I just read this piece from Scott Burnside regarding Alexandre Picard and the Jackets:
4. Want to know why some teams just never seem to get it?
It was a rather innocuous transaction last week: the Columbus Blue Jackets putting Alexandre Picard (a different Picard from the one that was part of the Meszaros deal between Tampa and Ottawa) on waivers. No one claimed the forward, and he was assigned to the Blue Jackets' AHL farm team in Syracuse. The problem is that Picard isn't just any old farm hand -- he was the eighth overall pick in the 2004 draft. He's played a total of 49 NHL games and has one lonely assist to show for his troubles.
Although the 2004 draft may not have offered the kind of depth of talent we've seen in recent years, putting an eighth overall pick on waivers is a scouting and development white flag. To be fair, Picard was drafted under the previous regime when John MacLean was GM (MacLean was replaced by Scott Howson in the summer of 2007). Still, moves like this go a long way in explaining why the Blue Jackets have never qualified for the playoffs, and why they are starting to see an erosion in their once-solid fan base.
Now I'm certainly not going to say the Jackets have the best drafting record but you have to laugh at the timing of a dig on the Jackets when 1. they have the leading NHL rookie scorer in Brassard 2. the have the 4th leading NHL rookie scorer in Voracek 3. a rookie goaltender in Steve Mason who was just named the league's 2nd star of the week and 4. Marc Methot's outstanding play.
No mention of any of those guys of course.
If you look at their current roster out of the 22 guys still on it, 10 (or 45%) are Jackets draft picks.
Its also interesting that in the same article he called the Zherdev trade one of the best of the offseason from a Rangers standpoint. Z is playing well early but I can't wait to see how that trade looks 6 months from now.
The bias in this article is crystal clear and its just another example of how the Jackets have a long road to respectability in NHL circles. If they keep winning the way they are guys like Burnside will have no choice but to recognize the steps the Jackets are taking.
...and Scott its Doug, not Steve, Maclean. This guy actually gets a paycheck to write this stuff?
-LTL
Monday, November 10, 2008
Wake up Burnside
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6 comments:
LOL, he called him "John MacLean!!" that is too funny.
John MacLean would probably have a lot to say, considering he's coaching the Devils alongside Brent Sutter. I'm pretty sure that John MacLean has never drafted anyone in any organization. LOL
Yippee-ki-yay, m*****f*****.
John McClane - Die Hard
Lol, on here and on the espn message board for the article everyone made the die hard reference to john maclean. I guess because I played too much nhl '94 and other hockey games on the original playstation, I thought of the former New Jersey Devils forward John Maclean. Anywho, with Burnside being the predominant hockey writer on ESPN, that just makes me want to abstain from using ESPN at all. It would be amazing if they brought back NHL 2night.
LTL.
I guess we have all read this garbage before... but regarding Z... I personally think he will be amazing this season, look for highlight reel galore.. THEN he's going to use that to chip to bargain the best deal he can get between the rangers and the KHL... followed by a departure to Russia because nobody will be able to match the KHL's offer... So in the short run the laugh might be on us, but once the season is over they will realize they have traded a key member of their defense for a 1 year winger... the final laugh will be ours...
(personally I think the russia factor is the key reason Howsen traded him... because I think it's about an 80% chance he will go for the big bucks in Russia... heck he might even play with Jaromir)
I really don't care if Z leads the league in scoring. The way I see it, we got Tuiten and Huselius for Z. Huselius is making everyone better and Tuiten is going to be what Rusty Klesla was thought to be. We win. Z is an inigma and will lead the NYR in turnovers by March and will lead the KHL in points next year...if not sooner, contract or not.
Burnside = boob. If Buccigrass had this opinion, I'd be interested. Whatever.
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