CBJ Prospect CHL Playoffs/Doyle Cup Recap

Hello all back again to keep you up to date on the Jackets prospects two more prospects had there seasons ended in the last round one possibly playing his last CHL game.

Dalton Smith-Ottawa(OHL)
Final playoff stats 18GP 4-4-8 -7 46PIM
In a battle of the top two teams in the OHL's Eastern Conference the Otrawa 67s losing in five games. Before I get going on the recap I found this interesting after the two division champs(Niagara and Ottawa) seeded one and two, seeds three through six were in the Central Division(Niagara) and seeds seven through 10 were in the East Division(Ottawa). As for the series Dalton probably played some of his best hockey scoring four points in five games. Dalton was held scoreless in game one then putting together a three game point streak that included a shorthanded goal in each game. In game two Dalton had a goal (20 seconds in) then added a assist(2:08 in same video) on Jake Cardwell's third period goal.Then in game three Dalton scored probably the easiest goal(40 seconds in) of his career when Ice Dogs goalie Mark Visentin went out to play the puck and he tried to pass it to a teammate and what you'd probably call a miscommunication happened when not one not two but three dogs missed it leaving Dalton a tap in from just above the blueline, Visentin would get the last laugh when he'd score a goal late in the third(or pretty much the only time goalies score goals). In game four about eight minutes in Tyler Graovac had a breakaway which was broken up by the Dogs' big d pair Jamie Olesniak(6'7") and Dougie Hamilton(6'4") tipping the puck out to Smith in the slot to go three for three. Dalton would go scoreless as the 67s were eliminated in game five. This was Dalton's best postseason scoring eight points in 13 games after having 10 points in 16 games the last two seasons. This will be kind of a big summer for Dalton as he was signed by the Jackets before last season and will either play in Springfield or be sent back to Ottawa to play as one of the 67s three 20 year olds. Quickly with the IceDogs win they'll take on the London Knights for a chance to play in the Memorial Cup, The Jackets havent had a prospect on the OHL representative team since 2007.

Lukas Sedlak-Chicoutimi(QMJHL)
Final playoff stats 18GP 5-3-8 -2 18PIM
Lukas and the Sagueneens had the task of trying to defeat the mighty Saint John Sea Dogs for a chance to play for the President's Cup. The Sagueneens lost the series in five games with the last three going to overtime. Lukas Sedlak was held off the scoresheet in most games picking up a assist in game four. While he didn't score much in the series he did get to work on his Michael Chaput impression winning 66% of his draws losing no more than seven faceoffs until game five when he still won 50% winning 13 of 26. Next year Lukas will return to Chicoutimi and could be more of a featured part of the Sags offense as it looks like two of the teams top 10 scorers will be graduating from the CHL, plus hes already playing on the team's top line. On a quick side note I think that everyone should see Lukas' teammate Etienne Broduer's celebration when the team won game three in overtime.

Petr Straka-Rimouski(QMJHL)
Playoff stats 17GP 7-12-19 +6 6PIM
I'm not sure what got into Petr before this round but whatever it was he'll have to keep it up in the next round as the Oceanic will take on the Saint John Sea Dogs. Petr was Rimouski's best player in the last round picking up 11 points in the six games series. In games one and two in Halifax Straka had a goal and three assists in the two Oceanic wins. In game three a game that Rimouski lost Petr had his sixth goal(1:05 into the video) of the playoffs when(going off the video) after a save Straka took off like he'd been shot out of a cannon roaring down the left side before firing a laser at the left faceoff dot. In game four Straka had a nice assist(right at the start) on the Oceanic's only goal in a 3-1 loss to tie the series at two. In game five in front of a national TV audience Petr had one of his best games of the season scoring a goal and adding three assists(#23 in the highlights) and was named first star(duh!), in game six Petr added a assist on the game tying goal in the series clinching overtime win. Now it's off to face the Saint John Sea Dogs for a spot in the Memorial Cup tournament, the last time the Oceanic were in the Finals it was 2005 and they were led by some kid named Sidney Crosby(probably amounted to nothing). The Dogs and Oceanic played twice this season with the teams splitting the season series with Straka scoring a goal and adding a assist. Also on the way back to Rimouski the boys on the team got Petr to join twitter you can follow him @PStrax23.

