Jackets take back seat again on national TV

The NHL just released their national TV schedule for both the US and Canadian viewing audiences and really to no one's surprise the Jackets are shown just once on Versus on February 3rd against St. Louis at 7 p.m.

I believe its written into the Versus contract that they must air at least one game with every team per season. Hey at least its a home game *gasp*.

They'll also get 1 game in Canada on TSN against Edmonton on November 5th - again a home game.

The worst team in the NHL last season - the Tampa Bay Lightning - air a combined 10 times. Crosby's Penguins are on 20 while Ovechkin and the Caps get 13.

Its no secret why we aren't on national TV more -- that's what happens when you've stunk since your existence and don't have marquee players by the name of Crosby or Ovechkin -- still doesn't mean I have to like it. In fact it pisses me off.

Looking through the schedule rather quickly I think its safe to say that combined we have the lowest national exposure of any NHL franchise.

It would be real nice for once if the Jackets could put together a playoff season and start earning some good exposure for the franchise and the city.

You can find the full schedule here.

THN.com pointed out 3 teams they think will underachieve in the NHL this season...and no, the Jackets certainly weren't one of those. The 3 named were Montreal, Minnesota and the NY Rangers. I found this comment about NY particularly interesting:

Jaromir Jagr and Martin Straka went back to Europe, Brendan Shanahan still hasn’t been invited back, Nikolai Zherdev – host of a notoriously bad attitude and work ethic – was added for a steep price that included under-appreciated defender Fedor Tyutin and finally Sean Avery, love him or hate him, was lost for nothing to free agency.

Oh man its going to be something to see how this Z show plays out on Broadway.

THN ranks the Central division as 4th worst out of the 6 in the NHL:

4. Central. I know, I know, the presence of the Red Wings alone makes the Central a division to reckon with. The burgeoning Blackhawks and never-say-die Predators also help in that regard – and the fact that more than half of Detroit’s regular season losses came at the hands of teams in their division is a fact that’s nothing to sneeze at, either.

The Blue Jackets and Blues are playoff dark horses, but even then, both of those franchises have a handful of young talent to build around. In sum, there could be many more Cups bound for the Central Division and not just to Michigan. Just not for a couple more years.

I think everyone is a little to quick to be jumping on this 'hawks wagon. They have some nice young talent but I'm not convinced their goaltending (even with Huet) and defense (ranked 20th in goals against last year) are playoff caliber. I certainly won't rule out the Preds as they somehow find ways to win. After the Wings the Central is going to be a dog fight all the way to the end.

Check out this link to the Penguins new arena. They also have some sweet vids of what it will look like.

-LTL

THN predicts the Jackets 12th, Fiscler thinks they may be playoff bound

There seems to be a new trend emerging for the Jackets where you read one publication picking them as locks to make the playoffs and then you turn around and 5 minutes later read someone predicting them to get into it.

Hey its better than last year right where just about everyone picked them to be in the bottom 2 of the league.

As puck-rakers reported earlier The Hockey News Yearbook has been released and they are picking the Jackets to finish 12th in their conference. In fact here is their top 15:

1. Detroit 2. San Jose 3. Minnesota 4. Dallas 5. Anaheim 6. Edmonton 7. Chicago 8. Calgary 9. Nashville 10. Phoenix 11. Vancouver 12. Columbus 13. LA 14. Colorado 15. St. Louis

Hey they are just predictions but Minnesota 3rd? They are also jumping on the Edmonton and Chicago bandwagons. Quite frankly I think the entire west is a toss up after Detroit, San Jose and maybe Dallas.

Overall they gave the Jackets a grade of C-.

For comparison's sake here was their prediction of the West last year:

1. Detroit 2. Anaheim 3. Calgary 4. San Jose 5. Minnesota 6. Vancouver 7. Nashville 8. Colorado 9. St. Louis 10. Chicago 11. Dallas 12. L.A. 13. Edmonton 14. Columbus 15. Phoenix

Now here was the outcome:

1. Detroit 2. San Jose 3. Minnesota 4. Anaheim 5. Dallas 6. Colorado 7. Calgary 8. Nashville 9. Edmonton 10. Chicago 11. Vancouver 12. Phoenix 13. Columbus 14. LA 15. St. Louis

Not bad on the West but boy did they really miss on the East. They actually had Montreal, Boston, Washington & Philadelphia missing the playoffs which as we know now, all 4 made and in fact Montreal had the best record in the East.

I really think the West this year will be a surprise in terms of the teams left standing for the playoff this season. Will the Jackets be one of those -- I sure hope so!

...and hey lets not forget The Hockey News actually predicted the Jackets to make the playoffs in their 2006-2007 preview which of course they then proceeded to tank. Fool me once right...

Aaron Portzline writes most of the rest of the CBJ coverage in the yearbook and what he didn't write he commented in the Dispatch blog which was Nash ranked 36th out of the top 50 players and Voracek and Brassard in the top 10 of rookies to watch out for.

Speaking of top 10 rookies here was his list of the top 10 prospects for the Jackets:

1. Voracek - Skates like thew ind and is amazingly creative
2. Filatov - Has breakaway skills, but needs physical growth
3. Brassard - Great palymaker just needs to fill out
4. Mason - Towering stopper is positionally sounds
5. Methot - Sturdy defender moves the puck safely
6. Goloubef - Safe and realiable two-way defender
7. Sestito - Rugged winger can score a litle too
8. Pineault - Plays tough and has a wicked wrist shot
9. Weber - Mobile big man with offensive upside
10. Picard - Injuries have derailed a once-promising career

They do give the Jackets prospect group an A- overall.

One more tidbit is that they feature each team's top shootout performer from the year prior. Kristian Huselius is ours converting on 4/5 attempts for a .800 percentage. Overall the Jackets had a .297 success rate in the shootout - ugh.

Stan Fiscler of The Hockey Journal however has this to say about the Jackets:

Scott Howson’s Blue Jackets haven’t created any major headlines lately but the ex- Oilers aide may be putting together the NHL’s sleeper team of 2008-09. There may not be an All-Star among the roster additions but there’s plenty of substance. Between R.J. Umberger, Kris Huselius, Raffi Torres, Mike Commodore, Fedor Tyutin and Chris Backman, Columbus has a neat nucleus with which Ken Hitchcock can work. If Pascal Leclaire matures as a No. 1 goalie and Russian whiz Nikita Filatov lives up to his notices, the pieces for a playoff team will be in place.

