And with a flourish, the search is (finally?) over!
Thursday, June 14, 2007
To tell you the truth, after the Bob Murray situation, I considered simply disregarding the news yesterday evening/this morning that Oilers' Assistant GM Scott Howson has agreed to become the Blue Jackets' next general manager until it became officially official on Friday, when the press conference to introduce Howsen has been scheduled.
But I'll take my chances on this one. After all, lightning never strikes the same spot twice, right? ... right!?
So, let's run down the list of ye olde reactions, articles, and opinions around both the mainstream media and blogosphere first:
So, let's run down the list of ye olde reactions, articles, and opinions around both the mainstream media and blogosphere first:
- The Neutral Zone Trap
- Bethany's Hockey Rants
- Arace on hockey ... and other stuff
- Columbus Dispatch - Jackets' GM choice has head for new NHL (Arace)
- Columbus Dispatch - Blue Jackets hire Oiler executive as new GM (Portzline)
- Columbus Dispatch - Scott Howson file
- ESPN - Jackets finalizing deal with Oilers' assistant Howson (Hradek)
- Lowetide
The general consensus?
Howson's a quiet yet hard-working guy who had notable role in both the blockbuster moves made by the Oilers last season in which disgruntled defenseman Chris Pronger went to Anaheim for a handful of picks (1st, conditional 1st, and 2008 2nd) and players/prospects Joffrey Lupul and Ladislav Smid, as well as the trade that sent Ryan Smyth to the New York Islanders for a couple of prospects and a 1st round pick.
He's young, he's connected to coach Ken Hitchcock via a Kamloops connection back in the late 80s, he's well educated (he has a degree in law) and also was a hockey player in the NHL for a handful of games, as well as several seasons in the minors.
He's well-versed in the salary cap and how to handle negotiations of contracts in the "new NHL", and considering what he'll be stepping in to with at least a few bloated salaries and plenty of room to be had in the salary books once those vanish by next season, he'll have a great opportunity to show Columbus just how well he can manage this team.
It's hard to deny that what happened before with Bob Murray has most likely left a bitter taste in many fan's mouths, especially now that Murray is back in Anaheim sipping from the Stanley Cup. But I'm not about to hold that against Howson, who will definitely be doing his best to steer this ship in the right direction. I don't expect an immediate, 180 degree turn by this coming season, either. Right now, Howson's boxed in to a corner by many of Doug MacLean's trades and contract/salary decisions over the past few years, meaning there's only so much that he can do at the moment. Once large contracts given to Sergei Fedorov and Adam Foote, for example, are done and over with, we can hopefully see what he can do.
Until then, it's a matter of patience, and also seeing what he can do with the limited team salary he'll have to play with this off-season, coupled with any influence he may have on Columbus' draft picks, irregardless of whether or not the current front office has already started setting a course for who they'd like to pick in this year's draft.
With that, I'm out for the day.
Edit: Oh, and one more thing ...
Stay classy, Columbus Dispatch. Stay classy.
Labels: Dis or Dat, GM search
Give me a chaser of caffeine with a side of Tylenol, stat!
Monday, June 11, 2007
Ugh ... I feel like I have a hangover the size of China, complete with human rights violations to the tune of someone banging on my head with a pole. And I haven't even drank since New Years, either. Maybe it's just a case of the Mondays, in which case I can hopefully shake off this nagging "blah" feeling soon.
I'm going to keep this update short today, just because I have a bit of an apartment cleaning that needs taking care of, coupled with some grocery restocking, as well as the fact that I really need to get a new computer keyboard. This keyboard -- which I've had for 5 years now along with my computer -- is finally starting to fall apart, and it's become a task to try and use the space bar, which is in its death throes due to the spillage of orange juice on it the other morning. I swear, I'm normally not so clumsy!
GM candidates coming out of the woodwork
With Bob Murry withdrawing his name, the only real candidate for the Blue Jackets' GM job who is regularly brought up appears to be Oilers' assistant GM Scott Howson; but that doesn't mean that one or two other names haven't been thrown around as well, if only because it makes speculation prior to the draft all the more interesting.
Earlier today, as first linked to on Kukla's Korner, the Ottawa Sun came out with the rather surprising news that the other Murray, Ottawa Senators' coach Bryan Murray, had recently had his name brought up by the Jackets to possibly speak with. To say the least, his history sure is a long and winding one, when you consider he's had several prior GM stints all the way up to when he became the Senators' coach in 2004. From the Capitals, to the Red Wings, to the Panthers, right up to the Ducks, Murray is not lacking in any experience. Also interesting is that Murray apparently has some direct connections to Doug MacLean, due to his stint in Florida during their Stanley Cup Finals run in 1996.