Mathieu Corbeil-Saint John(QMJHL)
Playoff stats 13GP 12-1 .914Sv% 2.31GAA
Mathieu and the Sea Dogs took on Chicoutimi in the last round winning in five games. Mathieu played in all five games and at least according to my Saint John source's tweets Mathieu played his best game of the playoffs in game one when he stopped 24 of 25 also picking up a assist on Stanislav Galiev's third period goal and was named first star. Sea Dogs coach Gerard Gallant even stated that "Corbeil was the difference"(highlights/Gallant & Corbeil post game quotes) also saying he kept them in it when the team wasn't playing real well. Game two was another strong performance for Mathieu stopping 27 of 29, game three was the Sea Dogs one loss in the series when he stopped 28 of 33. In games four and five were two more solid performances stopping 66 of 71 in the two overtime victories. With the series win the Sea Dogs are in the President's Cup Final for the third straight seasons winning it last year. As I said before the Dogs and Oceanic split the season series with Mathieu playing in both games stopping 19 of 21 in the win but allowed four in the loss in a game that was between two shutouts.

Quickly some contract updates Michael Chaput career year earned him a three year Entry Level contract whilst he could go back to Shawinigan next season I bet he's in Springfield joining a strong rookie class that already includes Sean Collins, Jake Hansen, Will Weber and Dalton Smith plus Oliver Gabriel who played games there last season. Last week the Kamloops Blazers play by play man/WHL blogger Jon Keen tweeted that Blazers Dman Austin Madaisky was close to signing with the Jackets, but I don't have a update on this.

Oliver Gabriel-Portland(WHL)
Playoff stats 10GP 2-2-4 +4 8PIM
Oliver finally got to play in every game of a Portland playoff series after missing a combined five games between two suspensions in the first two rounds. In a four game sweep of division rival Tri-City Oliver only had a assist in a game one victory when he dug the puck out from along the boards and out to Sven Bartschi. This was a fairly tight series with games one and two going to overtime but with games three and four being a bit more decisive with the Hawks winning 3-1 and 4-1.The Winterhawks are now off to the WHL Finals for the second straight year where they will face off against the good team from Edmonton, the Edmonton Oil Kings who were the top team in the WHL with 107 points. The Winterhawks were third overall with 102 points, the teams only faced off once in the regular season with the Kings winning 8-4 in October.

Mike Reilly-Penticton(BCHL)
Doyle Cup Stats 5GP 1-4-5 2PIM
Mike and the BCHL champ Vees took on the AJHL champ the Brooks Bandits in the Doyle Cup Final for a spot in the RBC Cup. Mike was held scoreless in the first three games, the Vees won games one and two letting them host games three through seven if it would've gone that far. Mike found his way back to the scoresheet with a goal and two assists and was named second star in a 6-1 victory. Mike's first assist was when his point shot went wide but Joey Benik tipped it in to make it 1-0. His second was a lot like the first when his point shot went wide and then off a nice passing play Wild draft pick Mario Lucia(I love those old video games...I had to sorry) scored. Mike's goal made it 5-1 Vees when after a bit of nice passing and taking a shot earlier on the shift Mike drilled it for his first(game highlights-Mike's goal at 6:05) of the series and first since the BCHL playoffs opening round. In the 6-1 game five victory Mike picked up assists on two of the Vees four power play goals, of Mike's five points in the finals all five were on the power play. With the 4-1 series win the Vees claimed its first Doyle Cup(celebration highlights Mike is #5) in 26 years(heres Vees play by play man Fraser Rodgers call of the end of the game). Mike and the Vees are now off to the RBC Cup which is the National Championship for Jr. A hockey(think of it like the Jr. A's Memorial Cup-same format). The Vees will serve as the Pacific representative as they take on the Humbolt Broncos(host), Portage Terriers(West), Soo Thunderbirds(Central) and the Woodstock Slammer(East-best logo IMO sorry Vees).

There you have it folks the latest update on the remaining prospects next update will also be a Memorial Cup preview, so far we know the Jackets will have Michael Chaput on the host Cataractes and a prospect on the QMJHL representative whoever that may be. As always even thought its been awhile since I did it I thank you for reading my nonsense.

