Another deal in the works between the Jackets & Sens?

According to Sens Buzz:

Bryan Murray and Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson are closing in on another trade right before Draft Day on Friday. Multiple sources tell me that Murray has a deal in principle to send goaltender Alexander Auld to the Jackets for defenseman Kris Russell.

To start off with, sorry to any fans who thought this was another Heatley post. It looks like Auld has stolen his thunder. But back to the trade, Murray has been interested in Russell for a very, very long time and almost acquired him in the Vermette for LeClaire trade, however, he would face cap problems. Now that it seems as if Brendan Bell will not be re-signed, Jason Smith set to reitre, and one of Christoph Schubert or Alexandre Picard to be traded, there is room for the budding, young defenseman.

The Blue Jackets do not have a backup to Steve Mason since Frederik Norrena and Wade Dubielewicz are set to become Unrestricted Free Agents. Auld fills that role perfectly and is very cheap at 1 mil per year. It also gives Howson some flexibility since this is the last year on Auld's contract and helps burn the log-jam the Jackets have on defense.

First thought. Not a chance Howson would make this trade. At least as currently constructed in this article.

Howson is too smart to make a dumb move like this.

For the most part Howson has made smart calculated trades that haven't come at the expense of his young core players.

Russell is part of that young core.

There is absolutely no way Scott Howson would deal a young 22 year old budding offensive d-men, really the only one currently on the Jackets roster, for a backup goaltender who only has 1 year left on his deal and will then be a UFA.

Now that said I wouldn't be against adding Auld who is slated to make 1 million next year. Forecaster's take:

ASSETS: Has tremendous size for the goaltending position. Covers his angles well and usually lets the puck hit him.
FLAWS: Must avoid flopping down on his knees too quickly. Lacks a little agility to thrive at the NHL level.
CAREER POTENTIAL: No. 2 goaltender.

He played in 43 games last year and had 16w 18l 2.47 GAA and a .911 save%.

Not bad.

There would have to be a whole lot more coming back the Jackets way to make this deal paltable.

Someone in comments of that post suggested a swap of draft picks from 16 up to Ottawa's 9 as part of the package. That would make a little more sense.

Personally Russell is an asset I do not move unless its an absolute no brainer. The Jackets have spent two years developing this kid. His first year as a rookie he notched 2g 8a and a -12 in 67 games. Last year he notched 2g 19a and a -10 in 66 games.

I expect him to build quite a bit on those numbers this coming season.

I know you have to give to get but creating a hole by filling another doesn't do us a whole lot of good. Jumping 7 spots in the draft to grab a guy who probably wouldn't contribute for at least a year, maybe two, certainly would not be enough incentive for me.

We need more skill on the backend, not less.

Besides the Sens just added a defender in Campoli last season that plays a very similar game to Russ.

I certainly wouldn't rule out Howson making a move for Auld in the next few weeks as he does make a lot of sense -- but I expect a different piece going the other direction.

Fire away - thoughts on this rumor?

-LTL

This and that

Some interesting comments from Freddy Norrena in this morning's 'patch:

"I don't want to discuss anything with the media," Norrena said. "I don't need this."

Norrena apparently was upset about a Dispatch story earlier this month in which the current glut of goaltenders was compared with another one -- Marc Denis, Martin Prusek and Pascal Leclaire -- at the start of the 2005-06 season.

"You compare me to Martin Prusek? I am not Martin Prusek, OK," Norrena said. "I am not Martin Prusek. I am trying to do a good job and be a professional. That's what I'm trying to do. That's all I can do right now. And I'm not going to talk about it with the media."

Not sure I understand the problem with Prusek other than the fact that was the last time the Jackest had a 3-headed monster betweent he pipes. Perhaps there is some history between the two?

Overall these comments aren't suprising though. Norrena is a competive guy and he wants to play like everyone else so when I read he's frustrated its to be expected.

Here were Howson's comments on the situation:

"We're going to continue to evaluate how Steve does, and we're going to keep making sure that we're making the right decision by Steve and by our team," Howson said. "The three-goalie system does get awkward at some point. But it's a necessity right now, as far as we're concerned."

Bottom line is that the organization has lost all confidence in Freddy. In 8 games played he's credited with 1 win and 3 losses (he's relieved Pazzy a few times). His GAA is 3.16 and his save% is .872. Horrible numbers for a goalie.

Basically it comes down to this (and Eric mentioned this in the comments of a previous post)... The organization will hang on to Freddy until they have seen enough from Steve Mason to either 1. keep him up for the rest of the season or 2. send him down for more season. If they go with 1. then Norrena is history be it waivers, traded, back to Europe what-have-you. It its 2. then they'll ship Mason down to get more work in the minors and keep Norrena has a backup for relief purposes only.

Either way I think his days are done in terms of starting NHL games for the Jackets barring both Leclaire and Mason getting injured at the same time.

Good Pierre Lubron column on the Calder race and here is some varoius comments on Brassard:

"The biggest compliment a young player can get is when the coaching staff treats him like a veteran player, and that's how we treat him," Hitchcock said. "We just count on him every day. His performance isn't a bonus for us. It's needed. And he hasn't let us down."

Brassard was taken sixth overall in the 2006 NHL draft, but unlike some high picks in recent years, he didn't make the jump as an 18-year-old. He went back to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for another season and spent most of last season in the AHL. He came to camp ready this summer. The Jackets had openings at center, and Brassard didn't miss his chance.

"He's grabbed it and taken it," Hitchcock said. "Every person in this organization knew how qualified he was offensively. We knew he had really good offensive tools. I think the thing that's been impressive is his responsibility when the other team has the puck. I think that's what has made him have the season he's had so far. He's been really accountable and really competitive when he's checking people. I think that's the part that's impressed everybody. His competitive level has really given him a chance to be a competitive player."

Music to Hitchcock's ears? Brassard's being plus-8.

