Stat of the day

I was just checking out the Jacket player stats and something hit me like a Mike Commodore body check -- just about every single one of Howson's off season acquisitions are contributing.

* Umberger, Huselius, Commodore and Tyutin are all top 10 in scoring on this team. That's remarkable considering two of those guys are d-men.

* Commodore is on pace for a career season in points (29 being his best -- he currently has 22) and +/- (best being +13.. he's +12 now).

* Fedor Tyutin has already tied his career high in points with 25 in 20 less games than he did in the 2005-2006 season.

* Kristian Huselius is second on the team in points with 40. Not the powerhouse season he's had in the past but certainly has been a solid contributor (now about those posts!).

* After a slow start, RJ Umberger has crushed his goal total from last season with 17 so far this year (he had 13 last season). He is on pace to match his career high of 50 points and beat his career best goal total of 20 in his rookie year for Philly in '05-'06.

Raffi Torres has certainly had his ups and downs this year. Christian Backman has been his worst move but we all know it was a salary dump he absorbed to acquire Tyutin and his beauty of a contract and to offset the risk the Rangers were taking on Zherdev and his contract situation. Both players are looking better.

This doesn't even include the Jason Williams trade that has paid early dividends.

I will also add that I wasn't a big fan of the Dubie move and still am not. Its up there with Backman but hey, the guy isn't going to hit a home run everytime. With Legace/Sanford out there it was a pretty big gamble to choose to go with a very small goaltender who hasn't played in the NHL in two years.

The best part of all these moves -- Howson did so without giving up any of his young blue chip talent or high picks (although he did move Colorado's first for Umberger). Guys like Brassard/Voracek/Russell/Mason/Filatov are all most definitely in the fold and all have contributed in various ways this season. He also still has all of his picks for this year's draft.

He has been smart in giving players time to develop. He's let his coaching staff "coach". He has really stuck by his "under promise and over deliver" mantra. He hasn't panicked when bloggers like myself thought he should. Unlike previous administrations he has let his team do the talking. He has this team well set up for good extended run over the next few years.

In short, the window is opening.

Someone on HF posted that Howson should be considered as "Executive of the Year". With the way this team is coming together I think his name has to start entering those conversations.

The same has to be said about Hitch as "Coach of the Year".

Still a big chunk of season to go and Howson's next test will be the trade deadline.

Okay that turned into a little more than "stat of the day" but like the Jackets, I got on a roll!

-LTL