Bleeps and Bloops: Random Thoughts

-Never touched on my thoughts about the Flyers/Lightning 1-3-1 debate.  Neither team broke any rules, and it was a one game issue.  It was a boring game but I don’t think any rules need to be added or changed in response to one occasion.

-Reports are floating around that Jeff Carter wants out of Columbus.  Carter’s agent shot down those rumors, but the internet can’t help but wonder if he’ll be dealt anyway.  Carter played on the 2006-07 disastrous Flyers team, but even with that experience, going from a Stanley Cup contender to the worst team in hockey is still a shock.  It’s been a bad six weeks for the Jackets, especially for Carter who has missed 10 games with an injury and still doesn’t have a goal.  He does have a no-trade clause starting in the summer, but Carter just  needs to focus on hockey, winning games and perhaps better play will help turn Columbus around a bit.  Even if he were traded, Columbus wouldn’t get the return they traded to get him (Jakub Voracek, 1st round pick and a 3rd round pick).

Out of the Blue – Glitch in the Matrix Edition

After seeing the Blue Jackets’ stumble out of the gates to start the season turn into an out of control spiral rivaling a five-year old drawing with a crayon, I thought to myself that I have seen this fish before. I hearken back to the NHL’s return from the lockout and how the season had started for the Penguins and see some similarities in the 2-9-1 start for the Blue Jackets.

After the Penguins won the draft lottery and the right to draft Sidney Crosby, the Penguins decided to spend rather freely after years of running the franchise like a business and kept their salary low and their roster young. Suddenly big dollars were spent bringing in Sergei Gonchar, Ziggy Palffy, John LeClair, and Jocelyn Thibault (Mark Recchi was signed before the lockout occurred).  Somewhat similar to the Blue Jackets’ aggressive offseason that seen James Wisniewski, Jeff Carter, Vinny Prospal, and Radek Martinek enter the fold.

“Why’s Everybody Always Pickin’ On Me?”

A classic line from the 1959 song “Charlie Brown” by The Coasters. And if there is someone who that line could describe, it’s Steve Mason. With an 0-3 start, the one who’s head is gonna be called for, it’s the goaltender. Before we all grab our pitch forks and torches in a rage to find somebody to tear apart, lets look at a couple things:

The first thing to look at is the defense, and right now, with the exceptions of maybe 1 or 2 players, has been downright awful. Turnovers, bad passes, many missed assignments, and just being out of place is killing this team. Against The Canucks, The Blue Jackets allowed them to crash the crease, no resistance whatsoever, allowing them to bang in any rebounds after Mason would make the first save. Normally, a team would be able to clear the crease in that situation. Also allowing teams to use their sticks to deflect pucks in without any resistance, they have to do a better job of battling, because they are losing on all fronts right now.

Columbus Blue Jackets: 5 Key Thoughts Heading Into The Season

Based on what I’ve seen in the preseason, here are some key thoughts for the team heading into the NHL regular season.

5. Keep That Puck Out! : Steve Mason has looked like the Mason of old this preseason, making many key saves, not looking uncomfortable or rattled at all. It should be interesting to see how he does with the retooled team in front of him, when it starts to count.  Curtis Sanford is in the backup role for a undetermined amount of time with Mark Dekanich’s preseason injury.  After 2 full seasons in the AHL, has it affected his NHL abilities at all? Im doubtful that it has, but the question has crossed my mind. He should prove a good backup until Dekanich can get back to game form, whenever that is.

2011-2012 Preview: Columbus Blue Jackets

Last season: 34-35-11 81pts, 5th Central, Did not make Playoffs

Additions: Jeff Carter, James Wisniewski, Curtis Sanford, Mark Dekanich, Radek Martinek, Ryan Russell, Cody Bass, Vaclav Prospal

Losses: Jakub Voracek, Anton Stralman, Sami Lepisto, Andrew Murray, Chris Clark, Craig Rivet, Ethan Moreau, Kyle Wilson, Jan Hejda, Mathieu Garon, Mike Commodore, Scottie Upshall, Mike Blunden

Crimespree Roundtable: The Offseason

In this roundtable, Realdeal, Cujo and Joey discuss many topics on the NHL’s offseason.

RD: So who did the best this offseason?

Cujo: I would say the CBJ but that would be very homerish of me.

Joey: I like what CBJ did, Jeff Carter and James Wisniewski fit two points of weakness.

Cujo: They got the #1 center they have always wanted, that was the biggest piece it has taken 11 years to get.

RD: They also got the top pair d-man they desperately needed.

Cujo: But you cannot rule out what LA has done this offseason.

RD: They got that #2 center that they needed, even if they gave up the best prospect in hockey.

Joey: Washington had a solid offseason. Beyond just additions but the picks they got for Seymon Varlamov were huge.

RD: I really like Washington’s moves; they got some sandpaper.

Cujo: And Tomas Vokoun cannot forget him, a solid net minder.

Joey: Yeah when I heard Vokoun signed in Washington I hung my head and said ‘oh crap’.

RD: I think people are sleeping on the effect Joel Ward and Troy Brouwer will bring.