Lots of love for Doughty but if Brass can keep up this pace its going to be real hard to deny him the hardware. The one thing he's got over most of these other rookies is he's a year or two older and has a year of AHL grind under his belt. Still lots of season to go of course.

Scott Burnside grades the Jackets at the 1st quarter mark:

Columbus Blue Jackets: C-plusThe Blue Jackets are another team that hit the quarter mark looking for that elusive quality called consistency. Pascal Leclaire is back after a couple of stints on the injury shelf and his return to form is crucial to the Blue Jackets' hopes of making the playoffs for the first time in team history. Rookies Derick Brassard, who leads all rookies in scoring, and Jakub Voracek have shouldered a surprising offensive load. Still, there are a lot of questions, including whether there is a natural center to play with star Rick Nash and if the revamped defense can cut down on its first-quarter mistakes.

Pretty fair assessment.

Lindsay Kramer on Kris Russell:

Syracuse defenseman Kris Russell had no points in his first four games with Syracuse. In his last six games, he has two goals and five assists. Wednesday, I asked him about the turnaround.

"I think the first couple games you have to adjust to the league,'' he said. "This is a tough league. The first couple of games you come down, you're confused. It's a transition. Lately, it's been a progression. Confidence is a huge thing. It's the reason why you play good.''

How long until this kid get re-called? Only a matter of time IMO.

I can see the agrument of letting him bake even longer down there and giving a shot to a guy like Wilson. I don't see Wilson in the long term plans so why not give him a shot short term? Where as Russell is certainly in the long term plans so his development and confidence is the key at this stage -- playing yo-yo with him could hurt more than help.

Hockey watch.

The 5-5-1 hockey Buckeyes play two games at Northern Michigan this weekend starting tonight at 7:35 a.m.

The Syracuse Crunch play 3 games in 3 night starting tonight Albany. They'll take on Albany again at home tomorrow and then finish up at home on Sunday against Binghamton.

Another great weekend to see how Filatov/Mayorov/Russell and co. perform over a tight and challenging 3 game stretch.

Another quick side note on Filatov/Mayorov. Kramer also reported in his blog that both players will not be participating in two exibition games leading up to the World Junior Championships in December. The reason, at least publicly, is due to the inability to work out an insurance agreement for both players.

-LTL

This and that

Did you know that if that Jackets miss the playoffs this season they will tie the Washington Capitals for the longest stretch an NHL franchise has ever gone without making the postseason at 8 years?

Ryan Malone has exactly 1 point, a goal, through 8 games. Looks like RJ isn't the only struggling early with his new squad.

It took first overall pick Steven Stamkos 8 games to register his first point. I saw last night on TSN that it took 1997 1st overall pick Joe Thornton 22 games to register his first point.

The Syracuse Crunch play tonight away at Grand Rapids. Its anticipated that both Kris Russell and Nikita Filatov will be in the lineup. According to Lindsay Kramer's Crunch blog they both practiced with the team yesterday. I tell ya what, they have some exciting young talent in that lineup when you mix in Mayorov, Mason, Sestito, Holden and Clitsome.

Matt Bartkowski, a freshman defenseman on the Ohio State men’s hockey team has been named the CCHA Rookie of the Week, the Central Collegiate Hockey Association announced Monday. I believe that is two weeks in a row an Ohio State freshman has captured that honor - Zac Dalpe was the previous recipient.

Speaking of Sestito, he will not need surgery on his injured thumb which is good news.

Nash still at center today according to Puck-rakers. Chimera has been moved off the Brass line to join he and Huseilus. Remember Hitch likes his pairs so that obviously means he's okay with the rooks playing together and is keeping Nash with Huselius. Complete lines as follows:

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

No word on the defensive pairs but I wouldn't anticipate those being broken up. Re-watching Monday's game last night I thought Tyutin played his best regular season game to date which is encouraging.

Rookie watch. Derick Brassard and Voracek are tied for 2nd in rookie scoring with 7 points. They are 1 point off Kris Verteeg of the 'hawks pace. Brass is averaging 14 minutes even in ice time while Voracek is at 12:19.

Sergei Fedorov has 8 point in 9 games with 3 of those coming on defense. Maybe it is a Columbus thing?

The Jackets have scored 4 total goals in the last 3 games.

Its down the stretch they come in the Russell poll. So far 38% of you think its a "raw deal" while 33% of you think "he just needs some time" in terms of his demotion. Thanks for participating!

Hockey's Future has a 2008 Blue Jackets System Audit. Check it out here.

Forbes ranks the Jackets as the 28th least valuable NHL team coming in at 157 million dollars. Only the New York Islanders and Phoenix Coyotes are worse.

-LTL

Russell down a good thing

It was good to get an explanation on why Russell was sent down this morning - from the 'patch:

"He was good with (the demotion)," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "He wants to play. He knows he needs to play.

"He has the skills to move the puck out of trouble. We just want to see him do it on a consistent basis."

"He was very good in the exhibition season," Hitchcock said. "And very good in the first game of the season (in Dallas).

I've watched every game and clearly I'm missing something in terms of his play dropping off since the first game of the season. I thought he was skating well, looking for back door plays and finding some solid chemistry with Backman. If anyone was struggling it was the top 4 guys.

That said Methot has played well and there aren't any signs that coaching or management are prepared to sit any of the remaining five guys to make room for him so Russell to me, is more of a victim of a numbers game than anything else.

With Boll back in the lineup tonight somebody on the current roster had to move. The fact that Russell is the only non-waiver eligible defensemen on the list and not playing certainly made him a candidate. Although I'm still not sure why a guy like Filatov is still with the big team as he could have been sent down as well.

I'm starting to worry about some of the development decisions of our young guys in terms of getting their chains yanked all over the place. I thought the org did a great job with Brassard and Voracek but the kind of indecision with Russell and Filatov has me concerned a bit...

I suspect Filatov's future will be decided within the week (I'm personally hoping its the Junior route or at the very least Syracuse until he gets a regular shift up here) and Russell is an defensive injury away from a (total) re-call.

