Is it just me?

[Kylington]

I like to think that this team will go really far in playoffs in coming years, is that just me having that feeling?... with Dubinsky as captain and most youngsters developing good.

I've been a "fan" of several teams cause of swedish players, but i've always somehow liked the Jackets for no reason, even if they didn't have any swedish players. This is why i'm getting so excited for coming season with this young squad!

Dont kill my hopes and dreams guys, i know it looks bad now but be positive

I've also never liked Nash, he's a good player but never liked his attitude for some reason. with him gone im happier than ever cause my fav player Dubinsky got here!

Cheers

Click to read more...

 

[Nordique]

I like to think that this team will go really far in playoffs in coming years, is that just me having that feeling?... with Dubinsky as captain and most youngsters developing good.

I've been a "fan" of several teams cause of swedish players, but i've always somehow liked the Jackets for no reason, even if they didn't have any swedish players. This is why i'm getting so excited for coming season with this young squad!

Dont kill my hopes and dreams guys, i know it looks bad now but be positive

I've also never liked Nash, he's a good player but never liked his attitude for some reason. with him gone im happier than ever cause my fav player Dubinsky got here!

Cheers

I like what I see emerging from this group, and the youth shows more promise than in years past. The 3 picks are exciting, but its going to come down to goaltending for this team. There are alot of good hockey teams that miss the playoffs every year because they can't find consistent net minding.

 

[Kylington]

I like what I see emerging from this group, and the youth shows more promise than in years past. The 3 picks are exciting, but its going to come down to goaltending for this team. There are alot of good hockey teams that miss the playoffs every year because they can't find consistent net minding.

Well i wouldn't be too worried, in my opinion we have two of the best young goalies in the league. both have tons of room for improvement, and they will for sure.

 

[Skraut]

I feel some of that, but it is tempered with feeling it before, and knowing how that turned out.

I guess you could call me cautiously optimistic.

 

[BluejacketNut]

As a CBJ fan since 2000, i've learned not to think this way

 

[Kylington]

Well, next year im telling you! conf semifinal at the very least!!! you heard it here.

 

[BJFan1]

I'm optimistic about this teams future... I foresee the roster getting blown up at the trade deadline and up to the draft though and next year being another "rebuild" year. I think it will be enjoyable to watch the team next year, but assuming the realignment goes through, no way we make the playoffs next year... but soon, soon.

 

[db2011]

I'm not as optimistic as OP but I am optimistic. I imagine I'm in the minority, but I like this team better without Nash... not without Nash in a vacuum, but I like this team better after the Nash trade. A lot easier to get behind them.

I'm certainly optimistic about the front office moves. It feels finally like we have a respectable administration, and that will go a long way towards competitiveness.

I think the question of whether next year will be a strict rebuilding year is a good one. Given the front office shakeup it would seem that way. But I think a lot of the core of the current team will still be here next year, like AA, Duby, JJ and Wiz. A lot of others may be too. I can see Letestu getting traded, maybe Foligno.. but I don't see a huge roster turnover, myself.

So with that core, even of just the first 4 guys I named, plus youngsters who are up playing now, I see the team being competitive next year more than rebuilding. Not by much, but still.

 

[blahblah]

I like to think that this team will go really far in playoffs in coming years, is that just me having that feeling?... with Dubinsky as captain and most youngsters developing good.

The potential is there with what looks to be a stronger foundation to build up. We seem to have some character and guys that play, what should be, a winning brand of hockey.

This will take time obviously, but I'm optimistic we have the foundation in which to do good things. I'm not considering the 3 first round picks this year in any of the evaluation.

 

[fox2usp]

I'm not as optimistic as OP but I am optimistic. I imagine I'm in the minority, but I like this team better without Nash... not without Nash in a vacuum, but I like this team better after the Nash trade. A lot easier to get behind them.

I'm certainly optimistic about the front office moves. It feels finally like we have a respectable administration, and that will go a long way towards competitiveness.

I think the question of whether next year will be a strict rebuilding year is a good one. Given the front office shakeup it would seem that way. But I think a lot of the core of the current team will still be here next year, like AA, Duby, JJ and Wiz. A lot of others may be too. I can see Letestu getting traded, maybe Foligno.. but I don't see a huge roster turnover, myself.

So with that core, even of just the first 4 guys I named, plus youngsters who are up playing now, I see the team being competitive next year more than rebuilding. Not by much, but still.

