Rick Nash trade: one year later

[Mayor Bee]

I don't know of any specific offer, only that reporting had all those players in play, as well as Stepan and Del Zotto. When you say "package that the media reported, he'd have taken it.." what package are you referring to? And the implication is that Howson would have taken it? Who do you think really was being offered from the Rangers last summer as alternative offers to the one Howson jumped on?

Just curious, but does anyone have any idea what other teams were offering for Nash? Like were there any reports saying such and such team offered a specific package to us?

Relevant quotes from the Nash saga. Huge amount of credit is due to http://snyrangersblog.com/ for compiling most of this.

"According to Larry Brooks in the NY Post, the Rangers final offer for Rick Nash was Brandon Dubinsky, Tim Erixon, JT Miller, Christian Thomas and a [2012] first round pick."

"Brooks writes that Columbus was after a package that included either Ryan McDonagh or Michael Del Zotto, Derek Stepan or Carl Hagelin, Chris Kreider and Brandon Dubinsky."

"(Kreider) wasn't the only reason, but he was a big part," said Gordie Clark, the Rangers' vice-president of player personnel. "They were asking for so bloody much. As I said in the [war] room, 'Jeez, Columbus wants to give us Nash, but they want us to look like Columbus when we get him.'"

"Former Rangers goalie Glen Healy said on HNIC that the price for Nash was two players off of an NHL roster, two prospects ranked in the top 30 by The Hockey News and a first round pick."

"Garrioch says that Glen Sather feels like he made a good offer for Nash and he didn’t like how Scott Howson handled negotiations.

He says that Columbus wouldn’t stop asking for Michael Del Zotto and other players.

Garrioch says that the Rangers offer was Brandon Dubinsky, Tim Erixon, JT Miller and two first round picks."

At Newsday, Arthur Staple writes about the Rangers offseason and wonders if a deal starting with Brandon Dubinsky, Dylan McIilrath and the 28th pick in the draft could be enough to lure Rick Nash to the Rangers.

One NHL source: “No way John Davidson joins the Blue Jackets and trades Rick Nash a week later.”

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) June 7, 2012

It was said at the deadline that Columbus was trying to send Nash to Philly and that they wanted Sergei Bobrovsky and JVR as part of a package for him.

Hearing that CLB GM Scott Howson still asking for 4/5 major pieces in return for Rick Nash — who would still have to waive his NTC.

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) June 16, 2012

5:24PM: At ESPN.com, Pierre LeBrun writes that if Columbus doesn’t get the package they want for Nash this week, they are more than willing to wait until after Zach Parise signs.

LeBrun notes the Rangers interest in Nash and says that the Flyers, Sharks and Hurricanes have interest as well. He does say that Justin Faulk is not available from Carolina but that the eighth overall pick is.

According to Don Brennan in the Ottawa Sun, The Senators have made a big push to try and acquire Rick Nash from the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Brennan says that the Senators are prepared to offer Mika Zibanejad (2011-6th overall), Nick Foligno and goalie Ben Bishop.

Ken Campbell writes in The Hockey News that the teams on Nash’s list are the Rangers, Flyers, Sharks, Bruins, Pens, Red Wings and Blackhawks.

[Carolina has] the trifecta of assets it would take to get Nash – a good, young roster player (defenseman Justin Faulk), a good prospect (Zac Dalpe, who played his collegiate hockey at Ohio State) and the eighth overall pick in the draft.

The Boston Bruins are not in the Rick Nash sweeps according to Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.

Haggerty says that Boston was asked to part with two from the group of Tyler Seguin, Milan Lucic and prospect Dougie Hamilton, along with other prospects and draft picks.

In the NY Post, Larry Brooks writes that the chances for a Rangers trade for Rick Nash are “nil unless Howson returns to Planet Earth.”

The price for Nash appears to be two established players and two prospects.

In the Columbus Dispatch, Michael Arace writes that seemingly everyone except for Scott Howson wants the Rick Nash saga to be over.

He notes that the Blue Jackets are looking for between 3 and 5 pieces that are a combination of high end prospects, NHL talent and draft picks.

