The days of podcasting continue unabated

I was honored to be invited to offer the "opposing team" insights on the All The Kings Man podcast last night.

Topics included the state of the Blue Jackets, the Jeff Carter/Jack Johnson trade, Rick Nash and how one maintains hope when...well...your team has the history of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

My segment starts at 28:18 or so.  Enjoy...cringe...whatever you want.

(And please understand that my participation was recorded starting at 12:30 this morning.  So if I sound sluggish, it's excusable.  Right?  Right?)

Many thanks to Jesse, Matt, the Royal Half for having me along for the ride!

An answer that could fill in a host of blanks

New Los Angeles King Jeff Carter

From Jeff Carter's media scrum in advance of tomorrow night's Los Angeles Kings-Columbus Blue Jackets game at Nationwide Arena:

Question: What’s your take on the whole situation with Rick (Nash)? Is that awkward for a team? 

CARTER: “I don’t really know what to say to that. I’m not going to say too much. It was definitely awkward, I guess, would be a pretty good word to describe it.’’

You don't say.

(But which "situation with Rick" is he discussing?  His inability to develop any chemistry with Nash?  Rumors of locker room friction?  Nash's desire to leave town?  Something else?)

DBJ's 5 Thoughts on Game 66: Phoenix

Columbus 3 - Phoenix 2
21-38-7, 5th in Central Division, 9 points out of 29th in the NHL

The Columbus Blue Jackets won their third straight game in regulation for the first time in what feels like forever in defeating the visiting Phoenix Coyotes, 3-2.

The Blue Jackets are perilously close to making the first overall pick in the 2012 NHL draft a topic of conversation around the league.

1. NASH WAS ON THE ICE - Defying competitive logic, the CBJ chose to once again put mutinous captain Rick Nash on the active roster for the game.  His presence in the locker room, combined with his 19:31 of ice time, further forestalled the inevitable rebuild that is facing the team as a result of this disastrous season.

We want the Cup. In Columbus.

I hadn't planned to write anything on this day off from Columbus Blue Jackets hockey, but tonight's Versus NBC Sports Network game featuring the Buffalo Sabres visiting the Winnipeg Jets at the MTS Centre in the 'peg got my blood pumping.

Grant Clitsome works through some post-practice
drills while with the CBJ

First, it's great to see Claude Noel do well.  The former interim head coach (who had a winning record with an increasingly AHL roster...just saying) has the Jets in 8th place in the Eastern Conference, which means that - if the season ended today - Noel would have navigated the former Atlanta Thrashers to the NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs.  More power to him.  Noel's a darned good coach and deserves all the success that he gets, regardless of small-minded snickering about how he tried to emphasize "joy" on the Blue Jackets as a reaction to the cloud of misery surrounding the club in the wake of Ken Hitchcock's early exit.

And then there's Grant Clitsome.  Clitsome was placed on waivers around the trade deadline and was picked up by Winnipeg.  It's been a sea change in environment and attitude for Grant (Was this article really that bad?), summarized by Jets Hockey Forum:

Clitsome: "The hardest thing to adjust to was having to shout at your teammates as you can't hear them with how loud the crowd is"

Which brings me to the real reason I'm writing tonight: The incredible environment in Winnipeg.

Licking My Wounds

I'm still having a hard time adjusting to the post trade deadline reality of the Columbus Blue Jackets.  I'm sort of like an injured pet.  Sitting quietly in the corner, worrying at the injury, in hopes that it will help the healing.  The most accomplished player in the history of the franchise is on the trading block.  Management demanded a price commensurate with his accomplishments, and what it would take to replace him.  Then they stuck to their guns at the deadline when people wouldn't meet their price.  The NHL intelligentsia seem offended by both the price, and the unwillingness of the underdog Blue Jackets to cave, and fuel a cup run by someone that they really wanted to watch play.  In the immortal words of Bill the Cat:  Phttthhhbbbbbttt!!

The Rangers offer of a pretty decent player, their second best prospect, a middlin' prospect, and a number 1 pick was deemed adequate in many circles, so long as you weren't staking your reputation on actually having made that trade.  Some of the outrage in New York had to do with the temerity of the CBJ for asking for players that the Rangers quickly took off the table.  OK then.  I have to confess that this backdrop will add a bit of spice to my watching of the playoffs.  At the end of the day, CBJ management did a good job of sticking to their guns, and not giving in to inferior offers.

We the fans are left to grapple with the post trade deadline reality of the situation.  Todd Richards seems to be slowly instilling some confidence in the group.  Their play is more sound.  The addition of Jack 'Mother's Favorite 'Johnson (JMFJ, you're welcome grandma), has added a completely new dimension to the blue line.  Talent pressure from the top serves to push people down into appropriate roles, and Johnson has done that on our defensive corps.