Regardless I'm glad Russell is getting sent down because its certainly not doing him any good warming the press box. Since he's down there I hope he gets plenty of playing time and if there are any doubts keep him down for a while and let him develop and gain whatever confidence he's lost, which I don't think is much because he wasn't playing bad, back. Hopefuly Filatov is right behind him when a guy like Modin comes off the IR.

Would love to hear your thoughts on the demotion and I've also added a related poll question.

More on tonight's game against Anaheim in a bit.

-LTL

Commodore clears the air

Puk-rakers got an explanation from Commodore on "the photo" which I will also share here:

No. 1 -- The photo was taken by a friend in February while Commodore was still a member of the Carolina Hurricanes.

No. 2 -- The money pictured is his winnings in from a Hurricanes' Super Bowl block pool.

No. 3 -- The photo was taken in a spare room of his Raleigh-area home.

No. 4 -- The photo was posted on a friend's web page without Commodore's knowledge several weeks ago.

No. 5 -- Commodore learned about the photo from a contact in the Ottawa Senators public relations department four days ago and called his friend and asked him to remove the photo. By then, of course, it began to spread.

Jackets management is satisfied with the explanation and will not speak to Commodore about the photo. Commodore signed a five-year, $18.75 million deal over the summer.

Not sure I buy the whole "spare room" in his house line... looks like a hotel or door room to me. Either that or he really needs to redirect some of those benjamins towards an interior designer!

Regardless, go out and knock some heads tonight Mike and believe me everyone will quickly forget about this (well maybe not the skoal can....or the curtains.....or the..okay....moving on).....

Also a few more updates. Russell gets the scratch tonight while Methot in is. Malhotra is also in and looks to be centering Picard and Dorsett.

I'm scratching my head over the Russell scratch but I'm sure Hitch has his reasons. It was hinted at in the paper today that Russell was told he needs to move his feet more.

Personally I don't get it.

We know he's undersized and his game isn't to hit so its no surprise he's only been credited with 1 (which is tied with Backman)..his game is all about positional play, skating and an active stick which I think he's done well at. He's also only a -1 which is tied with Backman for best +/- for defensemen who skated in the first 5 games. He's taken zero penalties. First in shots taken for defensemen. Has more blocked shots than Backman with 4. Has 1 giveaway and 1 takeaway.

He's out there to generate points from the blueline which he hasn't done a lot of but I really think they are coming for this kid. I know Methot played great in Nashville so you have to keep him in the lineup so perhaps at the end of the day its just a numbers game and its just Russell's turn to take a seast? Or maybe Hitch just wants to match up bigger bodies against a grind it out Vancouver squad?

With Russell out I look for Voracek or Brass to man a point on the PP.

UPDATE: Puck-daddy has a new article up about this with some great quotes from Commodore. Check it out here.

Fire away - how do you feel about Russell getting the scratch tonight? What am I missing?

-LTL

Here comes Clitsome!

Reading into Hitch's comments from the coaches show yesterday it sounds like, to me anyways, that Grant Clitsome has rocketed up the depth chart possibly right into that #7 or #8 slot.

What that little segment also told me is that bubble guys like Aaron Rome, Marc Mehot and Clay Wilson -- guys that the organization were hoping to step up their game a notch -- haven't done so. What happens with these guys remains to be seen.

It should also be noted that Methot, Clitsome, Wilson and Tollefsen will all be in the lineup tomorrow night. It may be the final time for some of these guys to make their final impressions.

Another nugget shared is that Kris Russell has made this team and will play a key role and rightfully so.

It appears the wait if over, Nikita Filatov to make his North American hockey debut tonight in Nationwide Arena. I wasn't planning on going to this game but this news just changed my mind -- I have to get a look at this kid in first game in a CBJ uniform.

Puck-rakers reported that Maksim Mayorov has been sent to Syracuse. There had been some debate as to whether Mayorov would be sent to the AHL or Major Juniors but it seems that question has been answered.

While failing to notch a point Mayorov has certainly shown through camp that he has the tools to become an effective NHL player. He just needs the time to get his toolbox in order.

USAToday.com previews the central. Here are their thoughts on the Jackets:

Story line: Columbus' Scott Howson could be the NHL's most soft-spoken general manager, but he made himself heard loud and clear this summer with two significant trades and two major free agent signings. He overhauled the defense by signing Mike Commodore and acquiring Christian Backman and Fedor Tyutin. Howson then tried to find a center for Rick Nash by acquiring R.J. Umberger, and he also signed 25-goal scorer Kristian Huselius.

Goalie: Pascal Leclaire

Three reasons to like the Blue Jackets: 1. Huselius and Umberger should help Nash take his game to another level. 2. Coach Ken Hitchcock's iron-will approach seems to be worth a few wins every season. He will ensure that this team is committed to strong defensive play. 3. Leclaire's performance in 2007-08 had the feel of a breakthrough, and not just a hot season.

Three reasons to worry: 1. The Blue Jackets were the NHL's lowest-scoring team, and a 10% to 15% improvement might not be enough. 2. Although Columbus dramatically altered its defense, it's difficult to know how much better it will be. 3. Fans are becoming restless because of the lack of success, and another missed postseason could result in a backlash.

Forecast: The Blue Jackets are the only current NHL team never to make the playoffs. Even if they improve, that distinction could remain. The West is tough.

Check out these new "Is this the year" ads from the NHL. Believe me when I say these are very well done....probably the best ads I've ever seen from the NHL.

While we are at it, check out this marketing strategy from the Phoenix Coyotes.

-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

And then there was one..

With announcement that Aaron Rome has signed a 1 year 2-way deal that leaves just one key restricted free agent left to sign.

Yep you guessed it, Pascal Leclaire.

First to Rome. Rome got in 17 NHL games last season and for better or worse he was our best defensemen on some nights. That's not a knock on Rome per se but more of a statement in terms of exactly where this team was at with personnel with injuries, trades and under performing players.

