Interesting Info: Part XIV (All Jackets-related "tidbits" in here)

[Andre Palot]

Hello fellow Jackets fans. Devils fan coming in peace and all that jazz.

I had no idea where to put this but I thought of all the threads this was the one to ask this. So, I'm in music journalism and write for this up and coming music site called Concertfy. (Concertfy.com)

To make this long story extremely short. We'll be doing a celebrity interview with Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky (who is a pretty big EDM/house/techno fan.) Since this is the official Blue Jackets message board I wanted to know if an fans had any questions for your alt captain. The interview will focus on his hockey career as well as music discussion.

 

[skimp]

Hello fellow Jackets fans. Devils fan coming in peace and all that jazz.

I had no idea where to put this but I thought of all the threads this was the one to ask this. So, I'm in music journalism and write for this up and coming music site called Concertfy. (Concertfy.com)

To make this long story extremely short. We'll be doing a celebrity interview with Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky (who is a pretty big EDM/house/techno fan.) Since this is the official Blue Jackets message board I wanted to know if an fans had any questions for your alt captain. The interview will focus on his hockey career as well as music discussion.

Is Mrs. Dubinsky jealous of Brandon screwing Crosby all night?

 

[DJA]

Hello fellow Jackets fans. Devils fan coming in peace and all that jazz.

I had no idea where to put this but I thought of all the threads this was the one to ask this. So, I'm in music journalism and write for this up and coming music site called Concertfy. (Concertfy.com)

To make this long story extremely short. We'll be doing a celebrity interview with Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky (who is a pretty big EDM/house/techno fan.) Since this is the official Blue Jackets message board I wanted to know if an fans had any questions for your alt captain. The interview will focus on his hockey career as well as music discussion.

Ask him what he thinks of the current EDM scene and the trend of producers acting like DJs and pushing buttons instead of putting an ounce of effort into their sets. Also ask him if he thinks cities like Miami and Toronto are overreacting by banning EDM festivals.

 

[Fro]

Mike Halford ‏@HalfordPHT 59s
If you had to do a top-5 ballot for GM of the Year, it might be Nill, Slats, Chiarelli, Kekelainen and whoever's in charge of Colorado.

 

[DJA]

Mike Halford ‏@HalfordPHT 59s
If you had to do a top-5 ballot for GM of the Year, it might be Nill, Slats, Chiarelli, Kekelainen and whoever's in charge of Colorado.

Really confused by this. Love Jarmo's winning attitude but what the hell has he done in terms of on ice performance?

 

[cbjfaninmo]

Mike Halford ‏@HalfordPHT 59s
If you had to do a top-5 ballot for GM of the Year, it might be Nill, Slats, Chiarelli, Howson and whoever's in charge of Colorado.

Fixed it for you.

 

[EDM]

Should read "Howson/Patrick". Nah, I could not pass it up.

 

[major major]

Mike Halford ‏@HalfordPHT 59s
If you had to do a top-5 ballot for GM of the Year, it might be Nill, Slats, Chiarelli, Kekelainen and whoever's in charge of Colorado.

Does Mike Halford even know which players were acquired by Keks and which by Howson?

 

[Mayor Bee]

Does Mike Halford even know which players were acquired by Keks and which by Howson?

Clearly not.

Should I let him know? It's been a couple weeks since I've done so.

 

[Mayor Bee]

Is Mrs. Dubinsky jealous of Brandon screwing Crosby all night?

 

[CBJWerenski8]

 

[EspenK]

Really confused by this. Love Jarmo's winning attitude but what the hell has he done in terms of on ice performance?

I think he once landed a triple salchow

 

[NotWendell]

Really confused by this. Love Jarmo's winning attitude but what the hell has he done in terms of on ice performance?

Pluses:
+ Negotiated the Bobrovsky contract
+ Signed Nathan Horton as a UFA
+ Improved the scouting department
+ Was able to move Brassard and Dorsett off the roster to give other (better) guys more ice time
+ Challenged the players to match his work ethic by performing the same off-season workouts

Minuses:
- Traded for Marian Gaborik who did little to help the CBJ
- Trade of Marian Gaborik netted too small of a return and provided no help for the playoffs
- Signed Jared Boll to too large of a contract

Pushes:
* Appeared to have a good first NHL draft, but the jury will be out on that for a few years.

I'll give him a B- so far. Not yet deserving of any awards.

 

[Cash for Nash]

Pluses:
+ Negotiated the Bobrovsky contract
+ Signed Nathan Horton as a UFA
+ Improved the scouting department
+ Was able to move Brassard and Dorsett off the roster to give other (better) guys more ice time
+ Challenged the players to match his work ethic by performing the same off-season workouts

Minuses:
- Traded for Marian Gaborik who did little to help the CBJ
- Trade of Marian Gaborik netted too small of a return and provided no help for the playoffs
- Signed Jared Boll to too large of a contract

Pushes:
* Appeared to have a good first NHL draft, but the jury will be out on that for a few years.

