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

Re-ignite the Zherdev trade rumors

Our good buddy Eklund over at Hockeybuzz.com has reported the following:

Blue Jackets and Canucks Talking? Oilers? I am chasing down a rumour this morning that the Jackets are talking to the Canucks about "a center off of their roster." I don't yet know what is being discussed the other way.I am also hearing that there have been some discussions that the Oilers may make a pitch for Zherdev.

Of course as with everything Eklund you take it with a grain of salt but it does give us something to discuss as we await tomorrow night's game.

Obviously Eklund and his "sources" have picked up on the latest Zherdev situation here in Columbus and the trade rumors are starting to fly. You've got to think that at this point GM Scott Howson is intently listening to all offers. So lets take a look at Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers to see if they make sense.

Vancouver - well here is a team that has stated publicly that they need another top 6 winger. Zherdev, when playing up to his ability, is certainly that. Would they be interested in Z? It seems like a valid possibility.

What the Jackets need is a center or another puck moving d-man. There has been rumors of Brendan Morrison (pictured right) being on the block in Vancouver. Morrison is a 32 year old center who has had a very consistent NHL career. He is scheduled to make 3.2 million this year and then will be an unrestricted free agent which means he'll be free to sign with any team. The Jackets could use him but I'm not so sure they'd be willing to part with Zherdev for a potential 1 year rental. Morrison has averaged 57 points over the past 7 seasons and plays a solid, dependable North American style game.

Of course the guy I'd love to the see Jackets return from Vancouver is Mattias Ohlund. Then again we are talking about a very consistent NHL defensemen who is scheduled to make 3.5 million over the next two years which is a bargain for what he brings. He will then be a UFA himself. The Canucks have a lot of defensive depth but its unlikely they'd move Ohlund unless they dig themselves a hole at the beginning of the year and get a little desperate for offensive help.

Edmonton is next. Here is another team that could use some offensive help and appears to have a lot of options on the backend. This team may be a little more plausible considering this is where new CBJ GM Scott Howson was groomed for 7 years as an assistant GM. There are a couple of players on this team that certainly would fill needs for us.

The first being Joni Pitkanen. Pitkanen was drafted by the Flyers 4th overall in the 2002 draft. He is an offensive defensemen who had a horrible year last year which was similar to Zherdev. He has since been shipped off to Edmonton for a multi player deal. Pitkanen signed a 1 year deal with Edmonton this summer and rumors are that he may be flipped yet again. Coach Ken Hitchcock has experience with this player as he coached him in Philly so it would seem if he did come over in a trade for Z we know what we'd be getting. On paper he would most certainly fill a need as an offensive defensemen.

The other player I'm interested in would be Shawn Horcoff. He is a 29 year old center who has put up pretty good numbers as a pro averaging 43 points in the last 5 years. He is scheduled to make 3.6 million over the next two years and then will be a UFA. He would fill an immediate need as a top 2 center. Maybe not the most ideal option but considering Z will make 3.5 million next year the salaries are a wash and Horcoff plays a good North American game. Again, if Howson brought him over he'd know what he was getting.

So there are a few options. Of course nothing is set in stone in terms of Z getting dealt and this is just mostly speculation and conjecture at this point.

One thing I do hope for is that GM Scott Howson will kick many tires around the league if he is serious about dealing Z and if he does deal him, its for something that will immediately help this team. I don't think that will be a problem as this GM strikes me as a very patient and careful and will want to make his first major deal as a GM a good one for the franchise and his track record.

No offseason would be complete without a little Zherdev drama!

-LTL

ESPN's Buccigross weighs in on Jackets chances..

...and its more of the same - which is a 14th place prediction in the Western Conference:

14. Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets have never had a foundation and, thus, are in repair. GM Doug MacLean's impatience and shortsightedness cost the Blue Jackets. Columbus had a patient, excited market that would have been OK with losing terribly in an effort to collect Top 3 overall draft picks since 2001. Here is a greatest hits list of the Top 3 overall picks since 2001: Ilya Kovalchuk, Jason Spezza, Rick Nash, Jay Bouwmeester, Kari Lehtonen, Marc-Andre Fleury, Eric Staal, Nathan Horton, Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Jack Johnson, Erik Johnson and Jordan Staal. The Blue Jackets have one of those players in Rick Nash from 2002, but they should have more.

