The Game Within the Game

Jarmo to Lou Lamarillo:  You call that a move
Lou?  Not only did I bury the Horton Contract
I got Dubinsky injured too!!

Tonight, the Columbus Blue Jackets subtly cost the Montreal Canadians millions of dollars of future contract money by allowing Max Pacioretty to score another goal, potentially crippling the Montreal organization for years to come on Pacioretty's next deal.  Pacioretty's agent: Heck, Max can score 20 goals on the Blue Jackets alone, imagine what he can do against the rest of the league!  Many Blue Jackets fans were concerned to see a superior Montreal team skate the Jackets off the ice.  They fail to understand the subtleties of the long game that Jarmo is playing (tongue planted firmly in cheek).

The more earth-shaking move happened right before tonight's game, when the Blue Jackets traded injured Nathan Horton for much maligned David Clarkson of the Toronto Maple Leafs.  I'm sorry, for as much joy as this causes the Leafs fans, this is a good hockey trade.  Toronto gets cap relief by putting a good Ontario boy, Nathan Horton, on long term injured reserve.  The money is no issue to them, and Horton was born and raised in the Welland, Ontario area, so he's a home boy.  As a small market team, we can't afford to pay Horton's apparently uninsured contract, and Toronto gets rid of the Clarkson contract, which will at least shift the scorn from the Toronto management to the CBJ management, a great deal for the Toronto brass.

Clarkson didn't work out in Toronto.  Based on what I've heard so far, he thinks he's a better fit here.  Sometimes, what you think is all that matters.  Hopefully he takes some time to jell, hitting his stride next year, rather than this year, when we are in the hunt to sink low enough for the number 5 overall pick (important!!).

There are moves of subtlety abroad on the table.  30 teams want to win the Cup.  Only a few will.  For now, don't judge this player until next year.  A stable environment and a crowd that is not actively hostile may go along way towards what he can do.  Our expectations of Clarkson are related to a guy who's career might be tragically finished.  That's a tad different than the expectations in Toronto.  All Clarkson has to do is bring what Nathan Horton could have brought.  That's not an unrealistic expectation for this guy.  So we'll see.

Right now we are picking 6th, a mere 1 point above Toronto.  Picking 5th would be huge.  All of a sudden Saturday is looming as a must lose game.  Yoikes!  The game is afoot!!

GO JACKETS!!