So how does this resemble Gerard Gallant's team?  We have seen this before.

DBJ's 5 Thoughts on Game 65: Phoenix

Columbus 5 - Phoenix 2
20-38-7, 5th in Central Division, 11 pts. out of 29th place in the NHL

For the first time since February 2011, the Columbus Blue Jackets won back-to-back games in regulation (Thanks, Rob Kunz!), winning 5-2 over the host Phoenix Coyotes tonight at Jobing.com Arena.

1. NASH WAS ON THE ICE - Defying competitive logic, the CBJ chose to once again put mutinous captain Rick Nash on the active roster for the game.  His presence in the locker room, combined with his 17:03 of ice time, further forestalled the inevitable rebuild that is facing the team as a result of this disastrous season.

Alphabet Soup.

Hello friends! This post started off as "alison's recap of the trade deadline", but, as I pondered it more, I think most everything that can be said has been said, and while apparently Scott Howson's definition of "very active" and my definition of "very active" are rather different, we made it through, albeit with a somewhat different roster. Obviously, the most looming non-transaction during the trade period was the activity surrounding Rick Nash.

The pending trade of Nash is another topic that has been debated as much as it can be...for now. Suffice it to say, that I do believe that come next season, Nasher will find himself as part of another team, and hopefully, the Blue Jackets will have acquired assets in trade that can help us become a true contender in the NHL. So, the question looms...where do we go from here? And that brings us to the alphabet...the alphabet of "C's" and "A's".

Rick Nash has worn the C for Columbus for almost all of his Blue Jackets career. It will surely be a jolt to see the letter on another jersey - but, here is my completely amateur view of what we'll see come puck drop 2012. My belief is that the letters should go to guys who are not brand spanking new to the team next year, so, assuming that the bearers of the letters are on this roster now, I'm throwing out my theories - and welcome all of yours....

DBJ's 5 Thoughts on Game 64: Colorado

Columbus 2 - Colorado 0
19-38-7, 5th in Central Division, 11 pts. out of 29th in the NHL

The Columbus Blue Jackets opened their brief two-game western road trip with a 2-0 win against the Colorado Avalanche last night at Pepsi Center.

1. NASH WAS ON THE ICE - Inexplicably, the CBJ chose to once again put mutinous captain Rick Nash on the active roster for the game.  His presence in the locker room, combined with his 18:32 of ice time, further forestalled the inevitable rebuild that is facing the team as a result of this disastrous season.

Reasons why the CBJ should keep putting Rick Nash on the ice

I've been pleasantly surprised at the feedback from the Game 63 recap, where I discussed the madness of putting Rick Nash, the Columbus Blue Jackets' mutinous captain, on the ice once both he and the Blue Jackets management decided that every effort would be made to move him to another team.  The blog comments reflect thoughtful, reasoned counter-responses to my post, and Internet chatter has been surprisingly positive once the shock of "scratching the star player" wears off.  There's been a nice, healthy undercurrent of, "I never thought about it that way, but it makes sense."  Regardless of which side you come down on in this polarizing discussion, I'm pleased to have been a part of it.

Thanks, Rick.  It's been terrific.
But you don't want to be here any more, and Columbus needs to move on.

In deference to those who don't agree with my assertion (and in preparation for tonight's Fire The Cannon podcast appearance where I'll be discussing this whole notion), I thought it would be a good exercise to summarize the points of those who disagree with my assertions in one place.  That way, you readers can consider both sides and draw your own conclusions.  Of course, I reserve the right to offer my reply to those arguments.

THE HERE AND NOW

• Nash is one of few players who can be relied upon to score.
• Nash helps the team win games right now.
• There's no need to start the rebuild now, seeing as a good portion of the roster won't be around next season, so you might as well play Nash.

DBJ's response: While Nash did score in Detroit in Game 63, the team didn't win.  And they haven't won in many games this season where he participated in the scoring column.  Besides, this season has long been declared over from a competitiveness point of view.  Winning games right now only serves to jeopardize the team's draft position.

We be podcasting...tonight!

In case you want a little more pre-game than you can get on your standard Blue Jackets broadcast outlets, why check out tonight's edition (Episode 105...wow) of the long-running Fire The Cannon podcast featuring HockeyBuzz's Eric Smith and 97.1 The Fan's Lori Schmidt:

The party starts at 7:00PM, and guests will include Scott "Torg" Torgerson of 97.1 The Fan and...wait for it...yours truly.  (Gee, I wonder what Eric wants me to talk about...)  What a lineup, sure to get that blood pumping in advance of the late-ish (9PM) start tonight in Colorado.