You're not alone. I celebrate the fact I don't see Nash in union blue any longer. I believe Nash was the problem with the lack of effort and the country club atmosphere with the team. I think looking back, Nash's departure will be the turn around point for this club. I know this isn't a popular opinion, but it's what I believe.

 

[AlienLanes82]

You're not alone. I celebrate the fact I don't see Nash in union blue any longer. I believe Nash was the problem with the lack of effort and the country club atmosphere with the team. I think looking back, Nash's departure will be the turn around point for this club. I know this isn't a popular opinion, but it's what I believe.

Nash's absence has managed to move this team from worst in the league, to clearly and indisputably the worst in the league without even a distant hope of coming in 29th place.

Success?

The youngsters are coming along well, though. I predicted 9 wins before the season started, and they're ahead of the pace.

 

[Dr. Fire]

One thing that I find interesting is that even with all the injuries, this team is losing a lot of one goal games. Now I understand that a loss is a loss, but they are not getting blown out on a nightly basis.

The thing about losing a lot of one goal games is that with a few improvements here and there, those losses can become one goal wins.

Making the play-offs next year would be a miracle in my mind, but I would not be surprised to see this team in the play-offs in two years.

 

[cbjgirl]

One thing that I find interesting is that even with all the injuries, this team is losing a lot of one goal games. Now I understand that a loss is a loss, but they are not getting blown out on a nightly basis.

The thing about losing a lot of one goal games is that with a few improvements here and there, those losses can become one goal wins.

Making the play-offs next year would be a miracle in my mind, but I would not be surprised to see this team in the play-offs in two years.

On the latest TSN.ca power rankings, we were 29th (I was slightly surprised we weren't last). They said that 8 of the CBJ loses were 1 goal loses.

 

[BluejacketNut]

The people who are happy that Nash is gone is like the guy who gets dumped by a hot girl and says "Ya, well, I didnt like her anyway"

 

[major major]

The people who are happy that Nash is gone is like the guy who gets dumped by a hot girl and says "Ya, well, I didnt like her anyway"

More like the people who date a hot girl for many years, and then she decides to break up, which you would never do because she is too hot, but then you realize later that you are getting a lot of personal growth without her, and you are better off apart.

 

[major major]

Well i wouldn't be too worried, in my opinion we have two of the best young goalies in the league. both have tons of room for improvement, and they will for sure.

Ah, no. We have a couple question marks who might become something, might not. I hope we can figure out more by the end of the season, and deal for a no #1 if it looks like our guys aren't working out. (Cory Schneider is a definite no. 1, BTW).

 

[NotWendell]

Get a proven NHL goalie and draft well this summer and it's possible.

 

[EspenK]

I think we have some parts of a foundation but I'm not so sure that we are very far along to becoming a real good team.
What bothers me is that we have no guys that are really impressive and who appear to be definite stars in the future.
And we have a lot of redundancy. Too many 3rd & 4th line types with only a few proven top line forwards. Dubi and Anisimov qualify but they aren't exactly the first guys that come to mind when listing top 6 forwards throughout the league.
Our goalies aren't very good.
Defense is supposedly the strength but we have no real physical shutdown types. Lots of puck moving alleged offensive defenseman. Murray if Sore Loser is right could be our future star. The rest of the D guys are serviceable and better than any collection we have ever had.
What is encouraging is that the effort level has increased 100% and if it stays high will give us a base to build from.
The ifs include:
Will CAM be a Martin St Louis type player?
Will Jenner be the long term answer to a 3rd line center that plays good D and can score some?
Joey lives up to hype? Or at least comes close.
Will Umbie ever become a 25g - 50 pt forward again?
Will Brassard ever fulfill part of his 6th pick expectation?
Will JK & JD have some draft success?
How long will it take to develop some offense?
Will a full training camp enable all the new guys to mesh?

I guess i don't see this team as being close to being a contender but I do see them as being a lot better than last year although without a hot streak somewhere along the line they project out worse than last year.

 

[BluejacketNut]

More like the people who date a hot girl for many years, and then she decides to break up, which you would never do because she is too hot, but then you realize later that you are getting a lot of personal growth without her, and you are better off apart.

