OFFICIAL Columbus Blue Jackets Thread

[jimotis4heisman]

i missed the game, heard a bit of it on the radio. good stuff bk.

i told you guys over and over on pinneault for a young kid hes one to eyeball, may never be a superstar, but sometime down the road i really feel thatll youll be saying "oh yeah he was a solid choice for the org"

anyone else go?

[starBUCKS]

What are the options with Zherdev? If he stays in Russia, what are our rights to him next year or beyond? How's it looking right now?

[jimotis4heisman]

i posted this a couple of weeks ago

on zherdev. i dont know. will he be traded? if they can get decent value out of him. will they let him rot in russia? hes done enough to the club to let him hang around in russia for 4 years if you ask me. or will he be signed after oct 4th and play in columbus next year. or will he be signed and in columbus before the first game? who knows. i cant get anything out of anyone.

it seems right now doug has publically said he will not trade z. that being said i know for a fact two clubs have talked to zherdev about a contract and having him sign and they would trade for him. this was well before camp was set to open.

the cbj will own his rights for i believe 4 more years as long as they give him a qualifying offer. depending on the offer he could sign it or pass on it (he has passed on all current cbj offers). another club could then offer him and based on this offer compensation would be determined. this hasnt been done in i believe 7 years. though kesler (a former osu player) received an offer about a week ago but the canucks matched the offer and signed ryan.

here is the compensation

OFFER
$660,000 or below
Over $660,000 to $1 million
Over $1.0 million to $2.0 million
Over $2.0 million to $3.0 million
Over $3.0 million to $4.0 million
Over $4.0 million to $5.0 million

Over $5 million
COMPENSATION
None
Third-round choice
Second-round choice
First and third-round choice
First, second-round and third-round choice
Two first-round choices, one second-round and one third-round choice
Four first-round choices

http://www.nhl.com/features/insider/freelist06.html

does that make sense?

in reality really every option is open and i have no idea.

[Bucky Katt]

Originally Posted by starBUCKS

What are the options with Zherdev? If he stays in Russia, what are our rights to him next year or beyond? How's it looking right now?

It is my understanding that he is a restricted free agent, which means another team can sign him to an offer sheet. If the CBJ accept that, they receive draft picks as compensation, but they have the right to match any offer sheet and I believe that option is available for the next five years.

So we can sign him, trade him, or just keep matching any offer sheets (which are rare, I believe) and let him sit in Russia.

EDIT: What he said.

[jimotis4heisman]

bk how was the flow of the game last night? i realize only 3 of the top six skated for the bugs. i also heard it was a little chippy... and if you remember who was paired with rusty?

[Bucky Katt]

Originally Posted by jimotis4heisman

bk how was the flow of the game last night? i realize only 3 of the top six skated for the bugs. i also heard it was a little chippy... and if you remember who was paired with rusty?

The flow lagged. The passing was sloppy and ended up with a lot of time along the walls. I can count on one hand the number of times either team really possessed the puck in the offensive zone for more than a couple seconds. Also, lots and lots and lots of penalties. Looks like they've decided to crackdown on obstruction again. Just about anytime a player went down an arm went up. I don't have a problem if they are going to be consistent, but just like every year, the regular season will start and half the refs will call everything and the other half will call very little.

Definitely some feistiness out there, as can be expected against Nashville. #40 for the Preds, Yonkman, was making a real nuisance of himself. Took cheap punches at Jackets on a couple of different occasions. I was hoping Sugden would get a hold of him, but Sugden ended up going at it with someone else. I'm not sure Yonkman ever got what was coming to him, but I wouldn't mind Shelley taking him down later on this year. As I mention, the knee-to-knee hit from Hartnell to Brule didn't go over well. I didn't see the knee-to-knee, but Chimera knew who he was looking for.

#70, Kris Russell was paired up with Klesla.

