Archive for the Trade News Category

Kekalainen Makes Major Splash at Trade Deadline

By on April 3, 2013

What was proving to be another mediocre trade deadline left much of the social media based Blue Jackets fan base uneasy, concerned, and somewhat frustrated that new General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen had yet to ripple the water in trades let alone make a resounding impact on the Blue Jackets roster.  With the playoffs remarkably within reach, and the brick by brick nature of Columbus’ rebuild, questions about players like Brassard, Mason, Umberger, and a few choice others’ pending future with the team seemed to be very much up in the air.

And yet the clock struck ten, eleven, twelve, and one o’clock without any major changes, not only with the Blue Jackets, but league wide.

Finally, when it seemed like today would be the ultimate “Trade DUDline day,” news started pouring in.  Steve Mason would no longer adorn the Blue Jackets sweater.  He would be dealt to Philadelphia in exchange for Michael Leighton and a third round pick in the 2015 draft.

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Rick Nash Trade: How the Pieces Fit

By on July 25, 2012

A lot of digital ink has been spilled over the last six months regarding the Rick Nash trade. It seemed every time a new piece of information became public, many in the media decided to take shots at Scott Howson. When it came out he asked for Logan Couture and Jeff Skinner, he was ridiculed. Nevermind the fact that you never start a negotiation by asking for the expected return, but with the best case scenario. Howson was further mocked when it came out that he was looking for two young NHL roster players and two prospects. This continued again last week when it was leaked that two NHL forwards were the pieces Howson wanted in return. After it was announced that Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, Tim Erixon and New York’s 2013 1st round pick would be headed to Columbus, the same people who mocked Howson earlier mocked him again. What the hell? Howson ended up with what he was looking for. He got a good young top six forward (Dubinsky), another solid NHL player with upside (Anisimov) and two prospects (well Erixon and a 1st). I honestly don’t understand how any respectable member of the media can mock Howson for asking for “too much”, then when he makes a deal for the EXACT price he was asking for, they mock him for making a bad deal?

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Rick Nash Has Left the Building

By on July 24, 2012

As hockey fans know, Rick Nash was traded yesterday from the Blue Jackets. The trade officially brought the Nash era to an end in Columbus; however, since the original announcement that a trade was asked for in February, we’ve watched the slow removal of Nash from the franchise. It was subtle – no more Nash on the official website, his voice no longer implored us to follow the team during radio advertisements, #61 didn’t loom large over Nationwide Arena or the Columbus Airport. By the time Nash was officially “gone”, it seemed like he’d been gone for a long time. But this was Rick’s way. Quiet, under the radar. It was Rick’s blessing and curse:

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A Weight Lifted: Nash Trade Continues Reshape

By on July 23, 2012

After months of anticipation, a Rick Nash trade was finally completed by Blue Jackets General Manager Scott Howson.  What was shaping up to be another standard Monday turned into a guessing frenzy as parts of the deal began to form on social media outlets. As is common on Twitter, frustration mounted as parts of the were shared over the course of the next half hour, thanks mostly to Darren Dreger of TSN (and his inability to convince his Blackberry to type ’4′ instead of ‘s’).  While the trade did not generate the ‘crazy high return’ everyone seemed to be expecting, the results of the trade were very much fair market value for Nash.  It provided Columbus with the necessary pieces to continue the reshape of the team throughout the roster, along with a highly touted prospect.

The deal was as follows:

To Columbus: Brandon Dubinsky, Tim Erixon, Artem Anisimov, and a 1st round pick (2013)
To New York: Rick Nash, Steven Delisle, and a conditional 3rd round pick (2013)

Continue reading A Weight Lifted: Nash Trade Continues Reshape

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Thoughts on Rick Nash…and the Trade that Isn’t (Yet)

By on July 12, 2012

Many of our esteemed blogger colleagues have already ruminated long and poetic on the many complexities of the pending Rick Nash trade. What has been interesting to watch is the changing perspectives on this scenario from the non-CBJ affiliated fans and media. The headlines have long been “Rick Nash Deserves Better than Columbus”, “Trade Rick Nash”, “Rick Nash is Held Back by Everything in Blue Jackets Land”. But, in recent weeks, we’ve seen a new story line… “the price is too high”, “Nash isn’t that good”, “Nash is overpaid”.