Arace writes that the Blue Jackets either need to deal him or hold a press conference and say “We cannot get fair value for Nash. He means more to us than anyone, which is why we agreed to pay him $62.4 million over eight years. In any case, he is contractually obligated to suit up for our team. Period. And besides, we have no other forwards.”

He adds, “Trade him or keep him. Resolution is long overdue. This is turning into a joke, which is the last thing Columbus needs at this point of its rebuilding, or reshaping, or whatever it is.”

Larry Brooks tweets; “Another day, another attempt by Howson to prod Rangers into doing something won’t do. It’s a waste of time.”

Brooks updates and says, “Another day another attempt by Howson to prod NYR into doing something they wont do. Not trading Kreider, Stepan or McDonagh. Waste of time”

In the NY Post, Larry Brooks writes that Glen Sather is prepared to offer two players from the Rangers roster and two prospects in a deal to get Rick Nash.

He also adds that Sather has been interested in acquiring Nash since the 2010-11 season when Howson called to inquire about Michael Del Zotto who had been sent to Hartford.

Speaking of trade speculation … been told repeatedly #CBJ GM Scott Howson has NOT demanded Kreider, McDonagh or Stepan in talks w #NYR.

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) July 3, 2012

He adds, “Told there are lots of ways #NYR could get this done w/o Kreider, Stepan or McDonagh. As noted, McDonagh does not make sense as centerpiece.”

Aaron Portzline went on WFAN yesterday and reportedly said that Rick Nash could be had for Brandon Dubinsky, Derek Stepan and a first round pick.

In terms of the players the Rangers would likely include, (Dan) Rosen thinks that the Blue Jackets would want a combination of Michael Del Zotto, Carl Hagelin, Tim Erixon, Christian Thomas and JT Miller.

At MLive, Ansar Khan writes that the Red Wings approached the Blue Jackets about a trade for Rick Nash and made “a hell of an offer.”

“Again, it’s unclear what the Red Wings put on the table for Nash, but if it truly was “a hell of an offer” it wasn’t a pair of third-line forwards, a couple of minor leaguers and a mid-round draft pick.”

According to Bruce Garrioch in the Ottawa Sun, the Senators offered Columbus goalie Robin Lehner, winger Nick Foligno and 2011 first round pick Mika Zibanejad for Rick Nash.

The bolded are important. Rather than having either Bobrovsky or Foligno (long coveted) as major components of a deal for Nash, Howson was able to get both of them for a pittance and then moved Nash for four pieces anyway.

The bolded on Ken Campbell in THN refers to "trifecta of assets", which diverged wildly from the alleged "five top pieces" that Larry Brooks and a couple of others were reporting. Don't forget that Jordan Staal was moved at the draft for a very similar package as Campbell wrote (8th overall, top defenseman prospect, young roster forward), and no one in the world would take Staal over Nash. It would seem to indicate that what I've said previously and is now being verified is true: that Howson was being lowballed left and right, that others teams were using the media to exert pressure on Howson, and that as soon as someone (Rangers) conjured up a half-decent offer, the deal was made.

I went into more detail a few months back here: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=63232513&postcount=110

 

[EspenK]

I went into more detail a few months back here: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=63232513&postcount=110

Nice summary of the saga.

 

[pete goegan]

While were talking about Rick, the Dispatch reported, this morning, that he still lives in Central Ohio and is a member of Scioto CC. Recently, he married his long-time local girlfriend, so:

Congratulations and Best Wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Rick Nash!

 

[Viqsi]

"(Kreider) wasn't the only reason, but he was a big part," said Gordie Clark, the Rangers' vice-president of player personnel. "They were asking for so bloody much. As I said in the [war] room, 'Jeez, Columbus wants to give us Nash, but they want us to look like Columbus when we get him.'"

Such tremendous irony, in hindsight...

* * *​

While were talking about Rick, the Dispatch reported, this morning, that he still lives in Central Ohio and is a member of Scioto CC. Recently, he married his long-time local girlfriend, so:

Congratulations and Best Wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Rick Nash!

Oh cool! Mazel Tov to #61.