Whatever makes you feel better

 

[db2011]

The people who are happy that Nash is gone is like the guy who gets dumped by a hot girl and says "Ya, well, I didnt like her anyway"

The people who make "dumped by a hot girl" analogies have never been dumped by a hot girl.

there's being happy Nash is gone, and there's liking this team better after the Nash trade. I really get tired of this drum banging for a superstar. Hey, a superstar would be great except oh wait, we had one. For years. He was our captain.

Where'd that get us?

You can be competitive in this league without a superstar. Not saying SC Finals. But competitive and worthy. More worthy than last year's Jackets with Nash (the Nash who asked to be traded). By a lot. Maybe these 3 1st rounders come in next year and set it on fire and we can just sit back and enjoy our hard-earned CBJ fandom. Or maybe they crap the bed with all the pressure and we're stuck with the roster we have now to do any damage. Well, this roster isn't far off, shiny new draft picks or not, and I bet opposing teams would prefer to play last year's Jackets to this year's Jackets. I know I like watching them better by a mile.

Keep hiding behind your superstar with your silly JV comparisons

 

[BluejacketNut]

The people who make "dumped by a hot girl" analogies have never been dumped by a hot girl.

there's being happy Nash is gone, and there's liking this team better after the Nash trade. I really get tired of this drum banging for a superstar. Hey, a superstar would be great except oh wait, we had one. For years. He was our captain.

Where'd that get us?

You can be competitive in this league without a superstar. Not saying SC Finals. But competitive and worthy. More worthy than last year's Jackets with Nash (the Nash who asked to be traded). By a lot. Maybe these 3 1st rounders come in next year and set it on fire and we can just sit back and enjoy our hard-earned CBJ fandom. Or maybe they crap the bed with all the pressure and we're stuck with the roster we have now to do any damage. Well, this roster isn't far off, shiny new draft picks or not, and I bet opposing teams would prefer to play last year's Jackets to this year's Jackets. I know I like watching them better by a mile.

Keep hiding behind your superstar with your silly JV comparisons

I want this team to win a stanley cup, not go through the motions and be competitive. Nash was always bashed for his +/- stats, he's +9 right now. Nash wasnt the problem, management who was unable to create a winning environment and put together an even semi decent team was the problem. It was stupid of ownership to let Howson trade Nash....as you can see, Davidson wasnt very impressed with him either

Maybe you prefer Denial isnt just a river in Egypt

 

[FANonymous]

Well, this roster isn't far off, shiny new draft picks or not, and I bet opposing teams would prefer to play last year's Jackets to this year's Jackets.

Isn't far off from what exactly? 2nd-to-last place? This team is completely devoid of top line talent, we're hurting for a starting goaltender and could really use a #1 Defenseman. We all know how easy it is to get those things. Not like we've been waiting the franchise's entire existence for any of that.

 

[blahblah]

Nash's absence has managed to move this team from worst in the league, to clearly and indisputably the worst in the league without even a distant hope of coming in 29th place.

Just noticed this one. I can't express how much I disagree with this assessment.

 

[Viqsi]

Isn't far off from what exactly? 2nd-to-last place? This team is completely devoid of top line talent, we're hurting for a starting goaltender and could really use a #1 Defenseman. We all know how easy it is to get those things. Not like we've been waiting the franchise's entire existence for any of that.

We do lack a #1 defenseman on the ice right now. Mostly because he's injured and so can't be on the ice. As is the other guy who will likely be another #1D someday.

We have a starting goaltender. He's generally about average. He won't steal games for us - for that, you need an above-average or high quality starting goaltender.

We are legitimately devoid of top-line scoring talent, and the scoring-by-committee theory isn't working. Thankfully, we have the draft for that. The important thing is that the team is presumably aware of that, and they frankly don't care. They keep playing hard anyways.

That's a good environment to raise a talented hockey player or three in.

 

[blahblah]

We do lack a #1 defenseman on the ice right now. Mostly because he's injured and so can't be on the ice. As is the other guy who will likely be another #1D someday.

We have a starting goaltender. He's generally about average. He won't steal games for us - for that, you need an above-average or high quality starting goaltender.

We are legitimately devoid of top-line scoring talent, and the scoring-by-committee theory isn't working. Thankfully, we have the draft for that. The important thing is that the team is presumably aware of that, and they frankly don't care. They keep playing hard anyways.

That's a good environment to raise a talented hockey player or three in.

I don't know, your pitch didn't exactly sell that last part to me. We get to the same place, but we take radically different paths to get there.