We've been writing that here for the entire decade. Play young players, build an identity and collect Top 3 overall draft picks. New Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson seems to be on board with this philosophy. Howson told The Columbus Dispatch this summer, "You don't miss the playoffs by [23] points one year, add a high-priced free agent and make that leap. That just doesn't happen. We're at the point where this club needs to grow and needs to develop from within." The Blue Jackets made no significant signings in the summer. They have the perfect teacher in coach Ken Hitchcock, the anti-Keenan, who thrives in this role of mentor and molder of young men. Demanding, but not demeaning.

Sergei Fedorov and Adam Foote are in the last year of their deals, which pay them salaries far exceeding their current value. Fedorov makes over $6 million and Foote is at $4.6 million. That's over $10 million that will be off the books. The plan this year is simple: 1) Play the young players in all key situations; 2) Begin to plan for Fedorov and Foote deadline deals now. Zero in on teams who will most likely seek them out through direct conversations, cap numbers and assets. Perhaps packaging them to one team will garner the best return. Imagine Colorado acquiring both Foote and Fedorov at the deadline? While you are at it, see if anyone will bite on Nikolai Zherdev. The Jackets tested him as the No. 1 center in camp with the hopes of lighting a fire under his keister. That hasn't worked and now ol' ZZZZZZ might not even be a top 6 forward in Columbus.

Columbus will not make the playoffs this season, but that's OK. They need to reboot the computer, clean out the viruses and start downloading a new plan. It looks like the Howson/Hitchcock pair embraces this plan of attack. Columbus will continue to struggle to find enough offense and struggle to keep the puck out of the net on a consistent basis. The Blue Jackets are in repair, but should soon see the fruit of their ways. To quote Mayer, "They are not together, but they are getting there."

So I think at this point the "experts" are pretty much just copying each other's predictions and putting their own spin on things.

I find it hilarious that Bucci is saying the Jackets should have stunk it up so bad that they should have strived for top 3 draft pick -- I don't see Minnesota excelling with that model. In fact I don't see any playoff team outside of Pittsburgh who finally made it over the hump because top 3 draft choices. I understand his theory that MacLean was patient but its certainly more complicated than that. Just imagine if MacLean would have hired a competent coach or kept King around longer -- does he really think the Jackets would have still collected top 3 picks - not a chance.

At this point, I say bring on the doormatt predictions. Its clear nobody outside of central Ohio has any clue about the changes that have happened here. The Jackets are gonna have to earn their respect on the ice and it starts this season and that's fine. Alot of these writers got burned last year when they predicted the playoffs for essentially the same squad minus some trimmed fat and plus some young experienced players and rookies - oh and that whole Stanley Cup winning coach and new GM.

In about 2 years time guys like Buccigross will be saying how well Columbus has drafted with the likes of Nash, Brule, Brassard, Leclaire, OKT, Russell, Mason, Methot, Boll, Voracek, Sestito, Klesla, etc are leading this team and this top 3 draft pick nonsense will be quickly forgotten.

-LTL

Coaches Show with Ken Hitchcock notes

I just got done listening to the first ever "Coaches Show with Ken Hitchcock" and I must say it was fantastic.

Of course many of you know that former GM Doug MacLean held this same time slot prior to his dismissal and if any of you ever listened regularly you would have noticed a lot of friendly blather back and forth between MacLean and host Jeff Rimer.

Not so anymore. This show was filled with 3 segments of great questions and answers regarding the state of the team from a coach who most certainly "gets it". I'm sure he isn't thrilled to be doing the show but understands its an opportunity to promote the Jackets.

What I don't want to see happen though is as this team goes through rough stretches the fans grill him. Honest hard questions will be most certainly welcomed but needless flames and attitude won't be (hopefully).

Okay so now on to the good stuff - here are the notes that I captured from the inaugural show - these were taken short hand so please excuse the rawness of them:

Peca - big bite on our team...hasn't been healthy fro the last little while.. will play significant role.