[jimotis4heisman]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/story/5970258

another preview of the season, this one is less than stellar. i almost didnt even link it. im not going to waste bps bandwith on it. basically says jackets will finnish fifth in the central and everything rides on nash, but then seems was reworked to throw in the carter. honestly its like it was done before the modin trade. and fails to mention so many elements/perspectives im calling it junk.


first round of roster cuts today

eleased defenseman Jonathan D'Aversa from his amateur tryout

The following players were assigned to their respective junior clubs today: goaltender Steve Mason (London/Ontario Hockey League), right wing Jared Boll (Plymouth/Ontario Hockey League), right wing Robert Nyholm (Kingston/Ontario Hockey League), left wing Tom Sestito (Plymouth/Ontario Hockey League), and defensemen Adam McQuaid (Sudbury/Ontario Hockey League) and Jesse Dudas (Prince George/Western Hockey League)

anson carter is scheduled to make his debut vs the sabres tom

id expect the lines to look something like this
nash/fed/vyborny on the first line
then boguniecki, hauhtonen, motzko, balastik, hartigan, shelley, platt, dupuis

then erikson, flood, pushor, hainsey, novak, methot on d

norrena and conklin in goal

(this is just my early guess)
the next round of cuts should be expected weds id assume

[jimotis4heisman]

here is crunch info, i believe it is update every couple days or so. its pretty in depth involving mostly guys who have a shot at the crunch. some breakdowns of kids skills (all similar to what ive laid out before) i mean its worth the read, but nothing special, ill hit the main points
http://www.syracuse.com/crunch/weblo...09.html#184142


highlights of it
okt wrist didnt heal on its own, he had off season surgery on it this summer

scouting reports on some of the young bucks who could make the crunch

RW Petr Pohl: shifty, fast and strong around the net.

RW Adam Pineault: works hard, tenacious on the puck, finishes his checks, works on PP and PK, has strong leadership qualities.

C Philippe Dupuis: had a great tournament, also strong on PK and PP, not afraid to mix it up.

RW Olivier Labelle: had great scoring numbers in juniors but showed a well-rounded game. Works in the corners and not afraid to mix it up.

D Kyle Wharton: very steady, improved every game, makes a strong first pass

D Trevor Hendrikx: Played forward in the tournament because of injuries, but that was just a stop-gap switch. Has a gritty game

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Fedorov?s mission: Return to glory days
Veteran in shape, looks to mesh with line mates

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Michael Arace
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

</IMG> </IMG> </IMG> NEAL C . LAURON DISPATCH The Blue Jackets? Sergei Fedorov wants to improve on the 44 points he put up last season.


Blue Jackets center Sergei Fedorov had 16 points in the last 18 games of the 2005-06 season. He took the last shot of the season and scored to beat the Dallas Stars in overtime. Moments later, he sat in his locker stall in Nationwide Arena and said:
"I feel they got me here to take a share of the load, play great ?D? and help the great players on offense. And to try to show everyone I am as good as I was," Fedorov said. "That?s my challenge, and I?m willing to take it up. All I know is I?m going to do everything I can to come back in the best shape I?ve ever been. ... I?m going to bring my best every game, every night, every practice, and we?ll see if that will help us succeed."
Yesterday, Fedorov was reminded of the comments he made after the season finale in April. He smiled.
"I?m in very decent shape all the time," he said.
Part of Fedorov?s original mission, as stated by president and general manager Doug MacLean at the time of the trade last November, was to have an impact on Nikolai Zherdev ? whose maturation curve was not on the same wavelength as his prodigious talent. Zherdev is in Russia, playing for Khimik Voskresensk, unable to reach contract terms with the Blue Jackets after a summer of contentious negotiation.
Fedorov has been thinking about his young protege.
"I was probably closest to him as a friend as a player because we speak the same language," Fedorov said. "I saw him a couple of times in Moscow over the summer, and he looked good. He?s working hard. Right now, I?m being politically correct, but it?s up to him and his people, and our organization, to work out what?s best for him, and I don?t know all the details.
"It?s one of those things where you?re young and you have to make tough decisions. I think he knows how much our organization wanted to have him here and what the ramifications might be if he wasn?t here this year. It?s all in the rules, in the (collective-bargaining agreement). I gave him some simple advice: Look to your heart, know the rules and think of what can come of your decisions. I think he?s aware of that."
Fedorov, 36, is entering the penultimate year of what could be his last contract.
Those who watched Fedorov play on a regular basis last season appreciated his unyielding work ethic, his uncanny knack for the game and his ability to make the players around him, including some who aren?t even shaving regularly, look older and sounder.
Those who remembered Fedorov at his peak wondered whether 44 points in 67 games was an adequate output for a guy making $6.08 million annually.
Throughout the summer, management said Fedorov is "on a mission."
Fedorov has been skating for months, and running and lifting weights for weeks.
One gets the sense that a jumbled season that included a trade and supreme challenge ? backchecking for Rick Nash and Zherdev ? is now behind, and that his mission has been puri fied.
Fedorov tonight will center Nash and David Vyborny in an exhibition against the Buffalo Sabres in Nationwide Arena. Fedorov is candid: He likes those line mates.
He also admits to frustration at not scoring on the majority chances he had last season. He states as a goal to improve on his numbers, perhaps dramatically.
"It?s something we?ve talked about," coach Gerard Gallant said. "He played real well for but he thinks, and we do, too, that he can score more goals and get more points, especially on the power play."
Ten years ago, Fedorov was the best player in the world. This year, he?s looking to reclaim some of his old magic.
It?s in his smile.
"Management has done its job to put together a competitive team," he said. "Now, it is up to us to put it together on the ice."
marace@dispatch.com