Fiscler seems to be one guy that isn't looking at each move individually but instead as a whole. He realizes that games aren't won in offseason headlines and that what Howson has done is acquire competitive pieces for Hitch to mold into formidable team that will play their style of game night in and night out.

Here is a real interesting tidbit from Puck-rakers, Syracuse Crunch(er) John "Nasty" Mirasty will make his first appearance at Blue Jackets camp this year. Mirasty is about as tough as they come so it will certainly be interesting to see what he can do both on the ice and with this fists. It sure would be sweet to see him last long enough for that first home exhibition game against the Preds -- no way in hell I miss that one!

Honestly though I wouldn't be shocked if Mirasty got a couple of cups of coffee should some "nasty"ness break out against some teams early in the season and the Jackets call him on subsequent meetings.

-LTL

Sizing up Filatov

I've seen a lot of banter tossed around about Filatov being undersized for the NHL. Well these two entries from the Red Line Report's Kyle Woodlief seem to put those rumors to bed:

You mentioned size, so let's talk about Nikita Filatov. Are there any legitimate concerns about his size for the NHL?

I don't think there's a concern about his size at all. He's almost a legit 6-1. It may be a bit of a generalization, but it's quite true that many of the European countries don't develop physically as early at their North American counterparts. I think he'll play in the NHL close to 190 pounds.

What are your thoughts on Steven Stamkos?

He's certainly a legitimate first-line center, good for maybe 90 points a year when he gets into his prime years. A terrific two-way player.

It's funny: You bring up concerns about Nikita Filatov, and Stamkos is maybe eight pounds heavier than him; but other than that, they're identical. Neither one of them are afraid to play in traffic, get their noses dirty.

Lets also keep in mind that two youngsters and certainly not "big" prospects made the jump last season in Patrick Kane and Sam Gagner and made the quite the impact. I'm not saying Filatov will follow the exact same path as those two but if he doesn't make it to the NHL right out of camp it won't be just b/c of his size.

There is another interesting read over on NHL.com about prospects who may make the jump straight to the NHL next year. I thought this quote "The Great One" certainly jumped off the page:

"I can't speak for the other teams, but this group of draft choices was widely viewed as having more NHL-ready players than any in recent years," Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky said after the first day of the draft. "We don't often speak in those terms with such young players."

Hawks GM Dale Tallon also weighs in on the size factor:

"It's the size of his heart that's more important," Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon said of Kane after the draft in June. "Guys his size that play the perimeter, you have concerns about moving up to the next level; but Pat gets his nose dirty, gets into the traffic areas and he doesn't get knocked down. He has a solid, wide base for his size, and when he gets stronger it's going to be even more difficult to knock him down."

"We're not in the business to not put the best players we have on the ice, regardless of age," Tallon said. "We've kept an open mind in training camp each year and kept youngsters like Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews and the same may also happen with Kyle Beach this year ... if he's ready to make the jump to the next level."

The article concludes with some names to keep an eye come camp and yes, one Nikita Filatov is in that mix. In fact here are the names that are dropped:

Stamkos. Doughty. Bogosian. Pietrangelo. Schenn. Filatov. Boedker. Beach. Tikhonov.

For those OSU hockey fans out there it was announced yesterday that Tom Fritsche has been signed to a two-way contact by the Colorado Avalanche. Tom, who is the bother of Dan Fritsche, spent 4 years with the Buckeyes and played a few games with Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL after his OSU season concluded.

THN.com takes a look at teams who need to "move it or lose it":

Columbus Blue JacketsIt’s been a tough existence for Jackets fans, who have had to try and support a team that’s traditionally been eliminated from playoff contention by January. The past couple of seasons have brought hope in the form of Ken Hitchcock and marginal improvement in the standings, but only a playoff appearance – preferably, an extended one – will provide real relief. New faces R.J. Umberger and Kristian Huselius will get all the ice time they can handle.

All I have to say to this one is thanks captain obvious.

According to this article the Columbus Blue Jackets will have enjoyed 187 day break since they last played a regular season game to the start of next season. The Pittsburgh Penguins will have the shortest break at 122 days followed by the Red Wings at 127. The Edmonton Oilers have the longest at 192.

Now of course that isn't to say all the Jackets enjoyed that much time off. Remember that Leclaire, Nash, Novoty, Hejda & Chimera all participated in the World Championships after their NHL seasons concluded. Heck even Hitch kept on coaching.

Also its not like most these guys don't train over the majority of the summer anyhow. Regardless the Jackets should be well rested coming into camp.

Also Puck-rakers has announced the offical numbers of some of the new faces for the Jackets. We've covered this once before here but what the heck, lets cover it again:

Backman - 5

Torres - 14

Murray - 15

Umberger - 18

Huselius - 20

Commodore - 22

Filatov - 28

Tyutin - 51

Voracek - 93

..and hey, I think we have a new poll question!

-LTL

Why can't the Jackets beat those pesky Preds?

Today I want to explore one question and try to find an answer:

WHY CAN'T THE COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS BEAT THE NASHVILLE PREDATORS?

Sorry for the caps and bold but I want to make sure that sucker stood out because quite frankly they are a BIG reason why the Jackets have been hitting the greens the last couple of seasons in April.

Lets first take a look at some combined records against these Preds over the past few years:

Last 3 seasons: 4-18-2

Last 2 seasons: 1-13-2

Last year: 1-6-1

The Jackets have just 4 wins against the Preds in the last 3 seasons combined. That just isn't even close to good enough.

Just taking last season alone the Preds sqeaked into the playoffs with a 41-32-9 record good for 91 points. Fifteen of those points were against the Jackets. With a shootout win and loss the Jackets managed to gain just 3 of 16 points - they coudln't even beat them in regulation.