Novotny - with Fritsche and Voracek tomorrow night on the 4th line. Was a 3rd line checking center in Buffalo, a lot of PK, will play same role here.

Russell - arguably in some of the game he's been our best defensemen.. for some players the game just doesn't seem to quick... unbelievable knack of knowing when to jump in and out of the play... he's learned how to check as a small defensemen -- if your off balance or you don't protect the puck properly he'll pull away from you -- he's been most impressive -- is he on the team? - "not for me to say yet"

Next 3 games will decide alot about younger players -- can they hold their own against NHL players Brule has been most impressive considering where he was last year to this year. He's played feisty, hard and smart. Looks like a regular NHL player out there now.

To get to 100 point team needed to correct 70 goals... whether it be score 40 and allow 30 less or whatever.

Defensive team play has to improve. Have to allow less goals 5 on 5 and have to be more consistent killing penalties. Allow a lot less will score a lot more. Been a big focus in camp. Its overall team commitment to team defense.

Zherdev thoughts...? He's been working hard but not creating offensively like we would like him to. Try to get him to use his legs more. If you don't score you get tentative and if you get tentative here you over handle the puck and get flat footed. Have to find a way to use his speed offensively. More than accountable from red line back. He's over thinking.

He and Scott work together on the 23 man rosters and then Scott pretty much leaves him alone after that. It depends on the opponent, player's ability, etc. Its a partnership. Scott and Ken think alike and have the same belief system in style of play. Value system on each player similar.

Feels that Nash is not gonna be just a good player this year...he's gonna be great. Sees that at practice, in his personality, in games... Where he went from conditioning this year from last has been incredible. 23 years old which is young for an emerging player -- thinks will be dominant.

Impression of Columbus? Great city - I love it here. Didn't know what Midwestern values were ...but when you live here you really learn about it. For not making the playoffs when you see the support we get is incredible. From fans to print to electronic. When we start taking the steps we think we can take the support can even be stronger. We've got to earn the
support now and the players have dug in to do that.

Fans refer to him as "Coach" and you kind of like that? Never been called that in my life but when your in the US, especially here, not used to it. But understand why here with the Ohio State coaches and history.

Last year team ran out of gas in the 3rd period in the first game last year. What are some things that have been done to fix that? People confuse energy with hope. When they're not convinced they have enough talent or character to win.

Who came into the best shape -- guys who made the biggest jump? Ron Hainsey went from 50th to top 10. Top 3 are Nash/Hainsey/Brule.

Chimera - hoping for breakout.. think capable for 25 goals.

Vyborny - ready to go. Play Thursday. Looks terrific w/ Nash.

Fedorov and his role - 5 on 5 w/ PP. Same role w/ Detroit. Will play a lot of point on PP. PK min taken over by Peca and Novotny.

How do veterans look? How are they molding w/ young guys? Will be competitive every night? We'll be competitive but want to win. Older players have really embraced some of the younger players. Doing everything we can to build a team b/c we'll break teams down and won't be the first to crack. What we are doing all adds up to a great team atmosphere.

Went into Chicago and won when they had 15 veterans in there which gave them some confidence. The game in Buffalo was also good. The next two games will tell them where they are at against Carolina so curios to see how they match up against a really good team.

So there ya have it. Lots of good little nuggets in there to chew on before tomorrow game.

Oh and I think can say now with quite a bit of confidence that Kris Russell is a lock to make this squad :)

-LTL

#1 center still up for grabs

Asked yesterday if he were any closer to finding one, he shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.

"We are still looking at things right now," Hitchcock said.

That pretty much sums up the article this morning in the Dispatch regarding where the #1 center position stands.

This much we know. Sergei Fedorov will either be the #1 or #2 center. Michael Peca will most likley play in the 3rd hole with Jason Chimera on his left wing and either Gilbert Brule or Dan Frtische on his right.

What we don't know is who plays in that other top 6 center position and who will round out the lineup in the 4th hole.