March 5-11 CBJ Prospect Week in Review

Sorry for the delay folks lets get on it, oh those wacky Springfield Falcons first they go 3-0 dominatating weekend then a 0-3 getting smacked around weekend and last week...a little of both. Starting off in ManchVegas(Manchester no idea why its called that) it was a 3-0 loss for the birds. Saturday's game was a little wacky almost doing a Blue Jackets impression. After roaring(squawking? nevermind)to a 4-1 first period lead the Crunch then came back to make it 5-4 ill goaltender Manny Legace pulled himself turning things over to Paul Dainton. With 1:53 left in the second the Falcons were awarded a penalty shot and it was Cody Bass that got to take the shot...wait a minute CODY BASS??? the same Cody Bass that was here earlier this year? Well the Crunch's goalie mustve fell asleep cause Bass converted the chance to give the Falcons a 6-4 lead. The Crunch scored later but that was it as Springfield won 6-5(goals from the game). Next night it was time for some bird on bird violence as the baby Penguins came to town. It was a back and forth affair ending in a shootout loss for the Falcons. But in the second period when ex NHL goon Steve MacIntyre decided to lose his damn mind attacking anything wearing white including the six inches shorter and 65 pounds lighter Falcon's goalie Paul Dainton. MacIntyre earned a match penalty and a four game suspension for the incident.

Onto Chicago seems like every team in the Blue Jackets organization can find a free agent goalie...except the Blue Jackets that is. With Allen York recalled the Express signed Vermont goalie Rob Madore who won 41 games for the Catamounts(only 13 his JR,SR years though). Madore set a Express record for most saves in a game when he made 41 saves in a 5-2 loss then stopping all 26 in his second career start in a 2-0 win. Taylor Ellington played in both games picking up a assist in the win giving him two points in six games, Steven Delisle only played in the shutout win.

In the CHL it was either score a point or nothing at all, Lukas Sedlak missed all three of the Sagueneens games dealing with his shoulder injury from last week. Brandon Archibald and the Spirit split its two games last week with Archibald having no points and was a +1. Dalton Smith and the 67s went 1-2 with Smith being held off the scoresheet and was a -3.

The Potential Trading of the Number One Pick

There has been plenty of discussion (or from what I have seen, more so dispair) regarding the reports that the Blue Jackets are shopping their potential first overall pick in the upcoming draft.  With thirteen regular season games remaining, Columbus sits eight points back of 29th Edmonton, and thirteen points back of 28th place Montreal.  While nothing is impossible, I am reasonably confident at this point that Columbus will finish 30th, and pending a disaster at the lottery, will own the 1st pick in the upcoming draft.

So why trade it? What real value does that pick hold for a team like Columbus, primed to 'rebuild' or 'reshape' this year?  I think there are a couple very good reasons;

First, the Russian factor.  Admittedly both Yakupov and Grigorenko are very different scenarios from former first round picks Zherdev and Filatov, but it doesn't open the door for comfort, at least from where I am standing.  Yakupov is a great interview and has been suggested to have a tremendous work ethic, but recently suffered his second concussion of the season.  He has also had his knee surgically repaired.  Both of these injuries cause reason to be concerned about his long term health, and while they aren't going to plummet his draft value too much, will probably bring him a bit closer to the pack.

Johansen Needs to Earn His Spot

A lot has been made of Columbus Blue Jackets rookie Ryan Johansen being benched for a handful of games down the stretch.  Much has also been made of him playing on the bottom six of the roster while he is in the lineup.  A quick comparison could easily be made for Johansen and Richards versus Derick Brassard under former coach Scott Arniel.  I thought it would be a good opportunity to really consider what factors are coming into play.

To begin, let me point out that I was strongly against the under utilization of Brassard early in the season.  While Brass was left gasping for air on the fourth line, the playmaking center made good use of his time there learning to play a more physical role and becoming a more complete player.  Despite countless games full of effort, he was left watching from the press box.  This is where I believe he and Johansen stand apart.

The Johan does not appear to be pouring out effort during his games on the ice.  When I think about the top rookies in the league, or even watch the play of a rookie like Cam Atkinson, I watch a feverish style of hockey with great speed and effort.  I recognize that Johansen and Atkinson have different traits, with Atkinson being the smaller, speedier of the two, but that should not justify the level of difference as I have seen.  In fact, there have been a number of games this year where Johansen has played with a great deal of tenacity and speed, only to seemingly fall back on a similarly sluggish style of play games later.  I can also cite his time with Team Canada in the U20 World Junior Championship or a number of his highlights from his junior days with Portland, where he shows a great deal of speed and tenacity on and off the puck.

