Proposal: Building for 2021-2022

[ColumbusTrill]

All three missed significant time due to injury. It was a covid shortened year. Torts didn’t want to be there. It would be dumb to give up on these guys

 

[DarkandStormy]

"We're still gonna have a good team....guys like Texier, Bemstrom will take another step...."

Well now that the pipeline is basically just Russian forwards who won't be here this season, they've got to recycle some names.

 

[VT]

Jarmo and JD must confuse the leadership of Ak Bars and steal Voronkov. What he's showing off at WC is simply great. And he plays after breaking his jaw in PO while blocking the shot.
He was a steal of this draft. IMHO he`s the 1th round player.

 

[JohnnyJacket13]

What I has red players like Foudy /21/, Texier /22/, Bemstrom /22/Laine /23/ (if a contract would be normal), will stay. Don`t forget Roslovic is 24 years, Chinakov /20/ signed. But Bjork /25/, Domi /26/, Robinson /26/, Jenner /28/ are under 30.
The teams will be very young and it`s good.

The team has been “young” for years

 

[cslebn]

All three missed significant time due to injury. It was a covid shortened year. Torts didn’t want to be there. It would be dumb to give up on these guys

Agreed and with a real system, real off-season, and real preseason these guys bday improve heading into next season.

The issue is we literally heard that line in 2019. And the team desperately needs a center that can provide more than offense.

 

[MoeBartoli]

Centers seem the center of conversation...The best affordable center available, issues notwithstanding, is the Caps’ Kuznetsov. Like Eichel, he’s not without issues. Any takers?

 

[JohnnyJacket13]

Centers seem the center of conversation...The best affordable center available, issues notwithstanding, is the Caps’ Kuznetsov. Like Eichel, he’s not without issues. Any takers?

Depends on the price

 

[LoneFunyan]

Centers seem the center of conversation...The best affordable center available, issues notwithstanding, is the Caps’ Kuznetsov. Like Eichel, he’s not without issues. Any takers?

Seems like he comes with "off ice" issues. I don't trust our leadership core, esp now that the C is gone, to be able to reign that stuff in. Could end up creating locker room problems with a young group trying to learn how to be pros. No thanks.

 

[majormajor]

Centers seem the center of conversation...The best affordable center available, issues notwithstanding, is the Caps’ Kuznetsov. Like Eichel, he’s not without issues. Any takers?

No chance. If it's really that bad that they're kicking him out of Washington then it's just way beyond anything our org could handle. I don't want Kuzy teaching our Russian kids how to behave.

 

[Jive Pawnbroker]

Hard pass on Kuznetsov. Hard, hard pass.

 

[koteka]

 

[Kevo22363]

I wouldn't mind inquiring about Tyler Seguin. I think if the Jackets get a center, it will be by trade. The UFA market is just not that exciting. Too bad Logan Couture isn't a bit younger.

 

[MoeBartoli]

Centers seem the center of conversation...The best affordable center available, issues notwithstanding, is the Caps’ Kuznetsov. Like Eichel, he’s not without issues. Any takers?

Thanks for the responses and was glad to see the sentiment. I’m a big believer I that culture is important in both business and sports. As talented as Kuznetsov is, I see him as a guy who can undermine the culture of a team and I think it was a big problem last season, unlike the prior Torts years.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

As I said earlier, I love Kuznetsov as a player. Was a big fan of his as a prospect. However he’s literally got the perfect situation in Washington and he’s still causing issues off the ice. I would take him but I wouldn’t pay fair value for him. And this is still being very optimistic because I’m not even considering it if/when We trade Jones

 

[Kevo22363]

If you haven't tried the Armchair GM on Capfriendly, it is pretty cool. I made another team where I used all the first round picks and was able to keep Jones, Werenski, Texier and both goalies. Again, likely VERY, VERY far fetched, but I made trades with Dallas for Seguin and Gurianov and Tampa for Palat. I re-signed Laine too. Here's a lineup that I was able to put together and still have 2.5M in cap space. Here's another pipe dream.

Laine - Seguin - Atkinson
Gurianov - Roslovic - Bjorkstrand
Nyquist - Texier - Palat
Robinson - Jenner - Chinakov

Werenski - Jones
Gavrikov - Ceci
Del Zotto - Peeke
Lehtonen

Merzlikins
Korpisalo

 

[JacketsDavid]

I see 2 likely paths to getting a 1C (and quite honestly likely a 2C who would be out 1C). Granted there are others but IMO less likely we get one via FA and not sure what we have to offer via trade except these situations:

1. Jones decides he's not staying and is willing to give the team a list/team for a sign and trade (whether he is signed in advance or just the other side knows he wants to be there and is willing to pay a premium price for him).
2. We find a cash/cap strapped team. In that situation I would think the picks are the main bait.

