Jackets Mid-Season Report

(Columbus, Ohio)

     It has been quite some time since the last Jackets update, and during that span there has been quite a bit of activity within the organization. Not only that but it appears that for the first time in the past few seasons the Jackets actually look like a contending team.
     First let's touch base on all of the transactions that have occurred so far up to this point in the season (after 52 games).

     - In a depth move resident tough guy/fan favorite/beloved teammate Jody Shelley was released and 3rd paring defenceman Adam Pardy was signed to play some soft minutes. We thank Jody Shelley for his enourmous impact on his teammates, and for doing the toughest job in sports for so many years.

     - In another depth move, since departed Russian Nikita Filatov was swapped for journeyman Mark Eaton.

     - In an effort to bulk up for a playoff run, the Jackets acquired shutdown defenceman Nick Grossman to play hard minutes alongside Ladislav Smid. Another Columbus fan favorite in Matt Martin went the other way in the deal to the Edmonton Oilers, along with Jason Demers and the Jackets first round pick next year. So far Grossman has made a seamless transition into his role.

     - Just recently Michal Repik and Adam Pardy were released, Kevin Poulin and Mats Zuccarello were signed - Poulin to spell Fleu......er ahhh the Jackets starting goalie so he can get some rest, and Zuccarello in hopes that he can provide some organizational depth for next year.

     - Last but definitely not least, Columbus made a huge acquisition that they hope will pay big dividends come playoff time. With the emergence of young goaltending phenom Jacob Markstrom there just was not room for two goalies to man the net, so somebody had to go. Unfortunately that meant Marc-Andre Fleury was the odd man out. Fleury has backstopped this team through thick and thin and it will be tough for the guys to see him go. Fleury was dealt to the Buffalo Sabres yesterday (along with 2nd and 3rd round picks) for Andy Mcdonald, Ondrej Pavelec, and the Sabres 1st round pick. The Jackets are hoping that Andy Mcdonald can come in and provide some much needed scoring help along with veteran leadership. They are expecting Pavelec to play some crucial games down the stretch and try to prove that he belongs.

     Now, onto the state of the team. Columbus currently resides in second place in the central division, with a record of 29-17-6 for a total of 64 points in 52 games. This is a far cry from the lowly team that took to the ice last year, and believe it or not, they actually are not very pleased that they haven't won more games.
     Columbus has scored 169 goals and gave up only 116 for a goal differential of +53, which has lead to a lot of good numbers for players in the +/- department. They sit 5th in goals for in the AHL, and 3rd in goals against, which is definitely a recipe for success.
     The top line has been on fire as of late, and Mikko Koivu (amidst constant trade rumours) leads that charge with 57 points in 52 games. Clarke MacArthur is having a solid year with 43 points, and Taylor Hall has been lighting the lamp seemingly every game lately, recording 27 goals and 46 points in 52 games.
     The endless line juggling currently has Ryan O'Reilly in between Kyle Okposo and Petr Sykora on the second line.
     Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is playing some softer third line minutes, and flanking him are Artem Anisimov and Josh Bailey. RNH has still managed to put up 35 points in 52 games. Bailey has been a nice third line surprise, as he's on pace for a 20+ goal season.
     The fourth line is manned by David Steckel, Derek Dorsett, and either Alex Burmistrov or Jared Boll. The pugilistic ability of this team is quite poor compared to years past, but Dorsett and Boll still provide some needed momentum.
     The strongest point on this team just may be the back end. The first pairing is composed of young stalwarts Alex Pietrangelo and Zach Bogosian. Both of these guys have put up 30+ points and are +23 or better. These two play in all situations and have been major contributors to the Jackets impressive powerplay.
     Ladislav Smid plays alongside Nick Grossman on the second pairing as the teams premiere shutdown pairing. Grossman hasn't been here long, but has made a positive impact in his short time, doing exactly what Smid does - playing physical, blocking shots, and shutting down the other teams offensive players.
     One of the best young tandems in the AHL consist the third pairing, Jake Gardiner and Jeff Petry. Gardiner has put up 28 points and has been a huge contributor on the power play, Petry has put up a respectable 17 points and played solid defensively.
     Kevin Poulin and Ondrej Pavelec will likely split goaltending time the rest of the way, and Jacob Markstrom is expected to man the net come playoff time.
     Obviously the coach will find a way to utilize Andy Mcdonald in this lineup, making a strong lineup even stronger and hopefully will lead to a long playoff run.