Thinking hypothetically for a second -- if the Jackets would have just taken half of those games against the Preds last season they would have been looking at an 85 point season (if you already account for the 3 they had from their win and OTL) where the Preds all of a sudden have just 83 points (subtracting 8 points from 91). With those extra points come trade deadline time perhaps they aren't sellers and go for it.

Next season the Jackets will only see them 6 times but its still imperitive that they start taking points from this team.

So why can't this team beat them? I mean afterall they only entered this league two years before the Jackets?

I think it comes down to a numbers of reasons.

Draft and development
Even though the Jackets have the highest average draft pick since coming into the league the Predators have done a better job drafting and developing productive NHLers - especially in later rounds.

Looking over their first round draft picks since their first selection in 1998 in 2nd overall pick David Legwand they have really only struck out on 1 pick in 1999 with Brian Finley. They say it takes 5 years before you can declare a draft pick a success or bust so with that in mind Nashville has mined solid contributers in Legwand, Hartnell, Hamhuis, Upshall, Suter and Radulov. Of course some of those picks are no longer with the team (or in Radulov's case bolting back to Russia) but they are/were productive players in the NHL.

Its in the later rounds though is where they pull away from the Jackets finding diamonds like Karl Skratins in the 9th round of the 1998 draft, Martin Erat in the 7th round of the 1999 draft and super agitator Jordin Tootoo in the 4th round of the 2001 draft.

They have also done a much better job at hitting in the 2nd round with guys like Adam Hall, Shea Weber and Kevin Klien.

Bottom line is that with lower average picks the Preds have done a better job at drafting, developing and inserting young players into their lineup in order for them to find success which is something Jackets must improve upon.

Coaching
The Preds have had just one coach in their 9 year on ice history and that is Barry Trotz. Trotz has seen the bad times as the Preds missed the playoffs in their first 5 seasons but has also steered them through some good times in making the playoffs in each of their past 4 seasons despite some major adversity in payroll getting slashed, star players dealt and ownership quesitons marks.

Trotz has been consistant presence behind the bench in Nashville that gets all his players to buy in and do what it takes to win in the NHL. Its that kind of stability and constistancy that has certainly benefited the Preds, especially when the play a team like the Jackets that up until Hitch came aboard was nothing short of a coaching carousel.

The Jackets think they've finally found that coaching stability in Hitch and signed him to a 3 year extension to prove it.

Front office

As with Trotz the Preds have had consistancy at the GM level with David Poile. Poile has had a consistant vision since the Preds inception and has been patient and steadfast pursuing that vision. No knee jerk reactions, no over-selling -- only calm and calculated moves.

Over the first 5 years of their existance the Preds built through the draft as well as built a solid foundation as a hard working competitive team where if they were going to lose it wasn't going to be because of a lack of effort.

When the time came for the Preds to make some moves to take that next step Poile made smart trades to bring in players that complimented their lineup in guys like Steve Sullivan and made smart UFA acquisitions in players like Jason Arnott, Paul Kariya and JP Dumont.

When the ownership question marks dominated the future of this franchise and Poile was forced to trim payroll. Even with this hands tied he still managed to make the best out of a bad situation setting a new trend in the NHL in dealing free agents to be Scott Hartnell and Kimo Timmonen for a 1st round pick which turned out to be Jonathan Blum.

He's leaned on young players to be key contributors but he's given those players plenty of time to develop and surrounded them with legit NHLers to play with and learn to be pros from.

Its those kinds of smarts and stability in the front office that have led to the recent success on the ice and has certainly outclassed the Jackets front office to this point.

Unlike Doug MacLean new GM Scott Howson has a plan and the early signs point to him following a similar strategy to what Polie has done in Nasvhille and that's draft and develop well, build a competitve hard working team through the draft, smart trades and free agents and build stability in the front office and behind the bench.

Established identity
The Preds just don't ever seem to take a night off, especially against the Jackets. They work hard every game, every shift and as I mentioned earlier are the type of team that is not going to get outworked.

They also can play you any way you want. They have good skill and can beat you on speed and on special teams yet also possess plenty of toughness where they can punish you on a nightly basis. Couple that with their resilancy and never say die attitude and they are a real difficult team to play against.

Unfortunately up until last year the Jackets have had no identify. They had no consistanty night in and night out and they got pushed around regularty by tougher opponents. That will have to change if the Jackets want to be this team on a regular basis.

Score by comittee

The Preds had 10 players reach double digits in goals scored compared to just 5 on the Jackets. They had 13 players over 20 points compared to just 9 Jackets.

The Preds were 12th in goals scored per game with 2.77 versus the Jackets who were 29th with 2.32 goals per game.

Last season the Predators scored 3, 4, 3, 4, 1, 4, 3 & 2 for an average of 3 per game against the Jackets. The Jackets on the other hand scored 3, 1, 1, 3, 1, 2, 0 & 0 for an average of 1.375 goals per game -- ouch.

Bottom line the Jackets have got to find more ways to score against this Preds team.

Clutch goaltending
Now you could say that perhaps the Jackets offense will make any team's goaltending look good but on nights when the Jackets cleary have outplayed this Predators their goaltending has been there to save em to steal a game here or there. The Jackets have yet to get that kind of performance from their tenders againt the Preds.

In their heads
The Jackets managed to eeek out a shootout win against the Preds last season in their 5th game against them on January 12th. Darth Vader had finally been beaten however over the final 3 meeting the Jackets managed just 2 total goals and where shutout twice.

At this point the Preds are in the Jackets kitchen. They are in their heads and the Jackets are going to have to, and to paraphrase Hitch a bit, beat a win out of them.

So back to my orginal question of what's it going to take beat these guys? I mean is it the chants (which are pretty cool I must admit)?

I think its a combination of all of the above.

They have to do a better job at drafting and the hope is that later rounders like Boll, Dorsett, Sestito, Russell and Mason can finally be some big time contributors. Even more than that they need to hit on their most recent first rounders in Brassard, Voracek and Filatov. They also need some second rounders like Pineault, Legein, Weber and Golobouf to make an impact in the coming years.

They must find stability in coaching and management and the early signs are that this stability may have arrived in Hitch and Howson. Like any professional team they will be judged in wins and losses.