It appears the Jackets may be willing to carry 8 defensemen next year. If that indeed ends up being the case that puts Rome right in the mix:

Locks: Commodore, Tyutin, Hejda, Klesla, Backman, Tollefsen * Russell (yes I don't see how Russell is not on this team next year - they absolutley need his ability to move the puck)

In The Running for 8th Spot: Rome, Methot, Clitsome

I think Rome has the inside track based on his performance last year as he played good solid smart hockey and wasn't afraid to mix it up. Methot is a big strong defensive d-man who doesn't shy away from contact but doesn't offer much offensively either. I know the coaches absolutely loved Clitsome in camp and are very interested to see what he can do against men -- remember he spent 4 years in college and he should stand out in prospect camp as he's older. I will say in his defense that he also stood out in camp last off season.

Unless Clitsome absolutely blows the other two out of the rink I think he starts in the year in the AHL -- 1. because he just turned pro and could use the seasoning and 2. he's waiver in-eligible. Where it gets really tricky is Methot and Rome -- both are waiver eligible so unless injuries start mounting up the Jackets could find themselves having to expose one on the wire as they send him down.

Certainly a storyline to follow in camp this year.

As far as Pascal the latest is that his agent Don Meehan has sent a counter-proposal back to Howson. The thought is that they have agreed to a 3 year term and now its a question of money.

I wouldn't panic on this one Jacket fans. Howson will match any offer that may come in and quite frankly this negotiation was always going to be a difficult one to work out. Not because both sides don't want it to work out but because of the complications.

To break it down Leclaire has had one good season which was last year yet he still battled injuries. The most he's ever played in an NHL season is 54 games.

From the Leclaire camp they are selling that he finished in the top 10 of every major statistical goaltending category other than starts and wins thus he should paid as such. From Howson's camp they are selling that Leclaire has only played at a top 10 goalie level once and still only managed to play in a career best 54 games.

You can't pay him like a top 10 goalie. You also can't pay him like a bottom 20.

So who are his comparables?

Leclaire is 26 who played in 54 games, had a 2.25GAA, .919 Save% and 24 wins.

Leclaire's camp is probably looking at a guy like Huet who signed a 5 year 22.5 million dollar deal. He's 32, had a 2.32 GAA, .920 Save%, 32 wins and played in 52 games. He has a total of 183 starts over 5 NHL seasons.

Howson and co. are probably looking at a guy like Dan Ellis who had one good season last year after spending 4 seasons in the minors. Ellis is 28 who played in 48 games had a 2.34 GAA, .924 Save% and 23 wins. He will make 1.5 million next year and 2 million the following.

Where does Leclaire slide between those two? That is exactly what they are trying to work out now.

By all accounts the negotiations are cordial and you have to think that the financial gap is closing every time one of these counter-proposals are made.

I have no doubt Leclaire will get done and will be a Blue Jacket this coming season.

More Filatov. According to TSN Nikita Filatov's contract is one of several under investigation by the IIFH:

The International Ice Hockey Federation has suspended Alexander Radulov while they investigate the details of his transfer to the newly formed Russian KHL.

As well, the transfer of five other players - Nikita Filatov, Thomas Mojzis, Jason Krog, Fedor Fedorov and Viktor Tikhonov - is also being investigated by the governing body.

"Until this investigation has come to its final conclusion and the IIHF has rendered its decisions, all concerned players will be suspended from international transfers and competitions," read a statement from the IIHF on Friday.

"We hope that this can be resolved amicably and in a timely manner," said IIHF President Rene Fasel. "It is unfortunate that we are already facing such difficulties after the progress that was made last week. I am hoping that all sides can come to a solution."

Filatov may have to sacrifice his eligibility for international competitions if he wants to make the jump to North America this season. Hopefully that isn't the case.

I certainly don't see this story going away anytime soon.

NHL.com takes a look at a much more competitive Western Conference from a fantasy perspective:

Columbus Blue Jackets – Signed forwards Kristian Huselius and Craig MacDonald, and traded for left wing Raffi Torres and defensemen Christian Backman and Fedor Tyutin. I like the addition of Huselius, an underappreciated scorer who is 59-84-143 the last two seasons. Just as he did in Calgary with Jarome Iginla, he'll probably line up next to a premier right wing, this time Rick Nash. Torres was beset with injuries in 2007-08 and limited to 11 points in 32 games. A two-time 20-goal scorer, he will be a project for coach Ken Hitchcock. MacDonald has no fantasy value, and Tyutin and Backman are useless in fantasy.

I think this writer is a little to quick to disregard both Backman and Tyutin. Both haven't had breakout years offensively but both haven't been given a "Hainsey" like role on the PP either. I easily see one of Tyutin/Backman/Russell emerging from this coming season with similar stats to Hollywood. I think all three will have career years offensively as well.

Update: Reports out of Buffalo are that Ryan Miller has signed a 5 year 31.25 million dollar deal. That averages out to 6.25 per season. That will most definitely have an impact on Leclair's negotiation although Miller has had fairly consistant back to back NHL seasons with over 63 games played in each.

Also I forgot to metion but Mike Commodore will be at the Tuttle Mall this Sunday from 3-4 signing autographs. Fans are gonna love this guy so if your in the area or looking for something to do lets make him feel welcome to our city!

Discuss - any worries out there that Leclaire won't get done?

-LTL

When depth becomes a problem

You can never have to much depth right? However it does present a problem when your depth is playing to well in place of injured regulars to sit them or send them down when the injured get healthy.
Howson, Hitch and co. are gonna have some decisions to make when the walking wounded start returning. As it stands now the following regulars are out of the lineup:

Fredrik Modin - due back in two weeks, maybe sooner
Duvie Westcott - expected to play Saturday
David Vyborny - probably about a week away
Manny Malhotra - less than two weeks away
Jiri Novotny - passed his concussion test so I'd say less than a week away

Assuming the team stays relatively healthy over the next two weeks and we get these five back - where do they fit? Currently the lineup is as follows:

Nash - Peca - Zherdev
Glencross - Fedorov - Brule
Chimera - Fritsche - Boll
Shelley - Beech - Lindstrom

Foote - Hejda
Klesla - Hainsey
Tollefsen - Russell

Leclaire
Norrena

So what to do when guys start returning? It really all depends on if guys like Kris Beech, Curtis Glencross and Joakim Lindstrom can keep up their current level of play -- if they do, how do you possibly sit these guys?