     So that's the state of the union so to speak for now, but there is still a ways to go in the season and the phone lines are still hot, so stay tuned.
   
   

Blue Jackets Update for AHL 10

  (Columbus, Ohio)

   Much has occured within the Blue Jackets organization since the last blog post. The dispersal draft has came and went, free agents were claimed, trades were made, and the entry draft is currently underway.

     Going into the dispersal draft every team is allowed to protect 13 players, Columbus opted to protect (in no particular order): Taylor Hall, Mikko Koivu, Josh Bailey, Kyle Okposo, Alex Burmistrov, Derek Dorsett, Ryan O'Reilly, Alex Pietrangelo, Zach Bogosian, Ladislav Smid, Luca Sbisa, Jeff Petry and Marc-Andre Fleury. The Jackets were happy with most of their protected players, and were pleased that they didn't have to make too many tough decisions. 

   Finishing in last place in AHL9 afforded the Jackets the first pick in the dispersal draft, and with that pick they selected winger Clarke MacArthur. The plan going in to the season was to add some depth on the wing and the Jackets GM did that by taking MacArthur. MacArthur has buried 20 goals multiple times and gives Columbus a little bit more scoring depth, plus he can play left or right wing. In the second round of the dispersal draft the Jackets selected David Steckel. There was no particular type of player targeted at this pick, but Columbus was impressed with Steckel's defensive ability and strength on faceoffs. In the third round the Jackets picked up bruising blueliner Mark Fistric.

     Columbus gained three players in the dispersal draft, but they also lost three players to other teams in the AHL. The players that were selected from the Jackets were Luke Adam, Zenon Konopka, and Mark Stuart. The Columbus GM was quite fond of all of these players, especially Konopka and Stuart. It's sad to see them go, but Columbus had to make the moves that they believed were right for the organization. 

     Next, a fortunate set of circumstances allowed the Jackets to acquire veteran winger Petr Sykora for free. Sykora was a free agent, and when the free agents hit the waiver wire, guess who had first dibs? Yep, yet again the Jackets benefitted from finishing last by having top waiver priority. Just like MacArthur, Sykora is a valuable piece to the puzzle this year. Both of these guys add solid depth on the wing, along with some decent scoring ability. 

     Then came the AHL entry draft, and the Jackets retained the first overall pick by winning the draft lottery. There were many solid rookies available, but it was really a no-brainer for the Columbus GM. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was the obvious choice as the Jackets already had a franchise winger, and a franchise defenceman. The 19 year old Nugent-Hopkins has already produced big time at the professional level, and is still young enough that he may be playing in the WJHC this year in Russia. The Jackets are very excited to be able to pair him up with Taylor Hall to hopefully lead this team to the promise land. 

     The Jackets were also owners of Tampa Bay's first round pick, which ended up being tenth overall. They decided to select college developed d-man Jake Gardiner. Gardiner provides some added mobility on the blueline, and will make a great addition to the top four of the Columbus backend. The acquisition of Gardiner facilitated the trade of another d-man, but we'll touch on that later. After the Gardiner pick, the Jackets were on the clock again at pick #31. With the first pick in the second round the Jackets felt comfortable taking a chance on a goalie, namely Jacob Markstrom. The big swede is widely regarded as the top goalie prospect in the world. He does have a roadblock in Marc-Andre Fleury in front of him, but it's never a bad thing to have goalie depth. 

     At that point the Jackets did not own any more pics in the rookie draft, but that would soon change. The Columbus GM saw a player he liked and jumped at the chance to acquire him. Columbus dealt newly acquired Mark Fistric to Calgary, in exchange for one of their many second round picks. With that pick Columbus selected d-man Tyson Barrie. Barrie has a lot to prove at the pro level but the Jackets are excited about his potential.

