Blue Jackets/NHL Season Thread

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Jackets playing much better since sending Carter packing. He must have been a real douche bag.

[Govbarney]

Jackets playing much better since sending Carter packing. He must have been a real douche bag.

You could also say that Arniel and Howson must have been a special kind of dumb ass duo to let one douche stink up the whole pussy

[skatingtripods]

I think teams are taking the Jackets for granted and just assuming that they have the two points in the bag. I'll give the Jackets credit for continuing to play hard. Some guys are probably playing for jobs next season as this whole thing could be blown up.

Still worried about Johansen. Even with trading away Vermette and Carter, he's still being healthy scratched. That's beyond pointless. This season is a trainwreck. The least they can do is develop Johansen and Moore. Moore's still making careless mistakes left and right, but he's playing.

The fact that a 22-40-7 team has scratched its top prospect 15 times in 69 games (he may have been injured for 2 or 3 along the way, I don't remember)is absurd.

On the flip side, Jack Johnson doesn't look that bad now that he's out of Drew Doughty's shadow.

[Govbarney]

What do you think about the reports (supposedly the source is 3 NHL GMs) who say that CBJ are already shopping the #1 pick. Is this just a smoke screen, or do you think that the organization is so snake bitten buy Russians, that it does not want to touch Yakupov?

[skatingtripods]

What do you think about the reports (supposedly the source is 3 NHL GMs) who say that CBJ are already shopping the #1 pick. Is this just a smoke screen, or do you think that the organization is so snake bitten buy Russians, that it does not want to touch Yakupov?

If it started up yesterday or today, perhaps this is why:



Concussion concerns for the future, assuming he has one. Probably not the reason, though.

Yakupov has been playing Canadian juniors for the last two years, so I don't think the Russian thing has a lot to do with it. I think it's wise for them to see who wants to overpay for Yakupov. You're looking at adding future draft picks and probably a 2nd or more this season.

Maybe they do have concerns about Yakupov. I'm sure they've had somebody scouting his every game.

Ultimately, I highly doubt that they'd trade it. But, they have bigger needs than Yakupov, namely, a goaltender. Subban and Vasilevski, the two top goaltenders in this draft class, are middle of the first round at best, and maybe second round for both. They may take Subban with the Kings first rounder, if they get the 2012 pick from the Carter trade.

Could be a smokescreen. Could be that they don't like Yakupov. Could be unsubstantiated rumors. Could be that if they get offered a return that they like, with current NHL talent, they'll mend the fences with Rick Nash and keep him around with a more competitive team.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

He's also some kind of Tartar Muslim. Probably shoots his enemy from horseback with bow and arrow. and eats raw meat.

[Govbarney]

Wow what a hit , best part of that hit was how his team mate came right in and stuck up for his team mate, and correct me if I am wrong but I believe fighting garners a stiffer penalty in the CHL.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

I hope he puts a damn jihad on the fuckin' Red Wings.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

That would probably get a suspension in the NHL. Maybe 4 games, maybe 20, Shanahan is limp dick moron so i'm not sure.

[skatingtripods]

That would probably get a suspension in the NHL. Maybe 4 games, maybe 20, Shanahan is limp dick moron so i'm not sure.

Got 5 min major for charging and a game misconduct in the OHL game. Personally, Yakupov fumbled the puck and put himself in a seriously prone position. Somewhat like the Letang-Nystrom play that went unpunished in the NHL.

I'll be curious to see how the OHL handles it, though. Halmo is a repeat offender (5 gamer). Canadian media is predicting 10 games. There's just 3 games left in the OHL regular season. So, we'll see.

Have to keep in mind what the levels of hockey tend to do about injuries to star players. Yakupov is clearly a star player. That won't help Halmo's case.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

As a CBJ fan, I think i've had enough of dainty little finesse players from ex-commie countries.

We don't seem to do well with those guys. Or maybe it's us and not them. Zherdev and Filatov seem to suggest that it's not all the team's fault since they're playing in Russia and not the NHL.

[skatingtripods]

As a CBJ fan, I think i've had enough of dainty little finesse players from ex-commie countries.

We don't seem to do well with those guys. Or maybe it's us and not them. Zherdev and Filatov seem to suggest that it's not all the team's fault since they're playing in Russia and not the NHL.

Yakupov should be a different player because he's been playing in the Ontario Hockey League for two years, something Filatov and Zherdev never did. That would definitely make a difference because he's more acclimated to the North American style of play.

But, like most skilled forwards, Yakupov is just so small. He's listed at 5'10.5" and 189 lbs. There have to be serious concerns about his ability to handle the physical NHL play.