But let's put some things in to perspective here; Murray's still under contract up until July 1st, for one, meaning that unless the Senators decide on a total lark to allow him to talk to the Jackets, he would not become the general manager -- if he even accepted the job -- until after the draft. Regardless of Mike Priest's comments about how he is in no rush to install a new GM before said draft, this still leaves the Jackets in a high risk situation, where if Murray decides at some point after the draft to re-sign with the Senators, and the Jackets were sitting on their hands waiting for his contract to expire, they've suddenly lost out on having another GM properly in place for the draft, such as Howsen.
Also, and this is just my own opinion here ... why would Murray want to leave such a perfect place in Ottawa, where he has the opportunity to finally win a Stanley Cup at some point before it's too late, for a team that most likely won't be seeing the playoffs for another two seasons? Murray's 64 years old, and has had to deal with the sting of losing three SCF series ... one with Florida, one with Anaheim, and now one with Ottawa. Ottawa is the only real opportunity he has at the moment to reverse this misfortune of his, and do so before he decides to retire.
Either way, it seems like a real long-shot.
Meanwhile, The Dispatch reported over the weekend that while the Jackets continued their search for a GM, one former Blue Jacket has rather eagerly and happily thrown his hat in to the ring: former coach Dave King.
Now, it's worth noting that Kinger has no GM experience in the NHL, but that doesn't mean that he's not an interesting person to consider, nor has he not had his opportunities to be a GM, either. As Aaron Portzline reports, for example, King was offered the position of GM of the Quebec Nordiques in the 90s (for you newer hockey fans, they're the Colorado Avalanche now), but turned it down because he preferred to coach at the time.
Where's King been lately? Not in the NHL, to say the least. He's been over in Europe and Russia, coaching different teams since his dismissal from the Jackets in 2003.
Although the Dispatch article cites a Blue Jackets' source who has nothing but high praise for King, and Michael Arace had even posted on his blog in the middle of May that bringing King back in some sort of capacity -- and even considering him for GM -- would be a sound idea, the organization has been very mum on any kind of thoughts or official comments about if Kinger is even being considered ... which leads me to believe he isn't.
Having arrived in Columbus a whole two years after King was fired, it's hard for me to really get a feel for how he may have been such an apparently great coach during those tough, early years as an expansion team coach. Many comments and thoughts on King that I read from other Jackets' fans seem to indicate that he was really loved, and he did everything he possibly could with nothing more than a mash-up of discarded players from other teams, and could have done even more had he not been fired by MacLean.
Does nostalgia play a role in this? Perhaps. Still, it wouldn't hurt to have him in for an interview, if he was able to get from Siberia to here as soon as possible.
And that's all I got for today. Now to find some Advil.
I'm going to keep this update short today, just because I have a bit of an apartment cleaning that needs taking care of, coupled with some grocery restocking, as well as the fact that I really need to get a new computer keyboard. This keyboard -- which I've had for 5 years now along with my computer -- is finally starting to fall apart, and it's become a task to try and use the space bar, which is in its death throes due to the spillage of orange juice on it the other morning. I swear, I'm normally not so clumsy!
GM candidates coming out of the woodwork
With Bob Murry withdrawing his name, the only real candidate for the Blue Jackets' GM job who is regularly brought up appears to be Oilers' assistant GM Scott Howson; but that doesn't mean that one or two other names haven't been thrown around as well, if only because it makes speculation prior to the draft all the more interesting.
Earlier today, as first linked to on Kukla's Korner, the Ottawa Sun came out with the rather surprising news that the other Murray, Ottawa Senators' coach Bryan Murray, had recently had his name brought up by the Jackets to possibly speak with. To say the least, his history sure is a long and winding one, when you consider he's had several prior GM stints all the way up to when he became the Senators' coach in 2004. From the Capitals, to the Red Wings, to the Panthers, right up to the Ducks, Murray is not lacking in any experience. Also interesting is that Murray apparently has some direct connections to Doug MacLean, due to his stint in Florida during their Stanley Cup Finals run in 1996.
But let's put some things in to perspective here; Murray's still under contract up until July 1st, for one, meaning that unless the Senators decide on a total lark to allow him to talk to the Jackets, he would not become the general manager -- if he even accepted the job -- until after the draft. Regardless of Mike Priest's comments about how he is in no rush to install a new GM before said draft, this still leaves the Jackets in a high risk situation, where if Murray decides at some point after the draft to re-sign with the Senators, and the Jackets were sitting on their hands waiting for his contract to expire, they've suddenly lost out on having another GM properly in place for the draft, such as Howsen.
