Confirmed with Link: CBJ Fire Scott Howson, name Jarmo Kekalainen replacement

[NotWendell]

Lots of good posts in this thread. I posted in one of the trades threads on the mains shakehead I know) and I would agree with the Capn that the main trade pieces look to be Umberger and Tyutin and to a lesser extend Wiz for their contracts and Brassard and Mason. Brassard may have some value, Tyutin as well, but the other two aren't going to get much but off the books. That would be good for the rebuild. Understand why others like Crede who are tired of the losing. But this could take a couple years unfortunately.

Looking at the East, Washington and Ottawa could use Umberger. Philly could use Tyutin.

 

[Fro]

i like the way you think Lee

 

[NotWendell]

i like the way you think Lee

What fascinates me about this season so far is this:
- LA could use a guy like Jack Johnson right now
- Ottawa could use a guy like Nick Foligno right now
- New York could use a couple guys like Dubinsky and Anisimov right now
- Washington could use a guy like Semin right now

 

[Byrral]

What fascinates me about this season so far is this:
- LA could use a guy like Jack Johnson right now
- Ottawa could use a guy like Nick Foligno right now
- New York could use a couple guys like Dubinsky and Anisimov right now
- Washington could use a guy like Semin right now

Something here don't fit

 

[Sore Loser]

What fascinates me about this season so far is this:
- LA could use a guy like Jack Johnson right now
- Ottawa could use a guy like Nick Foligno right now
- New York could use a couple guys like Dubinsky and Anisimov right now
- Washington could use a guy like Semin right now

What's really fascinated me is the Buffalo Sabres early on. Trading away Derek Roy is looking like a superb move, one that has made them tougher, harder to play against, and opened up enough room for a guy like Tomas Vanek to lead the league in scoring early on.

Funny how stuff works out, sometimes.

 

[NotWendell]

Something here don't fit

Oh and DUH!
Columbus could use a guy like Rick Nash right now!

 

[redsfanhere*]

amen brother

 

[CentreKeeper12]

I hope if Jarmo gets rid of Richards he brings in Jacques Martin, I was hoping he would get a look before the cbj hired Richards. When it comes to trades, I say no one should be safe, test everyone to see the potential return. If rumors are true Washington is willing to trade Filip Forsberg and Evgeny Kuznetsov for immediate help.
http://www.ottawasun.com/2013/02/15/nhl-gms-facing-heat-early-in-season

 

[Finnpin]

ESPN: A glimpse into the new Blue Jackets GM

http://insider.espn.go.com/nhl/blog...mbus-blue-jackets-gm-jarmo-kekalainen-mailbag


For T.J. Oshie, it was an eye-opener. He'd just graduated high school and was going through the gauntlet of pre-draft talks with NHL teams when he met Jarmo Kekalainen during an interview with the St. Louis Blues.

The new Columbus Blue Jackets general manager was then the Blues' director of amateur scouting, and his intensity stood out among the countless meetings Oshie had that day.
................................................................................

Other draft prospects remember meeting Kekalainen, getting absolutely grilled during a series of questions, then leaving the interview never expecting to hear from the Blues again.

Patrik Berglund and David Perron fall into that category.

"It was really tough. You got that feeling that, 'OK, I don't think I'll play for St. Louis,' when you walked out of that room," Berglund said. "He was just really harsh. He didn't put on a smile or anything. For an 18-year-old kid, 17-year-old kid, it was kind of, at the time, overwhelming. You didn't really know how to act toward him. He was really hard and obviously that was his job to find out who was good and who wasn't."

 

[Stretch Factor]

I noticed in the new ISS top 30 MacKinnon and Drouin were jumped by Nichushkin and Zydorov is climbing up the rankings as well. Barkov fell to 7th.

It will be interesting to see if The Finn is more prone to selecting European players overall and if he is more willing to draft Russian players specifically.

 

[Fred Glover]

This just in: From Bob McKenzie per twitter: Jarmo has his work visa and will plan on meeting the team on Wednesday. And so it begins!

 

[Fred Glover]

I noticed in the new ISS top 30 MacKinnon and Drouin were jumped by Nichushkin and Zydorov is climbing up the rankings as well. Barkov fell to 7th.

It will be interesting to see if The Finn is more prone to selecting European players overall and if he is more willing to draft Russian players specifically.

Good question, but he said he won't look at the front of the passport, meaning he doesn't care where they come from.

A similar question from me though, is, seeing as Jarmo has at this point, a better handle on Euro players, will he be more inclined to select such player (s) as he will have a more favorable impression of them seeing as he scouted them first hand? I know he will get up to speed with the North American players rather quickly, but with Jarmo being in Europe, does he have a better feel for a prospect from Europe? An interesting question, one that we might keep in mind at draft time

 

[EspenK]

[/B]

Good question, but he said he won't look at the front of the passport, meaning he doesn't care where they come from.

A similar question from me though, is, seeing as Jarmo has at this point, a better handle on Euro players, will he be more inclined to select such player (s) as he will have a more favorable impression of them seeing as he scouted them first hand? I know he will get up to speed with the North American players rather quickly, but with Jarmo being in Europe, does he have a better feel for a prospect from Europe? An interesting question, one that we might keep in mind at draft time

I would think he would have the best feel for European prospects of any GM. That being said I don't believe it will make all that much difference unless its a tossup between 2 guys and he knows one better from his time in Europe.