The candidates:

Derick Brassard: The hot shot rookie and former #1 draft pick (#6 overall) in the 2006 draft has had a very good start to his pro career and has impressed in his first camp. He's rung up 4 point, all assists, in 3 games and certainly has the the team's best playmaking skills at the center position. The dilemma though is if his body can withstand the grind of an 82 game season and can he continue to perform against men when the season starts? He is AHL eligible so there are options for the 19 year old.

Jiri Novotny: Signed as an unrestricted free agent this past summer to a two year deal and being a former #1 selection himself (#22 overall) in the 2001 draft, Novotny is also in consideration. Novotny is young at age 24 but has only managed a career high of 19 points in 68 games played. He does have a big NHL type body at 6'2" 194 lbs and as the Dispatch says, protects the pucks well. He is definitely primed for a breakout season. He'll be on the team for sure, just not sure where quite yet.

Kris Beech (pictured right): He's another former 1st round overall pick (7th overall in the 1999 draft) who played 64 games last year for the Washington Capitals tallying 8g 18a for 26 points. He signed a one year two way deal as an unrestrictied free agent this past summer. Beech is a 6'2" 209 lber who is best known as being the key part to a trade that himeself to the Pittsburg Penguins and sent Jarmir Jagr to the Capitals back in the 2001-2002 season. Beech is a 26 year old and so far this preseason has shown some promise. He was recently promoted to center the line between Nash and Vyborny which means the coaches are taking a good hard look at this kid.

So those three appear to be the candidates. Brassard has the best skill set out of the three but is a rookie and may need some seasoning in the minors before assuming the #1 center role. Both Beech and Novonty are not ideal but have been around the NHL for a few years now, have NHL builds and play a solid North American style game. They probably aren't going to put up great numbers but may be serviceable to fill the gap until a guy like Brassard is ready.

Other outside candidates include Fredrik Modin who is primarily a scoring winger but if things get desperate he could be moved to center. Gilbert Brule and Dan Frtische were also drafted as centers but have been moved to wing - they could get looks as the season progresses especially if they show a scoring and playmaking touch and responsible two way play.

Its another team building day at camp. The players will practice at 9:30 and then are off to an undisclosed location in central Ohio for team building activities.

Next game is tomorrow against the Carolina Hurricanes. Its the final home game of the preseason.

-LTL

**RADIO ALERT** The Coaches Show with Ken Hitchcock debuts today at 3:00 EST

Just a quick reminder Jackets fans that "The Coaches Show with Ken Hitchcock" will debut today on 1460 The Fan at 3:00 p.m. EST.

The show is an hour long. You can listen on your radio at 1460 a.m. or stream online at 1460thefan.com.

Emails can be sent in at thebigshow@1460thefan.com.

Calls can be made at 614.821.1460.

I will have a recap of the show after it airs.

So tune in today and support the local coverage as we all want as much as we can get.

-LTL

Blackhawks Mourn Passing of William Wirtz

Some sad news to report this morning:

It is with deep sorrow that the Chicago Blackhawks announce that team President, Mr. William W. Wirtz, 77, passed away early Wednesday morning at Evanston Hospital after a recent battle with cancer.

Mr. Wirtz is survived by his wife, Alice, five children, Rocky, Gail, Karey, Peter and Alyson, and seven grandchildren.

You can read more here.

Mr. Wirtz (pictured right) will be missed and my deepest sympathy's go out to his family.

-LTL

THN Vol 61 No. 3-4: Jackets Team Report

The Hockey News team reports are basically short team previews for the 07-08 season. Here are some snippets from the Jackets report:

It starts with Vyborny's (pictured left) quote that we heard early this season when he says "It's read now. It feels real" and then goes:

Real. The team has a coach, Ken Hitchcock, with Hall of Fame credentials and a firm grip on the dressing room.

Real. New GM Scott Howson brought with him from Edmonton a deliberate, proven plan for building a winning club in a smaller market, signaling an end to the wasteful, aimless "plans" of the previous administration.

Real. After six losing seasons of abject losing - the Jackets have the worse cumulative record in the NHL since they've joined the league - an identify has been forged; the overall physical fitness of the club has been improved; and expectations have been lifted.