 

[Sore Loser]

While were talking about Rick, the Dispatch reported, this morning, that he still lives in Central Ohio and is a member of Scioto CC. Recently, he married his long-time local girlfriend, so:

Congratulations and Best Wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Rick Nash!

Congrats, indeed!

 

[FANonymous]

While were talking about Rick, the Dispatch reported, this morning, that he still lives in Central Ohio and is a member of Scioto CC. Recently, he married his long-time local girlfriend, so:

Congratulations and Best Wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Rick Nash!

Soon enough there will be little Nashes demanding trades out of Columbus.

 

[LetsGOJackets!!]

That was a well documented saga Mayor Bee

Well done. It is amazing in hindsight how ironic the comment about NYR looking like Columbus. Falls into the be careful what you say.. though Brassard looked good for them in the playoffs.

 

[major major]

Nice history there, Mayor Bee.

 

[KeithBWhittington]

I was one of the people here that thought a Nash deal was a few seasons overdue. The prior regime has my respect for what they acquired in the deal which was two very solid NHL forwards that play with passion and energy and commitment, even if they don't have the skills and natural abilities that Rick Nash does. Erixon surprised me. I was worried after his stint with the Flames organization, that'd he'd be wishy washy about coming here, but he looked solid in his callup and it could be argued, along with Prout and Golo's strong play when here, made John Moore replacable, and was immediately one of the best players on the team with Springfield.

Rychel is still a wild card.... He could be a Jared Boll, or he could be a more skilled Raffi Torres (Columbus Raffi, which, if you remember, was maybe the best Raffi: 20 goal potential, didn't take as many dumb penalties, still played with a considerable edge).

Columbus got a solid pivot in Anisimov thats capable of centering a top two line, a Hard Working, Captain type in Brandon Dubinsky, a potential steady top 4 NHL d-man, and one of the best prospects in the OHL.... I'd say the deal was a home run for Columbus.

 

[IBleedUnionBlue]

While were talking about Rick, the Dispatch reported, this morning, that he still lives in Central Ohio and is a member of Scioto CC. Recently, he married his long-time local girlfriend, so:

Congratulations and Best Wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Rick Nash!

Agreed. Good for him!

 

[db2011]

I'm thrilled with the trade, like it more and more. The jury is still out I think on Nash as a true superstar, but aside from that I am glad the team is not constructed as it was before, with such reliance on one player. The Blue Jackets were Nash's team for a long time and went nowhere. Glad he's gone.

 

[PIM]

Hi everyone. I'm a Rangers fan, making my first post in the CBJ section.. go figure. There's some great insight here but there is one thing I'd like to touch on that's what I consider some pretty common misconceptions in evaluating the Nash/Gaborik trades, mainly with those two players.

IMO

Gaborik < Nash
Anisimov > Brassard
Dubinsky > Dorsett
Erixon = Moore
1st > 3rd

First, Gaborik is an average .876 PPG player in the regular season and .648 PPG player in the playoffs, with a regular season +89 and playoff +2. Compare that to Nash's .82 PPG in the regular season and .5 PPG in the playoffs, with a regular season -55 and playoff -1.

Gaborik's offensive and defensive numbers are clearly superior, but we also have to factor in that Gaborik is 2 years older (though the argument could be made that he's been more productive over a larger sample size, with his best numbers coming at pointsin his career that Nash has also passed) and all the intangibles that make Nash appear to be a more dynamic player on the surface level.

Personally I think Gaborik has the superior skill set but Nash has more mileage left in him, but isn't clutch. It's a wash in the long term, but in 'win now' mode, Gaborik is a better asset.

When it comes to Brassard and Anisimov, I'd make the case that Arty is at a better stage in his development but Brass has a higher ceiling. I attribute a lot of Brassard's woes to Columbus rushing him into the NHL.Ultimately, it's way too early to determine which of these players will be more productive in the long run at this point, though I will say that in the small sample size I've seen in NY Brassard has proven to be a creative, clutch player whereas Arty was never a true standout in his time here.