A guy like Kris Beech has 5 points in just 4 games. That's one more point that Gilbert Brule whose played 27 games; that's two less than Dan Fritsche's 7 over 27 games; 3 less than Glencross over 20 games; 5 less than Vyborny whose played 26 games; on and on an on. All that with just averaging over 10 minutes a game. No way you can sit him.

Then you look at Joakim Lindstrom. He's played 2 games and already has a goal. He looks much more effective than most guys we've played on the 2nd PP unit. He's only average just over 8 mins per game and has been noticeable at least offensively. You'd think the coaching staff would want to see if this kid is ready to breakout - especially given our offensive struggles.

If all were healthy Saturday this is how I'd ice the team against the Wild:

Nash - Beech - Zherdev
Modin - Fedorov - Glencross
Chimera - Peca - Fritsche
Lindstrom - Novotny - Boll

Foote - Hejda
Klesla - Hainsey
Westcott - Tollefsen

* Modin when healthy, is in this lineup regardless - he's a lock
* I think at this point some of the injured all may take a back seat to how the callups play -- if they are hot, keep them out under the line "day to day" -- which is why Beech, Lindstrom and Glencross remain in my lineup.
* Brule is sent down for a much needed stint in the AHL to regain confidence
* Shelley is scratched for this game to make room for Lindstrom - we need his skill on the PP
* Russell is scratched and watches from the box although I'm not down on this kid personally -- he's coming along well but he's the logical choice to scratch if we have 7 d-men ready to go

Bottom line is that is very doubtful this team will be at 100% health all year but if they are, there will be some tough decisions to make. If a guy like Beech is sent down there is now a very good chance he's claimed as he'd have to pass through waivers. I don't think the organization can afford to do that. We'll see non-waiver eligible players sent down before that happens like Brule (who desperately needs to go down) and Lindstrom who may make a good case to stay up.

Depth is a great thing to have, we Jackets fans should know considering we've never really had it before, but it can also keep a guy like GM Scott Howson up at night pondering what moves to make.

Speaking of Howson... Hejda / Novonty / Peca / Beech -- how good are those signings looking? Credit to coach Hitchcock as well - he knows how to get the absolute very best out of the hand he's dealt.

-LTL

TSN's Bob McKenzie weights on Zherdev...and Boll, Russell and Mason!

First he weighs in on Nikolai Zherdev's trade value:

For all the talk about the possibility of Nikolai Zherdev (pictured left) getting traded, the real question is, who would want him? I am not saying Zherdev is beyond hope but we are talking about a player who was despised by his teammates last season. The good news, so far, is that Zherdev has been working hard off the ice to be a better teammate and it's been duly noted his off-ice demeanor has been better than it was. Now, the bad news. Zherdev has played very poorly on the ice, although he was a bit better in his last couple of outings. The truth is, there is no market for this guy right now. That's not to say that won't change but the Blue Jackets are not aggressively shopping Zherdev right now because there's no market and they know it.

....and then turns his attention to Boll, Russell and Mason:

Jared Boll is going to be an interesting rookie to keep an eye this season. The Plymouth Whaler grad is a fourth-line left winger who fulfills the role of energy player and tough guy. He's not a heavyweight per se, but he has a good attitude, works hard and has an innate understanding of when his team needs him to do something to create a spark or generate momentum, like when he leveled Carolina Rod Brind'Amour with a hit on the weekend. Count on Boll to be in the middle of everything for Columbus this season and to quickly generate a reputation as an unpopular player with everyone in the league but his teammates…

Kris Russell has made the grade on the Blue Jacket blueline. He dominated for them early – he was arguably their best defenceman early in camp - but in the last couple of pre-season games, the going became a little more difficult for the diminutive puck mover with outstanding hockey sense. He will play for them, but it remains to be seen whether he'll find his time and space limited as the level of the games goes up…

Underage goalie Steve Mason will spend at least another week or two with the Jackets before a decision is made on whether to send him back to London of the OHL. Mason excelled in camp - a 1.78 GAA and .913 save percentage in three games played (135 minutes) – and because the veteran goalies (Fredrik Norrena and Pascal Leclaire) are coming off injuries and inconsistency, Mason is being kept around as insurance and to get a better read on his pro ability. It would be a surprise if Mason isn't sent back to London within the month, but that will be determined by the play of all three Columbus goalies.

Tell ya what, not much in this league gets past Bob McKenzie (pictured right) - even for a team way under the rador in the Jackets. He is by far one of my favorite hockey journalist out there. A true master of his craft.

I will say though that I somewhat disagree with his assesment of Zherdev. A few teams get off to a slow start and have difficulty finding the net may get a little desperate and come knocking on the Jackets' door with a good offer for #13.

GM's are a largely egotistical bunch and a lot think "I can turn him around".

Can read more from McKenzie's blog here.

-LTL

...and then there were 26

The Blue Jackets announced more cuts today trimming their roster to 26.

Out are:

Derrick Brassard - reassigned to the AHL
Tom Sestito - reassigned to the AHL
Joakim Lindstrom - reassigned to the AHL
Shedlon Brookbank - reassigned to the AHL (pending clearing waivers)
Derick MacKenzie - reassigned to the AHL (pending clearning waivers)
Jakub Voracek - reassigned to the QMJHL
Joel Bouchard - released from PTO (professional try out contract)

So that means some bubble players that are sticking, at least for now, are:

Gilbert Brule
Kris Russell
Jared Boll
Steve Mason
Marc Methot
Curtis Glencross

Definitely a couple of surprises here to discuss.