2/27-3/4 CBJ Prospect Week in Review

Hello all back again for the week in review and back on schedule after least week so lets get to it. It was the usual three in three grind for the Falcons with all of them being on the road. It was a rough as the Falcons went 0-3 while being outscored 12-4. Friday and Saturday were spent in Norfolk for a series with the Admirals, Friday was a 5-2 loss with Matt Calvert and AHL signee Wade MacLeod scoring the goals. The game was a testy affair that had David Savard recieveing a game misconduct for boarding and two more coincidental minors for roughing. Tempers flared up again the next night...during warmups!!! In the game it was another rough one as the Falcons as the Falcons took a 5-1 loss with Brent Regner scoring the only goal helping his season long point streak. Saturday was a little closer as the Falcons lost in overtime to the Hershey Bears with Alexandre Giroux scoring his 21st of the season and his 100th goal at the Giant Center(counting regular season, playoffs and All Star games). Paul Dainton took all three losses even though he only played the first period on Saturday. Leading the way was Brent Regner with a goal and two assists in the three games giving him points in five straight.

WHAT!!! a whole paragraph about the Chicago Express you betcha. The picture to the left features two of the three Jacket's prospects that played for the Express. Taylor Ellington made his Express debut and played in all four games last week scoring a goal in the the team's loss to Cincinnati. On the 3rd the Express lost goalie Peter Mannino to the AHL when he was called up by the Portland Pirates meaning that after 22 games the Express would have a new starting goalie and that goalie was Allen York. York started the team's last two games going 0-1-1 stopping 42 of 46 shots for a .913 save percentage and a 1.94 GAA. Also rejoining the Chicago lineup was Steven Delisle who'd been out of the lineup since January 25 with the dreaded "lower body injury" according to the team's broadcaster. Steven played in two games scoring no points with a even rating and no penalty minutes.

February 20-26 CBJ Prospect Week in Review

Greetings Jacket fans sorry for the delay but with the trade deadline and the game last night my normal schedule is all out of wack.Starting off the in Springfield with a normal 3 in 3 weekend the Falcons went 3-0 including two wins over the top teams in its division. While not being a Blue Jacket's prospect goalie Paul Dainton was in net for all three games being the first Falcons goalie since Scott Langkow in 1998 to win three games in three nights. Dainton was named the Reebok/AHL Player of the week the first time since Devan Dubnyk in April 2008. Dainton went 3-0 with a .964 save percentage and .975 GAA picking up his first AHL shutout on Saturday against Connecticut. On the weekend leading the way in scoring was Maksim Mayorov with three goals and three assists including two goals and two assists in a 6-2 win. Other Falcons with multiple points were Dane Byers(1-2-3) and Brent Regner(0-3-3) with three points. Alexandre Giroux had two goals helping him climb the AHL goal and scoring ranks his 359 goals rank him ninth only a goal out of eight and the two points moved him into 23rd place, Martin St. Pierre had two assists to move him into ninth in the AHL with 50 points(10-40-50) in 54 games. Hopefully with the addition of Taylor Ellington I can start updating you guys on the Express. Ellington was picked up in the Sammy Pahlsson trade with Vancouver, Eliington was third among Wings defenseman in scoring with seven goals and 15 assists for 22 points in 55 games.

A Follow-up on the Nash Saga

Two days ago I wrote a pretty scathing piece upon hearing that it was Rick Nash, not the Columbus Blue Jackets management who decided that it was time for him to be traded.  It was received with very mixed emotions and I had anticipated that, but I do want to clarify a number of things that brought me to my opinion and why I was as bothered as I was.

To begin, I have followed Nash for over a decade. To say I have been a Rick Nash fan is a pretty heavy understatement.  I have watched him in juniors, playing for Team Canada in a number of different age groups as well as an Olympic team, and I have watched the better part of his career with the Blue Jackets.  I have watched him play some absolutely incredible hockey, and I have watched him play some pretty terrible hockey.  What I believe we have been watching this year, is something right in the middle, and to find out that he has even considered the idea of leaving Columbus in some form or another truly rocked me to my core.