Also, and this is just my own opinion here ... why would Murray want to leave such a perfect place in Ottawa, where he has the opportunity to finally win a Stanley Cup at some point before it's too late, for a team that most likely won't be seeing the playoffs for another two seasons? Murray's 64 years old, and has had to deal with the sting of losing three SCF series ... one with Florida, one with Anaheim, and now one with Ottawa. Ottawa is the only real opportunity he has at the moment to reverse this misfortune of his, and do so before he decides to retire.
Either way, it seems like a real long-shot.
Meanwhile, The Dispatch reported over the weekend that while the Jackets continued their search for a GM, one former Blue Jacket has rather eagerly and happily thrown his hat in to the ring: former coach Dave King.
Now, it's worth noting that Kinger has no GM experience in the NHL, but that doesn't mean that he's not an interesting person to consider, nor has he not had his opportunities to be a GM, either. As Aaron Portzline reports, for example, King was offered the position of GM of the Quebec Nordiques in the 90s (for you newer hockey fans, they're the Colorado Avalanche now), but turned it down because he preferred to coach at the time.
Where's King been lately? Not in the NHL, to say the least. He's been over in Europe and Russia, coaching different teams since his dismissal from the Jackets in 2003.
Although the Dispatch article cites a Blue Jackets' source who has nothing but high praise for King, and Michael Arace had even posted on his blog in the middle of May that bringing King back in some sort of capacity -- and even considering him for GM -- would be a sound idea, the organization has been very mum on any kind of thoughts or official comments about if Kinger is even being considered ... which leads me to believe he isn't.
Having arrived in Columbus a whole two years after King was fired, it's hard for me to really get a feel for how he may have been such an apparently great coach during those tough, early years as an expansion team coach. Many comments and thoughts on King that I read from other Jackets' fans seem to indicate that he was really loved, and he did everything he possibly could with nothing more than a mash-up of discarded players from other teams, and could have done even more had he not been fired by MacLean.
Does nostalgia play a role in this? Perhaps. Still, it wouldn't hurt to have him in for an interview, if he was able to get from Siberia to here as soon as possible.
And that's all I got for today. Now to find some Advil.
Labels: GM search, You Don't Know Jack
The topic sample platter post; several topics for an appetizer-sized price!
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Just Ducky
And so it goes that this Stanley Cup Finals ended not with a bang, but with a whimper. As has already been plastered on every hockey blog imaginable, the Anaheim Ducks ran roughshod over the hapless Ottawa Senators with a 6-2 drubbing, winning the series 4-1 and effectively crushing the hopes and dreams of fervent Canadian hockey fans from Vancouver to Montreal that the Stanley Cup would be won by a Canadian team for the first time in a decade and a half.
Yeah, go ahead, tell me that not every Canadian hockey fan wanted to see the other Canadian hockey team that isn't theirs be the first to bring it back, and also how the Anaheim Ducks currently have more Canadian players than any other team in the NHL. Irregardless of those facts, you can't deny the possible sense of anguish that comes with seeing half of all Canadian teams fall, one by one, over the past three years to three "non-traditional" markets where the Stanley Cup, if the mainstream media is telling the truth, is mistaken for a spittoon or an ash tray.
As for how I feel about seeing the Ducks win, well ... like I said last year when I favored the Carolina Hurricanes from a "spreading the game" standpoint, I have no qualms with the Cup spending some time under the hot sun, and rubbing bling with Snoop Dogg. Pundits far and wide will remind you, as they have been since the game ended last night, that this is a horrible thing to happen to the league. And as far as looking at it in macro terms, it certainly doesn't help in the here and now. But you just can't expect a team to grow the sport, let alone draw fans, without seeing them win. And the Ducks have done just that. As a result, they now have both doubled sponsorship and merchandise sales, as noted by James Mirtle. The issues concerning their claims of still possibly being in the red can be saved for another day.
Mike Priest talks ... just not in Columbus
Does anyone else find it even mildly curious that Mike Priest decided that he would instead speak publicly about the team over in Akron, instead of right here in Columbus with The Columbus Dispatch. While the Dispatch's parent group does have a minority stake in the Blue Jackets, you can't help but wonder if there could be any kind of rift between the front office and the Dispatch. I mean, since when did Akron care about the Blue Jackets, anyway? Something about this doesn't sit right with me.
What does he say? Well ... to me, it isn't much. I sort of feel like I walked in a circle, and didn't get to see much scenery before being planted back at square one.
Something of mild concern is the way that Priest dances around this issue, but ultimately makes it clear that the free agent market is not something that the Blue Jackets will be doing much moving and shaking in this off-season. The team is in a bind right now due to large contracts, as mentioned in the article, tied to Sergei Fedorov and team captain Adam Foote, who have both not been able to give the Jackets a bang for their buck. If that is the case and this team will be looking for poor man Daniel Brieres and the like, hopefully the upcoming general manager will be something of a quality judge of talent, since he'll have to be doing a lot of sifting through the bargain bin, it appears.