First the guys who were reassigned. Derick Brassard is definitely the name that sticks out the most here. He scored 5 points 6 preseason games, the majority of his points coming in the first couple of contests. The skill level is definitely there but it appears the staff felt it better to start him in the AHL and then go from there. I'm sure we'll see plenty of Brassard this year and I personally think this is a good decision - if there was any doubt then I'm glad they took the conservative approach with his development.

Jakum Voracek, 7th overall pick from this year's draft, really had a nice camp considering his age and experience. He actually exceeded my personal expectations and hung around until the very last moment. He'll go back, rip up the QMJHL this year for the Halifax Mooseheads, play in the World Juniors Championships and then come into camp next year full of confidence and then make a serious run at this team.

Tommy Sestito was another surprise, at least for me, to make it this far in camp. The coaches loved his size and willingness to mix it up out there. He and Jared Boll really brought a physical presence to the lineup. I suspect we'll see Tommy Sestito make his NHL debut sometime this year.

Sheldon Brookbank was a guy who at first seemed way to slow for the pro game, at least in practice, but as the games began it was clear that even though this guy wasn't very fleet of foot he was very sound positionally and had a nice shot from the point. He also brings alot of size and toughness to the lineup. He'll see plenty of time this year on the blueline for the Jackets as injuries start to mount.

The rest of the guys sent down; MacKenzie & Lindstrom were pretty much expected. Lindstrom's window of opportunity is definitely closing here in Columbus so he is going to have to have a strong year in the AHL to get another look with the big club. He needs to get to those dirty scoring areas and instead of playing just a perimeter game. MacKenzie was signed as a UFA this summer as a depth guy for the Crunch and that what it looks like he'll be.

Finally Joel Bouchard was not offered a contract. He played pretty good but I suspect more than anything it was a numbers game for Bouchard. With Foote/Klesla/Westcott/Hainsey/Hejda/Tollefsen all on 1-way contracts...and with Russell and Methot playing as well as they did, there just wasn't any room for another 1-way deal unless some trades are made.

Its also important to note that Brookbank and MacKenzie must clear waivers. Brookbank may be attractive to some teams looking for size and toughness on defense.

So one man's loss is another gain.

Gilbert Brule had a few questions coming into camp and he answered them in spades. He came into camp much more physically prepared...and mentally prepared...he battled hard in the corners, went to scoring areas and even prompted coach Ken Hitchcock to say "he looks like an NHL player out there now". He'll play wing.

Kris Russell was the talk of camp...by just about everyone. At times he was clearly this team's best defensemen in the preseason. He has a skill set this team desperately needs and that's a smooth skating, offensively aware and strong positionally defensemen. He is undersized but the way he plays the game it doesn't matter. His play tailed off in the last game but I think that was more to do with playing 3 games in 4 nights than anything else. He'll most likely start out playing on the bottom pairing and will see even strength and loads of PP time.

Jared Boll. Probably the biggest surprise of camp. This kid will never be a big time scorer but he's gonna excel at what he brings to the table and that annoying the crap out of the other team. This kid hit anything, fought anything and iritated anything in his path in preseason. He'll play on the fourth line and add a Darcy Tucker / Sean Avery presence to this team. Oh, and this kid can back it up with his fists if needed. He'll be a fan favorite in no time.

Steve Mason is a guy who I'm surprised is still here. This guy is the goalie of the future but with Norrena and Leclaire showing very well so far there isn't going to be any room for this guy on the roster. For now I suspect he's here as insurance in case Leclaire or Norrena need to take a practice or two off to get to 100% health. There is no denying this kid has had a great camp and could make this team permanently as early as next season.

Marc Methot (pictured right) is another guy who showed very well in camp. Each and every day he played his butt off letting it be known he's here to stay. He obviously got his taste of the big time last year and was going to do everything in his power to stick. With he and Russell though that makes 8 d-man on this roster when Foote gets healthy. Both he and Russell are AHL eligible so Methot may still see some AHL time this year as there is no benefit to letting him sit in the press box -- need to keep this guy playing and developing.

So as of today, this is how I see the lineup assuming Modin and Foote are out of the lineup on opening night:

Nash - Malhotra - Vyborny
Zherdev - Fedorov - Brule
Chimera - Peca - Fritsche
Shelley/Beech - Novonty - Boll
extra: Shelley/Beech

Klesla - Westcott
Hejda - Tollefsen
Hainsey/Methot - Russell
extra: Methot/Hainsey

Leclaire/Norrena (way to close to call here whose #1)

The defense will be a mix of those seven guys assuming Foote is still out but the line pairings are anyone's guess.

I never in my wildest dreams would have thought I'd be penciling in Manny as our #1 center on opening night but at this point it sure looks that way for the time being.

The roster will need to be trimmed to 23 on Tuesday but with Modin and Foote on the shelf for the foreseeable future there will only need to be one more cut and that's likely sending Steve Mason back to his junior team in London Ontario.

Its great to see management stick by their word that the best players will make this team. Congrats to Jared Boll and Kris Russell for becoming NHLers -- helluva an accomplishment by those two young men.

I think its safe to say now - welcome to your 2007-2008 Columbus Blue Jackets!

-LTL

4 days until the puck drops for real!

Central news and notes..

A brief little nugget from NHL.com this morning regarding the central and defensive tandems:

Another young defenseman getting raves is Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Kris Russell, a smallish (5-10, 167 pounds) third-round pick in 2005 out of Medicine Hat. Coach Ken Hitchcock raves about Russell’s maturity and hockey sense the way he did with Daryl Sydor, another Western Hockey League defender he coached in Kamloops and eventually brought to Dallas. Power-play goals will be key in Columbus -- and Hitchcock seems prepared to start the season against Anaheim at home Oct. 5 with Russell and Sergei Fedorov on the points when the Blue Jackets have the man advantage. ... If Derick Brassard, the Jackets’ No. 1 pick in 2006, continues to shine, Hitchcock may have to consider using him at center on the team’s No. 1 line with Rick Nash and David Vyborny. For now, the coach doesn’t want to put undo pressure on such a kid who just turned 20 on Sept. 22. ...