I signed on for Nash's contract extension just like everyone else did.  I wanted him here making brilliant plays and leading this team back to the playoffs, and two days ago, I went from thinking the club was simply doing everything they could to better position themselves, to realizing that it was generated by Nash himself.  Now, I get the argument that Nash didn't 'demand' a trade (he offered it), but when something like this happens, there is no going back.  You can't dangle a player of Nash's caliber on the trade market and then shrug it off if a deal isn't made.  The moment his availability became public was the moment I knew his time in Columbus had an expiry date.

The Rick Nash Mess

The trade deadline completed this afternoon without the Blue Jackets finding a quality suitor for current captain and franchise winger Rick Nash.  In a post deadline interview, General Manager Scott Howson acknowledged the origin of the Rick Nash trade was brought upon by the captain himself, not the team.  Some would argue the decision by Howson would lead to diminished value for Nash on the trade market, but I am under the impression this will force Nash's hand, causing him to increase the number of teams he would be willing to be traded to.  The revelation of Nash wanting out however, leaves confusion and dissatisfaction among the fan base, and at least in my case, a serious concern as to how Rick Nash should be managed from this point of the season until the day he is traded.

First, I want to discuss what this bit of information means to me, mostly as a fan, but simply as a viewer of the team trying to exist in a league full of history and tradition.  I believe the decision by Rick Nash to demand (or I suppose 'ask') for a trade is an act of quitting on his part, and a very selfish one at that.  He signed an eight year 62.4 million dollar contract extension (making him the 5th highest cap hit in the NHL) with most of the current management group in place less than two seasons ago.  He committed himself to eight years of Columbus Blue Jackets with the understanding that it would be a process, and I believe fans should be furious with him for not honouring that deal.  Some will argue that he 'deserves better' and has 'given the team enough' but I think he had every chance to make his luck during the last couple years with this team.

As much as I can understand the secrecy of the situation at hand, I believe that fans deserved to know that Nash was not willing to play out the contract he signed, and lead this team back to the playoffs.  I found his captaincy to be seriously lacking recently, and CTF has posted a number of pieces this year acknowledging the feeling that Nash was playing well below his true potential.  These pieces were not designed to spit venom on him as a person, but simply point out that his best games could still be ahead of him, pending a serious amount of effort on his part.  It is that early season acknowledgement of mediocrity  that solidifies my opinion that he has given up on this team.

Johnson Acquisition Adds Confusion to Defensive Structure

In one of the worst kept secrets of Scott Howson's trading career, Jeff Carter was dealt to the Los Angeles Kings last night for defenseman Jack Johnson and a conditional first round pick.  If the Kings make the playoffs this year, the Blue Jackets have the option of taking Los Angeles' first round pick for either the 2012 or 2013 draft.  If the Kings fail to make the playoffs, Columbus will receive the 2013 first round pick.

In terms of player value, it is reasonably close to fair market value, especially when you factor in the supposed problems between Columbus and Carter.  Johnson is signed through the 2017/2018 season at a cap hit of 4.357 million, which is comparable to Fedor Tyutin's extension at 4.5 million during the same time period.  He has a strong offensive upside and shows quality puck possession skills.  His numbers also give him the appearance of a solid powerplay quarterback. Here are some quick stats from this year:

Games Played :: 61
Goals :: 8
Assists :: 16
Points :: 24
Plus/Minus :: -12
Penalty Minutes :: 24
Shots on Goal :: 120
Shooting Percentage :: 6.7
Powerplay Goals :: 5
Powerplay Assists :: 9
Average TOI :: 22:31

Vermette Traded to Phoenix

As twitter so thoughtfully put it... over, and over and over, and over again... "And so it begins."

Antoine Vermette was traded earlier today to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for a second round pick in 2012, a 5th round pick in 2013 (that could be a 4th round pick if the Coyotes win a playoff round) and goaltender Curtis McEhlinney.

For those paying close attention to the team and media commentary throughout the league, this move was expected from the Blue Jackets.  At 18-35-7 and well out of the playoff hunt, Columbus is and will continue to be sellers in hopes of retooling the roster before next season.  With a team bursting at the seams with centers, it came as no surprise to me that Vermette was one of the first names on the trade list.  Vermette has also been considered to be in the latter stages of a very poor year, and has not really come close to competing with his best year (not surprisingly a contract year) of 2009/2010.