[Bucky Katt]

Damn. Fedorov fell and went into the boards early in the 2nd period tonight, injuring his shoulder. He did not return. Hopefully not too serious.

[jimotis4heisman]

http://www.nhl.com/features/preview/...j_feature.html

NHL.com's 2006-07 Columbus Blue Jackets Season Preview Package: Intro | Goalies | Defense | Forwards | Feature | Numbers | Sked | Roster Gallant: Best Columbus team yet By John McGourty | NHL.com
Sept. 19, 2006

Columbus Blue Jackets coach Gerard "Turk" Gallant is excited about his team and that's exciting news for the NHL.
Blue Jackets GM Doug MacLean has consistently refused the quick-fix approach and built his team through the draft and intensive player development. An array of first-round draft picks is reaching maturity and the Blue Jackets are poised to make some noise in the Central Division.
"I see us adding players to our team and getting the depth that we've never had before," Gallant said. "We're four days into training camp and it's going to be really tough to pick a team beyond the first three lines and five defensemen. I see nine guys fighting for three or four spots. This is the first time I've ever had that kind of choice. The depth has really increased over the last couple of years."
Gerard Gallant will have an opportunity to coach a Blue Jackets team with a lot of depth this season. "We've been getting better, but now we add Fredrik Modin to an offense with Rick Nash, Sergei Fedorov, David Vyborny and Gilbert Brule. That's very exciting for our club. We added Anson Carter and Joakim Lidstrom came over last year and played well at Syracuse. He's a good kid with a lot of skill and talent we took in the second round in 2002."
Gallant is looking at lines of Nash-Fedorov-Vyborny and Modin-Brule-Carter. Jason Chimera and Manny Malhotra will likely play with right wingers Danny Fritsche or Eric Boguniecki.
"We've got six games in eight nights, including games Thursday through Sunday," Gallant said. "We should have the team picked by next Monday or Tuesday. With that kind of schedule, I've got to play different lineups each night. It's too tiring so soon. So we'll mix and match lineups, but try to keep the top lines together.
"We've got Fritsche, Boguniecki, Alexander Svitov (3rd overall in 2001), Mark Hartigan, Steve Goertzen, Jody Shelley and Jaroslav Balastik fighting for jobs. I've got guys who can play in the NHL fighting for jobs and I've never had that before. I've got a kid, Alexandre Picard, who loves to hit, a pain-in-the-butt like Claude Lemieux who was a good junior scorer but took time to get it together in the AHL. He was Syracuse's best player late in the season. He finishes his checks and goes to the net and fights off defensemen and goalies."
Columbus took Brule with the sixth-overall pick in 2005 and gave him a chance to play right away. It didn't work out. He suffered a collarbone sprain in the first week of the season and broke his leg in December. He returned late in the season to his junior club, the Vancouver Giants, and spurred them into the Memorial Cup.
"He was great in juniors and made this team last year before he got hurt," Gallant said. "We're going to give him every chance. I thought Fritsche was great in the last 20 games last year. He knows he can play in this league. He has been outstanding in camp and the line with Danny, Manny and Jason was our best in our first preseason game. Dan had five shots. Chimera came to camp in outstanding shape and Manny plays with great intelligence."