     Next, in a surprise move, the Jackets dealt Swiss defenceman Luca Sbisa. The Jackets GM was very fond of Sbisa, trying multiple times to acquire Sbisa. Luca was traded along with Cody McLeod to the Anaheim Ducks for Artem Anisimov. The skillset of Anisimov was just too good to pass up. The Jackets like that Anisimov has a well rounded game, as he can put the puck in the net but play very strong defensive hockey as well. Anisimov, like MacArthur and Sykora will add significant value to the Jackets on the wing. Filling this hole did open up another, as the Jackets will have to search for a third-pairing defenceman.

     After all the offseason movement, let's take a quick look at how the roster is going to shape up for the coming year. Most likely there will not be a top line "per-se" on this team, but rather two lines that get equal ice time. The first of those two lines will have Artem Anisimov and Petr Sykora flanking Jackets captain Mikko Koivu. This line will do a lot of the heavy lifting, while hopefully providing some offence as well. The next line is loaded with young talent, as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will most likely centre Taylor Hall and Clark MacArthur. This line will be relied upon to score a lot of goals. The third line on this team (for the first time in many years) is also very strong. Young but established centreman Ryan O'Reilly will centre the duo of Josh Bailey and Kyle Okposo. Each of these three lines have scoring threats on them, something the Jackets have been lacking in recent seasons. The fourth line will most likely consist of Alex Burmistrov, David Steckel, and Derek Dorsett.  It's quite the different look as Columbus used to quite regularly dress 5 or 6 enforcers, but now with the added depth up front it's just too tough to get any goons into the lineup unless there are deals made. Depending on player performance Jared Boll and Matt Martin will hopefully see some action though.

     The Jackets are also extremely pleased with their defence this year, everything they have been building towards seems to be coming together. The first d-pairing consists of one of the AHL's best all-around d-men in Alex Pietrangelo, alongside defensive specialist Ladislav Smid (both of which were recently named assistant captains). The second d-pairing will be Zach Bogosian with rookie Jake Gardiner, this is a very mobile pairing that can hold their own in the defensive zone. The third pairing has yet to be decided, but we do know that smooth skating Jeff Petry will be on it. The Jackets will be looking to add a solid defender to pair up with Petry. Jason Demers and Tyson Barrie may see spot time.

     In net, the solid Marc-Andre Fleury will backstop the Jackets for most of the year, and rookie Jacob Markstrom may get some spot starts. 

     Columbus is very ecstatic with the look of their roster this year, and firmly believe they will compete for the AHL championship, as they are very sick and tired of being in the basement. 

     Stay tuned for Jackets updates!

Columbus Acquires Pietrangelo

(Columbus, Ohio)

     Another big move was finalized today in the Jackets rebuild. Columbus has acquired an absolute stud on the blueline (Pietrangelo) to round out the core of the backend going forward. The Jackets GM is very happy with his group of young defenceman going forward, which along with Pietrangelo includes fellow draft class member Zach Bogosian, Ladislav Smid, Mark Stuart, Jeff Petry, Luca Sbisa and Jason Demers. Columbus was absolutely ecstatic to hear that Pietrangelo was available, and he will most likely step right into the top pairing with shutdown specialist Ladislav Smid. Pietrangelo is a very decorated player already at the age of 20, as he played a key role on team Canada at the WJHC in 2009 to help his team win gold in Ottawa, then returned the next year to play an even bigger role but came up short in the end losing a heartbreaker to the U.S. squad in Saskatoon, and that will immediately help him gel with his new teammates as he played alongside Taylor Hall and Luke Adam in that tourney. He is a very solid 2-way defender already in the NHL, and is expected to keep getting better.
     Along with Pietrangelo Columbus also acquired bruising winger Cody McLeod. As if Columbus doesn't have enough toughness already, as along with McLeod their regular lineup features Derek Dorsett, Jared Boll, Matt Martin, Zenon Konopka and Jody Shelley. McLeod will be expected to step right in and play on the third or fourth line full time.
     Columbus sent two really solid players to Colorado in this deal also, as they had to part ways with Karl Alzner and Wayne Simmonds. These weren't guys that the Jackets were looking to deal but when a seperate deal fell through they had to jump at the chance to acquire Pietrangelo. It will be sad to see them go as they were both solid parts of the rebuild, but Columbus believes this makes them better going forward.