Game Recap :: Columbus vs. San Jose 2/21

Amidst all the trade deadline turmoil, a record that makes most Blue Jackets fans red in the face, and directly following a shameful home loss to Chicago, the boys in union blue put on a show.  In front of another 'more than they deserve' crowd of 14,625, they handed San Jose a beating.  This is the same San Jose who beat Columbus 6-0 in their arena twenty days ago.  The same San Jose team who went into the game 3-0 against Columbus this year. The same San Jose team currently leading the Pacific division.

But all of this didn't matter. Columbus came out firing and only let off the gas briefly in the early stages of the second period.  They played with tenacity, and the fire it takes to win hockey games.  The defense stymied opportunities and for the most part kept the slot void of free sticks.  Mason managed 38 saves to break a Blue Jackets record, and they did all of this without gaining a point on Edmonton in the Nail sweepstakes (who also beat a team soundly last night).

February 13-19 CBJ Prospect Week in Review

Hello all back again for the week in review, in Springfield it was a usual three in three with the Falcons going 1-2. Starting off on Friday the Falcons faced off against the Connecticut Whale going into the third period it was a 3-3 tie that's when the wheels fell off Springfield ended up losing the game 6-3 with Paul Dainton taking the loss. Cam Atkinson scored his 28th of the season and Tomas Kubalik had three assists in the loss. Then it was back to Springfield to finish off the weekend. On Saturday it was a historical one for goaltender Manny Legace as he became the Falcons all time leader in wins with his 64th. Saturday it was a 4-1 win over Providence with the Falcons scoring four straight to pick up the victory including Cam scoring his 29th and Dane Byers scoring for the second straight night. On Sunday the Worchester Sharks came to town bringing a familiar name with them. In the 2-1 loss ex Jacket Andrew Murray scored his second of the season, scoring for the Falcons for the third straight game was captain Dame Byers to give him 13 on the season. On the weekend it was pretty much five players doing all the scoring with Cam Atkinson scoring two goals and two assists, Tomas Kubalik with four assists and Martin St Pierre adding a goal and three assists. Dane Byers as I said had three goals and Alexandre Giroux had a goal and 2 assists.

Blue Jackets Prospect Twitter Database

Hello all, CBJProspects with a rare non week in review post. Over the weekend when Dalton Prout was sent down the CBJ @mentioned him leading to many fans discovering the blueliner was on twitter. One of those was the guy I call boss @Canadan82 which drove him to throw out the idea: Why don't I make a list of all the prospects on twitter? Well after looking at the Blue Jackets official list and noticing how many there missing I figured I better get to it.

BLUE JACKETS AND AFFILIATES
Columbus Blue Jackets
@ BlueJacketsNHL
Springfield Falcons
@TheFalconsAHL



FALCON PLAYERS
#4 Dalton Prout @Prouter8
#10 Nick Drazenovic @Drazzy1010
#13 Cam Atkinson @CamAtkinson13
#17 Sean Collins @WhougunaCollins
#18 Jake Hansen @hans_solo21

#27 Cody Goloubef @cgoloubef27
#29 Anton Blomqvist @blomqvistA (NOTE: tweets in Swedish)
#34 Dane Byers @Byzee34
#37 Matt Calvert @mattcalvert11

#38 Trent Vogelhuber @Tvogelhuber

#39 Martin St. Pierre @_M_StPierre

FALCON PLAYERS(AHL CONTRACTS ONLY)
#5 Greg Amadio @gregamadio
#19 Wade Macleod @wademacleod
#22 Patrick Cullity @pcullity
#31 Paul Dainton @paullyd31 (Account is protected)
#32 Aaron Bogosian @aabogo32

JUNIOR PROSPECTS
Brandon Archibald(Saginaw) @Archibald9210
Michael Chaput(Shawinigan) @MichaelChaput62
Mathieu Corbeil(Saint John) @mathieutcorbeil
Oliver Gabriel(Portland) @olivergabriel11
Austin Madaisky(Kamloops) @amadaisky
Lukas Sedlák(Chicoutimi) @Sedli22
Dalton Smith(Ottawa) @smitty33
Petr Straka(Rimouski) @PStrax23

NCAA PROSPECTS
Martin Ouelette(Maine) @mouelette51 (NOTE:Hasnt tweeted yet)
Drew Olson(Minnesota-Duluth) @DrOlson8

OTHER LEAGUE PROSPECTS
Mike Reilly(Penticton-BCHL) @mreilly93
Anton Forsberg(MODO-Sweden) @antonforsberg1 (NOTE:Tweets in Swedish)

Looking Ahead with Brassard

For all the early season speculation surrounding Derick Brassard, it is amazing how little press the 24 year old center has received over the last week or so.  Certainly stemming from his lower status compared to potential trade bait Rick Nash or Jeff Carter, Brassard has managed to fly under the radar for the most part since Todd Richards took over the head coaching position.  This should come as a bit of a surprise considering his recent contributions.