The defense is mostly young but led by savvy veteran Adam Foote. Gallant expects several players to make major steps in their development, as Duvie Westcott has in recent seasons.
"The defense is getting stronger," said Gallant, a 10-year NHL veteran in his third year as Blue Jackets head coach. "Everybody knows what Foote brings. He's a great veteran. Westcott is very underrated. He steps up into the play, moves the puck well, was second last year in minutes and had a positive plus-minus ratio. He's a team leader and good both offensively and defensively. Rusty Klesla is a great young player who took major steps last season. I'm looking for a breakout season from him.
"We've been getting better, but now we add Fredrik Modin to an offense with Rick Nash, Sergei Fedorov, David Vyborny and Gilbert Brule. That's very exciting for our club."
-- Gerard Gallant "We got Ron Hainsey on waivers in November, paired him with Foote and he was phenomenal. Ole-Kristian Tollefson was up for a few games after a good season at Syracuse. He's very physical and hits hard. Aaron Johnson was plus-7 over the last 40 games. He used to make too many mistakes, but he played very well last year. We signed veteran Anders Eriksson this summer because the game has changed and he's a skill guy who can help our power play. Bryan Berard had back surgery and he's looking great, really lean. He just started back skating. He's a guy with a lot of skills and when he was hurt, our power play just wasn't the same."
MacLean used his first pick in 2001 on goalie Pascal Leclaire and has given him time to develop. Leclaire has stumbled along the way but had an excellent .911 save percentage that was masked by a losing record last season. The Blue Jackets traded away long-time starter Marc Denis to get Modin and Finnish veteran goalie Fredrik Norrena and signed free agent Ty Conklin. Czech goalie Tomas Popperle, a fifth-round pick in 2005 who played in Germany last year, has been impressive in training camp.
"Pascal is ready," Gallant said. "He gained a lot of experience last year and played very well in a lot of games. I'm not worried about him. I've never seen Norrena, but our scouts guaranteed me that he's a terrific goalie. Ty Conklin is a solid guy who has been a No. 1 goalie in the NHL. We had Popperle here last year and no one knew him. He stopped Nash on six or seven really good shots here in an early scrimmage.
"I really like our situation with the goalies because we have four goalies playing well and we like them all," Gallant said. "Clint Malarchuk, our goaltending coach, is very pleased with them. He thinks Pascal is ready to take over. Leclaire is not a big guy, but he has great reflexes and his skill level is very high. His feet are so quick, going across the crease."
There was positive talk out of Columbus's training camp a year ago, but hopes were dashed early when Brule got hurt and then Nash lost 30 games to ankle and knee problems. The Blue Jackets are better equipped to handle the loss of an important player, Gallant said.
"We're like any team in the NHL: Lose your best player and you'll have trouble winning," he said. "But, with this team, I think we could hold on. But I don't want to think about it. A player like Rick Nash is good for a goal almost every game."

[Buck Nasty]

Fedorov out 4-6 weeks with a separated shoulder.

He thinks he will be back much sooner.