Speaking of the GM search ...
With the fact that Neil Smith, Jim Clark, and Don Boyd were all longshot candidates exposed to the public after the withdrawl of Bob Murry as the top candidate, the new focus on who will be the next Jackets' GM turns toward Dallas and Edmonton, where Les Jackson and Scott Howson, respectively, are slated for interviews at some point. When? No one knows, really, but it should obviously be before the draft, even if no one is named before then.
Both Howson and Jackson have experience playing hockey in the professional leagues, are assistant GMs for their respective teams, and both have coaching experience in some capacity in the minor hockey leagues. Howson, however, seems to have more direct general manager experience, as seen by his stint as the GM of the Hamilton Bulldogs. Jackson's history is not as easily accessible either through searches or through the Stars' own website, where it is mentioned that prior to his time as assistant GM to the Stars, he was also the assistant GM to the Atlanta Thrashers up until last season (at least I assume until last season ... the part in his bio which states " Les Jackson enters the sixth season of his second stint with the Stars after spending the previous two years as the assistant general manager of the Atlanta Thrashers" leads me to believe as such, barring it being obsolete).
Meanwhile, back on the topic of ESPN ...
... the usual prodding and mocking of the NHL, except with even more venom than usual, came spewing forth from cranky, crabby Tony Kornheiser's mouth as though he was just dying for the chance to yell, scream, and cause a ruckus during Pardon the Interruption this afternoon. Never have I wanted to wring his neck so badly, as he took every opportunity he could in the minute and a half he had to tear the NHL apart.
The rest of ESPN's "fine" line of original entertainment hovered between "respectable" to "ignorant", as Jim Rome -- despite the apologist way in which he tried to portray himself as a lover of hockey and the NHL -- jumped on the opportunity that the NHL never has, and never will be a major sport. Rome must have been born in the 21st century and had his aging process sped up, as if he had lived during the mid-90s, he would have remembered that the NHL was indeed outdrawing the NBA at many turns, both at the gate and on television, back then.
... which was something that was brought up by panelist Woody Paige when the NHL was brought up on Around the Horn. With the exception of biasedly anti-hockey journalist Bill Plaske, the panelists generally agreed that the NHL could actually somehow, someway, someday pull itself together and get itself back to greatness. Paige gleefully teared into Gary Bettman, while unabashed hockey lover Tim Cowlishaw shared inside information concerning an executive or owner in the league making it very clear that the league was missing ESPN right now, and wished there was a way to get out of its contract with Versus (at least that's what I thought I heard).
I guess that's about par for the course. Though Kornheiser's violent rage almost makes it seem like a proverbial double bogey in terms of media coverage.
And let's not forget the draft!
I think, for the most part, Drew and I have done all we can to get the word out, with the help of at least a dozen different bloggers out there who have been extremely helpful in spreading the word about the draft get together. To everyone who did, I want to say thank you very much!
Like I said earlier this week, I am hoping that by the middle to the end of next week, some sort of finalized plan will be hammered out in terms of where everyone should meet. So again, stay tuned!
On that note, it's been a long day, and I have some things to take care of this evening.
And so it goes that this Stanley Cup Finals ended not with a bang, but with a whimper. As has already been plastered on every hockey blog imaginable, the Anaheim Ducks ran roughshod over the hapless Ottawa Senators with a 6-2 drubbing, winning the series 4-1 and effectively crushing the hopes and dreams of fervent Canadian hockey fans from Vancouver to Montreal that the Stanley Cup would be won by a Canadian team for the first time in a decade and a half.
Yeah, go ahead, tell me that not every Canadian hockey fan wanted to see the other Canadian hockey team that isn't theirs be the first to bring it back, and also how the Anaheim Ducks currently have more Canadian players than any other team in the NHL. Irregardless of those facts, you can't deny the possible sense of anguish that comes with seeing half of all Canadian teams fall, one by one, over the past three years to three "non-traditional" markets where the Stanley Cup, if the mainstream media is telling the truth, is mistaken for a spittoon or an ash tray.
As for how I feel about seeing the Ducks win, well ... like I said last year when I favored the Carolina Hurricanes from a "spreading the game" standpoint, I have no qualms with the Cup spending some time under the hot sun, and rubbing bling with Snoop Dogg. Pundits far and wide will remind you, as they have been since the game ended last night, that this is a horrible thing to happen to the league. And as far as looking at it in macro terms, it certainly doesn't help in the here and now. But you just can't expect a team to grow the sport, let alone draw fans, without seeing them win. And the Ducks have done just that. As a result, they now have both doubled sponsorship and merchandise sales, as noted by James Mirtle. The issues concerning their claims of still possibly being in the red can be saved for another day.