This piece may not reflect his current trade status as much as I have presented above, but instead, will review the changes made in his game, and consider his overall value to the organization after his rise in scoring and current role on the team.  To do that, I think a comparison between his early season numbers under Arniel, and his current numbers under Richards is a great way to start.

The Potential Leadership Landscape Without Nash

I have no interest in trying to substantiate rumours or 'break' any trades, but I would be hibernating under a rock if I wasn't fully aware of the discussions surrounding the potential of a Rick Nash trade as the deadline, and I suppose the 2012/2013 season edge closer.  What I did begin to consider, is how the team would be structured after his departure, or more specifically who would become the Blue Jackets next Captain and what reasons would surround that decision.

Currently, they experience a 'quiet leader' in Rick Nash, who has been suggested to be a solid voice in the locker room and says the right things to the media, but tends to lead more by example on the ice.  What intrigues me about that is how this year he's appeared to play at well below the 100% dominant level that made him so loved in Columbus. Should it come as a real surprise that the team behind him has been known to rise and fall during games, rarely generating a sixty minute effort from all the players?  This won't be an extension of any Nash bashing, but I do believe the two have some correlation. So which player could make a vocal difference both on and off the ice if our Captain agreed to a trade?

Of the current roster players, a case could be made for Prospal, Umberger, Wisniewski, and Dorsett in my opinion. With those players in mind, I am going to make a case for each, and discuss where I believe they should be ranked relative to one another:

Carry the Flag Experiences the #CBJTweetUp

I was fortunate enough to take part in the Blue Jackets CBJTweetUp promotion yesterday before, during, and after the game against Anaheim.  Around one hundred tickets were sold, and while I thought they could have opened the experience to more than that, it was a great crowd.  The doors were opened to everyone at 4pm for a meet and greet with each other, as well as a number of Blue Jackets staff, and media from a variety of sources.

In terms of 'swag' throughout the evening, I walked away with a t-shirt, a complimentary card for Papa John's (as well as a full belly of pizza and beverages during the event), a picture with Wiz and a personalized autograph.  For the cost, in my opinion, the value was tremendous.

What I expected to be a social gathering with structured introductions and small talk with those who were scheduled to join the event.  What I got was something much more valuable.  Not only did many of the visitors take time to speak individually and personally with anyone who engaged them, they also made a point of 'getting into the thick of things' where groups of fans had already congregated.  I can honestly say my opinion on a number of CBJ media types (at least those who are actively visible on a daily basis) was boosted substantially after having direct conversation.  I can't thank them enough for extending their interest to myself and other fans, even if only for a short while.

Game Recap :: Columbus vs. Minnesota 2/11

For the first time in longer than I want to consider, the Blue Jackets walked away with a victory they had no real business earning.  On the road, on a Saturday night, they found two points in a game that found them badly outshot, with a goaltending performance that you would have to go back years to find in any sort of real frequency.

I enjoyed the game from a local Columbus Buffalo Wild Wings, and had a tremendous time.  With great friends comes great conversation, along with first rate service and really cool speaker boxes that sat on our table and played the audio of the game despite the rest of the bar being interested in college basketball (don't get me started).  Despite the disappointment in only a small handful of patrons with Blue Jackets garb on, the goals were welcomed with reasonable cheer, most notably from our table.

I braced for a beating, and took the Setoguchi goal in stride later on in the first period.  The turnovers were not as frequent, but the puck found itself in the slot alone on a reasonably capable scorer, and sure enough was vaulted over Mason's catching glove into the top corner of the net to send Minnesota to the 1-0 lead.  What followed was shocking.

Thoughts on the Vinny Prospal Extension

This morning, the Columbus Blue Jackets announced the signing of Vinny Prospal to a one year extension (at the same 2.5 million cap hit he has this year) with the additional assumption that he would continue to be a part of the organization after his playing career is completed.