The Blue Jackets aren't quite ready to be a Western Conference power, not with the many questions marks throughout their lineup. But it's high time they learn to compete on a nightly basis, and it appears those days have arrived.

Hitchock met with every player last April, sending them into the summer with detailed plans for their offseason workouts.

By July he was irascible, already looking forward to camp with a promise that "the pedal will be pushed to the floor right from Day 1."

The first challenge is to make the Jackets tougher, more resilient. The second is to grow their abundance of young talent through more reasonable expectations. What the Blue Jackets did to Gilbert Brule last season - No. 2 center? - was almost criminal.

Finally, the vets - Adam Foote, Sergei Fedorov, Michael Peca - are being urged to assume leadership roles, without fear of being clipped by heavy-handed management.

As one player noted: "The dark days are over."

There's no reason this club shouldn't be competitive - finally - in 2007-208.

Rick Nash, a blooming power forward is poised to assume his spot among the NHL elite. He'll be captain when Foote hangs em up.

The rest of the roster may not "fit" perfectly, but they'll be competent. That, in itself, is a marked improvement.

Real. Vyborny planned to return to the Czeck Republic after this season; now he wants a long-term contract.

The Hockey News also ranks the top 20 players by position. The Jackets have two players listed. They have Nash at number 10 as a right winger? They also have Fedorov ranked as the 19th best center in this league which is very hard to believe.

They also list 10 Calder candidates - no Jackets listed and not a word about Brassard or Russell.

...and of course no NHL prediction piece would be complete without absolutely panning the Jackets' chances. They have us finishing 14th in the conference (yet they have St. Louis 9th and Chicago 10th) and here is what they say:

Key Arrivals: Jan Hejda, Jiri Novotny, Michael Peca

Key Departures: Bryan Berard, Brian Boucher, Andres Eriksson, Aaron Johnson

What's new: Hard to get too excited about a new GM, Scott Howson, who wasn't the first choice for the job, but he does have the Jackets heading in the right direction.

Hot topic: Take this to the bank: When the season ends, Sergei Fedorov and Adam Foote will be playing for new teams.

So there you have it. Lots of bulletin board material here if the organization ever wanted to use it but I think they'll be motivated plenty without it.

Oh...and they pick the Sharks to win it all this season.

-LTL

Men’s Hockey Buckeyes Picked Fifth in CCHA Preseason Polls

A little Buckey Hockey news for you today:

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State men’s hockey team was placed fifth by both the coaches and media in the 2007-08 Central Collegiate Hockey Association preseason polls, the league announced Tuesday at its annual media day at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
Defending NCAA champion Michigan State was the media’s choice for the top spot in the poll, while the coaches picked Miami as the team to beat.

Jason Desantis, an OSU senior defenseman from Oxford, Mich., was voted to a spot on the Preseason All-CCHA Second Team by the league’s head coaches. He had a career-best and team-high 20 assists last year and ended the campaign with 25 points to rank fourth (tied) on the team.

Ohio State opens the 2007-08 campaign Oct. 12-13 hosting the Lefty McFadden Invitational at the Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio. The Buckeyes will face Mercyhurst in the opening round at 8:05 p.m., preceded by Wisconsin and Notre Dame at 5:05 p.m. The consolation game will be at 4:35 p.m. Oct. 13, followed by the championship tilt at 7:35 p.m.

The squad opens play at home Oct. 19 when it hosts Miami at 7:05 p.m. in Value City Arena.

2007 CCHA Preseason Polls

(#) First place votes

Media Poll

1. Michigan State (25) 701

2. Miami (21) 667

3. Notre Dame (13) 656

4. Michigan (4) 596

5. Ohio State 414

6. Nebraska-Omaha 412

7. Western Michigan 352

8. Ferris State 279

9. Lake Superior State 270

10. Northern Michigan 248

11. Alaska 212

12. Bowling Green 108

Not a terrible ranking considering all the teams above them had great years and made the Frozen Four tournament last year. The Buckeyes, who have missed the tourney the last two years, are certainly in line to bounce back. I am surprised that Tom Fritsche, brother of Blue Jacket Dan Fritsche, was not named to any pre-season All-CCHA teams though.