Many Blue Jackets fans – even those who have long demanded Nash’s ouster – have seen this as a rallying cry. How dare we consider Nash to be less than the All-Star we’ve long heard him to be. However, battered as we are by last season, doubt has started to creep in and now, people are considering the possibility that Nash stays in Columbus. Maybe he just wasn’t that good after all, maybe we can’t get anything of value back.

So let’s strip the fandom, and the record, of our team away for a second and consider this situation. And let’s be careful to consider what has been shared as fact versus conjecture. What do we know?

  • Rick Nash has approached CBJ leadership about being traded for the purpose of “bettering the team”
  • Rick Nash has an NTC/NMC in his current contract and has submitted a list of teams for which he would waive said clause
  • Offers have been made & teams have expressed interest
  • Scott Howson will stand by his pre-determined standard for what is acceptable return for Rick Nash
  • The Blue Jackets organization has an almost historic reputation for being tight-lipped about any movements and has often been known to zig when everyone is expecting the zag

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Vermette Traded to Phoenix

By on February 22, 2012

As twitter so thoughtfully put it… over, and over and over, and over again… “And so it begins.”

Antoine Vermette was traded earlier today to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for a second round pick in 2012, a 5th round pick in 2013 (that could be a 4th round pick if the Coyotes win a playoff round) and goaltender Curtis McEhlinney.

For those paying close attention to the team and media commentary throughout the league, this move was expected from the Blue Jackets.  At 18-35-7 and well out of the playoff hunt, Columbus is and will continue to be sellers in hopes of retooling the roster before next season.  With a team bursting at the seams with centers, it came as no surprise to me that Vermette was one of the first names on the trade list.  Vermette has also been considered to be in the latter stages of a very poor year, and has not really come close to competing with his best year (not surprisingly a contract year) of 2009/2010.

I am going to take a bit of time breaking down why I believe things happened the way they did, and what we can expect for the rest of the week.

First, in terms of a player for player (or I suppose in this case picks) comparison, I think Scott Howson came out on the losing end.  While picks have great potential of landing a solid player, I have not personally read any reports that suggest this will be a deep draft, and hold little hope that the 5th round pick in 2013 will net much gain either.  For a 29 year old player with additional years on his contract, I had hoped the deal would land a prospect of some kind in Columbus.  To be clear on this, I am not under the assumption that Curtis McEhlinney will play in Columbus or Springfield, let alone re-sign for an any additional amount of time with the organization. I believe the addition of him was simply a move to allow Phoenix to stay within the fifty player contract max.

In terms of how I believe the deal went, I would argue they broke about even.  I am under the impression that of the players (especially centers) in the locker room, Vermette was one of the less valuable pieces of the puzzle, with players like Brassard and Johansen appearing to be the future top two centers of the team.  With that in mind, Howson likely wanting to remove the additional three years of Vermette at 3.75 million in cap space before this summer. He could then find a less costly option, or a different style of player for that third line centerman role.

Secondary to that, Vermette has worn the “A” for various parts of the last two seasons leading me to believe that he was one of the more respected leaders on the roster.  I believe this is one of a number of trades that will set the tone in the locker room and reduce the possibility of a ‘country club’ atmosphere that I have heard so much about over the last few months.  Certainly this is nothing more than speculation on my part, but it would not surprise me, considering the comments made by Scott Howson wanting to reshape the team and move forward from this season.  I think that is a strong indication of where he held Vermette on his personal depth chart, and someone who he believed was not providing enough of the right intangibles to merit a position on the roster.

I can understand the dissatisfaction regarding the deal, and the return, but I believe that it is a long process, and Columbus management has a plan that will be months in the making.  I can also appreciate that few have the confidence in Howson to put together a winning hockey club, but frankly, I am not going to throw pessimism at someone who is more than likely going to be the general manager of this hockey club for the next year and possibly beyond.  If moving Vermette and his 3.75 million dollar cap hit is what it takes to make room for new talent, count me in.  I have been a Vermette fan for a long time and I wish him well in Phoenix, but it is time for change here.