Rumours Swirling

(Columbus, Ohio)

After a lackluster start for the Jackets, multiple players have been mentioned in possible deals around the league including captain Mikko Koivu. We have recently learned that the Jackets GM completed a big deal tonight that is pending league confirmation and will most likely be announced tomorrow, stay tuned for team reaction.

Trade Brings the Jackets Down to the Roster Maximum

(Columbus, Ohio)

     The Jackets were recently forced to make a decision to get under the cap of 28 players. They could either make a trade, or end up cutting someone. The GM decided that rather than let someone go for free, he may as well try to get a deal done with another AHL club. There was a deal completed with the very active Calgary team that brought Mikael Backlund into Columbus. Going the other way in the deal was Jay McClement, J.F. Jacques, and a third round pick. McClement, although a solid player, did not project to fit into the clubs long term plans and Jacques would have been riding the pine in Columbus as there are already 5 tough guys up front penciled into the Columbus lineup.
     Backlund was acquired as a project, as he was a highly rated prospect coming into the AHL but things just haven't panned out for him yet. The Jackets were willing to take the chance on him and he will step right into third line duty with the team behind team captain Mikko Koivu and Ryan O'Reilly.
     Stay tuned for more including the Jackets team preview and likely more moves as the trade rumours are still swirling.

Columbus Makes 5 More Entry Draft Picks

After drafting Taylor Hall first overall, the Jackets had a lot of work to do throughout the rest of the draft to add players for the rebuild. The David Backes trade payed off when the Jackets were able to select silky smooth Russian Alexander Burmistrov 13th overall. The Jackets GM was very happy that Burmistrov was available at 13th overall. Tabbed as "Datsyuk-Lite" by The Hockey News, Columbus is not in any rush to throw this guy into the lineup, but rather will likely give him spot duty and let him develop into the two-way player that he is projected to be. The Jackets are known for shying away from Russians, but character is not an issue with this kid, as his ultimate dream is to play in the AHL and not flee back to Russia to play in the KHL.

Columbus proceeded to add another very solid young player when they selected Luke Adam 20th overall. Adam was a key contributer to team Canada's World Junior Championship roster last year in Saskatoon. Adam, along with Burmistrov, are both centremen so like Burmistrov, Adam most likely won't see much ice time this year with the Jackets. This is another player the Jackets were targeting going into the entry draft, and were quite surprised that he fell to them at 20th. He is a big body who isn't afraid to go to the dirty areas, as he scored 49 goals in 56 games during his last year of junior hockey. Eventually the Jackets hope Adam can transition to the wing and become a top six forward to help out Taylor Hall and Mikko Koivu with scoring.
With their fourth pick in the first round of the entry draft, Columbus selected Jeff Petry, out of MSU 28th overall.  He is a big defenceman with a very strong stride who can skate like the wind, and isn't afraid to throw the body. We can assume that Petry was picked here because of the familiarity with the Jackets General Manager. This is yet another draft pick that most likely won't see much time in the AHL this year, as like most college defenceman, will  need some time to develop before he can step into a top six role.
With the fourth pick in the second round, the Jackets stayed true to form and took bruiser Matt Martin. This is the type of player GM Springinotic has been known to acquire and employ without question. He is looking for Martin to step straight into the lineup and play on the third line with Ryan O'Reilly and Derek Dorsett, so look to them to cause some havoc. Martin's goal this year is to, "lead the AHL in hits", and don't be surprised if he edges out Cal Clutterbuck in that category as he will be given plenty of ice time to bang some bodies around. Martin just adds to the toughness that is already in the CBJ lineup (Dorsett, Simmonds, Konopka, Shelley, Boll, and Mark Stuart).
With their last pick of the entry draft the Jackets opted to add another goaltender, and selected Kevin Poulin to backup Marc-Andre Fleury.

Jackets Pick Taylor Hall First Overall!

