Interesting Info: Part XXII (Jackets-related "tidbits" here)

[cbjthrowaway]

Friedman dropped a 32 thoughts (written edition) and brought up something that he'd also mentioned on the podcast:

Nothing imminent or anything like that, but I’ve wondered if Columbus would look for some help at centre until their good young players are fully ready for this. Blue Jackets management had “if looks could kill” faces after the 7-1 loss to New Jersey on Sunday.

Encouraging, but also I'm not sure who else could really be out there – hence the 'nothing imminent" part.

Speculation on my part here, but the Canucks, Ducks and Sharks are all in rebuilding years. Some names:
- Logan Couture
- Bo Horvat
- Adam Henrique
- Derek Grant
- Nick Bonino

Hard to see how the first three names would fit their cap situation (I mean, there are definitely ways to make it happen) and I don't think Grant/Bonino would move the needle much. Maybe something like Roslovic+ for Horvat? Even that one feels weird to type.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

I think EF has speculated on us being after a center for like 5 years in a row.

Love the articles and the podcasts, but I’ll believe it when I see it

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

I think EF has speculated on us being after a center for like 5 years in a row.

Love the articles and the podcasts, but I’ll believe it when I see it

Let’s be real. We’ve looked for a center for over 20 years now and have never pulled the trigger except on a Duchene rental.

 

[Monk]

I think EF has speculated on us being after a center for like 5 years in a row.

Love the articles and the podcasts, but I’ll believe it when I see it

Jarmo:

We’d always like to do something quicker with every area that we need to improve. The reality in this league is … you can’t do it. Defense and center are a position that, if you have to make a trade, you create a huge hole somewhere else. The only way to fill that is through the draft. Nobody is going to trade their No. 1 or 2 center unless they have to. Same with a top-four D. They’re just never available. You have to develop them.

If there’s one available in a unique situation — like Seth Jones was available because Nashville had four top-four defensemen and they needed something else — we’ll pay it. We’ll try to make it quicker. But in my experience, those guys are never available. That’s the hard part. There are no shortcuts, as much as you’d like to speed it up.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Jarmo:

We’d always like to do something quicker with every area that we need to improve. The reality in this league is … you can’t do it. Defense and center are a position that, if you have to make a trade, you create a huge hole somewhere else. The only way to fill that is through the draft. Nobody is going to trade their No. 1 or 2 center unless they have to. Same with a top-four D. They’re just never available. You have to develop them.

If there’s one available in a unique situation — like Seth Jones was available because Nashville had four top-four defensemen and they needed something else — we’ll pay it. We’ll try to make it quicker. But in my experience, those guys are never available. That’s the hard part. There are no shortcuts, as much as you’d like to speed it up.

So you're saying Jarmo is lying?

 

[Monk]

So you're saying Jarmo is lying?

I'm saying "Sounds like Jarmo agrees with CBJW on this"

He'll believe it when he sees it

Sorta like Santa

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

I'm saying "Sounds like Jarmo agrees with CBJW on this"

He'll believe it when he sees it

Sorta like Santa

He’s a liar!

 

[cbjthrowaway]

Let’s be real. We’ve looked for a center for over 20 years now and have never pulled the trigger except on a Duchene rental.

Part of me misses the Johansen - Dubinsky - Anisimov - Letestu days.

 

[Monk]

He’s a liar!

Rather I think both Jarmo and EF are in fact, almost but not quite literally, saying nothing at all.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Part of me misses the Johansen - Dubinsky - Anisimov - Letestu days.

Those centers in their prime on this team would be a top 3 team in the metro

 

[KJ Dangler]

Good article .. hard to argue with.. your best players should play the most

 

[stevo61]

Good article .. hard to argue with.. your best players should play the most

Yeah there is a weird thing about vets and rookies minutes. We've already seen games where the kids helped the team get back into games. Johnson hasnt shown he needs less time, in most games hes shown he needs more. I feel like he gets punished for turnovers in the offensive zone while Roslovic turns pucks over in the middle of the ice in his own zone without any change in useage.

 

[ViD]

Voracek should play 10 mins a night and preferably on the PP

 

[cbjthrowaway]

Encouraging, but also I'm not sure who else could really be out there – hence the 'nothing imminent" part.

Speculation on my part here, but the Canucks, Ducks and Sharks are all in rebuilding years. Some names:
- Logan Couture
- Bo Horvat
- Adam Henrique
- Derek Grant
- Nick Bonino

Hard to see how the first three names would fit their cap situation (I mean, there are definitely ways to make it happen) and I don't think Grant/Bonino would move the needle much. Maybe something like Roslovic+ for Horvat? Even that one feels weird to type.

Circling back on this… I wonder if there's a vet-for-vet hockey trade out there. Someone on the main boards floated a Nyquist/Henrique swap, I could see that working.

Couture's contract scares me, but with the cap set to go up… I do wonder if something around Voracek for Couture would make sense? Maybe with a little bit of retention on Couture's deal (down to ~6m or something?) -- SJS would still have MASSIVE cap savings down the road, and could flip Voracek next year for assets. Jackets would get a top six center without having to give up big assets.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

Not gonna lie, I forgot about this guy.

 

[DarkandStormy]

IF - and it's a big IF - the Jackets were to get back to hockey-.500 and/or spitting distance of WC2, the next 10 games couldn't really set up much better.

-Colorado (yes, they're the defending SC champs, but they look like a team on a title hangover - some of their underlying metrics are WORSE than the Jackets')
-Colorado
-vs Philadelphia (not a playoff team last year, 1-2-2 in their last 5, including three straight losses)
-@ NY Islanders (not a playoff team last year, on a 4-game win streak currently to edge above hockey-.500)
-vs Phialdelphia
-vs Montreal (bad team)
-vs Detroit (bad team)
-vs Florida (playoff team last year, but look to be struggling early this season)
-vs NY Islanders
-@ Nashville (Predators look cooked since coming back to North America; 1-6-1 since beating San Jose twice to start the season in Europe)

That takes you through the end of Thanksgiving weekend. After the Finland games, 7 of the next 8 come at home, only one against a playoff team last year (Florida). Zero of the next ten games come against teams currently in the top 11 of the league in terms of points %. Outside of moving to the Pacific and playing Vancouver and San Jose on repeat, the schedule is really pretty light.

I think the old adage will hold true - we'll find out if this team is a playoff contender by U.S. Thanksgiving.

 

[cbjthrowaway]

IF - and it's a big IF - the Jackets were to get back to hockey-.500 and/or spitting distance of WC2, the next 10 games couldn't really set up much better.

If they lose to Torts' Flyers this board might actually catch on fire.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

If they lose to Torts' Flyers this board might actually catch on fire.

I expect 2 losses to Torts because he'll have them playing disciplined hockey if nothing else.

 

[Fro]

Dunno any basis...but cbj at 73

 

[Johansen2Foligno]

Not gonna lie, I forgot about this guy.

John Malkovich?

 

[Byrral]

Dunno any basis...but cbj at 73

This can't be right. No way my Lions are that high.

 

[I3LI3]

 

[cbjthrowaway]

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Extremely funny that JFresh filled his diaper on Twitter all season last year after Seattle's atrocious goaltending ruined his projection that they'd be a playoff team.

Now that the Jackets have league-worse goaltending, he's gloating about how correct his CBJ ranking was in the preseason.

 

[Monstershockey]

View attachment 604531

Is that a Torts coached team at the opposite end of the list?

 

[NotWendell]

View attachment 604531

A good goaltender would do wonders for this team.