker lines. The coaching staff will certainly work with him to improve his defensive zone play.

On the bubble

Kris Russell

Age: 21

How acquired: Draft 2005 (3rd round)

Salary: 750,000k

2008 Projection: Top 6, 1st or 2nd unit PP

Skinny: Russell took his bumps as a rookie last season but showed he can play at this level even at his size. His game is speed, strong puck handling, an active stick and smart positional play. As Hitch has mentioned he sees him more as a backdoor player who can jump up into holes with his spectacular skating and create offense. He's also very good rushing the puck and making the outlet pass. The knock will always be his size and can he handle NHL sized opposition. He also has a weak shot which needs improvement. The key for Russell to stay in the lineup is to produce points and if the game has slown down for him his second season.

OK Tollefsen

Age: 24

How acquired: Draft 2002 (3rd round)

Salary: 675,000k

2008 Projection: Reserve

Skinny: Tollefsen is a rugged stay at home defensemen with very limited offensive upside. We now know he battled through some major injuries last season before finally calling it a year on April 6th. While I think the team loves Tollefsen's competitive spirit he is only average in the defensive zone and has below average puck skills and offensive ability. He does have experience going for him having played in parts of 3 NHL seasons. I see him having a tough time this year cracking the top 6 and could be a decent trade chip.

Aaron Rome

Age: 24

How acquired: Trade 2007 (Anaheim)

Salary: 2-way

2008 Projection: Reserve

Skinny: Rome is a guy who is on the cusp of full time NHL duty. He got an 17 game cup of coffee with the big squad last season and showed signs that he could play at this level. He plays mostly a defensive game but has shown some offensive ability in the AHL notching 29 points in 55 AHL games last season. Look for Rome to really challenge this year for playing time and for the coaches to ask that he bring that physical competitive game every single night.

Marc Methot

Age: 23

How acquired: Draft 2003 (6th round)

Salary: 2-way

2008 Projection: Reserve

Skinny: Methot has paid his dues in the minors leagues the past 3 seasons and his game has matured because of it. Methot's game isn't pretty but its effective. He's a big body at 6'3" 224lbs which he uses to his advantage. He skates well for a big man but has very limited offensive upside as the most he's scored at the AHL level was 6 points in 59g back in the 06-07 year. His physical game has certainly picked up judging by the 130 PIM he racked up last season.

Outside shot

Jonathan Sigalet

Age: 22

How acquired: Trade 2008 (Boston)

2008 Projection: Minor league

Skinny: Sigalet is an young offensive defensemen trying to find his way as a pro. The good news for him is that the Jackets seriously lack in the skill set that he brings. Sigalet spent two season with Bowling Green of the CCHA and his first year pro he racked up 36 points in 75 games and even got a 1 game call up back in 06-07 season. Sigalet will have a large roll in Syracuse as their PPQB and should his game progress and injuries occur I could certainly see him getting some time up with the big club. I can't see him cracking the top 8 out of camp.

Grant Clitsome

Age: 23

How acquired: Draft 2004 (9th round)

2008 projection: Minor league

Skinny: Clitsome spent 4 years with Clarkson of the ECAC notching 22 points in 39 games last season and a +22. In the camps I've seen him he has definitely impressed with this puck poise and hockey sense. I rarely saw this kid get beat in any drills. This will be his first year pro so I see at least a 1 year of seasoning in the minors but I think the organization is cautiously excited about what this kid can bring now and down the road.

Nick Holden

Age: 21

How acquired: Free agent 2008]

2008 projection: Minor league

Skinny: Holden spent 2 years with the Chilliwack of the WHL and has been labeled a late bloomer. He's got the size at 6-4 200lbs and he put up 60 points in 70 games last season. Holden, like Sigalet, has that offensive game from the back end that the Jackets lack in their system. I suspect he'll need a year or two of seasoning but at only age 21 and having the size that he does combined with decent skating ability he is an intriguing prospect to follow and may surprise.

I also wanted to note that as of now Richard Matvichuk is still scheduled to attend camp on a PTO (Player Try Out) deal. He is a complete wild card but at this stage with the blueline already crowded he is going to have a decent mountain to climb to crack this lineup.

The question now is who stays and who goes?

I think we can all agree that the blueline looks as follows:

Hejda Commodore

Klesla Tyutin

XXX Backman

That leaves Russell, Tollefseon, Methot and Rome in the mix for that final top 6 spot and 2 extra as Hitch has made it known they will carry 8 d-men.

Russell is the only player out of that group who does not have to pass through waivers. I think Russell makes this team b/c his skill set is desperately needed and to be honest, his rookie season wasn't much bumpier than any 20 year old d-man coming into this league and he should certainly improve.

So that leaves two spots for Tollefsen, Methot and Rome should everyone remain healthy. If the org is faced to make a decision between the three I think both Rome and Methot get the nod over Tolly. The reasons being are that I think those two bring more to the table in terms of youth, skating, size and upside -- plus they are cheaper. Tollefsen has them all covered in the toughness and experience department but I'm not sure that is enough to justify keeping him over the other two.