Moore is definitely developing faster than Erixon. He's a better skater and he has much more offensive upside. From what I remember, he's also a fair amount bigger, and even though neither play an overtly physical game, size is definitely a factor for a defensemen in the NHL- especially one with the skating prowess and puck moving abilities of Moore. This is another case where it's really up in the air as of now, but I personally don't think there's a chance that Moore doesn't come out on top of this one.

Dorsett and Dubinsky really isn't a reasonable comparison- it's like saying Crosby is better than Lundqvist. They fill such dramatically different roles that their worth is determined by team need, since that's what decides the value of a skill set.

Dubinsky is a pretty hard nosed middle 6 center who can add decent production to the middle of the lineup. Dorsett is an agitator and enforcer who gets opposing offensive threats off the ice, sticks up for his teammates (although Dubinsky can fight too, most wouldn't consider it one of his pivotal roles) and serves as a deterrent to guys who might take runs at his players.

I would never evaluate these two guys against one another because there's no context. Both filled a role that the other team had a need for, and both are effective at what they were brought in to do.

Thanks for reading my ramble folks. This is what happens in the summer.

 

[candyman82]

Hi everyone. I'm a Rangers fan, making my first post in the CBJ section.. go figure. There's some great insight here but there is one thing I'd like to touch on that's what I consider some pretty common misconceptions in evaluating the Nash/Gaborik trades, mainly with those two players.



First, Gaborik is an average .876 PPG player in the regular season and .648 PPG player in the playoffs, with a regular season +89 and playoff +2. Compare that to Nash's .82 PPG in the regular season and .5 PPG in the playoffs, with a regular season -55 and playoff -1.

Gaborik's offensive and defensive numbers are clearly superior, but we also have to factor in that Gaborik is 2 years older (though the argument could be made that he's been more productive over a larger sample size, with his best numbers coming at pointsin his career that Nash has also passed) and all the intangibles that make Nash appear to be a more dynamic player on the surface level.

Personally I think Gaborik has the superior skill set but Nash has more mileage left in him, but isn't clutch. It's a wash in the long term, but in 'win now' mode, Gaborik is a better asset.

When it comes to Brassard and Anisimov, I'd make the case that Arty is at a better stage in his development but Brass has a higher ceiling. I attribute a lot of Brassard's woes to Columbus rushing him into the NHL.Ultimately, it's way too early to determine which of these players will be more productive in the long run at this point, though I will say that in the small sample size I've seen in NY Brassard has proven to be a creative, clutch player whereas Arty was never a true standout in his time here.

Moore is definitely developing faster than Erixon. He's a better skater and he has much more offensive upside. From what I remember, he's also a fair amount bigger, and even though neither play an overtly physical game, size is definitely a factor for a defensemen in the NHL- especially one with the skating prowess and puck moving abilities of Moore. This is another case where it's really up in the air as of now, but I personally don't think there's a chance that Moore doesn't come out on top of this one.

Dorsett and Dubinsky really isn't a reasonable comparison- it's like saying Crosby is better than Lundqvist. They fill such dramatically different roles that their worth is determined by team need, since that's what decides the value of a skill set.

Dubinsky is a pretty hard nosed middle 6 center who can add decent production to the middle of the lineup. Dorsett is an agitator and enforcer who gets opposing offensive threats off the ice, sticks up for his teammates (although Dubinsky can fight too, most wouldn't consider it one of his pivotal roles) and serves as a deterrent to guys who might take runs at his players.

I would never evaluate these two guys against one another because there's no context. Both filled a role that the other team had a need for, and both are effective at what they were brought in to do.

Thanks for reading my ramble folks. This is what happens in the summer.

1. Brassard was not rushed. He spent an entire year in the AHL before getting a sniff of NHL ice.

2. Moore was behind Erixon on the depth chart. When these two were put on a team together, Erixon outperformed Moore significantly. Moore was our #8 defenseman when he was traded.

 

[PCH]

Until the day I die or begin to forget things from old age I will swear this: Derick Brassard was on his way to becoming a young star in the league during the '08-'09 season when he got into an ill-advised fight with James Neal (when Neal was with Dallas) and separated his shoulder. Since that point he has not been the same player aside from flashes of last season after he was traded.