A team identity was starting to get established last season as a hard working strong defensive team who will not be out worked. Howson has gone out and added players that fit the identify they want to establish and dumped guys who didn't fit. The jury is obviously out on whether or not the pieces fit together but on paper this is a much bigger and conisistant team in terms of showing up to play night in and night out.

SCORE! The Jackets have got to find more ways to score. They traded away some offense in guys like Z and let Hainsey walk as a free agent but have beefed up their blueline and replaced offense in Huselius, Umberger and Torres. They need guys to produce as well as vets like Modin to stay healthy and they need some young players to step up at the highest level. They also need better transition and special teams play if they hope to put more goals on the board.

Beat wins out of them. Quite frankly the Preds have pushed the Jackets around and that has to stop. If Jordan Tootoo wants to take runs at guys like Jan Hejda then guys like Boll, Commodore and Tollefsen have got to answer the bell. If the Preds are taking runs at the Jackets stars like Nash or Huselius then guys like Klesla, Tyutin, Chimera need to start throwing their weight around.

In fact screw reaction - the Jackets need to initiate. There is no reason a top 4 of Klesla, Hejda, Tyutin and Commodore can't punish those Preds forwards...and this is no reason guys like Chimera, Boll, Nash, Murray, Torres, Modin, Umberger an co. shouldn't be leaning on the Preds defense with their size and strength and wearing teams down.

Mentally the Jackets have to come in prepared to take the battle to these guys and that losing isn't an option. That doesn't mean to take stupid penalties or get rattled but instead play their hard checking sound defensive game and convert on offensive opportunities. Everybody stands up for one another.

They now have the horses to play that type of game but they have to execute it.

All that and lets be honest, some cooler crowd chants at Nationwide certainly couldn't hurt!

Discuss - what's it gonna take to beat those Preds next season?

-LTL

Howson done shopping for summer and more

A bit of old news to alot of you I'm sure but in a recent Puck-rakers blog GM Scott Howson basically said that he is done shopping for the summer:

"We are likely done adding NHL caliber roster players until we get through training camp and get a better feel where some of our young players are with respect to being ready to contribute at the NHL level. If possible, I believe that a NHL team should not operate close to the cap. You need flexibility to deal with injuries and opportunities that may arise. It is very quiet right now as it usually is in August but we are ready for any opportunities that may come our way."

Aboslutley no surprise there and the "likely done" line leaves the window open should something fall into his lap.

As is stands the Jackets have their 2008-2009 roster pretty much set until camp where he and his staff will watch to see how things shake out in terms of roster battles and how some of the young guns perform.

In terms of young guns on offense I think both Voracek & Brassard are locks. I think Dorsett and Sestito will both make strong cases but ultimately end up in Syracuse but will see plenty of games up with the big team when injuries strike. Adam Pineault is another guy who I think is close but will most likely start the year down in the 'A' but should see more call ups this year assuming he continues to progress his game.

A guy I'm not quite sure about is Mayorov. I haven't heard an announcement on his status in terms of a contract signing or if he is planning on staying in North America. If he does stay I definitely see him starting the year in Syracuse.

Then we have the wild card in Filatov. If he's as good as they say then I think he is going to be the hardest decision for the CBJ brass to make in camp.

On defense I think Kris Russell is a lock for the team. Howson was asked about Russell's performance in that same blog post and this was his response:

"I have no doubt that Kris Russell is better off today having the experience of playing in the NHL last year as opposed to playing in Syracuse. The NHL is a very tough league for young defensemen and we were all proud of the way Kris handled himself last year after earning his way onto the team. I told him at the end of the season he should be proud of playing a full year in the league as a 20-year-old and the struggles he went through were very typical for someone his age at that position."

Howson is absolutely 100% correct in his assessment. I think people forget how hard it is to step into the NHL straight from junior and play a full 82 game season for a young defensemen. Sure he struggled his share last year but that is to be exepected. By all account Russell has bulked up some 10 lbs in the offseason and I fully expect him to not only make this team but to become a key contributor -- especially on the powerplay.

Grant Clitsome is another guy that I think we all need to keep our eyes on. He's certainly got an uphill battle to make the team this year but if he plays against NHLers with the same poise and puck smarts that he's shown in every camp he's been in than he could find himself in a CBJ sweater sooner rather than later.

Rome, Methot, Sigalet and Holden will all be looking to compete for spots as well. In fact when its all said and done the Jackets could end up losing Methot or Rome on waivers as there are only so many spots on the team and somebody is going to have to get sent down.

Blogger James Mirtle predicts the Jackets to miss the playoffs yet again.

To make the playoffs, Columbus likely needs 70-point seasons out of Nash and Huselius, at least 60 from Umberger, and capable second-line performances from Modin, Brassard and either Torres or Voracek.

They're going to be low scoring and difficult to score against, but a playoff team?

Not yet. And it'll be interesting to see what happens at the gate in this go 'round.

He does make an interesting point about goal scoring:

But what Columbus really needs is some goals. They always have.

Blue Jackets finish in goals for
2000-01: 26th
2001-02: 30th
2002-03: 16th
2003-04: 29th
2005-06: 28th
2006-07: 28th
2007-08: 29th

That is horrible. Columbus has averaged 2.34 goals per game in its history, which is quite likely the lowest average on record.

There is no doubt about it that Columbus has to score more goals. I think their defense will be even better than last season but they are going to need more contribution offensively and healthy seasons from guys like Modin and Torres.

As I've been saying in this space for a while now at least one of Brassard/Voracek/Filatov has to break out for this team to have enough firepower up front to get to the post season.

Now this blogger thinks the Jackets will finish 2nd in the division:

The Columbus Blue Jackets have the pieces in place to put together a dynamic offense, capable of getting a big enough lead for Pascal Leclaire and the defense to hold—as they proved last year it’s just building that lead.

This year they’ll be able to do that. Maybe not early on, but I can see Columbus with a realistic shot at the playoffs this season.

As Erik posted in the comments it seems the Jackets are on the bubble either way which would translate that even though its early a lot of folks seem to think this team will be in the mix next season.