I'll give him a B- so far. Not yet deserving of any awards.

I'll wait a few years on the Horton signing before I put that in the plus category.

 

[DJA]

Pluses:
+ Negotiated the Bobrovsky contract
+ Signed Nathan Horton as a UFA
+ Improved the scouting department
+ Was able to move Brassard and Dorsett off the roster to give other (better) guys more ice time
+ Challenged the players to match his work ethic by performing the same off-season workouts

Minuses:
- Traded for Marian Gaborik who did little to help the CBJ
- Trade of Marian Gaborik netted too small of a return and provided no help for the playoffs
- Signed Jared Boll to too large of a contract

Pushes:
* Appeared to have a good first NHL draft, but the jury will be out on that for a few years.

I'll give him a B- so far. Not yet deserving of any awards.

Good list, although I'm not too sure that Horton belongs in the "plus" column....yet. I will enjoy seeing him healthy (eventually?) but he had very little on-ice impact for the club this year. If he can't stay healthy, it's a 7-year albatross. Also, I think you glossed over Jarmo's abysmal trade deadline showing - that deserved another notch in the minus column, IMO.

 

[NotWendell]

Good list, although I'm not too sure that Horton belongs in the "plus" column....yet. I will enjoy seeing him healthy (eventually?) but he had very little on-ice impact for the club this year. If he can't stay healthy, it's a 7-year albatross. Also, I think you glossed over Jarmo's abysmal trade deadline showing - that deserved another notch in the minus column, IMO.

If you like, move Nathan Horton to the Pushes category. I'm confident he'll end up being a big feather in Jarmo's viking helmet (wut?)

 

[Mayor Bee]

Pluses:
+ Negotiated the Bobrovsky contract
+ Signed Nathan Horton as a UFA
+ Improved the scouting department
+ Was able to move Brassard and Dorsett off the roster to give other (better) guys more ice time
+ Challenged the players to match his work ethic by performing the same off-season workouts

Minuses:
- Traded for Marian Gaborik who did little to help the CBJ
- Trade of Marian Gaborik netted too small of a return and provided no help for the playoffs
- Signed Jared Boll to too large of a contract

Pushes:
* Appeared to have a good first NHL draft, but the jury will be out on that for a few years.

I'll give him a B- so far. Not yet deserving of any awards.

Overall moves since July 1, 2013

Did not qualify
Allen York
Colton Gillies
Patrick Killeen
Steven Delisle
T. Ruth (whatever first name he was going by at the time)

Re-signed
Blake Comeau
Ryan Craig
Thomas Larkin
David Savard
Spencer Machacek
Blake Parlett
Cody Goloubef
Jared Boll

Signed
Mike McKenna
Nathan Horton
Patrick McNeill
Frederic St. Denis
Jack Skille

Acquired
Corey Tropp
Matt Frattin
Paul Thompson
Carter Camper
Nick Schultz
Matt Taormina
Dana Tyrell

Traded
Drew Olson
Marian Gaborik
Spencer Machacek
Blake Parlett
Dalton Smith
Jonathan Audy-Marchessault

Lost via other means
Adrian Aucoin
Andrew Joudrey
Matt Ford
Michael Leighton
Ryan Russell
Sean Collins
Vinny Prospal
Nick Holden
Nick Drazenovic

All told, players acquired by the current regime since it began accounted for 21 of 230 goals scored (9.1%); Gaborik had the most with 6. They accounted for 48 of 607 points (7.9%).

All the other stuff is window dressing and speculation. Improvement of the scouting staff is speculative, since not a single one of us knows is Ville Siren, Basil McRae, and Josef Boumedienne are actually improvements over the guys they replaced.

B- so far. Keep in mind that I gave Howson a C+ last April (in a retrospective thread), albeit one that was conditional upon several things not happening. I'd bump that up higher, although I said that it wouldn't go higher than a B+ under any circumstances.