Mike Priest talks ... just not in Columbus
Does anyone else find it even mildly curious that Mike Priest decided that he would instead speak publicly about the team over in Akron, instead of right here in Columbus with The Columbus Dispatch. While the Dispatch's parent group does have a minority stake in the Blue Jackets, you can't help but wonder if there could be any kind of rift between the front office and the Dispatch. I mean, since when did Akron care about the Blue Jackets, anyway? Something about this doesn't sit right with me.
What does he say? Well ... to me, it isn't much. I sort of feel like I walked in a circle, and didn't get to see much scenery before being planted back at square one.
Something of mild concern is the way that Priest dances around this issue, but ultimately makes it clear that the free agent market is not something that the Blue Jackets will be doing much moving and shaking in this off-season. The team is in a bind right now due to large contracts, as mentioned in the article, tied to Sergei Fedorov and team captain Adam Foote, who have both not been able to give the Jackets a bang for their buck. If that is the case and this team will be looking for poor man Daniel Brieres and the like, hopefully the upcoming general manager will be something of a quality judge of talent, since he'll have to be doing a lot of sifting through the bargain bin, it appears.
Speaking of the GM search ...
With the fact that Neil Smith, Jim Clark, and Don Boyd were all longshot candidates exposed to the public after the withdrawl of Bob Murry as the top candidate, the new focus on who will be the next Jackets' GM turns toward Dallas and Edmonton, where Les Jackson and Scott Howson, respectively, are slated for interviews at some point. When? No one knows, really, but it should obviously be before the draft, even if no one is named before then.
Both Howson and Jackson have experience playing hockey in the professional leagues, are assistant GMs for their respective teams, and both have coaching experience in some capacity in the minor hockey leagues. Howson, however, seems to have more direct general manager experience, as seen by his stint as the GM of the Hamilton Bulldogs. Jackson's history is not as easily accessible either through searches or through the Stars' own website, where it is mentioned that prior to his time as assistant GM to the Stars, he was also the assistant GM to the Atlanta Thrashers up until last season (at least I assume until last season ... the part in his bio which states " Les Jackson enters the sixth season of his second stint with the Stars after spending the previous two years as the assistant general manager of the Atlanta Thrashers" leads me to believe as such, barring it being obsolete).
Meanwhile, back on the topic of ESPN ...
... the usual prodding and mocking of the NHL, except with even more venom than usual, came spewing forth from cranky, crabby Tony Kornheiser's mouth as though he was just dying for the chance to yell, scream, and cause a ruckus during Pardon the Interruption this afternoon. Never have I wanted to wring his neck so badly, as he took every opportunity he could in the minute and a half he had to tear the NHL apart.
The rest of ESPN's "fine" line of original entertainment hovered between "respectable" to "ignorant", as Jim Rome -- despite the apologist way in which he tried to portray himself as a lover of hockey and the NHL -- jumped on the opportunity that the NHL never has, and never will be a major sport. Rome must have been born in the 21st century and had his aging process sped up, as if he had lived during the mid-90s, he would have remembered that the NHL was indeed outdrawing the NBA at many turns, both at the gate and on television, back then.
... which was something that was brought up by panelist Woody Paige when the NHL was brought up on Around the Horn. With the exception of biasedly anti-hockey journalist Bill Plaske, the panelists generally agreed that the NHL could actually somehow, someway, someday pull itself together and get itself back to greatness. Paige gleefully teared into Gary Bettman, while unabashed hockey lover Tim Cowlishaw shared inside information concerning an executive or owner in the league making it very clear that the league was missing ESPN right now, and wished there was a way to get out of its contract with Versus (at least that's what I thought I heard).
I guess that's about par for the course. Though Kornheiser's violent rage almost makes it seem like a proverbial double bogey in terms of media coverage.
And let's not forget the draft!
I think, for the most part, Drew and I have done all we can to get the word out, with the help of at least a dozen different bloggers out there who have been extremely helpful in spreading the word about the draft get together. To everyone who did, I want to say thank you very much!
Like I said earlier this week, I am hoping that by the middle to the end of next week, some sort of finalized plan will be hammered out in terms of where everyone should meet. So again, stay tuned!
On that note, it's been a long day, and I have some things to take care of this evening.
Labels: america hates hockey, Anaheim Ducks, Dis or Dat, GM search
>:(
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Murray bows out of GM consideration
... ... ...
As of this moment, I'm frustrated. And angry. I spent much of yesterday afternoon and evening wrapping my brain around this news when the story was first broke. A whole 15 hours or so later, I find myself unable to come up with any reasonable thoughts on this matter.