Let me first say, that I think Vinny is a tremendous competitor, a strong leader in how the team SHOULD be playing each day, and a great asset to have in the locker room, based on everything I have read this year.  I see a great deal of value in his experience and attitude on and off the ice, and I imagine many of these points are the major reason why he received the contract he did.

Assumptions: The knee jerk reaction to this is anger.  For a team knee deep in a horrible, embarrassing season, re-signing players is practically begging for similar results the following season (1). For a guy like Prospal, who woud likely garner a 2nd round pick or better at the deadline, re-signing denies the team a decent opportunity to add another prospect to the development pool (2).  Additionally, if Prospal and management had discussed the potential for additional years, why not send him away to try and win a cup, and then bring him back in the off-season(3)? It has been done before, and it would allow the team to add a prospect without losing veteran leadership in the future.

I'm going to take those assumptions and break them down a bit.  I think it is important to consider what could have or should have been, and I think those questions are the most common of the non "Yay Prospal!!" crowd.

Recap :: Columbus vs. Minnesota 2/7

The stage was set for a disappointing loss on Tuesday night.  The team had just come back from a long road trip and had enjoyed a couple of days between games, not to mention winning their previous game, and complacency was practically expected.  Hard to believe what we (as fans) got to witness.  Not only did they take it to Minnesota for the better part of the game, they maintained their play late and did not allow complacency to take over.

First, I think it's worth pointing out the shots on goal.  Columbus outshot Minnesota 14-7 in the first period, and 14-9 in the third period.  They did to lay back a bit in the second, but unlike their usual results, a late powerplay goal gave them the momentum heading into the third period, which I thought helped them a great deal.  If I had one negative to take out of their shooting, was that early in the game, they allowed Backstrom to stay in it.  At one point (and I did not track it further than that moment) they had taken twenty shots, yet only managed to score a single goal.  This is terribly common for them, and I noted on twitter that it seems like too many games, they provide the opposing goalie with the ability to leave the building with a save percentage better than .950 for the game.  I am not contesting that they took truly mediocre shots, but the goals that followed (Vermette, Carter) were goals that shatter such stats, where opportunity is generated around the net on rebounds etc.

Second, how about David Savard.  For a guy that really struggled at the tail end of his previous call up, Savy looked very impressive with the puck on his stick last night.  He made smart plays, took quality shots - including one through traffic that netted him his first NHL goal - and really made the Minnesota players reconsider pressing him hard for the puck.  I think once again we got a preview of what his true potential is, and if he and John Moore can continue to contribute in a positive way, they could really open the doors for Columbus moving forward.  Might even convince me that we only need one top tier defensive signing in the off-season.

January 30th-February 5 CBJ Prospect Week in Review

Greetings all hows everyones clock running? Starting off in the AHL, it was the All Star break which I talked about last week after a few days of R and R the boys were back at it. The Falcons had a 3 in 3 last weekend going 1-2 only scoring 6 goals while allowing 12. Starting off in Providence the Falcons lost 4-1 with Dane Byers scoring the only goal and Paul Dainton taking the loss stopping 23 of 27. On Staurday it was back home to the nest for a game against Norfolk this was a rough 0n many levels first with the Falcons losing 6-1 then with 82 penalty minutes being handed out including a match penalty to Falcons Dman Theo Ruth for cross-checking in the second period. Matt Calvert scored his 9th of the season. Manny Legace stopped 5 of 9 in a period and a half of work(yikes!) Paul Dainton came in and...well played stopping 12 of 14. Sunday night the Falcons finally got it together and finished off its home and home with Norfolk beating the Admirals 4-2 Paul Dainton made 24 saves in the win. With Matt Calvert scoring for the second game in a row. Calvert led the Falcons in scoring last week with two goals and a assist while Cam Atkinson, Brent Regner and Alexandre Giroux all had two assists each.

A lot more prospects than usual had or took the week off last week. Boone Jenner has missed the General's last three games with a injury missing two last week. The Express went 3-0 last week part of the team's five game winning streak but no Jackets prospect played for them so let's move on. Last week I said Minnesota would be facing off with Denver well I was wrong thats this weekend the Gophers were off, sorry about that and a what has become about standard Martin Ouelette did not make a appearance in the Black Bear's net while the team went 2-0.