Brassard's numbers from that season:
2008-09 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 31 10 15 25

If he somehow regains his swagger Derick Brassard could still be a pretty legitimate 2nd line center and ~60pt. guy. That's a huuuuuuge IF but I, for one, will be not be *that* surprised if it happens. He was my favorite young Jacket for a while and I was bummed every year when he didn't regain form and light it up. Dudes got the tools.

 

[major major]

Hi everyone. I'm a Rangers fan, making my first post in the CBJ section.. go figure. There's some great insight here but there is one thing I'd like to touch on that's what I consider some pretty common misconceptions in evaluating the Nash/Gaborik trades, mainly with those two players.



First, Gaborik is an average .876 PPG player in the regular season and .648 PPG player in the playoffs, with a regular season +89 and playoff +2. Compare that to Nash's .82 PPG in the regular season and .5 PPG in the playoffs, with a regular season -55 and playoff -1.

Gaborik's offensive and defensive numbers are clearly superior, but we also have to factor in that Gaborik is 2 years older (though the argument could be made that he's been more productive over a larger sample size, with his best numbers coming at pointsin his career that Nash has also passed) and all the intangibles that make Nash appear to be a more dynamic player on the surface level.

Personally I think Gaborik has the superior skill set but Nash has more mileage left in him, but isn't clutch. It's a wash in the long term, but in 'win now' mode, Gaborik is a better asset.

When it comes to Brassard and Anisimov, I'd make the case that Arty is at a better stage in his development but Brass has a higher ceiling. I attribute a lot of Brassard's woes to Columbus rushing him into the NHL.Ultimately, it's way too early to determine which of these players will be more productive in the long run at this point, though I will say that in the small sample size I've seen in NY Brassard has proven to be a creative, clutch player whereas Arty was never a true standout in his time here.

Moore is definitely developing faster than Erixon. He's a better skater and he has much more offensive upside. From what I remember, he's also a fair amount bigger, and even though neither play an overtly physical game, size is definitely a factor for a defensemen in the NHL- especially one with the skating prowess and puck moving abilities of Moore. This is another case where it's really up in the air as of now, but I personally don't think there's a chance that Moore doesn't come out on top of this one.

Dorsett and Dubinsky really isn't a reasonable comparison- it's like saying Crosby is better than Lundqvist. They fill such dramatically different roles that their worth is determined by team need, since that's what decides the value of a skill set.

Dubinsky is a pretty hard nosed middle 6 center who can add decent production to the middle of the lineup. Dorsett is an agitator and enforcer who gets opposing offensive threats off the ice, sticks up for his teammates (although Dubinsky can fight too, most wouldn't consider it one of his pivotal roles) and serves as a deterrent to guys who might take runs at his players.

I would never evaluate these two guys against one another because there's no context. Both filled a role that the other team had a need for, and both are effective at what they were brought in to do.

Thanks for reading my ramble folks. This is what happens in the summer.

It's not a surprise because we do the mirror image, but you're comparing the guys who used to play on the Rangers with the guys who now play on the Rangers, and you don't know much about how either group played with the Jackets.

1. Erixon has played better here than Moore ever did. His decision-making was way ahead.

2. Don't put Dubinsky and Dorsett in the same paragraph.

3. Arty was dynamic at both ends of the ice here, while Brassard was a passionless floater, with the exception of his awesome rookie year before the injury (as noted by PCH). Many of us gave up waiting for him to return to that and knew he needed a fresh start. You might have a player there.

 

[PIM]

It's not a surprise because we do the mirror image, but you're comparing the guys who used to play on the Rangers with the guys who now play on the Rangers, and you don't know much about how either group played with the Jackets.

1. Erixon has played better here than Moore ever did. His decision-making was way ahead.

2. Don't put Dubinsky and Dorsett in the same paragraph.

3. Arty was dynamic at both ends of the ice here, while Brassard was a passionless floater, with the exception of his awesome rookie year before the injury (as noted by PCH). Many of us gave up waiting for him to return to that and knew he needed a fresh start. You might have a player there.

