Re: Nash and Brassard

[silverfish]

Hello CBJ Fans!

Hope all of your summers are going well.

As we enter the dog days of August here, we are in heavy debate on HFNYR about potential lines come October.

I was curious what Nash and Brassard were like on the Blue Jackets if they were ever on a line together with Nash lining up on Brassard's left. A lot of people seem to believe that Nash would be a good complement to Brassard and Zuccarello like Pouliot was last season. Part of me has a memory that Nash and Brassard never worked well together though. Nash has also mostly been lining up on the right-side for NYR, where I feel he is better suited.

Any memories there?

Also, please give me back Dubinsky. Can we hit redo on the trade and send you Callahan instead? Many thanks.

See you guys in May

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[DJA]

They didn't play together very much. Nash played mostly with Vermette and Carter and a mix of everyone from Peca to Malhotra. Brassard played with Voracek and Filatov and then he started the 2011-2012 season on our 4th line with Johansen and MacKenzie/Mayorov.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

They played together for a brief period and brass always dished to Nash and refused to do anything else. And they had some success, but nothing to go crazy about. Brass' game has changed though, so maybe it can work now.

 

[Dr. Fire]

The problem with Brassard when he was here was that after the shoulder injury it seemed like he never mentally recovered. Thus, he was not the player anyone thought he could be, so he was not usually playing high enough to be on a line with Nash.

To me, it looks like Brass may have finally got his mental game back. He did look much better last season, and really played well against the Pens in the play-offs. In my mind, though, the jury is still out on how well he does on a top line against better competition, and better defenses.

I think he could work with Nash if he could elevate his game just a bit more to be a true top 6 guy. He seems to have earned that role for this coming season more for lack of other options than anything else.

I hope he does well, just not well enough to hurt the CBJ.

 

[cbjgirl]

Nash - Brass - Voracek was a line for awhile. Problem was, the only thing Brass and Jake would both do was pass to Rick. Pretty easy to shut down a line when only one guy on it shoots.

 

[Nanabijou]

Brass only played about 1/4 of the season in during 2008-2009 (the Jackets' first playoff season), mainly on the second line, and had looked great before throwing out his shoulder during an ill-advised fight with James Neal. All expectation was that the Jackets were going to build on their playoff appearance with Brass as the first-line center the following season.

As others have said, Brass looked over-whelmed and outmatched in the position, and he just tried to pass it off to Nash every time he got the puck. The Jackets floundered, Brass got demoted in line position, and Hitchcock got fired. The next season, Scott Arniel became the coach and Brass never really got to play first line again (Arniel didn't seem to like Brass at that time, and Brassard's play didn't warrant heavy minutes either).

It's possible that Brassard has matured more now that it could work better than it did the first time. In fairness to him, he was thrown in there before he was really ready for it.

 

[NotWendell]

Every post before me is spot on. I'll add: the problem with a Nash-Brassard pairing is not Brassard. He's just doing fine without Nash.

 

[db2011]

How they did was they both got traded.

 

[Nordique]

How they did was they both got traded.

QFT.

Classic case of CBJ rushing young players into top 6 roles.

 

[pete goegan]

QFT.

Classic case of CBJ rushing young players into top 6 roles.

Nash played most of his rookie season on the third line. After that, he clearly deserved top line duty. I'm not convinced Brassard does, to this day!

 

[NotWendell]

Nash played most of his rookie season on the third line. After that, he clearly deserved top line duty. I'm not convinced Brassard does, to this day!

2nd line is where he belongs.

 

[pete goegan]

2nd line is where he belongs.

As long as it's not second line in Columbus, I'm OK with it, lee!

 

[silverfish]

Completely forgot I posted this thread.

Awesome insight. Thank you everyone who responded!

 

[Nordique]

Nash played most of his rookie season on the third line. After that, he clearly deserved top line duty. I'm not convinced Brassard does, to this day!

I should have been more specific, Nash was a stud in the early years, reckless yet very effective. I was referring to Brassard.