Word is definitely starting to spread regarding Russell (pictured right). After further reflection on the game last night and reading some other reviews he did seem lose a step last night and of course there is the thought that the competition level has been raised thus its harder to shine out there.....but lets not also forget that he played 3 games in 4 nights.

The kid is a rookie so we have to remember that he'll have some up and downs as he works his way through the regular season.

Read more here.

-LTL

Blue Biscuits

A mixed bag of Blue Jackets news and nuggets for you this morning:

Brian Compton of NHL.com takes a look at players to watch out for this season in the Western Conference - here is his CBJ pick:

Columbus Blue Jackets: Michael Peca — Columbus will be Peca’s (pictured right) fourth home in the last four seasons after stays in Long Island, Edmonton and Toronto, but his leadership skills cannot and should not be underestimated. While coach Ken Hitchcock certainly won’t be relying on Peca to fill the net — he had just four goals in 35 games last season for the Leafs — the Blue Jackets bench boss will definitely lean on the two-time Selke Trophy winner to guide a franchise that has yet to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Aaron Portzline of the Dispatch weighed in late night on his blog regarding the Eklund rumors that we are interested in a Vancouver center and that Edmonton is interested in Zherdev - some of this thoughts:

On Vancouver:
Let's break this down: Which Canucks center? Brendan Morrison? Doubt it. He centers Markus Naslund on the Canucks' No. 1A line. If they trade him, who's the No. 1 center? That creates a huge hole in the lineup of a club that already struggles to score goals.

I'm told the Blue Jackets have not had talks with the Vancouver Canucks. I'd be a fool to believe they haven't kicked a couple of tires in an attempt to acquire a No. 1 center, but it would be tough to swing. I mean, really, who has too many No. 1 centers?

On Edmonton:
The Blue Jackets and Oilers makes sense ... sort of. Edmonton has already turned a fancy, frilly player into a NHL stud (Ales Hemsky), so maybe they could pull off the magic trick with Zherdev, too. There were rumors this summer that the Oilers turned down a Zherdev for Joffrey Lupul trade. Maybe Howson was behind that decision. Funny, now that he's in charge of the Blue Jackets and Zherdev, eh?

Some good points and notice he never denies the Jackets talking with Edmonton. Both Vancouver and Edmonton need offense more than they can give it but both have a suprlus of defensemen -- we can certainly use either. If a deal were to come out of either of these teams I'd look for a defensemen to come back the other way.

Portzline also takes a look at the powerplay this morning and Hitch, as always, has some intelligent comments regarding it:

"We kept trying to make plays to get the puck to the net," coach Ken Hitchcock said, "rather than getting the puck to the net and then making plays."

The Blue Jackets plan to keep the two point men moving along the blue line, with the forward perched along the half-wall rolling to the point to allow one of the point men to creep down low.
"It seems like we're getting more shots through," defenseman Ron Hainsey said, "or at least we're opening up a lane to get the puck down to the forwards and, hopefully, to the net."

"You can't have an effective power play and be static," Hitchcock said. "The penalty kills are too good. We have to play with more risk to be effective."

I love that last quote that we have to play with more risk to be effective.

So the key to improving our 26th ranked PP last year is movement and getting shots in from the point on net - something of which we were terrible at last year. I also suspect having a guy like Kris Russell QB the PP is also going to significantly improve out chances as he's shown an incredible knack at finding the open player on the rush and delivering hard pinpoint passes to sticks. He also has shown the ability to know when to pinch and when not to. I think its safe to say he will, if he hasn't already, supplant Ron Hainsey as our primary PP defensemen. He will make his share of mistakes, that all rookies do, but the plusses will by far outweight the minuses assuming he stays healthy.

I'll have a game preview against the Carolina Hurricanes later on today.

-LTL

Zherdev experiment at center over....now what about the Zherdev Columbus experiment?

Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch confirms this morning that "Nikolai Zherdev's (pictured left) days as a center are finished -- for now."

The question I have is now what about the Nikolai Zherdev Columbus experiment?

Its no secret that ever since the Z's arrival in 2004 under the cover of night from Russia as the 4th overall draft pick from what some consider may be the best draft ever in 2003, the relationship with the flashy Russian has been nothing but rocky.

Things started off well with the enigmatic Russian collecting 34 points in his first 57 games. Heck even the year after the lockout he continued to light up the scoreboard collecting 54 points in 73 games played prompting The Hockey News to run on one of their covers a feature called the "Rick and Nik Show".

I'll be the first to admit I was floored by the talent level first displayed by Zherdev. It was clear from the moment he hit the Nationwide ice that this kid oozed skill - the sky was the limit for him.

Unfortunately it was also that season that signs started to emerge that the relationship was starting to deteriorate with reports of former GM Doug MacLean degrading the young star after games and teammates unhappy with his selfish style of play. The league also started to figure out this kid's game and started to stack the blueline and force turnovers because they knew he'd try to stick handle past everyone.

The 2006-2007 season we saw the Z train completely derail. After a lengthy contract battle between he and GM Doug MacLean, Zherdev missed all of training camp and the first few games of the season last year. He dropped from 27 goals and 54 points to 10 goals and 32 points which was a major disappointment considering he was be counted on as a key member of the offense.

The Columbus Dispatch reported that there was a deal on the table this past summer that would have sent Zherdev to Edmonton for Joffrey Lupul but the Oilers nixed the trade. The irony here is that current Columbus Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson who was previously the Assistant GM of the Oilers was most certainly involved in that decision. Now he finds himself smack dab in the middle of the struggle.

Which brings us to training camp in 06-07. It was reported that GM Scott Howson has given every player a clean slate including #13. He even went as far as to travel to Canada to visit Zherdev during his offseason training to discuss expectations and get to know him. It was thought to be a new beginning.