The only thing I can really say with absolute certainty pertains to my disdain for the steel curtain which has enveloped Nationwide Arena and the Blue Jackets front office. In short, it is that very shroud of secrecy which has backfired on President Mike Priest and the rest of the team management, as they have not come forward to try to alleviate any concerns that the Blue Jackets' fan base might have ... and believe me, there are a lot of concerns out there now that the top candidate, with no more than a week to go before the finals will be ending at the very latest, bowed out at the last minute.
We don't want trade secrets, nor do we want every last aspect of this search to be revealed to us, as it is understandable that many things need to be kept under wraps to ensure a fair and efficient GM search happens. But now that the lid's been blown off of this, we need answers. We need something to help us fans feel like this search isn't jumping off of the railroad tracks and spinning violently down the proverbial mountain.
Cut the damage control talk about how you're in no rush to find your GM before the draft begins in 17 days, alright? As it stands, this front office needs that outside influence, and it needs it in time to make some sort of difference at the draft.
... ... ...
As of this moment, I'm frustrated. And angry. I spent much of yesterday afternoon and evening wrapping my brain around this news when the story was first broke. A whole 15 hours or so later, I find myself unable to come up with any reasonable thoughts on this matter.
The only thing I can really say with absolute certainty pertains to my disdain for the steel curtain which has enveloped Nationwide Arena and the Blue Jackets front office. In short, it is that very shroud of secrecy which has backfired on President Mike Priest and the rest of the team management, as they have not come forward to try to alleviate any concerns that the Blue Jackets' fan base might have ... and believe me, there are a lot of concerns out there now that the top candidate, with no more than a week to go before the finals will be ending at the very latest, bowed out at the last minute.
We don't want trade secrets, nor do we want every last aspect of this search to be revealed to us, as it is understandable that many things need to be kept under wraps to ensure a fair and efficient GM search happens. But now that the lid's been blown off of this, we need answers. We need something to help us fans feel like this search isn't jumping off of the railroad tracks and spinning violently down the proverbial mountain.
Cut the damage control talk about how you're in no rush to find your GM before the draft begins in 17 days, alright? As it stands, this front office needs that outside influence, and it needs it in time to make some sort of difference at the draft.
Labels: Dis or Dat, GM search, ranting
Just give him even more money; maybe he'll like Columbus then.
Monday, June 04, 2007
A whole bunch of things to touch on after a crazy weekend, but let's start off with the more important Blue Jackets news.
Prima donna Zherdev strikes again
You know, I just can't help but feel disgust after seeing what Nikolai Zherdev's "adviser" Sasha Tyjnch told Aaron Portzline and The Columbus Dispatch over the weekend. But then the other thing I feel is this great sense of apathy.
Zherdev backers will quickly jump to his aid, I'm sure, saying how this isn't Z making these comments but just an adviser of his who may be looking to stir the pot. To them, I say that unless I see Zherdev comes out publicly and states that he wants to play for the Blue Jackets, then there's nothing defendable here. What Zherdev and his camp don't seem to understand is that he is not in any position to start "suggesting" a trade. Z, as most people will recall, is not coming off one of his best seasons ... 10 goals in all, when this kid is supposed to be such a brilliant goal scorer?
At one point, Tyjnch says this about Zherdev's mind-set:
Being of the mind-set that one will remain a Blue Jacket, and wanting to play for the Blue Jackets, are two wholly different things based off of manipulative semantics. Much like when one says they apologize "if they offended you", compared to when someone says they apologize "for offending you", if that makes any sense.
Remember that months ago, there was an article that The Dispatch published concerning the opinion of other players in the Blue Jackets' organization on Zherdev, too, where at least a handful of unnamed CBJ players denounced Zherdev's behavior, while at the same time lamenting his work ethic. It's that very work ethic which has also led to Z being benched at times during the season, as well as chased off of the ice during practice skates not just by Ken Hitchcock, but also Gary Agnew.
I've heard plenty about how Hitch has thrown Zherdev under the bus at several occasions, including during the town hall meetings that took place back in late April and throughout May. Here's the thing, though ... Hitch has also called out other players, too. But the thing is that with those other players, such as Pascal Leclaire, he wasn't outright venomous or offensive. And that's because, in my humble opinion, Hitch knew that those players were doing the best they could to play better, more responsibly, and conform to a system which is supposed to help this team. Zherdev, instead, has tried to play the maverick ... the cowboy who plays by his own rules.
Does he, or his advisers, really think they'll be able to swing a favorable trade? Considering his poor production this past season, the Jackets' would be fortunate to get a 2nd round pick for this upcoming draft for him. And if I was team management, I wouldn't want to let go of Zherdev unless the team that he was going to gave the Blue Jackets, at the least, a 1st round pick and said they'd take responsibility for every penny left on his salary. This team could use an additional $2-3 million off of the books prior to the start of free agency to put to a better, if not long-term replacement tucked away in the FA market in a month.