 

[Sore Loser]

Overall moves since July 1, 2013

Did not qualify
Allen York
Colton Gillies
Patrick Killeen
Steven Delisle
T. Ruth (whatever first name he was going by at the time)

Re-signed
Blake Comeau
Ryan Craig
Thomas Larkin
David Savard
Spencer Machacek
Blake Parlett
Cody Goloubef
Jared Boll

Signed
Mike McKenna
Nathan Horton
Patrick McNeill
Frederic St. Denis
Jack Skille

Acquired
Corey Tropp
Matt Frattin
Paul Thompson
Carter Camper
Nick Schultz
Matt Taormina
Dana Tyrell

Traded
Drew Olson
Marian Gaborik
Spencer Machacek
Blake Parlett
Dalton Smith
Jonathan Audy-Marchessault

Lost via other means
Adrian Aucoin
Andrew Joudrey
Matt Ford
Michael Leighton
Ryan Russell
Sean Collins
Vinny Prospal
Nick Holden
Nick Drazenovic

All told, players acquired by the current regime since it began accounted for 21 of 230 goals scored (9.1%); Gaborik had the most with 6. They accounted for 48 of 607 points (7.9%).

All the other stuff is window dressing and speculation. Improvement of the scouting staff is speculative, since not a single one of us knows is Ville Siren, Basil McRae, and Josef Boumedienne are actually improvements over the guys they replaced.

B- so far. Keep in mind that I gave Howson a C+ last April (in a retrospective thread), albeit one that was conditional upon several things not happening. I'd bump that up higher, although I said that it wouldn't go higher than a B+ under any circumstances.

You know that I'm as much a Howson supporter as anyone here, but I have to ask when the comparisons between he and Kekalainen will stop?

Can't we all just agree that the CBJ is in better shape than it's ever been before, and that both guys contributed to the success of the team? Let's face it, the day JD was hired spelled the end for Scott Howson one way or another. Everyone who was paying attention - and most people who weren't - knew that he was going to bring in his own staff, and that's what happened. The culture change has been evident almost from the day Davidson was hired, and I think that starts at the top and works it's way down.

Yes, Howson acquired most of this team, and I commend him for it. He did a hell of a job. But, the changes at the top have had a direct effect on the on-ice product. The firing of Howson was as much a PR move as it was anything else. The entire organization needed a kick in the pants; unfortunately it was at his expense.

 

[Nanabijou]

You know that I'm as much a Howson supporter as anyone here, but I have to ask when the comparisons between he and Kekalainen will stop?

Can't we all just agree that the CBJ is in better shape than it's ever been before, and that both guys contributed to the success of the team? Let's face it, the day JD was hired spelled the end for Scott Howson one way or another. Everyone who was paying attention - and most people who weren't - knew that he was going to bring in his own staff, and that's what happened. The culture change has been evident almost from the day Davidson was hired, and I think that starts at the top and works it's way down.

Yes, Howson acquired most of this team, and I commend him for it. He did a hell of a job. But, the changes at the top have had a direct effect on the on-ice product. The firing of Howson was as much a PR move as it was anything else. The entire organization needed a kick in the pants; unfortunately it was at his expense.

Great post, SL. This habit of assigning the CBJ players to Howson or JK based on who signed them has got to stop. It assumes that a player has static characteristics and takes the hockey version of the nature versus nurture argument to an extreme. I'm glad JK isn't jettisoning players just so he can claim the team is 'his'.

I agree completely with the bolded statement above. Howson had more than enough time in charge. He did some really good things and he made some really big mistakes. He's gone now and the firing was justified - not many GMs are going to survive going from a playoff team to a last-place team. Since JD and JK have come aboard, I've had a sense that there has been a major cultural shift in the CBJ organization and the on-ice results have dramatically improved, which is all that really matters.

 

[Fro]

Sean Collins is still with the team, isn't he??? we called him up this past year

 

[pete goegan]

You know that I'm as much a Howson supporter as anyone here, but I have to ask when the comparisons between he and Kekalainen will stop?

Can't we all just agree that the CBJ is in better shape than it's ever been before, and that both guys contributed to the success of the team? Let's face it, the day JD was hired spelled the end for Scott Howson one way or another. Everyone who was paying attention - and most people who weren't - knew that he was going to bring in his own staff, and that's what happened. The culture change has been evident almost from the day Davidson was hired, and I think that starts at the top and works it's way down.

Yes, Howson acquired most of this team, and I commend him for it. He did a hell of a job. But, the changes at the top have had a direct effect on the on-ice product. The firing of Howson was as much a PR move as it was anything else. The entire organization needed a kick in the pants; unfortunately it was at his expense.

Great post, SL. This habit of assigning the CBJ players to Howson or JK based on who signed them has got to stop. It assumes that a player has static characteristics and takes the hockey version of the nature versus nurture argument to an extreme. I'm glad JK isn't jettisoning players just so he can claim the team is 'his'.

I agree completely with the bolded statement above. Howson had more than enough time in charge. He did some really good things and he made some really big mistakes. He's gone now and the firing was justified - not many GMs are going to survive going from a playoff team to a last-place team. Since JD and JK have come aboard, I've had a sense that there has been a major cultural shift in the CBJ organization and the on-ice results have dramatically improved, which is all that really matters.

