Jackets Building for Future

Tonight, Scott Howson and Scott Arniel spent time responding to season ticket holders and the many questions they have surrounding the team, including team success, trades, captaincy, and winning.  While many of the responses had a 'canned' flavour to them, I found that overall, their opinions coincide with what I feel regarding the long term goals of the franchise as opposed to another mediocre season.

One thing that stood out to me was the absolute need from a handful of people to see a trade happen, more notably, one that will substantially change the current team structure.  Be it the coveted first line center, or the powerplay quarterbacking defensemen, people seem to believe that it is now time to make a substantial move to acquire a player of each caliber from another NHL club.  What I don't believe is really being considered here, is just how much effort has gone into producing the current pool of prospects the Jackets have, and just how much it will cost to get the kind of player that not every NHL team has the good fortune of having on their roster.

To those who are ready to make that deal, I strongly encourage you to really consider what you are asking the franchise to do.  If we patiently wait (bearing in mind that the GMDM years are excluded from said waiting game) for some of the younger players budding in our system to develop into NHLers, we have a truly strong chance at becoming a legitimate dynasty in this league.  People can bicker about the struggles of Russell, Methot, Mason, Brassard, Filatov and Voracek, but these are all young players who are finding their game at the National Hockey League level.  It is a very uncommon thing to have so many players on a team all developing at the same time, but it is also a sign that when they do find their respective games, it will mean a great collection of strong, young players for the Blue Jackets.

A secondary option would be to make a big splash in the free agency period this summer.  The Jackets have yet to really become a hot spot of interest for players looking for new homes, but I do think that is slowly changing as some of the players develop.  The Jackets have really dominated a number of games over the last couple years, and in my opinion, most players and coaches take note of those things.  If they can patiently wait for free agency, they can acquire the necessary depth without sacrificing prospects and young players.  I personally believe they still have the tools to be a competitive team without dipping into free agency, and would prefer to see their standings rise be directly related to their prospect development, however, a few signings to replace some dead weight would be of great value in the short term.  With that said, teams like Detroit, who have successfully remained atop the league's best teams for over a decade, do not make trades to make trades.  They do not draft big ticket free agents, and they develop for many years (See: Howard, Leino) before bringing younger players into their roster.  It is that kind of success that takes a load of patience, which it seems, is waining rather thin throughout the Columbus fan base.

There were also some laughable attempts at reminding Howson which players are fairing better than the Jackets first round picks over the last couple years.  Let me just start by saying simply, hindsight is ALWAYS 20/20.  There is no question that not drafting Kopitar was a big bust in the end, but feel free to tell the entire league to look back and explain how Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, two of the league's best, went in later rounds of a draft.  The simple fact is that people work constantly throughout the year to assess incoming talent, and provide the absolute best information they can.  It is perfectly normal that a second rounder ends up having a better career than a first rounder, but it is awfully hard to fault a hockey club for taking what they believe and what the scouts believe to be the best player available to fill their needs.

Another issue noted was the decision to draft Johansen and let Fowler slide (note: Fowler was drafted well after the Jackets picked) to Anaheim, where he is currently having a strong rookie campaign.  It was also noted that the Jackets did not draft Jeff Skinner, who is currently in the running for the Calder trophy as the league's top rookie.  I was very happy to see that Howson responded that they had a player type they were going after, and Skinner did not fit the bill.  Johansen is a big body player who they believe will be the better player by the end of their careers, and I strongly support that opinion.  Regarding Fowler, in reality, how does drafting a defensemen over a center in the first round really benefit our club in the long run, considering our current defensive prospect depth?  Would it not immediately be flipped had the Jackets taken Fowler instead of Johansen?  Would people not complain that the Jackets did not address their center gap?

I will continue to support the decisions and patience that Howson is portraying.  He is well known for NOT making the foolish trades that make short term success just that, short term.  He is making a point to resolve issues through an impressive collection of prospects, and if he is given the right time to do so, will likely start seeing results sooner rather than later.  My only complaint this year has and will remain the lack of killer instinct being portrayed game after game, and that is not something Howson can resolve by making one or five trades.

Possible Trade Looming: Thoughts

A quick note;  This blog does not suggest to know anything more than what you can easily find on twitter. The speculation is and will be left to the bloggers who feel like being full of bull, and the beat writers who actually do hear things.