Let Zherdev rot, I say. Like I said, unless he comes out publicly and states something contrary to Tyjnch's comments, then I have no reason to believe that Z isn't actively looking for a trade. Then again, I recall hearing how he wasn't doing too hot at learning the English language despite the requirements in his contract that he make a concerted effort to do so, so maybe that'd be expecting too much from him, right?
Blue Jackets' RBK Edge jerseys to be unveiled at the NHL Entry Draft
While Bethany broke this news last week, I wanted to wait until there was some sort of news link or word from a direct source that the Blue Jackets would be unveiling their own version of the RBK Edge jerseys at the NHL Entry Draft. Most signs had been pointing towards trying to get them ready for an unveiling, but nothing was officially announced until the end of last week, when the Jackets did so on their website.
It's my understanding, though, that this will only be an unveiling, which will take place just prior to the start of the draft itself onstage inside of Nationwide Arena. Unless I hear otherwise, the current plan is to take pre-sales for the jerseys at the draft. Even so, I'm happy to hear about this, and excited, too!
So this now means that at least two teams -- the Blue Jackets and the Washington Capitals -- have publicly announced that they'll be unveiling their new jerseys at the draft. Does anyone out there know of any other teams that have announced the same? It'd be a shame if only 2 of a whole 30 teams were doing so, and while I'm sure there's some teams just not announcing it until the draft edges closer, you never know.
GM search wraps up; waiting on the final decision
In the article posted to earlier concerning Zherdev, there's also a mention of how Don Boyd, the Blue Jackets' director of player personnel, has either had his second interview today, or did so yesterday. Bob Murray was also in during the time between games 2 and 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, meaning that by the end of today, all of the final four candidates will have gotten their opportunity to show Mr. Mac (majority owner John McConnell) and Mike Priest why they should be his beloved team's head hockey man.
So what do we do now? Well ... we wait. And we wait, and we wait. And the longer we wait, the more that you get the feeling that the previous speculation about Murray being the top candidate is no mere speculation. I have no problem with that ... nothing like a little SCF to keep me pre-occupied while waiting for the Blue Jackets' knight in shining armor to come to the rescue, right?
Drew enacts Plan Alpha Delta Omega; bloggers plan to converge on Columbus faster than a blitzkrieg
... or at least that's what I hope will happen, now that Drew's gotten a plethora of e-mails sent out, we're seeing a lot of interest in a blogger get-together. Unfortunately for The Sailor, I don't have enough money to buy a round of frosty (or even warm) brewskis; but I did recently buy some yeast recently while attempting to make my own homemade pizza from scratch (dough making and all), so maybe I can dabble in some beer making of my own!
Or not. I wouldn't want to be held responsible for the death of anyone due to my own adventures in beer fermentation. Oiy.
I'm going to do my damndest to update anything that needs updating on that big post on the blog by the end of this week. Additionally, with the draft itself 18 days away, we still have some time to try and pick the perfect spot for people to gather at. If the other CBJ bloggers such as Sarah, Beth, Herringbone (even though he's stuck all the way in Seattle), or Tyler (or even the more Columbus/OSU-centric bloggers) want to help in the brainstorm process when it comes to picking the gathering place, then go nuts! The help would be appreciated!
Beyond my own NHL Entry Draft Primer, Sarah at Neutral Zone Trap has also done an amazing job herself at giving a massive rundown about Columbus, where to go, what to do, and everything else you can think of. Considering she's been here longer than me, I'd say she does a much more bang up job than I do when it pertains to covering all the bases on things you can partake in beyond just the draft while you're here.
Lastly, the Blue Jackets have been kind enough to put up a page on their website where you can get a good rundown on what to expect during the draft, and when things will be going on, so check it out!
I'm out for now. But not before I forget the weekly You Don't Know Jack!
Prima donna Zherdev strikes again
You know, I just can't help but feel disgust after seeing what Nikolai Zherdev's "adviser" Sasha Tyjnch told Aaron Portzline and The Columbus Dispatch over the weekend. But then the other thing I feel is this great sense of apathy.
Zherdev backers will quickly jump to his aid, I'm sure, saying how this isn't Z making these comments but just an adviser of his who may be looking to stir the pot. To them, I say that unless I see Zherdev comes out publicly and states that he wants to play for the Blue Jackets, then there's nothing defendable here. What Zherdev and his camp don't seem to understand is that he is not in any position to start "suggesting" a trade. Z, as most people will recall, is not coming off one of his best seasons ... 10 goals in all, when this kid is supposed to be such a brilliant goal scorer?