My guess as to the opening night defensive roster looks like:

Hejda Commodore
Klesla Tyutin
Rusell Backman

Extra: Rome, Methot

Honestly though somebody is going to get injured so at the end of the day I think Tollefsen stays in the mix. I mean these are the Blue Jackets -- they are never 100% healthy...right?

Discuss - how do you see our defense shaping up?

-LTL

Filatov in North America by the 7th? Could Syracuse lose the Crunch?

First up a reader pointed out in the comments of another post that according to Nikita Filatov's blog he is planning on arriving in North America between September 7th - 9th to prepare for camp.

I think I express the thoughts of many out there when I say I'll believe it when I see it. I know this kid's story has stayed the same since the draft about his commitment to the NHL but color me skeptical until his butt is firmly planted in central Ohio.

It just seems this date keeps getting pushed and pushed. At first it was August then it was as soon as he got his visa and now its just a few days before rookie camp begins.

I want to believe in this kid...I really do...but with all that's going on with the KHL and hockey in Russia and the sting that remains from guys like Svitov bolting I'm going to wait until he shows before breathing a sigh of relief.

In other CBJ related news Lindsay Kramer has done a fantastic job of covering the dispute between the Crunch and Onondaga County Legislature on a 9.1 million dollar package to refurbish the War Memorial which is oldest arena in the AHL. Unfortunately the crowning jewel of the package -- which was a new $750,000 scoreboard -- was left out.

Crunch owner Howard Dolgon's response:
"I think it's another band-aid,'' he said. "It's more duct tape. It's business as usual.''

"We've been good soldiers,'' Dolgon said. "What more can we do to show them we are here to stay long-term? But it's been a one-way commitment for too long.''

When asked about the possibility of moving the team:

"I don't think we need to make inquiries,'' he said. "People follow this. There are a lot of empty buildings in bigger markets that would throw a party to get us.''

Kramer goes on to speculate that markets like Florida, Brooklyn, Oklahoma City and Kansas City could come calling.

Kramer has a follow up entry here with even more quotes.

From an outsider looking in the Crunch have played in Syracuse since 1994. Their owner seems genuine and is not asking for the world. Furthermore it appears the scoreboard has been in the works since the last lease was signed and although not "guaranteed" in the lease verbiage it sure appears that it was the way all parties were steering.

It will be interesting to follow how this story develops. Dolgon may be forced to use the only hammer he's got and that's to listen to other offers from interested cities. With only a year to go on the lease I'm sure there will be some folks out there willing to finance the Crunch breaking it.

At the end of the day this whole thing doesn't seem to be on the owner or the fans as both have supported one another. The problem is the facilities and the commitment by the city to improving them.

I've got to feel for the Crunch as no matter what sport you choose to support nobody wants their team to move.

Let hops both parties can get something worked out.

Be sure to check out NHL.com's preview of the Jackets here. A teaser:

The key word in Columbus this season is depth, which is something the Blue Jackets have never really had until now.

They have depth up front with the potential of 15 or more NHL-ready forwards. They have depth on the back end with eight or nine NHL-ready defenseman. They have depth in goal with a true No. 1 backed by a veteran and an up-and-comer.

Will it translate into the organization's first playoff berth? That's still unknown, but coach Ken Hitchcock believes Columbus is closer than it's ever been and it's finally fair to put some lofty expectations on his revamped club.

"As coaches we all get excited because it's a new year, but the players know when you're legitimately competitive or not, and the players we have coming back know exactly what we have done and they are really jacked up," Hitchcock told NHL.com. "They see this as the best team in the existence of the franchise and they are excited because they see this as a legit opportunity to get to the dance."

There are also new articles on Filatov and Goloubef.

-LTL

10 burning questions heading into camp

With September upon us and camp less than 11 days away I figured it was a good time to list a few burning questions that I have headed into camp:

1. Can Derick Brassard hold down a top 6 center position and make an impact?

2. With Christian Backman likely to be our #1 PPQB (at least until Russell shows ready for that role) will he be able to get the job done and help improve a bottom ranked PP from a year ago?

3. Will the other Kirstian (Huselius) find chemistry with Rick Nash and live up to his big UFA contract?

4. Can RJ Umberger perform as the #1 center the Jackets desperately need?

5. Have enough changes been made to the Jackets offense (both in forwards and in defenders) to propel it to a playoff caliber goals for total?

6. Can Pascal Leclaire stay healthy and maintain his early 2007-2008 form?

7. What about the other two blue chip rookie talents in Voracek and Filatov -- how do they do in camp and where do they end up come opening night?

8. Can Freddy Modin bounce back from an injury riddled 2007-2008 season? Same with Raffi Torres?

9. How quickly can Hitch find chemistry with so many new faces in the lineup?

10. Can the Jackets make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history?

Many of these we'll have to wait until the season unfolds to find out but I like these questions and the names that need to answer them much more than the quesitons and names of year's past.

Discuss - what questions do you have heading into camp?

-LTL