What's up with Bowling Green being ranked last? Ouch. A little trivia for you - did you know that is Rob Blake's alma mater?

Back to OSU, also of note there are a pair of incoming freshman in John Albert and C.J. Severyn who were selected in the NHL draft this past offseason. Albert, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, was picked in the sixth round with the 175th selection by the Atlanta Thrashers and Severyn, from Beaver, Pa., was selected in the seventh round by the Calgary Flames with the 186th pick. So we'll keep an eye on those two this year.

For those that have never attended a Ohio State Buckeye's hockey game I encourage you to get out to a game this year. It really is some fantastic hockey. The players can't fight so you'll see more hits in one period than you will in one full NHL game.

Plus you can't beat the cost - for $20 bucks you can bring a family of four and sit in the lower bowl.

-LTL

Steve Goertzen on waviers..

According to Aaron Portzline Steve Goertzen has been put on waivers. If he is not claimed he will be sent to the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League.

Goertzen is 6'2" 216 lb wing who was selected in 7th round of the 2002 draft. He has 46 games of NHL experience all as a 4th line role player in the Gerard Gallant head coach era.

Goertzen looked decent in camp but I'm not surpirsed to see him ultimately sent down especially with the emmergence of guys like Jared Boll and Tommy Sestito who are younger, just as touch have add more offensively. Perhaps he will get claimed but Chances are he will remain a mamber of the Blue Jackets organization.

Edit: Goertzen passed through waivers and was reassigned to Syracuse.

-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

Latest on the Crunch from Kramer

Here is the lastest on the Syracuse Crunch from Lindsay Kramer:

It was a very high-energy first Crunch practice today, with boards rattling and guys crashing into each other like a real game.

The team drilled for a little more than an hour, took a break for the ice to be resurfaced and then scrimmaged for about 30 minutes. The scrimmage was more physical than some of the team's games last year.

"It's tryouts for everybody. No guarantees,'' said Syracuse forward Andrew Murray, one of the few players on the ice who is all but guaranteed a spot on the Crunch.

I asked Crunch coach Ross Yates about the team's new captain, since Jamie Pushor isn't coming back. He said the captain will be picked by himself, assistant Trent Cull and Blue Jackets assistant general manager Jim Clark. Yates said he might not name a captain until after the regular season begins.

Actually make that former assistant general manager Jim Clark as we learned this past weekend that Chris MacFarland has been promoted to that position.

In other news the Blue Jackets have officially announced the 5 players that were re-assigned today. They have also announced a renewed sponsorship with the Diamond Cellar.

-LTL

"A breath of fresh air"

Adam Proteau of The Hockey News had this to say about John H. McConnell in his blog:

Who says you can’t believe anything that comes out of an NHL owner’s mouth? Get a load of this dose of reality from Blue Jackets owner John H. McConnell, who was asked by ever-intrepid Columbus Dispatch reporter Aaron Portzline why former GM Doug MacLean was fired last season:“

He had a habit of making people mad at him,” McConnell said of Tampa Bay’s soon-to-be minority owner. “I told him one time, 'Never fight with the people who buy their ink by the barrel.' That's an old saying, but I don't think Doug understood that. Doug was a good guy. I liked him. But he had a quick temper and a big ego. Those two don't mix.”

Nice one, Mr. McConnell. I’m beginning to understand why the Columbus faithful serenaded you with a multi-minute standing ovation at the NHL draft this summer.

What else can you say? How can you not love this guy as an owner! He does it for all the right reasons.

-LTL

NHL.com examines the Jackets

NHL.com has their pre-season preview of the Columbus Blue Jackets posted on their site. The most interesting thing about the preview are the quotes as

Anyhow, here are a notable quotes, especially from #61:

"It was sort of defined by two parts — since Ken Hitchcock took over as coach and since the All-Star Game," Nash said. "You don’t get the tempo you want by playing just 14 minutes a game. You look around the League and see the prominent forwards playing at least 20 minutes a game and in all of the important parts of each game. When Ken Hitchcock came, he kind of challenged me to be at the level that the great forwards are who play the power play and kill penalties in addition to playing on the team’s top line.