Coach Ken Hitchcock then announced as camp was opening that he would try Zherdev at center. Clearly he was thinking out of the box and was willing to try just about anything to get the 23 year old involved with this team and producing. Apparently that experiment has come to an end.....at least for now....and Zherdev has been moved back to wing.

When I look at this current lineup I actually don't see a fit at all anymore for Zherdev. In fact I have him out of my opening day lineup all together as of today (which of course is subject to change.) Some young guys have emerged in Brule, Fritsche and Brassard to help fill the skill positions and quite frankly make this team better. The depth that GM Scott Howson signed this summer in Jiri Novotny and Kris Beech have shown they are capable playing roles in the bottom of the lineup. These guys have all shown a willingness to play the hard nosed physical North American style game that Hitch demands.

Zherdev, on the other hand, has struggled to display that kind of game. In fact he has struggled all preseason and has been held scoreless.

Bottom line I think the Zherdev experiment in Columbus is over. I realize his stock is at an all time low but I think we have to bite the bullet, cut the cord, take a bath -- whatever you want to call it -- get what we can and move on. Not only for the Blue Jackets sake but for Zherdev as well as he can most certainly use a change of scenery. He may go to another team and become that super star player we'd hoped he be for us or he may not but I'm convinced its not going to happen for him here.

There will be some teams desperate from some scoring up front. Both Dallas and Vancouver come to mind as teams that have publicly stated they could use another top 6 winger. If I'm GM Scott Howson I'm kicking those tires and pulling them up to the dinner table to talk turkey. This very moment might not be the best time to deal him but as the season opener quickly approaches and maybe into the season there will be some teams that get desperate and that's when I strike.

Other news and notes:

As far as camp today. There is a practice scheduled for 9:30 a.m. and then its team building exercises.

Michael Peca says he also hopes to play in two of the final three preseason games.

Final rosters are due to the NHL offices by October 1st. The Jackets are expected to carry 21 to 22 players.

There is also a great article about Kris Russell by Michael Arace in the Dispatch this morning which you can find here.

-LTL

Jackets top Sabres 4-1

Steve Mason stopped 20 of 21 stops in his first NHL start and Gilbert Brule (pictured right) scored two goals as the Columbus Blue Jackets topped the Buffalo Sabres 4-1.

It was a slow first period in the scoring department but not in the physical department. Jarod Boll and Tommy Sestito both were in first period scraps and Steve Mason held off an early barrage from the Sabres in a sold out stadium.

The second period saw the Jackets come out and score two powerplay goals in 24 seconds. Kris Russell notched his second goal of the preseason off a 5 on 3 two man advantage with Derick Brassard collecting his 4th assist and Sergei Fedorov collecting his first. 24 seconds later Gilbert Brule notched his first of the preseason off a beautiful pass from 2007 first round selection Jakub Voracek. Duvie Wescott also collected an assist.

The 3rd period was more of the same for the Jackets as they kept the powerplay churning (they went 3 for 8 on the night). Rick Nash collected his 2nd of the preseason off a chip in front of the net. Rusty Klesla collected his first assist of the preseason and Jason Chimera collected his 3rd assist. The Sabres, in their first preseason game, were able to get on the board off a tip from Macarthur from a shot from the point. Finally Gilbert Brule notched his second of the preseason (and evening) with Westcott and Chimera both collecting their 2nd assists of the night.

Lit it up

There are lots of candidates for this one but its the kids -- Gilbert Brule, Kris Russell, Steve Mason, Jarod Boll, Tommy Sestito, Derick Brassard and Jakub Voracek -- who continue to shine in the preseason. Both Jarod Boll, Gilbert Brule and Kris Russell have very legitimate shots to make this team. Derick Brassard has collected 4 assists in 3 games and has certainly proved his worth as well. This group has shown it offensively and in the physical department and are a very exciting group to watch as a fan.

Jason Chimera and Duvie Westcott also continue to have strong showings. Chimera continues to roll notching his 3rd and 4th assists of the preseason for a total of 6 points (2g, 4a) in 3 games. Duvie Westcott also continues to improve his game notching another 2 assists for a total of 4 points in 4 games. He has looked great on the PP next to Russell on the PP.

Two road wins. Any time this team wins on the road, especially two in a row even in the preseason, you have to take note of it. Hitch has said he wants the identity of this team to be a big hard checking team to play against. Checking, he says, is what wins game. Well I think we are starting to see signs of this.

Dim the light

Rick Nash notched his 2nd goal in 3 preseason games. From the sounds of it a solid game by #61. Maybe its just the performance of the young kids that is taking the spotlight right now but I don't think we've seen even close to what #61 has to offer this season.

Klesla and Hejda. Judging by the comments from the radio crew (Bill Davidge and George Mathews) it sounds like both of these players had solid games. Klesla notched a point tonight playing close to 19 mins while Hejda played close to 20 min, blocked 3 shots and had a hit. Steve Mason mentioned on the post game show how the defensemen in this league are big and made his job a lot easier back there with their play -- I have a feeling he was referring to these two.

Jiri Novotny. Again going by the comments from the radio guys they seemed very pleased with Jiri's game.

Busted bulbs

The Russians. Nikolai Zherdev continues to struggle. He's scoreless so far in 3 preseason games and I really didn't hear much from him tonight on the radio broadcast. Sergei Fedorov got on the board tonight still though didn't sound like much of a game from #91.

Next up is the Sabres again. The Jackets take on the Sabres this Sunday at Nationwide @ 5 p.m. in what should be another spirited affair.

The Jackets are gonna have some tough decisions to make as there are a lot of young kids legitimately stepping up, more than I bet even the coaching staff and management expected. We should see some of the roster decisions by Monday. I think we'll see Voracek, Mason and Sestito sent down but I think Russell, Methot, Brassard, Boll and Brule are here right up to the last minute. Exciting times to see all this quality competition in Jacketland.

-LTL