Joey: I really think Brouwer was a good pick up, I am a little on the fence on Ward just wondering if he is riding off a playoff showing.

RD: He’s overpaid but he’ll be a solid 2nd/3rd line producer.

Joey: Speaking of overpaid is Brooks Laich worth all that money? I think time will tell on that one.

Cujo: You’ve got to pay for potential, but he nearly had his 3rd straight 50 point season. He missed it by 2 points.

RD: Is he going to get much better? I think 50-55 points is what we’re looking at.

RD: So who’s a team whose moves were puzzling or needed to do more? I’m kind of curious to see how San Jose’s plan works out.

Cujo: I think San Jose thinks they have most of the pieces they need to make a big run at the Cup.

Joey: Buffalo giving 10 years to Christian Ehrhoff, someone who has never played a game in Buffalo?

August Sucks

The season ended two months ago, teams are pretty much done making their offseason moves.  There’s nothing new to talk about in the hockey world.  Everyone’s discussed what Jaromir Jagr is going to bring to the Flyers after three years in the KHL or how Brent Burns will help the Sharks powerplay.

So how do we get our hockey fix?

It’s warm during the summer and with longer daytime hours, you can play some puck outside, right?  Maybe in the northern part of the continent, but this summer (for most of us) it’s been hot, humid, and not conducive to outdoor activities.  Nobody wants to play, and those who do, skate for a few minutes and realize it’s too hot.  Goalies refuse to suit up.  When things cool off closer to September, people will come outside and hit the rinks again.  But that still doesn’t help right now.

Same Old Jackets No More!

There hasn’t been much to cheer about in Columbus the past two seasons, hopes of change at last years trade deadline in acquiring Scottie Upshall and Sami Lepisto, hoping for a playoff push that never came, and instead ended in another early summer with plenty of holes to fill and questions to answer. Same old Jackets…..

Scott Howson on the hot seat had to do something, the team needed a change, and in what seemed to be another ho hum free agent season with little activity, turned into one of the most active, and exciting offseasons in franchise history.

Columbus said goodbye to Jakub Voracek and hello to Jeff Carter (PHOTOS:AP)

In a move that was pretty much denied by multiple beat writers, on June 23rd, The Columbus Blue Jackets traded Jakub Voracek and their 1st round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft to The Philadelphia Flyers for Jeff Carter. The position that has eluded The Blue Jackets for 10 years was finally filled, a number 1 center. Carter has, after all, scored 30+ goals and had 60+ points in his last three seasons.

And people have said “Carter and Nash on a line together won’t work” And these people see Carter as a shooter, the same as Nash, and you can almost see their point. However, when you look at it, both him and Nash have a pretty good record of assisting on goals as well as scoring them. And something that has also been mentioned, this move gives Columbus some breathing room offensively on the ice, instead of defenders focusing on Nash, they will have multiple targets to cover.

James Wisniewski brings his powerplay abilities to the team

On June 29th, The Blue Jackets made their 2nd big move, acquiring the negotiating rights to James Wisniewski from The Montreal Canadiens for a conditional 7th round pick.  On July 1st, he signed a 6 year, $44 million dollar contract with Columbus.  ”Wiz” brings his offensive abilities to The Blue Jackets defense in hopes of turning on the scoring for The Blue Jackets powerplay. He will by all definition, be the powerplay quarterback for this team.

Some will say “The Blue Jackets really overpaid for a injury prone defenseman.” While there is some truth in there about the high salary, think about this for a minute, did anyone look at the slim defensive market? And was there anything better than him to add that satisfied the specific team needs? Or anyone remotely as interested as signing here as he was?  The answer is no. And yes, he has had some knee surgeries but, with any player you run the risk of injury, it is a gamble for any player in signing a big contract. But if you don’t take that risk, it’s a guarantee you can never reap the potential reward.

Mark Dekanich looks to take Steve Mason's #1 starting spot

And knowing Scott Howson, Columbus fans can always expect that “Who is that?” signing in the offseason, and that award easily goes to the new backup goaltender Mark Dekanich. Signed to a 1 year deal July 1st, Dekanich has only seen 1 NHL game. This signing seems like a sign that it is Steve Mason’s year to rise or fall with real competition on his tail. Dekanich has shined at the AHL level with Milwaukee, going 65-38-11 his last 3 seasons.

“Is going with an inexperienced backup a good idea?” This has to easily be the biggest gamble of the team. But if Dekanich comes into camp with the mindset of “That #1 spot is mine” and he competes hard, that can only mean good things for him, and Mason. Mason will be pushed harder, as will Dekanich, and we will find out who we can really rely on behind the new look team. The goaltending battle in Columbus should be interesting to watch this season, definitely something for any CBJ fan to keep an eye on.

Fans wanted change, Scott Howson delivered this offseason.

 Scott Howson knew this team needed a change, and he went out, knowing what he had to do, and he did it. For the first time since making their first playoff appearance, there is a real buzz about The Columbus Blue Jackets in town, and it is all thanks to him. They have the pieces they have longed for, the puzzle is nearing completion. It is clear The Blue Jackets have sounded their cannons to the rest of the NHL letting them know, this isn’t the same old Jackets.