Jackets? Fedorov out 4 to 6 weeks
By Michael Arace
The Columbus Dispatch
Wednesday, September 20, 2006 1:26 PM

Blue Jackets first-line center Sergei Fedorov has a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder and will miss four to six weeks. Fedorov, under a worst-case scenario, wouldn't be back in the lineup until Nov. 1. In that case, he would miss nine regular-season games. At four weeks, he would miss four games.
After having an MRI, Fedorov conferred with Blue Jackets doctors this morning. He had his left arm in a sling when he met two reporters.
"The doctors specify around six weeks, but I hope I can come back earlier than that," Fedorov said. "It's a ligament; it doesn't heal as a muscle does. So, we'll do our best."
The acromioclaviclular, or AC joint, is where the clavicle, shoulder and arm bones meet. Fedorov injured the joint in the second period of a 4-1 exhibition victory over the Buffalo Sabres at Nationwide Arena on Tuesday night.
Fedorov had his back to center ice and was approaching the right side of his own net when Sabres rookie forward Jiri Novotny, chasing a dump-in, swooped in from behind and kicked out Fedorov's left leg.
"I saw the replay, and it probably was not intentional," Fedorov said. "Unfortunately for me, it's very upsetting at the moment. All this hard work is gone to nothing. I'm not very happy with that turnout. I was surprised there was no penalty called on the play."
President and general manager Doug MacLean and coach Gerard Gallant agreed with Fedorov; Their take on the replay was that Novotny appeared to have no intention to injure Fedorov. MacLean and Gallant called the contact ?accidental? and harbor no ill will toward the Sabres rookie.
MacLean said he is not looking to make a trade to fill the void left on the top line.
"I never rule out other transactions, but ..." MacLean said. "Right now we've got some competition here and we'll just let it play out."
If rookie Gilbert Brule plays well, one would assume that he'd pull more minutes with the top lines. But that's putting a lot on an inexperienced player.
MacLean described a scenario in which any of a number of players, including David Vyborny, normally a right winger, or Mark Hartigan, or Manny Malhotra, could fill in for Fedorov.
MacLean also said wingers Fredrik Modin and Anson Carter could pick up some of the load with faceoffs.
"At this stage, you look at the most-experienced players to move up," MacLean said. "We have to do what good teams do when this happens. I think we're closer to being that type of team, and we have to have players that step up. We've got a multitude of options and two weeks (of training camp) to sort it all out."
marace@dispatch.com

[jimotis4heisman]

even without the russian child, at this point in the franchises life we have the most depth. if he misses 4 or 9ish games i can actually see positives from it. granted fedorov is a great player but this gives us trial by fire for some of the young kids and a glimpse at them early in the season. giving better evaluations and feeding thier hunger when the get midseasons call ups.


im gonna throw in a lil more info here iwth an edit

assigned to cuse
petr pohl
tim konsorada
trevor hendrix
mark flood
dan lacosta

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

BLUE JACKETS
Fedorov to miss four to six weeks after suffering sprained shoulder

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Michael Arace
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH




Blue Jackets first-line center Sergei Fedorov has a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder and will be out four to six weeks.
The best-case scenario is Fedorov will be back in mid-October after missing four regular-season games. The worst-case is he will miss nine games before he returns Nov. 1.
Blue Jackets president and general manager Doug MacLean said he has no plans to fill the void by making a trade or signing a free agent.
"The doctors specify around six weeks, but I hope I can come back earlier than that," Fedorov said. "It?s a ligament; it doesn?t heal as a muscle does. So we?ll do our best."
The AC (acromioclavicular) joint is where the collar, shoulder blade and upper arm bone meet. Fedorov suffered the injury Tuesday in the second period of a 4-1 exhibition win over the Buffalo Sabres in Nationwide Arena.
Fedorov had a magnetic resonance imaging yesterday morning. His left arm was in a sling when he met reporters at noon.
"I didn?t know whether he needed surgery or what, and I?m glad he doesn?t because it could have kept him out a lot longer," coach Gerard Gallant said.
The scene was scary for Blue Jackets fans Tuesday night. Fedorov had his back to center ice and was approaching the right side of his net when Sabres rookie forward Jiri Novotny, chasing a dumpin, swooped in from behind and kicked out Fedorov?s left leg.
At game speed, it appeared that Novotny had given Fedorov a slew foot, a dirty maneuver that can draw a suspension.
Fedorov went down and slid 5 feet before he hit the end boards.
"I saw the replay and it probably was not intentional," Fedorov said. "Unfortunately for me, it?s very upsetting at the moment. All this hard work is gone to nothing. I?m not very happy with that turnout. I was surprised there was no penalty called on the play."
MacLean and Gallant concurred that, upon further examination, it was not a dirty play on Novotny?s part. They used the word "accident."
MacLean said he is not looking outside the organization to fill the temporary hole among the top six forwards.
"I never rule out other transactions, but ?," MacLean said. "Right now, we?ve got some competition here and we?ll just let it play out."
If rookie Gilbert Brule plays well, one would assume that he?d pull more minutes with the top lines. But that?s putting a lot on the kid.
MacLean described a scenario in which any of a number of players, including David Vyborny, normally a right winger, Mark Hartigan or Manny Malhotra, could fill in for Fedorov.
MacLean also said wingers Fredrik Modin and Anson Carter could pick up some of the faceoff load.
"At this stage, you look at the most experienced players to move up," MacLean said. "We have to do what good teams do when this happens. I think we?re closer to being that type of team, and we have to have players that step up.
"We?ve got a multitude of options and two weeks (of training camp) to sort it all out."
Gallant said he has been over nine or 10 contingency plans.
For now, Gallant said, he?s going to stick with the line that finished the game Tuesday night: Vyborny centered Nash and Carter, with Carter taking faceoffs. Gallant said that Hartigan, Malhotra and perhaps even Alexander Svitov would could get a turn centering one of the top lines.
"We?ve talked about the depth of this team," Gallant said. "We?ll try some things over the next few exhibition games and give a lot of people an opportunity. There?s more pressure now on other guys to take up the slack."
marace@dispatch.com

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

BLUE JACKETS NOTEBOOK
Jackets plan no deals despite Fedorov injury

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Michael Arace
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

</IMG> MIKE MUNDEN DISPATCH Sergei Fedorov leaves the ice after slamming into the boards during an exhibition game Tuesday.


Sergei Fedorov, the Blue Jackets? top center, will miss up to six weeks because of a sprained left shoulder, but the team doesn?t feel it has to rush out and sign a free agent. Nor does president and general manager Doug MacLean feel pressure to sign Nikolai Zherdev.
In fact, MacLean and Zherdev?s agent, Rolland Hedges, haven?t spoken since before the team signed Anson Carter to a free-agent contract a week ago.
"I sense a suspicion (from Zherdev?s side) that I?m going to trade him," MacLean said. "The sooner that suspicion is put to rest, the sooner we can have more fruitful discussions."
It was 10 days ago that the Blue Jackets offered Zherdev $6.9 million over three years. MacLean has indicated that the offer is no longer on the table, but he says he?s still committed to signing Zherdev.
Tonight?s lineup

The Blue Jackets, winners of their first two exhibitions, get a rematch with the Nashville Predators tonight in Memphis, Tenn. The Jackets? expected lineup:

? Forwards: Alexander Svitov, Gilbert Brule, Manny Malhotra, Alexandre Picard, Jason Chimera, Fredrik Modin, Joakim Lindstrom, Jody Shelley, Darcy Verot, Jaroslav Balastik, Dan Fritsche and Anson Carter;

? Defensemen: Anders Eriksson, Jamie Pushor, Tomas Kloucek, Aaron Johnson, Ole-Kristian Tollefsen and Andy Canzanello;

? Goaltenders: Tomas Popperle and Fredrik Norrena.
Disa and data

The Blue Jackets yesterday assigned five players to Syracuse, which opens its training camp Saturday. The players heading down are forwards Petr Pohl and Tim Konsorada, defensemen Trevor Hendrikx and Mark Flood and goaltender Dan LaCosta. ? First-round draft pick Derick Brassard, who suffered a shoulder injury during an exhibition game in Quebec this month, is in town and readying for surgery. He is expected to miss six months.
marace@dispatch.com