With that said, here are some of my thoughts on players named as possible trade bait for the Columbus Blue Jackets, likely trying to acquire a top line center or quality defensemen;

Derick Brassard: A likely candidate solely based on his functionality as a budding center in the league, but struggling to find his full capacity as a top line center in Columbus.  I personally attribute this to a learning curve where he will find his shot, but it seems few have the patience to let him do so.  Then again, when he's lined up with Nash, and Nash gets his one track eyesight, there is no real need for Brassard.  Nasher can do that with Dorsett and Boll as his linemates.

Kris Russell:  To me, this is just not likely at all.  Russell is one of the few current Blue Jackets players who can functionally run Scott Arniel's system.  He is also a player who will benefit by having a more useful linemate, and one he can have confidence in making the rush without worrying directly about coughing up the puck.  He needs to be able to go back to the 'nothing to lose' mentality that both he and Mason seemed to share during their playoff run.

Rick Nash:  As much as I would be satisfied with him staying, I really don't see how Nash can benefit this team with his current mentality.  He is notably lazy on the ice, and there have been times where his inability to make the right passes have really truly cost this team.  As a leader on this team, it would seem that his 'lead by example' mentality either needs to be replaced by becoming a vocal leader, or he needs to step his game up in a big way.  For a team full of so many young players, he is a terrible example to lead by.

Jake Voracek/RJ Umberger:  I figure I'll couple these two because of how similar I view them as players.  These are two guys who I feel take the game more seriously than others, and wear their hearts on their sleeves. Trading one of these character guys would impact me more than trading Nash.  If you allow Jake to continue his development in Columbus, I am reasonably confident he will become a top line forward, if he isn't already.  What he needs, is a third linemate along with Brassard to get as creative as those two are, and then let them spend the next three months building direct chemistry with one another. This is something that can easily be resolved in house.

Players I would like to see off the Jackets:

Mike Commodore:  Not that he's not already on the way out, but I will be very happy to see him go.  He made me look silly after bad mouthing him directly following his contract, but followed that year quickly with laughably poor performances in the last two years.

Kristian Huselius:  I am tired of Huselius making a career out of everyone else's hard work, especially one who seems to have a ridiculously hard time hitting the net.  In fact, I can't remember the last time he actually created his own goal, or a goal for a teammate.  They either need to get him and his contract off the team, or drop him to the second/third line for good and force him to become a useful team player again.

Tyutin/Stralman/Hejda: Or at least one of these three.  Assuming we're going to have a decent shake up within the next couple days involving the blueline, I would hope that one of these players will be moved.  None have really been all that effective this year, and all of them are fully expendable.

What do you think?

Tidbits: Commodore Requests Trade/Wilson waived

After being scratched for a handful of the recent Blue Jackets games, Mike Commodore has requested a trade from the team.  Both laughable and not surprising, efforts are being made by General Manager Scott Howson to accomodate the request and shore up the defensive woes of the Jackets.

Rather than bore you with the standardized blurbs about why he wanted to be traded and what the team reaction was, I'm simply going to voice my opinion on it.  Commodore has been a horrible burden on the Jackets over the last two seasons, both on the cap, and on the ice.  In his career, he has shown an incredibly ability to play excellent at times, and absolutely horrendous at times.

When he signed in Columbus, I was in large part one of the bigger naysayers about both the contract, and his on ice abilities.  I ate a lot of my words the first year he was in town, as the team found great success pairing him with Hejda as the top shutdown line.  Forward to year two, and finally my frustrations and disdain for him showed in full colour, as he was unable to stay physical fit and deemed himself a scratch due to the rigors and physical demands of the game.  3.75 MILLION dollars on a healthy scratch, it was hard to imagine he would ever return to form.

Enter summer of 2010, and we (as Jackets fans) had the opportunity to enjoy his personality on twitter, an experience I embraced with open arms, even offering him my support on regaining his first year form.  I can honestly say that even when on the ice this year (outside of his injury) he played mediocre at best, proving to once again be one of the more frustrating players to watch.  And yet some still feel sympathy for him.  I happily open the comments section of this post to those of you who feel he never got a fair shot at becoming a top tier defensemen on this team.

It will be interesting to see if Howson can piece together a trade rather than simply waiving Commodore.  At his current salary, with his minimal upside, it is hard for me to imagine that another NHL club will be willing to swallow his contract without taking on a top tier prospect, which is something I am personally not comfortable in seeing happen.  This team has spent years building from the ground up, and I would hate for that concept to be thrown out the door just for some short term potential success.