The Aftermath

In a span of an hour, the Flyers broke up the foundation of the franchise. Mike Richards and Jeff Carter have been together in the Flyers organization since 2003, when they were both drafted by the team. They’ll be playing the 2011-12 NHL season in different colors though, after Richards was dealt to Los Angeles and Carter to Columbus. The deals came as a shock to fans, as two of the most known Flyers were sent packing.

The Return
So, what did the Flyers get in these deals?

Jakub Voracek had 14 goals, 46 points for Columbus last year. The 6’1, 205 lb Czech was Columbus’ first rounder (#7 overall) in 2007 and has played three years for the Blue Jackets, amassing 39 goals and 136 points in 241 games.

With Los Angeles, Wayne Simmonds scored 14 goals and 30 points while amassing 75 penalty minutes. The power forward has played the last three years with the Kings after being drafted by the team in 2007. “Simmer”, as he is known, has scored 39 goals and 93 points in 240 games.

Last year, Schenn spent some time with the Kings (0-2-2 in 8 GP), Manchester of the AHL (3-4-7 in 7 GP). He spent the majority of his time in the WHL with Brandon (1-3-4 in 2 GP) and Saskatoon (21-32-53 in 27 GP). In the 2011 World Junior Championships, he tied a Canadian record for points in a single tournament (8-10-18 in 7 games).  Schenn is one of the top prospects in all of hockey.

They also received the #8 & #68 picks in this year’s draft, as well as the Kings’ 2nd rounder next year. What the Flyers plan to do with the picks remains to be seen.

Is Crazy Paul Holmgren Crazy?

WHOAAA NELLY! What a half-an-hour the Philadelphia Flyers had late this afternoon. Just on the off chance that you live under a rock, are a member of Swiss Family Robinson, or totally incapacitated via a Lumbar Puncture the quick summary of today is Jeff Carter to Columbus for Jakub Voracek, a 1st and 3rd round pick, followed quickly by Captain Mike Richards sent to LA for Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn, then the 9 year $51 million deal announcement with goalie Ilya Bryzgalov. Needless to say Paul Holmgren gave Shaken Baby Syndrome to his team, and additionally, his fanbase.

I am not going to worry about debating if which trades are good for whom in the immediate term or 2-3 years for now. Even not going to touch on the likelihood that Bryzgalov will complete all 9 years of this contract in Philadelphia.

First thing is I have to question the thought process going in to the goaltender position for Philly. By choosing to trade for the exclusive negotiating rights to Bryzgalov, it comes across as a “win now” mentality if they are going to push Sergei Bobrovsky aside.  Now signing the goalie they must have to an long term contract sure appears to eliminate any chance of Bobrovsky becoming the go to guy in Philadelphia. Should pushing to ‘win now’ be worth taking the starter position away from Bobrovsky due to a fade late in the season? Lest we forget that Evgeni Malkin hit the wall in his rookie year due to never playing an NHL length season before as well. Bobrovsky played almost as many games this season than his two prior years in the KHL. I easily would have seen him be much more prepared for the NHL grind this coming season.

I also want to question Bryzgalov as well. Did he want his money so badly that he took a very heavily front-loaded long term deal when the unloaded contracts to make room for his gaudy demands were also heavy long term deals? I say this in jest but it still honestly wouldn’t surprise me if Bryzgalov’s time doesnt go well in Philadelphia watch him get the heave ho and the reins given back to Bobrovsky.

I know that as a Penguin fan, it is a contractual obligation and morally requisite of me to hate the Flyers and should, by all rights, be laughing at the pain and anguish that the Flyer faithful is going thru tonight. But I have had a question for quite some time, “What does it mean to be a Flyer?”.  That isn’t meant in some ignorant way regarding the image of the team on the ice and within a fanbase.  What I wonder is the philosophy in the front office.  I’ve never was exactly knowledgeable of the ways that Bobby Clarke built his teams.

I have been more understanding of what Paul Holmgren has done since taking over GM duties for Clarke. The Flyers had the worst team in the league in the 06-07 season and several moves late in the season and the subsequent offseason earned praise from me for turning a doormat and team that looked for a slow rebuild into a team that was ready to be playoff caliber right away.  In fact I was impressed enough that I was willing to call him one of the best GMs in the league in such a short amount of time. Ever since then, however, more of his maneuvers tend to leave me scratching my head.

With signing two members of your core to epic length contracts only to trade them several years later to sign another player at a different position to equally surprising term has really lost me. Trading up and coming players or prospects and high level picks for that ever elusive final piece continuously when it hasn’t once paid off and never seeming to end such practices.  Always going the splash route in attempts to improve as opposed to scouring for the right pieces to get the Flyers over the top.  There appears to be no true rhyme and reason or method to their madness that I can discern. Maybe someone got jealous of all this Jagr talk. OK, no not really but that made you chuckle.

Looks like I need more help afterall. So, what does it actually mean to be a Flyer?