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.