I would love to hear your thoughts, concerns, and ideas about where the Columbus Blue Jackets should go from here. Feel free to share them in the comments section, and get ready for some more fireworks in the coming week.

Carry the Flag.

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The First Trade AKA Mass Hysteria

By on June 23, 2011

Some stuff happened in Blue Jackets land today…perhaps you’ve heard…but seriously, we went from anxiously awaiting the full schedule to complete delirium over the acquisition of Jeff Carter. Before all the excitement and analysis that will now go on for days (and hopefully be supplanted by even more news from the draft and trades) let’s chart the dive into manic behavior that was June 23, 2011…Approximately 11 AM – One of my favorite hockey minds and all around Tweeter, @Skraut_ posted a quite challenging viewof what happened to local press coverage of our beloved Jackets (mentions noone even knew Jake was in town…premonition?) Debate ensues.2PM – CBJ releases full season schedule thus eliminating giant shell game for all Blue Jackets fans who were trying to piece together our schedule based on other teams’ news

2:02 PM – mass frustration regarding the fact that the CBJ ticket office doesn’t care WHEN you find out the schedule, you still have less than a day to decide your game selection for packages, seats, etc.

2:30 PM – Rumors start rustling that Carter is headed to the Maple Leafs
2:35 PM – Many people laugh

3:00 PM – Now we start to hear that Carter is C-Bus bound…who’s going east?
3:10 PM – Buh-bye Jake.

3:11 PM – Commence endless hours of joy, celebration and realizing that Howson might actually be able to be a man of action and that things are going to start changing here

4:30 PM – Richards leaves Philly TOO?!?!?!
5:00 PM – Philly signs some goalie to a long term contract

Suffice it to say that it certainly has been a roller coaster of emotions this day, every moment was either super jazzed, or full of defeat. And how nice that this is one of those days when we end on an upswing.

My final thoughts – more than ever excited to see what more Howson can do. DELIGHTED by reaction of Nash (see pic below) and Umby, little sad Brass has lost his bromance partner and finally I do want to say…

In all the excitement, and even secure in knowing that its the right thing to do, I will miss Jake. He’s a good guy. Known for his smile and his attitude. I hope for continued success for him in the league, and, while you have to give to get, I will take a moment to miss one of the guys we’ve come to know so well.

Lets Go Jackets!!!

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Sestito Deal Benefits Franchise First

By on February 28, 2011

In the dying moments of crunch time, news came over twitter from a number of sources stating that fan favourite Tom Sestito had been dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers for former Blue Jacket Greg Moore, and last year 3rd round pick Michael Chaput.  Not unsurprising, mass histeria struck half of the Blue Jacket twitter fanbase as the idea of losing a guy who showed solid promise sunk in.

Personally, the deal confused me initially.  Greg Moore was a Blue Jacket only a year ago.  His numbers are fairly standard, and in all aspects, his play is dwarfed by the potential ability of Sestito.  That said, after doing some digging into Chaput, it became fairly clear what Howson was after.

At 6’2, 195 pounds, the 18 year old center has amassed 55 points for the second straight season with Lewiston of the QMJHL.  The analysis at Hockey’s future has this to say about him;

 …the ability to contribute at both ends of the ice. Though not overly physical and needing additional strength, Chaput showed a knack for sneaking through traffic and finding open ice. A solid skater, the pivot took the majority of Lewiston’s face-offs over the year and finished with 51 percent success rating.

Certainly characteristics that look good coming into a bigger, better league.  It is a difficult thing to teach players to find the seam in traffic, and if he works hard, two-way players are always of great value.  Couple those with the dire need for a franchise number one center, and suddenly this trade begins to make sense.

While I can respect the appreciation for Sestito, who has a solid twitter following, along with being a bright spot in a rather dreary month of Columbus hockey, the bar has officially begun to rise in terms of quality play.  With Boll and Dorsett on NHL contracts, the redundancy of Sestito begins to show clear.  Couple that with the addition of Upshall, and suddenly players like Murray and MacKenzie will be fighting tooth and nail to retain relevance with the big club.  Yes, suddenly, a Sestito call-up looks extremely unlikely.