Moving on, the other issue I was faced with yesterday was Wilson being placed on waivers.  He has been a reasonable bright spot on the back end of this team, and deserves a fair shot at retaining a roster spot with the big club.  I find it incredibly strange that he was waived over MacKenzie, who is both older, and in my opinion, less suited for NHL play.  I can't help but wonder if MacKenzie's injury caused the brass to think to themselves that he really hasn't proven himself and are giving him the opportunity to do so.

In any case, I am going to try and stay positive today and see what comes of it (if anything).  Howson has not made a hasty trade since becoming GM, and I seriously doubt a guy like Commodore flexing his complaint muscle will change that.  My bigger concern right now remains with the team not being able to play a full sixty minutes.

Carry the Flag.

Frustration: Blue Jackets Lack of Excuses

It may be just as hard to put into words what is bouncing around in my head as it is to try and figure out a suitable title, but I am going to give it a shot in the next few posts.  There have been some interesting revelations in the Blue Jackets fan community that I have been somewhat shouting for over a year now, which both excites me and makes me nervous.  While I like being correct about things, I also realize that what I am right about is one of the harder things to resolve in this league.

First and foremost, Scott Howson has done his job.  Over the past couple years, he has compiled a collection of players that (on paper) could easily compete deep into the playoffs.  From the team he has built, we have seen some incredible (albeit brief) stints of competitive hockey, some that rival the best teams in the league.  He has mixed skill and grit with youth and leadership.  He combined puck moving defensemen with big-bodied stay at home defenders who have shown the ability to cripple offenses, and has put his confidence in a solid goaltending tandem that on nights have made the opposing team whither away.  But for some reason, it wasn't enough.

The issues that run deep with this team could easily be mental.  Getting back-doored and one-timed for the better part of last year, along with the verbal beatings by Ken Hitchcock that Steve Mason took clearly hit home hard, shattering his confidence and ability to challenge the shooter.  So much so that during the course of this year, each time his confidence in the defense shrinks, so does his size in net and ability to suck the puck into his pads rather than leaving big rebounds.  Subsequently, we have watched as a bad goal cripples this team and sends them packing well before final buzzer sounds.

The issues could also be physical.  There is no question the physical demands of hockey are high, and the issue first arose when our highest paid defensemen opted to scratch himself last year due to being incapable of doing his job, citing physical toughness.  Far be it from me to ask the blatantly obvious question, but how is it even remotely reasonable to put together a team of "professionals" and expect fans to drop their hard earned money into the team when they can't even stay physically fit?  Are there not people who are paid to make sure this is a part of the players routine?  Are the millions of dollars spent in contracts not enough incentive for them to stay exceptionally healthy?

The issues could relate to the leadership on this team.  Rick Nash remains one of my favourite players in the NHL to watch, however, his leadership abilities seem to be heavily lacking.  Watching him play a team game, and a shutdown game at the World Championships and Olympics was an absolute treat, which makes me wonder why he puts so much more heart into those games rather than the team/city who idolize him.  No doubt, he was the one bright light this team had for many years, but those years are over.  It is time for him to start making a difference, and not by himself.  The selfish play, the lazy skating, it all needs to stop.

The issues do not relate to the fans.  I have been a fan of a number of teams during my lifetime thanks to moving and relocating, but I have never seen a fanbase like this.  I have watched as this group has become hockey savvy, and I think it's about time the team started giving to the fans what they have bleed for the team for a decade.  We're in year ten, and for some wonderful reason, people still care about this team.  For some ridiculous reason, people still fill the seats to watch the team lay back and let the opposing team embarrass them.  It was one thing when the opposition was simply that much better, but let's be honest... is that really the case anymore?

The issues to do not relate to a lack of talent.  The Jackets roster is full of scorers, leaders, grinders, and playmakers.  Of the Jackets 17 (plus 3 OT) losses, I can probably bet with confidence that only two or three were games they should have won.  Their play is so convincingly bad that it makes me wonder what exactly goes through their minds during the games.  In fact, this small paragraph won't be worth much, because this is the one thing I can flat out say I don't even come close to comprehending.  I have played some competitive hockey in my heyday, and I can honestly say I packed it in maybe a couple times.  People who are this good should be competitive to the core, and this team, sadly, is not.