 

[Jackets16]

[/B]

Good question, but he said he won't look at the front of the passport, meaning he doesn't care where they come from.

A similar question from me though, is, seeing as Jarmo has at this point, a better handle on Euro players, will he be more inclined to select such player (s) as he will have a more favorable impression of them seeing as he scouted them first hand? I know he will get up to speed with the North American players rather quickly, but with Jarmo being in Europe, does he have a better feel for a prospect from Europe? An interesting question, one that we might keep in mind at draft time

I think that might be the case for the later rounds, but I don't think it will be for the early rounds. If he is as good at spotting talent as everyone says, he will know if guys like MacKinnon, Jones, and Drouin are guys he wants after seeing them play a few games and interviewing them. In the later rounds, where the talent evens out more, he may pick someone that he has seen play a lot more. IMO.

 

[CapnCornelius]

I noticed in the new ISS top 30 MacKinnon and Drouin were jumped by Nichushkin and Zydorov is climbing up the rankings as well. Barkov fell to 7th.

It will be interesting to see if The Finn is more prone to selecting European players overall and if he is more willing to draft Russian players specifically.

Maybe I'm missing something, but his draft resume includes Spezza, Perron, Vermette, Emery, and Erik Johnson. I don't think there is a bias towards Euro players, but I think he's quite knowledgeable about them (Tarasenko, Berglund).

I'm pretty happy with the way the draft rankings are shaping up. If we somehow get two of MacKinnon, Drouin and Barkov, I'd call that a pretty good draft. And that isn't even factoring in the Rangers pick and what could amount to the last pick in the first round if the Devils take their medicine for the Kovalchuk deal this year. There are some intriguing players throughout the first round.

 

[Hipster Letestu]

What's really fascinated me is the Buffalo Sabres early on. Trading away Derek Roy is looking like a superb move, one that has made them tougher, harder to play against, and opened up enough room for a guy like Tomas Vanek to lead the league in scoring early on.

Funny how stuff works out, sometimes.

The Sabres are in 24th place in the league, and all of the teams below and above them have 1-3 games in hand on them.

 

[KeithBWhittington]

Sadly, you are correct. What needs to happen is that we get a good goaltender in here, then we may be respectable. Not playoff worthy, mind you, but perhaps to keep us in games so that we can steal a few. right now, we can't steal anything

This would be both the best defense to keep (assuming he makes it through the end of his deal next season) and the best reason to fire Todd Richards as coach.

 

[Finnpin]

In Finnish tv-interview posted few pages ago here is few things Jarmo said about the picks, basic things but shows that they are keeping everything open in the draft day.

-With the three 1st round picks we can really change the course of the team
-We can pick 3 players in the 1st round
-It's possible also to move up in the draft (lose one 1st rounder, and get two first round picks higher)
-Also you can trade one 1st rounder and get a player and maybe lower draft pick(s)
-All these are possible and we just have to check draft lists/players carefully and talk with the scout team and when we enter the draft table we have different choices and strategies how to use those three 1st rounders.
-He also said that the continuation building of the team is the focus but also wants to win games

 

[EspenK]

In Finnish tv-interview posted few pages ago here is few things Jarmo said about the picks, basic things but shows that they are keeping everything open in the draft day.

-With the three 1st round picks we can really change the course of the team
-We can pick 3 players in the 1st round
-It's possible also to move up in the draft (lose one 1st rounder, and get two first round picks higher)
-Also you can trade one 1st rounder and get a player and maybe lower draft pick(s)
-All these are possible and we just have to check draft lists/players carefully and talk with the scout team and when we enter the draft table we have different choices and strategies how to use those three 1st rounders.
-He also said that the continuation building of the team is the focus but also wants to win games[/QUOTE]

threw everyone a bone

 

[Finnpin]

Don't expect them going to a full rebuilding mode. Continuation building is the key here. Brick by brick

 

[MattTheMask]

This just in: From Bob McKenzie per twitter: Jarmo has his work visa and will plan on meeting the team on Wednesday. And so it begins!

Good to know! Excited for JD and JK to get to work!!

 

[KeithBWhittington]

I'd almost say at this point, that I'll be disappointed if Jarmo doesn't clean out at least some of the operations area of this organization because I think its almost a forgone conclusion. Not because I want to see anybody lose their jobs, or because I wish them ill will, but simply from the standpoint of alot of these guys that were, essentially "grandfathered" into the organization or given promotions based on limited results or little experience.

 

[KeithBWhittington]

Don't expect them going to a full rebuilding mode. Continuation building is the key here. Brick by brick

Continuation of Building is a interesting term, and one that I would think would need to have "pieces" here or in the organization elsewhere upon which could be counted on to be "bricks" already.

 

[Finnpin]

Continuation of Building is a interesting term, and one that I would think would need to have "pieces" here or in the organization elsewhere upon which could be counted on to be "bricks" already.

Good point and we'll see what happens... trade deadline might already give hint of "the mode"

 

[Viqsi]

Continuation of Building is a interesting term, and one that I would think would need to have "pieces" here or in the organization elsewhere upon which could be counted on to be "bricks" already.

Well, then, the fact that we have such "bricks" already is certainly quite fortuitous, no?