Free Agency - We would have to likely massively overpay. Also a vet can see our track record of overpromoting guys (putting them in situations where they likely can't be succesful). Granted some guys may do it for the money/term but I just don't see it as likely.
Werenski trade - again I think he has value if we would decide to trade him, but I think with the team control we will keep him regardless if Jones wants to stay or not. Again he could get us something good but I believe we will keep him.

 

[VT]

I want the line

Jenner--Texier--Laine or TRHASH! THRASH! THRASH

 

[Kevo22363]

I see 2 likely paths to getting a 1C (and quite honestly likely a 2C who would be out 1C). Granted there are others but IMO less likely we get one via FA and not sure what we have to offer via trade except these situations:

1. Jones decides he's not staying and is willing to give the team a list/team for a sign and trade (whether he is signed in advance or just the other side knows he wants to be there and is willing to pay a premium price for him).
2. We find a cash/cap strapped team. In that situation I would think the picks are the main bait.

Free Agency - We would have to likely massively overpay. Also a vet can see our track record of overpromoting guys (putting them in situations where they likely can't be succesful). Granted some guys may do it for the money/term but I just don't see it as likely.
Werenski trade - again I think he has value if we would decide to trade him, but I think with the team control we will keep him regardless if Jones wants to stay or not. Again he could get us something good but I believe we will keep him.

If we get our much coveted center, it is going to be through a trade. The UFA options aren't the best and you are correct, they would pay out the nose. The assets are there and there are plenty of teams that are up against the cap. This is the type of situation that Jarmo needs to agressively take advantage of.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

I don’t have ESPN+ so if anyone does and wants to give sparknotes

 

[Hinterland]

Hofmann scored 2G/2A vs Slovakia.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

The depth scoring is the main issue, any Oilers fan will tell you. Right now the game plan against the Oilers is pretty simple - shut down these two guys and you get a guaranteed win. That said it is very fixable - get a few good wingers. They finally have the cap space to do it.

Agreed.

If they opt to let go of RNH and Klefbom ends up going LTIR for the last two years of his deal, they'll have a ton of cap space to use for secondary scoring.

I'm in the "blow it up" camp on the CBJ and I know you're not. That being said, I'd think that the CBJ could get quite a few draft picks for a guy like Atkinson or even Domi from Edmonton. I'd think that Robinson and perhaps even Foudy (for his speed alone as a McDavid wing) would be of interest to them. I'd think that they'd be willing to pay a good price for Laine as well. Yamamoto could probably be had coming back.

If Jones can't come to terms, perhaps he could be shipped there as well. He and Nurse would be a formidable duo.

I see the two teams as having a very strong chance of being trading partners this summer. The problem for those in the "retool" camp is that Edmonton's roster is so thin that draft picks are probably their best assets at this point.

Your thoughts?

 

[DarkandStormy]

I don’t have ESPN+ so if anyone does and wants to give sparknotes

He started using a new CBD product last summer (he's a "Brand Ambassador"), really likes it for his recovery & joints. He admits he had a bad year, but doesn't know why. And apparently did not think to put those two together lol (that question wasn't asked, I was just picking up on him using a new product for recovery, followed be a season in which he was bad).

 

[DJA]

I don’t have ESPN+ so if anyone does and wants to give sparknotes

some additional quotes:

"I wasn't putting the puck in the net very much early on. As a team, it was a tough year to get it going. We had Pierre-Luc Dubois traded early on. That didn't help anything, starting with that drama in training camp," he said.
"It's tough to have great stats when your team's not playing the greatest. Missing Zach [Werenski] for a while in the middle of the season, I had to find another way to play with the team struggling. So I had to dig deep and try to do more than I wanted to. So maybe that could have been another reason."

"The whole thing with the no fans, I'm not sure we could get up for every game. A lot of teams were in the same situation. It's no excuse. But we're a young team that I'm not sure was ready for that," Jones said. "[Pandemic life] could have been a factor. I'm not going to completely blame my season for that. I obviously pride myself on taking responsibility for my play."
There is something else weighing on him, though: his next contract. Jones is an unrestricted free agent after next season.

 

[GoJackets1]

some additional quotes:

Only other thing was a quote from Jarmo:

"I think you have to give them a fresh start. A new opportunity to show what they can do in a normal year. I think that's the best way to put it," Jarmo Kekalainen, Jones' general manager with the Blue Jackets, told ESPN. "We have some players we've seen for a long time that we believe in. If they have a down year, you have to give them a bit of a hall pass. It's been a demanding year in many different ways, for all of us."

 

[Viqsi]

If you haven't tried the Armchair GM on Capfriendly, it is pretty cool.

I usually only go there when I'm in a grumpy mood, want to browbeat folks who don't take the Jackets seriously, and can't find enough of them on TR&FA.

Seriously, all I have to do is find another Merzlikins for Koskinen/Caleb Jones guy. Or the next Laine-for-Drouin proposal. Or damn near any Flyers AGM involving the Jackets because they're all trying to poach Jones at firesale prices.