Good posts. I agree.

 

[EspenK]

Future challenges/opportunities for Jarmo to make his mark:

Buyout Umbie or not

Stay pretty much static for next season or shake it up through trades and free agency

Re-signing Joey-bridge or long term

What to do with the glut of waiver exposed D-men (Savrad,Prout, Erixon, Golobuef) plus Nikitin & Schultz

How and when to fit last year's draft onto the roster

Re-signing Bob, Dubi & Foligno next year

Not a bunch of slam dunks there - how he manages these plus the ones I've missed will determine his legacy and may make him a candidate for GM of the year some year down the road.

 

[TaketheCannoli]

So apparently our old pal MacLean was talking some trash on the radio today. Here are some choice nuggets:


Hope_Smoke ‏@Hope_Smoke 3h
MacLean "the cannon in Columbus wasn't my idea. The fans kept sending me letters about it"

Quote:
Hope_Smoke ‏@Hope_Smoke 3h
MacLean "I knew I was going to get fired and I decided to approve it and began chuckling because I knew I wouldn't be there for it"

Quote:
Hope_Smoke ‏@Hope_Smoke 3h
MacLean "do you know how hard it was for 9 years, while I was there, to explain to people what a Blue Jacket was?"

Quote:
Hope_Smoke ‏@Hope_Smoke 3h
MacLean "it was never ending trying to figure out how they came up with that damn name"

Quote:
Hope_Smoke ‏@Hope_Smoke 3h
MacLean "in year 3, I was walking through the TO airport and people shouted out to me about what I was doing now"

Quote:
Hope_Smoke ‏@Hope_Smoke 3h
MacLean "I told them that I was in Columbus and they told me to not worry that I would be back in the NHL soon"

I listened to this broadcast and the context just may be misunderstood here.

They were discussing how great the fans in Columbus were Thursday night, and the host asked MacLean if the cannon wasn't his idea. MacLean admitted it wasn't, that it was the Jacket Backers. He said it was a good idea because of the challenges the organization had with recognition. He also claimed most people, even locally didn't understand the team name, that many people thought a Blue Jacket was a bug. Kypreos, the other analyst pointed out the team mascot is a bug. MacLean explained that during the Civil War, many Union uniforms were made in Ohio- Blue Jackets. The marketing department tried to tie in the theme by adding the Union Cap to the Jackets' jerseys, etc. FWIW, I think this effort continued after MacLean's firing when the team issued PR pieces on Hitch's fascination with the Civil War, and of course the pre-game video showing Union soldiers in battle morphing into Blue Jackets players vowing to "Carry the Flag."

He said Columbus wasn't a recognizable city in the hockey world (ie. Canada), which he found interesting because he thought Coumbus is a high profile city in the U.S. The comment about the airport in Toronto was in this context. His remark was, "I thought we were doing a pretty good job marketing the team. We were in the middle of a long stretch of selling out the arena nightly. After that, I went back to our marketing department and told them we have some work to do."

Maclean also commented that CBJ fans have been through a tough time for a long time, and we fans deserve this postseason experience. Infact when interviewing Nick Foligno on the same show, he comment how great the crowd was and how loud it was. When Foligno agreed, MacLean responded with a joke- "It was almost that loud when he was in Columbus, except the fans were screaming 'MacLean you suck!'

From my perspective, MacLean rivals Mike Milbury and Kevin Lowe as the worst hockey operations execs/GMs of their generation. I remember well his ridiculous pronouncement that he wouldn't trade his roster for the Red Wings roster. I remember many gaffs and questionable actions as a GM. He was bad. As a TV host he is odd and a bit narcissistic.


This particular exchange was clearly VERY pro-Columbus.

 

[major major]

You know that I'm as much a Howson supporter as anyone here, but I have to ask when the comparisons between he and Kekalainen will stop?

Decades from now maybe? There isn't even enough information yet to assess Keks' contribution, so a proper comparison hasn't even begun, let alone ended. But this is exactly the sort of question that historians will kick around for decades. Don't hold your breath.

Can't we all just agree that the CBJ is in better shape than it's ever been before, and that both guys contributed to the success of the team?

You could have picked an easier thing to agree on. An argument could be made that with JD's attitude adjustment and Howson's players, a random stuffed shirt as GM could have led to just as much success on the ice thus far. Keep in mind I'm not anti-Kek, I just don't think he's done anything in the last year that really changed the trajectory for the team.

 

[ScreamingWild]

I listened to this broadcast and the context just may be misunderstood here.

This particular exchange was clearly VERY pro-Columbus.

Thanks, Lee, for giving the true perspective and context of the exchange. Doug can be an *** but he deserves credit where credit is due and the continual twisting of his words after this much time has passed is petty and tiresome.