I would love to hear what everyone else thinks on this.  I'm still carrying the flag, just a little more pessimistic than usual.

Game Recap: Minnesota @ Columbus

It is always easier to recap a loss than it is to recap a victory.  Singling out players for making mistakes is a much harder thing to do (and have people agree with you) when the team blows a two goal lead and loses than it has ever been when they hang on to win.  With that said, there was a whole lot of positive coming out of Nationwide Arena last night after Huselius buried his shootout chance, ending the game and taking home two points for the home team.

I was fortunate enough to attend the game, something I had yet to enjoy the luxury of this year.  The place was far more packed than I thought it would be after some of their recent performances, and the 14,500 noted attendance was a very fair assessment of the total number in the seats.  We sat on the attack once side, which is kind of great for me, as I was hoping to watch Mase up close, and that I did..

The Positives:
- Derick Brassard: scored on a solid pass from Huselius, causing the building to erupt.  It was a great shot, and the kind of goal that good teams score.  No fluke, just a strong play on the puck, and a quick shot to beat Theodore.  I was very happy with Brassard's play last night.
- Steve Mason: kept the Jackets in the game with fantastic saves, especially down the stretch.  All three goals were caused by defensemen not tying up their man, and unfortunately Mase could not make the secondary saves needed to preserve any sort of shutout.  He also made an excellent save on Koivu in the shootout.
- Fedor Tyutin:  While I don't know that I would give him too much credit for his defensive play, he has been the first defender to get a point shot to the net in as long as I can remember.  While I wish he'd work on a quick release shot, his cannon from the point kept the Jackets momentum going and was a big contributor in the win.


The Negatives:
- The Columbus defense (but only to an extent!!):  They played solid hockey for probably 50 minutes of the game, but really and truly need to work on covering a man and tying up sticks in the slot.  It seemed like Minnesota was intentionally taking the puck behind the Jackets net to make a pass out into the middle.
- Mike Commodore:  Took a pretty bad penalty to force his team down a man for five minutes, and made a couple foolish plays throughout the game.  Not his worst game, but that penalty can't happen.
- Rick Nash:  For being as explosive as he is, Nash was pretty tame last night.  Only a few big moves on the puck, all of which ended up flubbing shots or missing passes.  I really wish someone would sit down with him and give him a roadmap of when to shoot and when to make the pass.  He'd do well to look for seams, but when you've got the shot he's got, and you're cutting through the high slot with speed, you need to be ripping a shot low and hard for a rebound (at worst)....
- Kristian Huselius:  I don't really have enough words for the disdain I feel for this guy.  Refuses to make smart plays on the rush, basically gave the puck away on a breakaway (which lead to a MIN goal) and made a BRUTAL and unnecessary play causing a turnover which lead to another MIN goal.  It is so hard for me to watch a player with that much talent not work hard on the ice or off the ice.
- The Referees: This was a pathetic game to watch in regards to officiating.  I don't think the CBJ had a single powerplay, and there was one play specifically that stuck in my head.  Methot was carrying the puck behind his own net, and a MIN player shoved his stick under Methot's skates, spilling him (obviously) with a ref looking blankly at the play.  No call.  Wow NHL, get your zebras sorted out!!!

Overall I was very excited about the win.  Mase came up big when the team needed him to, although you could visibly tell that third goal rattled him.  He spent the next couple minutes fighting off some easier shots, but at the end of the day, that kind of resilience is something that will grow in time, and is something that we have not seen from him in recent games after he gets shelled a bit.

Carry the Flag!

Recapping: Vancouver Canucks @ Columbus Blue Jackets

Tonight was an interesting night for hockey..  With Christmas on the horizon, it seemed that a Christmas miracle was both expected and wished for during the pre-game.  I was surprisingly optimistic, although personally, I have been riding the opinion that the defense is more to blame for the goals being scored than the goaltenders.

Up until this evening, the Jackets defense had been playing substantially better with Garon in front of them.  They did not allow too many uncontested shots from the slot, and generally they don't stand around in front of the net with their backs turned to oncoming opposition.  That was all thrown into the trash this evening, as the defense left Garon with a hook in his mouth, and his pants down on easily four of the six goals he allowed.