(Columbus, Ohio)

     Fans in Nationwide Arena erupted at the draft party when Columbus announced Taylor Hall as the first overall pick in the AHL entry draft. It was a no-brainer for Columbus to pick Hall, who is a back-to-back memorial cup champion, and back-to-back memorial cup MVP, how's that for some accolades? His combination of size, speed, and top end skill is exactly what the Jackets were hoping for. He instantly becomes the best winger on the team and Columbus is hoping he will develop into a franchise winger and dominate for a long time. His ability to blow by defenders and beat goalies with his lightning quick release was just something the Jackets couldn't pass up. It appears that being one of the worst teams in the league has its perks! Columbus is on the board again at #13 and looking to add to its solid core.

Blockbuster Trade!

(Columbus, Ohio)

     After tonnes of speculation, it has happened, David Backes was dealt out of town. Again, this had nothing to do with problems with Backes, but more with the fact that the Blue Jackets are building for the future. We know that since the trade deadline last year that the Columbus GM has been probing the market to see what kind of youth he could receive for Backes, coming close multiple times to dealing him. The full trade ended up sending Backes, along with Ruslan Fedotenko and Patrick Kaleta to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Ryan O'Reilly and the Leafs first round pick in the draft, which is 13th overall. It's very sad to see David move on, as he almost netted fifty goals for the Jackets two years ago, and is consistently among the league leaders in hits.
     Columbus was very ecstatic to receive Ryan O'Reilly in return, as he is a young defensive stalwart who plays centre and is already a whiz in the draws. The plan is for O'Reilly to become the franchise #2 centre behind captain Mikko Koivu. He is solid penalty killer and is starting to round out his offensive game. This is exactly the type of player they were looking for to help round out a solid core going forward. The 13th overall pick should also play dividends right away as Columbus should land another player who can step in and contribute right away. The Jackets have 5 picks in the first 34 including first overall, so the full on rebuild is underway!

Greene Dealt

(Columbus, Ohio)

     The first of two moves Columbus made prior to the entry draft. The Jackets sent rough defenceman Matt Greene to Ottawa, and in return received a late first round pick. It wasn't a priority to move Greene but there were a lot of d-men on the roster and the Jackets are looking to build a young core and hoping to see them grow together.

AHL 9 Has Arrived

(Columbus, Ohio)

     Much has happened in Columbus since we last left off. Coming into the season we knew Columbus's GM was looking to shake up the team and make some major moves.
     Things started out very well with the Jackets winning the AHL draft lottery and receiving the first overall pick in the entry draft.
     Before the entry draft would occur though, the dispersal draft took place. The Jackets GM was unable to attend but was filled in for by a fellow GM. Things went very well for the Jackets at the dispersal draft, ending up with two players that they were heavily targeting. In the first round they picked Ladislav Smid, a shot blocking extraordinaire who has developed into a defensive specialist that the Blue Jackets were coveting. In Smid they also add character and leadership, as he is not afraid to stick up for any teammate, and as we know, the Jackets always ice an exciting team in the fisticuff department.

     In the second round the Jackets picked up Luca Sbisa, a young Swiss defenceman, who also isn't afraid to drop the mitts. The 21 year old is already in his fourth NHL season, and is on the fast track to becoming a solid defender.True to form the Jackets continued to land solid young defenders in the dispersal draft, as it seems to be a tactic of theirs to pluck developing defenders during the dispersal and target skilled forwards in the entry draft.

     The third round pick was used on superpest Patrick Kaleta, but rumour has it he has already been shipped out of town...
     There were also three players that were lost in the dispersal draft. Zach Boychuk, who was taken in the entry draft last year was a big loss, as the Jackets were hoping that he could develop into a long term option on the wing. They also lost bruiser Theo Peckham to the division rival Blackhawks, and you know what they say, there are no friends on the ice. It was very sad to see Peckham go, as he was a solid teammate and player. Nikolai Khabibulin, who is having a solid year in the NHL was also lost, and although the Jackets regret losing him, the main focus in net is keeping Marc-Andre Fleury in a Columbus uniform for a looooonnnnggg time.
     That's it for now, details to follow on the entry draft and on the speculation that there has been multiple deals completed out of Columbus today.