Personally, I think part of the reason that the Jackets want to move the pick is because of Vinny Prospal. And here's why: What Prospal showed them is that you can find quality forwards in free agency. What you can't find are franchise defensemen. Ryan Murray is the top defenseman on the board, but the Jackets would defy consensus logic to take him first overall. There's a decent chance that he doesn't go until third or fourth overall. If the Jackets can get the guy they want plus add a pick or two, they'd love to do that.

There are also others like Jake Trouba and Mathew Dumba who will be available in the latter portion of the top ten, if not top fifteen. Those are guys who won't bust. Yakupov has bust potential because of his injury history and size. Even Taylor Hall is 6'1". Makes a big difference in terms of reach and ability to protect the puck.

Plenty of ways to go with it. What they have to focus on is maximizing the pick's value, whether that's to keep it and take Yakupov, keep it and take Murray, or trade it and still get back a decent first to get a useful player.

They also have to win the draft lottery. This is all moot if they lose the lotto and get the second pick. Then, IMO, they take Murray regardless.

[skatingtripods]

Well, the season's over already, but the Blue Jackets managed to lose yet again.

The Edmonton Oilers win the draft lottery. Jackets pick second. Nowhere near as big of a market for that pick. I figure Edmonton trades down with Montreal since they need defensemen and don't necessarily need Yakupov.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Draft lotteries are stupid gimmicky shit. Just give the 1st pick to the worst team, morons. Shit is probably rigged anyway.

Fuck the NHL and the brainless fucking goons that run it.

[Govbarney]

A decade plus of suck , and ineptitude, and still not one #1 pick to show for it , simply amazing. Only silver lining here is this year there is no Clear consensus #1. Yakupov is definitely leading the class but its not like Grigorenko, Galchenyuk, Forsberg and Ryan Murray are far behind. IMO there is not one "Sure Thing" among them. I figure we have a 50/50 shot of blowing this pick even with Howson.

On the other hand the Oilers are going to be stacked in a few years, Its scary how much potential talent that team has and will have.

[skatingtripods]

Draft lotteries are stupid gimmicky shit. Just give the 1st pick to the worst team, morons. Shit is probably rigged anyway.

Fuck the NHL and the brainless fucking goons that run it.

It's to prevent teams from tanking. It's a good policy. Jackets had a 48.2% shot at it and missed. So be it.

I'm kind of glad. I don't think Yakupov will be the player everyone is making him out to be. At least not unless the game changes. The farther we get from the lockout and the CBA, the more the game is again becoming about size and toughness above skill. The majority of the playoff teams have one line and then a bunch of grind it out role players.

Jackets have to build from the net out.

[Govbarney]

Richards sheds the interim label, gets a two year contract.
I am sure the phones at the CBJ ticket offices are ringing non stop with Season Ticket requests....

[Love child of shawn kemp]

Richards sheds the interim label, gets a two year contract.
I am sure the phones at the CBJ ticket offices are ringing non stop with Season Ticket requests....

I tried to call and the number is temporarily disconnected. Perhaps they can't afford the phone bill.

[skatingtripods]

Richards sheds the interim label, gets a two year contract.
I am sure the phones at the CBJ ticket offices are ringing non stop with Season Ticket requests....

I'm not a big Todd Richards fan, but there isn't much out there and Richards wasn't going to wait around for the dust to settle. Plus, the Jackets got burned with Boughner leaving to go back to his head coach position in juniors, so they're a little bit gun-shy.

It's a "meh" kind of announcement. It was the most likely end result because, like I said, there are no star candidates out on the market.

The 10 or so day period between the end of the Cup and the NHL Draft is going to be really interesting. It's not like they'll be ill-prepared.

While the fact that the Kings are in the conference final so they'll have to take the 2013 pick sucks, you have to think that the surprising final four teams help the Rick Nash trade market. The Kings and Rangers are probably out, but the Sharks and Canucks are two real desperate teams now.

[Govbarney]

Have you noticed how well X-Jackets have done in the playoffs? Makes you wonder whats in the water at nationwide...

[skatingtripods]

Have you noticed how well X-Jackets have done in the playoffs? Makes you wonder whats in the water at nationwide...

System players in a system that works for them. Those players thrived playing under Hitchcock and, as a result, they snuck into the playoffs that one year.

Guys like Vermette and Klesla had to play more minutes and play bigger roles with Columbus. It really alters their game and mindset.

It also helps when players are able to make mistakes and have the goaltender bail them out. Jackets players don't have that luxury.

I hope what's in the water at Nationwide is uranium, because they really need to blow this whole thing up and start over again.