Well of course the idea is to look at going forward- I'm coming in with the perspective of a Rangers fan because I am a Rangers fan. Erixon plays for Columbus and Moore plays for New York. I believe that thus far, Moore has had a much bigger impact for the team he plays on than Erixon has for the team he plays on. I also said that as of now it's ultimately up in the air anyways, but in my opinion Moore has more upside. Not Moore has more upside for Columbus, but as a player. So given both player's current environments and moving forward, I think Moore will be the better player. That's obviously conjecture and there's no right or wrong, just my two cents.

I don't think you read what I said about Dubinsky and Dorsett, did you? That was essentially my point too, the players aren't comparable. I was responding to the idea of valuing one of them over the other, and how it's not a good one since they fill drastically different roles.

I know Brass wasn't doing well in Columbus, but the quality of the players in evaluating a trade isn't how said players were doing prior to the trade, it's how they did and will continue to do going forward. Sorry for any misunderstanding about that.

 

[PIM]

1. Brassard was not rushed. He spent an entire year in the AHL before getting a sniff of NHL ice.

2. Moore was behind Erixon on the depth chart. When these two were put on a team together, Erixon outperformed Moore significantly. Moore was our #8 defenseman when he was traded.

An entire year in the AHL for a young player is really not a long time. I know a lot of people love to see those high picks get right into it, and sometimes the Crosby's come along and that works out, but more often than not, players need time to develop. Anisimov was iirc 20 years old when he came to the Pack, and he still played 2 AHL seasons. Duby also came to the Pack at 20 and stayed there for 2 years. To me that's a pretty standard development process.

Ryan Callahan didn't perform at an NHL level at one point and he got sent back down for development purposes. That's how a team should handle it in my opinion whenever a young player struggles, and he went on to become an NHL captain. It's obviously going to be subjective to a certain extent, but that's what I mean when I say Brassard's development was rushed. There's every indication that he was a young player in an NHL role that he obviously couldn't handle at the time, regardless of his upside. We've been going through the same thing with Chris Kreider.

 

[Sore Loser]

Until the day I die or begin to forget things from old age I will swear this: Derick Brassard was on his way to becoming a young star in the league during the '08-'09 season when he got into an ill-advised fight with James Neal (when Neal was with Dallas) and separated his shoulder. Since that point he has not been the same player aside from flashes of last season after he was traded.

I agree, but we've seen it from other prospects too. Nikita Filatov's career started out superbly ... we all know how that turned out.

That 2008-09 season was also the same year we made our first playoff appearance, making that one of the two best Jacket teams in history (this year's team being the other) ... so, it's possible that Brassard's numbers may have also been skewed by the team competing harder that year.

We'll simply never know. 31 games is a fairly small stretch, especially for a rookie.

 

[major major]

Well of course the idea is to look at going forward- I'm coming in with the perspective of a Rangers fan because I am a Rangers fan. Erixon plays for Columbus and Moore plays for New York. I believe that thus far, Moore has had a much bigger impact for the team he plays on than Erixon has for the team he plays on. I also said that as of now it's ultimately up in the air anyways, but in my opinion Moore has more upside. Not Moore has more upside for Columbus, but as a player. So given both player's current environments and moving forward, I think Moore will be the better player. That's obviously conjecture and there's no right or wrong, just my two cents.

I don't think you read what I said about Dubinsky and Dorsett, did you? That was essentially my point too, the players aren't comparable. I was responding to the idea of valuing one of them over the other, and how it's not a good one since they fill drastically different roles.

I know Brass wasn't doing well in Columbus, but the quality of the players in evaluating a trade isn't how said players were doing prior to the trade, it's how they did and will continue to do going forward. Sorry for any misunderstanding about that.

Of course future play is what matters. I just don't think you're more informed on that than we are. You're looking at Erixon the Ranger and Moore the Ranger and we are looking at Erixon the Jacket and Moore the Jacket. And a lot of us were blown away by Erixon's smarts, so you're not going to convince us that Moore "has had a much bigger impact for the team he plays on."