There is some additional information regarding the deal NHL cable partner Versus completed with the Indy Racing League. The deal is for a reported 60 miullion dollars over a 10 year period and similar to what they've done for the NHL they have promised additional coverage, specialty shows and a "robust" promotional package.

Again this is all good signs for the NHL as this kind of term shows that Versus has no plans to go anywhere anytime soon.

Reading reader comments from this article many racing fans aren't very happy about the move. In fact its very similar knee jery reactions that we heard from a lot of NHL fans when the NHL announced they were moving to Versus with exposure, programming and a footprint concerns.

However some fans are already "getting it" that Versus, again similar to how they treat the NHL, will give the series plenty of attention and unique programming and won't get lost in the shuffle over at ESPN. What I think they'll also find is that ratings aren't going to be nearly as affected as they think and that this channel is going to do nothing but grow over the lifespan of that contract as will the IRL's expsure.

So who else has seen the new Rick Nash Time Warner commercial? Its cheesy of course but its good to see a company the size of Time Warner using the Jackets and its star as a spokesman for a good cause like Adult Literacy.....and its always good to see some hockey exposure over the summer in this market.

The Jackets web site also has a entry up about it.

Not much else going on out there. August is going to be a very quite month as team and league execs take a break and players start gearing up for camp.

32 days til the start of rookie camp!!

-LTL

Be back Sunday

Hi all. I'll be unplugged for the next couple of days but will be back at it on Sunday. Feel free to use this as an "open post" to discuss any new hockey news that may pop up over the next couple of days.

Of course at the rate we've been going this past week I'm not expecting a whole lot.


-LTL

If you could change 5 things...

...in the NHL what would they be?

Here are mine:

1. I'd rename the conferences and divisions back to their old names (i.e. Campbell and Prince of Wales Conferences, Adams/Norris/Patrick/Smythe divisions). I don't despise Bettman like a lot of people but I've never liked the fact that he changed these unique and classic Conference and Division names with history to NBA-esque geographical names. Sometimes the NHL tries to hard to be like someone else instead of being proud of who they are and their history.

2. I'd make players serve their full penalty minutes for all penalties regardless if a goal is scored or not.

3. I'd commission an investigation into televising hockey games from North to South. If you've ever noticed that in hockey video games the view is always North to South which provides a much better view of the play. This has always made me wonder why the NHL doesn't look heavily into technology that could accomplish the same for live hockey games. I'm not just talking about mounting a camera behind the net either -- I'm thinking some kind of rail system on remote (or with a person) that can move behind a net and up and over the play as it moves North and South.

4. I would set a mandatory agreement deadline for all CBA matters that if unresolved by said deadline a 3rd party will make a decision. This should prevent any future work stoppages.

5. The most controversial one of all - I would either 1. make bigger nets or 2. increase the size of the ice or both. Players have evolved in size and speed along with their equipment. Rule changes have been implemented to try to open up the game with mixed results. Its time to increase the playing and scoring areas to evolve with them.

Discuss - what would you do? Itsthe offseason so have some fun with it -- nothing is off limits.

-LTL

Versus growing up

Some interesting developments regarding the cable partner of the NHL.

Versus has just announced that they will be televising 13 IRL (Indy Racing League) racing events next season. ABC will retain the television rights to the Indianapolis 500 as well as 4 other selected races.

In addition Versus has announced that it will expand its College Football coverage to 23 games next season accross 4 conferences.

VERSUS, the network that celebrates real competition, will televise 23 college football games during the 2008 season, up from 19 games in 2007 and nine in 2006. The schedule includes eight games in the Mountain West Conference and five games from each the Pac-10, Big 12 and Ivy League conferences. For the first time since college football began airing in 2006, the network will launch VERSUS College Football Central, which includes a dedicated halftime show during each game called the Sears Halftime Report as well as pre and post-game shows on select telecasts. The studio shows, hosted by Ted Robinson and Roland Williams, will originate from the network’s HD studio in Stamford, Conn.

VERSUS will kick-off its 2008 college football schedule on Saturday, August 30, with a Mountain West Conference showdown between TCU and New Mexico at 6 p.m. ET. The network’s entire college football schedule is available on VERSUS.com, however key games include several pre-season ranked teams such as UCLA at BYU (9/13), BYU at TCU (10/16), USC at Stanford (11/15) and Oregon at Oregon State (11/29) as well as the 125th anniversary of “The Game” between Yale at Harvard game on Nov. 22.

Why am I posting this on a hockey blog?

When the NHL first annoucned it was leaving ESPN to join the "Outdoor Life Network" (which was later renamed to "Versus") the league was down right roasted by the mouthpieces in the media - specifically some of the blow hard egomaniacs at ESPN (go figure) with their "can't find it" hot air which is complete nonsense in the world of HD, hundreds of channels and buitl in cable box guides.

Fast forward 4 years later and the league's ratings are back to where they were during the ESPN days, they are being treated as commodity instead of as "filler" and the network is growing, growing & growing.

I was always in favor of the move even though I think everyone realized the league would take a short term hit in the ratings (and lets be honest here hockey has never and probably never will generate mega ratings south of the boarder). I was completely disgusted with ESPN's doormat treatment of the league and the backhanded shots it took on a daily basis from its "experts".

We all are well aware that the NFL is king. ESPN reminds us of that everyday (well of that and what Brett Farve jersey he's speculated to wear next). We know their priorities lie in football/baseball/basketball/Nascar. I'm not asking for or justifying that the NHL should get more coverage than those leagues. What I am asking for is that a television network respect their properties and do what they can to help grow it. Not take pot shots at it and beguile it at any and every opportunity.

ESPN needs competition as they have grown way to big for their britches -- leagues that aren't getting their fair shake, like the NHL, need alternatives -- Versus is giving them that.

Sure Versus had its challenges in that first year with plenty of glitches to work out but since then they have steadily improved their broadcasts, promoted the league in a fair and appropriate way and now are expanding their programming with the addition of college football games and IRL races to join the NHL, Tour De France, WEC, The Contender and Pro Bull Riding.

