JUST SO WE'RE ALL CLEAR HERE
No, Nash wasn't the mutinous captain. Not at all. It was all about helping the team.
IS THAT IT?
Does the Nash trade mean that the Blue Jackets are done with offseason improvements to the forward lines? With an offense that was 26th in the NHL last season and never has been in the top half of the league? With free agents still available in the marketplace and $13 million-plus of cap space to burn?
Yeah, I got spooked when the Blue Jackets' writing staff started depth chart engineering. Seems way too early for that, especially from the house organ.
SPEAKING OF MONEY
Nash's cap hit was $7.8 million. The three ex-Rangers' combined cap hit is $7.825 million. Yet the team is over $13 million under the cap.
After one season at the salary cap with what can only be described as disastrous results, has J.P. McConnell put the team back on a budget?
HITLER IS NOT PLEASED
From CBJ fan John T. Kemp:
NOT TO BELABOR THE POINT, BUT GOALIES WIN GAMES FOR YOU
Lost in the "who won, who lost" CBJ-Rangers trade banter is a glaring fact: The Blue Jackets are still scarily weak at goalie. Sergei Bobrovsky, in his 29 appearances last season for the Flyers, was 14-10-2 and had a .899 save percentage and a 3.02 goals against average. Steve Mason was, well, the post-Calder Steve Mason for the majority of last season and had to get bailed out by Curtis Sanford, a guy who was never supposed to see Columbus. (Mase was in 46 games, had a 16-26-3 record, posted an .894 save percentage and a 3.39 goals against average.)
I will grant that a good defense will make a goalie look better than he is on his own. Mason's Calder Trophy season with a functioning Ken Hitchcock team defensive scheme vs. Mason in the Scott Arniel "Endless Pasta Bowl" system is proof of that. These two guys, however, are backups at best.
Going into the season with an expected three goals against per game puts an incredible amount of stress on an offense that lacked firepower with Rich Nash...and now doesn't have him to lean on. Just saying.
Maybe this section should be a 1(a) under "IS THAT IT?". There has to be a team out there that can shed a goaltender, one better than what the Blue Jackets have right now.
DESPITE NOT LISTENING TO LOCAL RADIO, I'M BECOMING A TORG FAN
Stuff like this is why.
ONE NICE PHOTO
Not sure a caption is needed on this one.
Not listening to the radio might be the only way you will remain a Torg fan.
ReplyDeleteHe has some good insight and is the only knowledgeable hockey guy at the "Home of the CBJ" (that says something, doesn't it?)but that is overshadowed by the adolescent, potty-minded drivel that issues forth from him and the mouth of his juvenile partner. Ricardotti readily admits he is ignorant about all things hockey and soccer, yet does nothing to remedy that deficiency.
get over yourself. Listen to delilah on sunny 95 if cm&t are too harsh for you. Those guys are awesome!
ReplyDeleteI'll presume you're directing your reply to Inquiring Minds, but if it's toward me...
DeleteI listen to XM satellite radio, mostly NHL Home Ice. So I just don't listen to local radio. Period.
That said, Torg's blog has been solid of late.
CBJ are 13M under the current CBA cap number. I would look for the updated CBA to provide a lower cap number; ergo, if CBJ are to make any further moves this summer, it will be via the trade market.
ReplyDeletePer CapGeek.com, 15 teams are carrying a higher payroll right now. Clearly, the lack of a new CBA isn't bothering them. I suppose I'd rather push the current allowable limit (presuming you can pick up talent commensurate with what you're offering) and ask for forgiveness from the CBA negotiators - along with half the league - than play penny-wise and pound-foolish.
DeleteBut I'll stand by my impression...I think the CBJ are back on a budget, which makes this discussion moot.