For the record:

1. I've said many times in the past that I think the Rangers won the Gaborik trade.

2. I did watch about five Ranger games through the last part of the season/playoffs, and I thought Moore looked way more confident, but his decision making still wasn't that good. He looked lost against Ovechkin, for one. Moore does look a lot like McDonagh in skating and profile, and if he becomes McDonagh than yeah, you win, but for now I think Moore is being overrated by Ranger fans.

 

[Nanabijou]

I agree - Brassard was really projecting to be pretty special during his injury-shortened 2008-09 year.

If he is able to re-kindle that magic in New York, my hat's off to him. The guy was so inconsistent under multiple coaches after that year, so it's not like it was the system or the coaching style that was the likely culprit.

I don't know what it was, but I think signing that big contract early (he still had a year left and he was a RFA) definitely didn't help. Maybe he's seen the writing on the wall and realizes it's about time to play for the next contract.

 

[bester vaive]

Until the day I die or begin to forget things from old age I will swear this: Derick Brassard was on his way to becoming a young star in the league during the '08-'09 season when he got into an ill-advised fight with James Neal (when Neal was with Dallas) and separated his shoulder. Since that point he has not been the same player aside from flashes of last season after he was traded.

Brassard's numbers from that season:
2008-09 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 31 10 15 25

If he somehow regains his swagger Derick Brassard could still be a pretty legitimate 2nd line center and ~60pt. guy. That's a huuuuuuge IF but I, for one, will be not be *that* surprised if it happens. He was my favorite young Jacket for a while and I was bummed every year when he didn't regain form and light it up. Dudes got the tools.

Just another Jacket who had his best days here (stats-wise) under the tutelage of Ken Hitchcock.

 

[Samkow]

Just another Jacket who had his best days here (stats-wise) under the tutelage of Ken Hitchcock.

Did you forget the smiley? Brass was terrible under Hitch after the injury

 

[blahblah]

Did you forget the smiley? Brass was terrible under Hitch after the injury

Brass's stats during Hitch's tenure was fine until the December to forget.

 

[Crede777]

I believe that thus far, Moore has had a much bigger impact for the team he plays on than Erixon has for the team he plays on.

This is some very flawed rationale. The impact that either player had on their team is less the actual player's ability and more that team's depth at defense. The Rangers have a system where Moore is able to step in and contribute immediately. Columbus, meanwhile, is much more stacked at defense and so similar talent slots in much further down the depth chart.

In their time when both were here competing for a spot, Erixon displayed that he was obviously the better player of the two. This is according to Todd Richards, the coach, who said that Erixon was the one who had made the strongest case for himself.

That's the best comparison one can get, when both players are on the same team and are competing for the same spot. Erixon won, Moore got traded, that means Erixon is obviously the better of the two. If Moore was better, then he would be the one on the Jackets roster and not be in the AHL.

 

[PIM]

This is some very flawed rationale. The impact that either player had on their team is less the actual player's ability and more that team's depth at defense. The Rangers have a system where Moore is able to step in and contribute immediately. Columbus, meanwhile, is much more stacked at defense and so similar talent slots in much further down the depth chart.

In their time when both were here competing for a spot, Erixon displayed that he was obviously the better player of the two. This is according to Todd Richards, the coach, who said that Erixon was the one who had made the strongest case for himself.

That's the best comparison one can get, when both players are on the same team and are competing for the same spot. Erixon won, Moore got traded, that means Erixon is obviously the better of the two. If Moore was better, then he would be the one on the Jackets roster and not be in the AHL.

And your entire case rests on Bluejackets staff being infallible. I think your team is improving quite a bit, but that doesn't change the fact that a Vezina performance from Bobrovsky still landed them 16th in the league in goals against this year, with the Rangers at 11th. Now that obviously isn't a direct result of either of these two players, but you're making the case that a team that missed the playoffs backed by a hot goalie all year is stronger defensively than a team that made the playoffs and finished better in goals against. Erixon had 5 points in 31 games last season and Moore had 7 points in 30 games. Both were +4. The math doesn't lie- Moore had a bigger impact. Moore wasn't put on waivers, he was traded for one of the elite goal scorers in the league, just like Erixon was. Being traded from a club is a sign of value, not a sign of a lack of value.