So while I respect the appreciation and favouritsim shown to Sestito, I will respectfully take the road less travelled.  I did enjoy having him on the depth chart, but I believe this move solidifies the necessary potential moving forward that will make this team stronger.  Once again, Howson makes a move that I fully support, and his reasons were clear in the post deadline press conference.  He wanted Chaput last year during the draft, and he finally was able to get him in a deal that did not cost the Jackets in an area they were not already strong in.

Carry the Flag!

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Klesla Dealt to PHX for Upshall, Lepisto

By on February 28, 2011

The deal finally struck.  After awaking this morning after horribly interrupted sleep (thank you dog + thunderstorm/windstorm) I found myself overly anxious and a bit irritable that trades were not falling by 10am.  In fact, by twelve, I was eagerly hunting for additional twitter followers for some sort of unlikely inside scoop on ANYTHING trade relevant.

…And then it happened.  Scott Howson, very much in Scott Howson form, made a deal out of left field, trading players who arguably were not talked about in any form previous to today, from a team claiming that they would not be making additional deals moving into the deadline.

This deal marks the end of an era for the Blue Jackets, and while I have been openly elated about the trade, I do think it’s a good time to acknowledge Rusty for what he has done for the franchise.  At the start of every year, I helplessly hoped that he would find success without finding the IR, and again, my hopes were brutally shattered.

Sami Lepisto will be a 26 year old RFA this summer.  He is not the powerplay QB this team arguably needs, but he has been fairly solid for the Coyotes.  He has 4 goals and 7 assists in 51 games and is a +7 while averaging over 16 minutes a game.  While he won’t make incredible waves in the defensive core, he will most definitely force the competitive nature in the six active players.

Scottie Upshall is a 27 year old upcoming UFA this summer.  He is a hard working 2nd/3rd liner with 16 goals and 11 assists in 61 games with Phoenix this year. He is averaging just over 13 minutes a game, leading me to believe that he could be a flexible 2nd/3rd liner for Columbus depending on injuries.

At this point I am going to call this trade a huge win for Columbus.  Klesla was a great potential talent, but truly struggled to stay healthy.  Lepisto is an RFA who will bring some depth to the Columbus blueline, and Upshall will bring speed and grit that seems to be lacking in the offensive depth of the Jackets roster.

Go Scott Howson.  Some people may think he is inept, but I think he continues to make the deals necessary to bring this team into the playoffs for a long time.

Carry the Flag!

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Vermette is Finally a Blue Jacket

By on March 5, 2009


The Blue Jackets finally got their guy.  After months of speculating, Antoine Vermette was traded to Columbus for Pascal Leclaire and a second round draft pick in the upcoming draft.

Vermette is a tremendously versatile player, spending most of his time in Ottawa playing the secondary role, and killing penalties.  His defensive abilities are clear when down a man, but has the finesse game and dangling skills of an elite scorer (when he is given the opportunity).  He has scored nine goals this year, which is actually a drop in production based on previous years, but many attribute that to the slump Ottawa is in right now, and expect Vermette to rebound well with a new team.
The likelihood of Antoine becoming a 35 goal scorer is slim, but sometimes players find new life once they have been removed from their first NHL team.  It was a well known fact that Jacques Martin punctured the young forwards confidence early in his career, but it seems like regardless of what is thrown at Vermette, he comes out of it smiling.
One other very important feature about Vermette is his faceoff ability.  In the game Howson attended against Vancouver, Antoine went 14-0 on the draw, winning key faceoffs during penalty kills.  This kind of skill will be tremendously valuable to the Jackets, who had been known to struggle in the draw earlier this season.
Expect Vermette to play the second line for the time being.  As we all know, Hitchcock rarely messes with chemistry, and arguably, the top line has it right now.  According to BlueJacketsXtra, Vermette is going to see time with Umberger and Modin on the second line.  Here’s hoping that changes to Umberger and Voracek sooner than later.
Carry the Flag!
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