There are still plenty of improvements I'd like to see Versus make including a complete overhaul of their web site, the addition of more sports properties (although rapid growth could end up with the NHL getting lost in the shuffle) and the continued expansion of their footprint (currently said to be at 76 million homes). I'd also like to see them add a hockey highlights show and the rumors are that that is coming maybe as soon as this season (woot!).

They are getting there though and believe me other leagues are and will notice their treatment of their sports properties....and at the end of the day Versus is backed by the deep pockets of Comcast and if you've got the money and a sensible vision you can be a player in the TV game.

Discuss - are you happy with Versus or would you prefer to go back to ESPN?

-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

Boll breaker

The Dispatch is reporting that Jared Boll has a broken hand.

"It was kind of what happened to (Dan) Fritsche at the end of last season," Boll said yesterday as he arrived in Columbus with a cast on the hand. "The doctor said it was a clean break. It didn't even require surgery."

Sounds like it should be healed up and ready to go by camp but as I mentioned in the comments yesterday I hope the Jackets training staff tape his gloves on during camp to make sure he's 100% healthy come the regular season. We need him and his hands ready to go when the games count.

This should open the door even wider for guys like Dorsett and Sestito to do the heavy lifting in preseason games with veteran guys like Tollefsen and Commodore to back them up.

The Dispatch also reported that Raffi Torres is in town to begin workouts with conditioning coach Barry Brennan. I'm not sure what it is but I just don't get a warm and fuzzy over Torres' progression with this torn ACL (or what is MCL?). I hope they stay nice and patient with Torres and if it means missing camp and the start of the regular season to make sure he's 100% then so be it.

I keep reading and hearing that he should be ready by camp so lets keep our fingers crossed.

For you autograph junkies out there according to the Jackets web site Derrek Brassard will be signing autographs on Saturday, August 9 from 1-2 p.m. at the Giant Eagle located at McCutcheon & Stelzer - 2900 Stelzer Road in Columbus.

They've also added Jakub Voracek to the autograph lineup with Sestito and Dorsett over at the Columbus Zoo on Aug. 6 from 6-7 p.m.

Bravo to the Jackets and these players for getting out in the community and promoting this great game and franchise this offseason. I know they are in town so why not but I can't remember this many players getting out into the community so often in the offseason. Then again the Jackets have never had this many young players stay in Columbus over the summer. The "Boll effect" continues to steamroll.

Marian Gaborik wants out of Minny according to this blogger. Granted its a blog and we all know how much credit we can gives those guys *snicker* but there sure seems to be a lot of smoke around this Gaborik situation. Seeing that he'll be a UFA after this season this is one rumor I see having some legs.

I'm not sure I buy this KHL threat though. Sure its an option and players are most certainly going to use it as leverage but the stars want to play with the stars in the best league in the world and for the time being that is the NHL. No start up league is going to conquere that in a year.

I'd be shocked if Gaborik is a member of the Wild this time next year. If he's not signed to an extension the Wild may have no choice but trade him by the deadline as they can't afford to let a guy like that walk for nothing.

The Nashville Tennesean is reporting that the IIHF will make its ruling on the status of disputed Predators star Alexander Radulov in mid-August. If one were to connect the dots here one would also conclude (or at least think) that the Nkita Filatov situation will also be ruled on.

Terri Fry of ESPN.com wrote an article today ranking the league's coaches in terms of Elite, Proven, The jury's still out, Suspect & How the heck can we know yet. Here is where Hitch fell:

Proven

Ken Hitchcock, Columbus

Even more than Babcock and some of the others, Hitchcock is the quintessential worked-his-way-up coach who used to crack up the writers on the Western League circuit when he looked more like -- and sounded like -- John Candy. Somewhat inflexible and grating on veterans who wouldn't mind opening it up, he is still a great ambassador for the league and has Cups -- Memorial and Stanley -- on his résumé.

I love to see him add "first coach to take the Columbus Blue Jackets to the playoffs" this season to that résumé.

Update: CBSSports.com takes a look at some players stock - they had this to say about Huselius:

Kristian Huselius, LW, Columbus A four-year, $19 million deal got Huselius to pull up stakes in Calgary and bolt for Columbus. We will have to wait until the 2008-09 season to witness whether it was a smart move or not. Huselius was traded from Florida to Calgary during the 2005-06 season and his career then began to take off. He had career seasons in 2006-07 and 2007-08 with the Flames and it primarily had to do with playing opposite Jarome Iginla. Well, Iginla is staying in Calgary and now Huselius is being asked to improve an average Blue Jackets' offense. He is situated behind Rick Nash on the depth chart at left wing and Columbus doesn't nearly have the talent at center that Calgary does. It would not surprise us if Huselius struggles to break 50 points next season.

You never can tell with the Jackets offense so really can't blame the skepticism. Jackets and guys like Huselius will have to prove it on the ice.

Bill Clement over on hockeybuzz weighs on his offseason views and believe it or not -- nothing negative on Jackets signing although Redden and Hainsey made his list:

Worst Signing Rangers – Wade Redden (6 yrs/$39m) The term of 6 years is absolutely stunning. You’ll never meet a nicer guy than Wade Redden and that’s part of the problem. Unless he somehow can start the season playing like he did 5 years ago the Garden fans will let him hear it and when that happens, the “good guy” will feel even more pressure. Pressure that will be extremely difficult to handle. Expectations are often a curse for certain players and I think they will be for Redden. This is one of those times I really hope I’m wrong.

Most Desperate Signing #1: Maple Leafs – Jeff Finger (4 yrs/$14m) Finger is 28 with one full NHL season to his credit. Last season? 19 points and $900K. Leafs got the Finger all right.

#2 :Thrashers – Ron Hainsey (5 yrs/$22.5m) Hainsey is 27 and has only played 3 years in the NHL. Top season is 34 points. He made $900k last year. This signing pretty well tells you not many UFA’s had Atlanta in their cross-hairs.

Hey we missed out on Redden but that also meant we missed on some "worst of" lists. I'll happily take the consolation prize in Tyutin and move forward.

The Hockey News speculates that the Jackets will be better than most give them credit for:

Columbus Blue Jackets: It must be hard being the only team to have not made the playoffs in their short history, but I think they’re going to be better than what many give them credit for.