Per the the previous assessment, I'll go ahead and break down the goals scored, and see who exactly was to blame for them;

Goal 1: Garon makes initial save, and puck is played behind the net.  All six Jackets on the ice stare at the puck, and stop moving.  Puck is played to the front and banged home uncontested.
Goal 2: All five Blue Jackets players are below the hash marks.  Solid play made to the point man, who walks in and takes an uncontested shot.  Garon probably wanted this one back
Goal 3: Bad attempt to clear leads to a broken point shot, which is tipped by a player who freely stands alone in the slot.  Hard to blame goalies for tips.
Goal 4: Center plays too low, allowing room for the pass across.  Hejda covers no one, allowing for the pass back across to the winger for the easy bang in.
Goal 5: Weak effort by Tyutin to get the puck deep.  Nash falls coming back, Garon overcommits to the shot.  Easy one-timer.
Goal 6: This goal is in my opinion one of the worst goals in the game for a defense to give up.  The pass goes into the slot from behind the net, and the only person to come near it is an opposing player.  This is the epitome of a defensive breakdown.

These are the kinds of goals that have been scored on Mason all year.  It was only a matter of time before Garon got the same treatment.  It was almost comical to watch Mase come in, and get great protection for the remainder of the game, short of a decent tip (that he didn't seem all too interested in making a play on).  I never intended to be biased towards Mason, and while it may have come across that way, I think this post is a fairly good indicator that my main goal here is to tear apart the defense.

I went ahead and put together a screen shot of exactly how bad the Jackets are when the puck is behind their net.  Good players have their heads on a swivel, watching both the puck, and the other players coming in around them.  A question to leave you with.... How many of these guys appear to have their heads on swivels, and how many are simply admiring the puck?

In my opinion, this is why our goalies struggle with confidence.  They can't look one way and prepare to receive shots from the other way.  It is the job of the defender to know who is breaking in on net, and cover them up so the passes don't reach an opposing stick.  Too many teams are taking advantage of all the players watching behind the net, and slowly edging closer to the crease.

I will still Carry the Flag... These boys need some help, but I maintain it's on them to resolve it, not necessarily Howson.

Reviewing the Goals Scored by Edmonton

After last night's loss it has become rather clear to me that many have given up on Steve Mason, the Jackets number one goaltender. It seems that the kid is really in a funk, and no doubt, looking at the scoresheet will tell a rather bleek tale. But is that the case? I paid close attention to the game last night and watched the cause of each goal. Here is what I believe to be a reasonable breakdown of each one.

Goal 1: tiny Omark walks around TWO Jackets defenders to get his own rebound uncontested and made a solid play to kick the puck forward and bury.
Goal 2: tiny Eberle walks around Klesla, who doesn't body up. Mase is bad positionally and gets beat far post.
Goal 3: Penner stands uncontested in the slot, scores from a pass from behind the net. Mason is in the right position, but gets beat.
Goal 4: Eberle skates out in front of Mason uncontested, tips the point shot to opposite post.
Goal 5: Mason challenges shooter, but puck is deflected wide to Paajarvi, who is not covered by a defender, and he scores into empty net
Goal 6: Awful turnover by Huselius, Mason is somewhat caught off guard, let's one squeak through the five hole

It would seem that a common occurrence is being left out of the equation here. I am under the impression that a quality defense takes a general area on the ice and bodies up the opposition so they are unable to attack the net uncontested. I believe that goalies are expected to make the first save every time from outside the hash marks, and that the defense should play an integral role in not allowing any big rebounds.

It would seem that while Mason is struggling to support the first criteria, his defense is truly letting him down on the secondary criteria. The goal scored by Omark should have never happened. One of the two defenders should have bodied him up and not let him walk by. On the second goal, Eberle probably gave up 40lbs or more to Klesla, yet walked around him with relative ease. Certainly the goal scored by Paajarvi could have been avoided by someone bodying him up and avoiding the free pass to an open shot, but that it was rather flukey that the puck deflected off of a leg and landed up 91's feet.

I am not going to sit here and say that Mason is playing like an all-star goalie. What I am saying, is that his defense is not giving him the support he so badly needs to perform with confidence. Every time Khabibulin gave out a rebound, a triangle of Oilers players surrounded the slot, guaranteeing the inability for a Blue Jacket player to walk in for the free goal. In fact, the only times they didn't, the Jackets (aka Huselius) picked up the garbage and scored.

I'd love to hear everyone's take on this. I've seen a LOT of twittering about Mase, and very little said about the defensive breakdowns.