"But the confidence really came to a head for me when I went to the All-Star Game — even though my numbers might not have been where I wanted them. It was funny, but I looked around the locker room and at all of the stars at the skills competition and during the game and I felt like I belonged there. It was kind of like a boost in confidence for me."

"You don’t get to the level that I achieved and then just pat yourself on the back and stop," Nash said. "You want that kind of good pressure. There are a lot of young players who learned from their early experience at this level that they can’t just do it in spurts. You see them do it every shift, every game. That’s the kind of consistency I want for myself ... and my team.

"The best advice I ever got was from Dale Hunter when I played my junior hockey for him at London (in the Ontario Hockey League). He always reminded his players that hard work beats talent and harder work from talented players is really hard to stop."

It really does sound like Nash is ready to be a leader, if not 'the' leader, of the team. Its another sign of his maturization. He certainly appears to be picking the right players to pattern himself after.

They also have some interesting number breakdowns. Some of the ones that caught my eye:

The Jackets lowered their goals against average by 30 from the previous season.

Columbus’ 438 power-play chances were the most in the Western Conference and second in the NHL. But the Blue Jackets allowed opponents 453 power-play chances, the most in the league — including 246 (six per game) on the road.

The Jackets did well when they did score first. Their problem was getting the first goal — they won only 11 of the 49 games in which the opposition began the scoring. When they scored first they were 23-5-5.

Points for the Blue Jackets in their first 20 games, before Ken Hitchcock replaced Gerard Gallant. The Jackets played .492 hockey under Hitchcock (61 points in 62 games), but the slow start virtually eliminated them from the playoff race by Christmas.

If the Blue Jackets have any playoff hopes, they’ll have to earn a berth the hard way. Columbus’ last nine games are all within the Central Division, and four of its last 11 are against Detroit. The Jackets do have a chance to get fat in December, when 11 of their last 13 games are played at Nationwide Arena.

As I was reading their review there were a couple of errors that I wanted to point out:

They have Kris Russell already returned to juniors and note that the Jackets do not have any offensive defense on the horizon -- umm....obviously they know nothing about Russell.

They have Sheldon Brookbank as playing 3 games for us last year which is incorrect, he played 3 for Nashville.

There is much more to read than what I posted here - 8 pages worth in fact so go out and take a look.

The best sign about these preseason reviews from the NHL - the season is definitely right around the corner!

-LTL

More cuts announced

According to Aaron Portzline 5 more cuts have been made:

The Blue Jackets have made five training camp cuts -- forwards Kirill Starkov, Adam Pineault and Geoff Platt, defenseman Mikko Maenpaa and goaltender Dan LaCosta. All five were sent to Syracuse.

Geoff Platt (pictured above right) is probably the guy that sticks out most in this group. He's a been a Cinderella story ever since he turned pro in 2005-2006 signing as an undrafted free agent out of the Ontario Hockey League to play with the ECHL's Dayton Bombers which is Columbus affiliate. He quickly turned heads at the Traverse City Tournament earning a Syracuse Crunch contract and a full time ticket to the AHL and even making it all the way to the NHL level that year (he played in 15 games w/ 5 assists).

Unfortunately for Platt the Jackets prospect pipeline has improved and it appears guys like Derick Brassard have passed him on the center depth chart. Platt is a fighter though, he'll go back to Syracuse and further his case. I wouldn't be surprised to see Platt back up sometime this year if he continues to light up the AHL like he's been doing the past two years. He needs to work on his defensive game and become even stronger on the puck though.

I wasn't expecting Mikko Maenpaa to stick with the big club in his first year over top play in North America from Finland. What I am surprised by is just how much better he's looked since prospect camp until now. He's an offensive defensemen but in just two months time seems to have developed dramatically. It will be interesting to see how he does for the Crunch this year.

Forwards Starkov and Pineault as well as goaltender Dan Lacosta all need to bake longer in the system before being ready for the big time.

Still more cuts to go before getting down to a roster of 22 to 23 players. The roster stands now at 36.

-LTL