Everyone knows Rick Nash can score, but has he ever had anyone else to support him in his area of expertise? The Jackets are hoping Kristian Huselius can do just that, while R.J. Umberger will be counted on to reach 20 goals for the second time in his career.

If Pascal Leclaire can improve on his breakout 2007-08 season – or at least show it wasn’t a fluke – Columbus will always be in a position to win games. The defense that will be supporting Leclaire is not all-star caliber, though it is underrated. Fedor Tyutin was let go by the Rangers too easily and Kris Russell should be ready to step into the NHL spotlight, which will be easier to do on a smaller market team.

While my own expectations for the Jackets aren’t through the roof, they should be closer than the 11 points they missed the playoffs by last season. Look for them to be in the thick of things right into April, 2009.

Hey some positive press -- I'll take it!!

-LTL

A new hope

A poster on HF made this poster which I thought I'd share here:

Haha.. just now noticed Commodore in there as Han. All we needed was Tootoo's face in the place of Vaders. Great stuff.

-LTL

By the numbers, pre-camp edition

Now that Leclaire is inked I wanted to make a quick post to take the latest look at the Jackets roster w/ payroll.

This is my best guess as to what the lineup will look like on opening night assuming everyone's healthy (which is a BIG assumption):

Nash (6.5) Umberger (3.0) Huselius (4.75)

Modin (3.5) Brassard (.850) Torres (2.4)

Chimera (1.875) Peca (1.315) Boll (.570)

Murray (.600) York (.750) Voracek (.850)

Extra: Malhotra (1.5)

Commodore (4.3) Hejda (2.0)

Tyutin (2.25) Klesla (1.65)

Russell (.575) Backman (3.4)

Extra: Tollefsen (.750)

Leclaire (3.0)

Norrena (.900)

Total Payroll: 47.285

Notes:

* Brassard proves worthy of a top 6 spot

* York beats out both Manny and Novonty in camp to earn an opening day roster spot

* Novotny is traded or placed on waivers as there just isn't room for him on this roster unless a big rash of injuries strike

* Manny is the extra forward in a healthy lineup but chances are injuries strike and he sees plenty of regular time

* Hitch likes the look of Boll with Peca and Chimera. Plays it safe to start with Voracek on the 4th line. Although with that lineup expect 4 lines to be rolled regularly

* Dorsett just misses making the squad right out of camp but if a bottom 6 forward is needed he'll get the first callup

* I could see the organization carrying an additional defensemen -- either Rome or Methot -- as they don't want to expose them to the waiver wire

I'll tell ya what though I think Howson and Hitch are going to have some tough decisions to make. I mean what if Filatov steps in and just light it up? Or what if Matvichuk, Clitsome or Holden outplay some guys? You know there will be a "Boll" like suprise in camp. Quality depth is always a good problem to have I guess.

Discuss - what is your projected opening day lineup at this point? (..and yes I know its early!)

-LTL

Jackets invite Matvichuk to training camp dance

Apparently Scott Howson still isn't satisfied with his defensive depth as according to Puck-rakers he's signed 35 year old stay home defensemen Ricahrd Matvichuk to a pro try out contract.

As Puck-rakers mentions, Matvichuk is no stranger to coach Ken Hitchcock. He played under him in Dallas from 98 to 2000 which included his cup winning year.

Matvichuk is your classic slow prodding stay at home d-man who will sacrafice any part of his body to keep the puck out of his net. The Devils didn't see a fit for him so they let him play out his contract in the minors. If he couldn't cut it at this point in his career in that defensive system why would he be able to under Hitch?

According to some Devils fans head coach Brent Sutter was hoping to change to a more uptempo style and decided Matvichuk wouldn't compliment it. After mixed results Sutter quickly reverted back to the dump and chase and Matvichuk was still on the outside looking in due to the amount of defensemen ahead of him.

At this point why not right? Similar to Joel Bouchard last season if he can step in and earn a spot so be it. It won't be easy though, not with all of the defensemen in the mix now. It will be interesting to see if Matvichuk will be willing to accept a 2-way if he doesn't make the team in camp.

Hey the more competition the better -- it should raise everyone's level of play.

Lets do another quick run down of what our d depth looks like:

Locks: Commodore, Tyutin, Hejda, Klesla, Backman

Likely: Russell, Tollefsen

In the mix: Matvichuk, Rome, Methot, Clitsome, Sigalet, Holden, Wilson

Puck-rakers also has this interesting nugget on Tollefsen:

Brennan spoke earlier this week to Jackets defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen, who remains in Norway. Tollefsen said he is “100 percent” healthy and ready to go for camp after having surgery in April to repair a cracked verterba in his neck. Tollefsen sustained a neck injury last preseason when he was hit from behind in an exhibition game. Tollefsen tried to gut it out, playing 51 regular-season games, but acknowledged the injury affected feeling in his arms and hands.

Thinkin back to last season its hard to imagine that Tolly played with those injuries. I mean he still fought, he hit, he took sucker punches (remember those games against Phoenix?) and he battled every game every shift. He's one tough dude.

The Dispatch steps up yet again. Today Tom Reed has an absolutely fantastic read on Steve Mason and the challenges that he and his family have faced this offseason.

Did you know that that there have been 24 buy-outs this summer? In fact the Jackets have the lowest one on the books in Filip Novak at $83,000 dollars. I didn't even know Novak was bought out. More cool info here.

TheHockeyNews.com thinks Gilbert Brule could be a next "Olli Jokinen" which is a guy that was labeled a bust early on but later went on to develop into a star after 3 NHL stops:

Gilbert Brule - The sky was the limit for Brule after he was taken sixth overall by Columbus in 2005. He made the Blue Jackets out of training camp, but then sustained two serious injuries that limited him to just 34 games (seven in the NHL).

Brule had no business being in the NHL at 18 years old and his fast-tracking clearly stalled his development. Columbus kept him again as a 19-year-old and he didn’t even play 11 minutes a game en route to a 19-point season. Things got even worse in 2007-08 and this summer he was traded to Edmonton.

Still just 21, Brule is eager for a fresh start in a new environment. He unquestionably has the speed and skill to develop into a producer who can play on the top two lines. It might not happen this season, but it’s far too early to throw him out with the bath water.

Certainly Brule could be one of those guys and there is aboslutely no question the likes of MacLean and co. rushed him into the lineup. It certainly wasn't going to happen in Columbus but whose to say it will it happen in Edmonton? Their top 6...heck their top 9...looks pretty set with the likes of Horcoff, Hemsky, Penner, Cole, Cogliano, Gagner, Nilsson, Pouliot and Mareau.

Brule could easily find himself with 4th line minutes again as an Oiler or he could use the change of scenery as a fresh start and play himself right up into that top 9 of that team. Its in his hands and he'll have some good young players to work with.

I wish him luck, just not against Columbus.

-LTL

Ohio State men's hockey releases schedule

For those interested the Ohio State men's hockey team has released their schedule for next season.

There are some interesting games including a season home opener against the Miami Redhawks on Friday October 10th. If you recall two Jackets prospects will be suiting up for Miami this season in 2007 draft picks Will Weber and Trent Vogelhuber. Unfortunately that is also the season opener for the Jackets in Dallas.

They also play Michigan four times, two of which in Value City Arena on Feb 20th and the 21st. The 5th annual Ohio Hockey Classic will be Januray 2nd and 3rd also at Value City Arena.

Check out the full Buckeye schedule here.

The latest on hot shot Buckeye's recruit Zac Dalpe remains the same as my last report which is that he still plans on attending OSU and playing for the Buckeyes.

The Hockey News ranked NHL logos. The Jackets came it at #24 and here is what they had to say:

A marked improvement from the original ‘cribbage board’ design.

Perhaps its the home in me but in terms of just logos surely the Jackets look is better than Atlanta, Nashville, Colorado, Florida and Vancouver all of which are ranked ahead of them. I think its a classic case of out of sight out of mind -- lets get that baby showcased in the playoffs!

Hard to argue with the 'hawks at #1 -- that is a timeless logo.

According to the Syracuse crunch blog Geoff Platt will head overseas to Finland to play this year:

"By no means is it conventional what I'm doing,'' Platt said. "You don't see guys my age going over. I thought I achieved what I could in the AHL. Another season in the American League was too much. The AHL was getting stale. I needed a new challenge. I think whether I came back and scored 30 or 40 goals next year, it wouldn't have changed their mind toward me.''

Kramer makes a real good point. With Platt heading overseas it sure does swing that trade that sent Aaron Rome and Clay Wilson to Jackets/Syracuse in their favor don't you think?

This is kind of a cool link. NHL.com has a list of every NHL team with links to 1. Top Prospects Story 2. Noteworthy Offseason Moves 3. Related Links. Check it out here.

According to BlueJackets.nhl.com both Tom Sestito and Derek Dorsett will be at the Columbus Zoo to sign autographs on August 6th from 6-7. I know these two have been in town for the summer working and have really done a good job of getting out in the community. I also expect both to see time on the big team next year with Dorsett being my darkhorse to make the team outta camp.

-LTL

California dreaming

A CBJ dream was crushed yesterday when it was announced that Antoinne Vermette was re-signed by the Ottawa Sentaors - a deal the Sens absolutely stole if you ask me.

As the great Mick Jagger once said "You can't always get what you want".

Hey who says we are only allowed to have one dream right? One ends and more begin. So who is next up on our wishlists?

We all pretty much know Howson is done but speculating is what fans do in the offseason so why stop now?

Some names to consider:

Mike Knuble

The 36 year old winger is speculated to be on the block as Philly looks to get under the cap. He's got one year left on his deal and is still effective - especially on the PP.

Mark Parrish

The 31 year old right wing was bought out by the Wild and is a UFA. He's struggled the past couple of years and is said to have lost a step.

Glen Murray

The 35 year old right wing was bought out by the Bruins and like Parrish is a UFA. Murray has struggled to stay healthy and his skills are diminishing.

Patrick O'Sullivan

A 23 year old restricted free agent center of the LA Kings. O'Sullivan had his best year last season notching 22g for 53 points and should only get better. The Vermette signing certainly did not help his cause.

Jarret Stoll

Ths 26 year old center is also a restricted free agent of the Kings. He was acquired in the Visnovsky deal this summer. After putting up a 68 point season 3 years ago Stoll has struggled a bit only scoring 36 and 39 the past 2 years. He's also battled concussion issues.

Mathew Lombardi

The 26 year old speedy center is signed for two more years in Calgary at a nice price. With the Flames being over (or close to it) the cap many teams would be interested in obtaining his services.

Michael Nylander

The 35 year old center is a dynamic player that is signed for 3 more years at 5.5 per. Nylander has the skill to make players better around him but that price tag on his contract and recent injury history could scare a lot teams away. The Washington "over the" Caps need to shed some salary so he's probably available.

The most attractive name to me is O'Sullivan but with LA being so far below the cap they'll get both he and Stoll re-signed. Then the are the aging wingers in Knuble/Parrish/Murray to consider and also some potential salary dumps like a Nylander. Lombardi is a guy I don't anticipate Calgary moving unless he's their only option to get under the cap limit.

Please feel free to comment on any others that may interest you out there.

Skraut also pointed out this great read from RJ Umberger's home town paper. Some good quotes like this one:

"Columbus has done a great job in the offseason. I'm excited to be a part of the team. It's a welcoming feeling to know that the team wanted me that bad that they gave up some valuable draft picks. To know how excited the fans are for me to come here makes the move that much easier."

Our old buddy Doug MacLean has found himself a new gig. According to KuklasKorner MacLean will co-host a radio show on Toronto Fan590 with broadcaster Doug Armstrong. The show kicks off Aug 18th.

If anyone was wondering what MacLean thought of Howson dumping two of his draft picks and blowing up his roster we should find out pretty quickly. Expect plenty of pot shots at Columbus from the former GM/President/Coach/Used Car Salesmen/etc/etc.

Got to hand it to the guy as just when you think he's done he digs up something new. It will be interesting to see how long he last in the radio broadcast booth.

Word has it that he's also doing some stuff with Sportsnet.

-LTL