At one point, Tyjnch says this about Zherdev's mind-set:
But, Sasha Tyjnych said, Zherdev is spending this summer with the mind-set that he'll remain with the Blue Jackets.
Being of the mind-set that one will remain a Blue Jacket, and wanting to play for the Blue Jackets, are two wholly different things based off of manipulative semantics. Much like when one says they apologize "if they offended you", compared to when someone says they apologize "for offending you", if that makes any sense.
Remember that months ago, there was an article that The Dispatch published concerning the opinion of other players in the Blue Jackets' organization on Zherdev, too, where at least a handful of unnamed CBJ players denounced Zherdev's behavior, while at the same time lamenting his work ethic. It's that very work ethic which has also led to Z being benched at times during the season, as well as chased off of the ice during practice skates not just by Ken Hitchcock, but also Gary Agnew.
I've heard plenty about how Hitch has thrown Zherdev under the bus at several occasions, including during the town hall meetings that took place back in late April and throughout May. Here's the thing, though ... Hitch has also called out other players, too. But the thing is that with those other players, such as Pascal Leclaire, he wasn't outright venomous or offensive. And that's because, in my humble opinion, Hitch knew that those players were doing the best they could to play better, more responsibly, and conform to a system which is supposed to help this team. Zherdev, instead, has tried to play the maverick ... the cowboy who plays by his own rules.
Does he, or his advisers, really think they'll be able to swing a favorable trade? Considering his poor production this past season, the Jackets' would be fortunate to get a 2nd round pick for this upcoming draft for him. And if I was team management, I wouldn't want to let go of Zherdev unless the team that he was going to gave the Blue Jackets, at the least, a 1st round pick and said they'd take responsibility for every penny left on his salary. This team could use an additional $2-3 million off of the books prior to the start of free agency to put to a better, if not long-term replacement tucked away in the FA market in a month.
Let Zherdev rot, I say. Like I said, unless he comes out publicly and states something contrary to Tyjnch's comments, then I have no reason to believe that Z isn't actively looking for a trade. Then again, I recall hearing how he wasn't doing too hot at learning the English language despite the requirements in his contract that he make a concerted effort to do so, so maybe that'd be expecting too much from him, right?
Blue Jackets' RBK Edge jerseys to be unveiled at the NHL Entry Draft
While Bethany broke this news last week, I wanted to wait until there was some sort of news link or word from a direct source that the Blue Jackets would be unveiling their own version of the RBK Edge jerseys at the NHL Entry Draft. Most signs had been pointing towards trying to get them ready for an unveiling, but nothing was officially announced until the end of last week, when the Jackets did so on their website.
It's my understanding, though, that this will only be an unveiling, which will take place just prior to the start of the draft itself onstage inside of Nationwide Arena. Unless I hear otherwise, the current plan is to take pre-sales for the jerseys at the draft. Even so, I'm happy to hear about this, and excited, too!
So this now means that at least two teams -- the Blue Jackets and the Washington Capitals -- have publicly announced that they'll be unveiling their new jerseys at the draft. Does anyone out there know of any other teams that have announced the same? It'd be a shame if only 2 of a whole 30 teams were doing so, and while I'm sure there's some teams just not announcing it until the draft edges closer, you never know.
GM search wraps up; waiting on the final decision
In the article posted to earlier concerning Zherdev, there's also a mention of how Don Boyd, the Blue Jackets' director of player personnel, has either had his second interview today, or did so yesterday. Bob Murray was also in during the time between games 2 and 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, meaning that by the end of today, all of the final four candidates will have gotten their opportunity to show Mr. Mac (majority owner John McConnell) and Mike Priest why they should be his beloved team's head hockey man.
So what do we do now? Well ... we wait. And we wait, and we wait. And the longer we wait, the more that you get the feeling that the previous speculation about Murray being the top candidate is no mere speculation. I have no problem with that ... nothing like a little SCF to keep me pre-occupied while waiting for the Blue Jackets' knight in shining armor to come to the rescue, right?
Drew enacts Plan Alpha Delta Omega; bloggers plan to converge on Columbus faster than a blitzkrieg
... or at least that's what I hope will happen, now that Drew's gotten a plethora of e-mails sent out, we're seeing a lot of interest in a blogger get-together. Unfortunately for The Sailor, I don't have enough money to buy a round of frosty (or even warm) brewskis; but I did recently buy some yeast recently while attempting to make my own homemade pizza from scratch (dough making and all), so maybe I can dabble in some beer making of my own!
Or not. I wouldn't want to be held responsible for the death of anyone due to my own adventures in beer fermentation. Oiy.
I'm going to do my damndest to update anything that needs updating on that big post on the blog by the end of this week. Additionally, with the draft itself 18 days away, we still have some time to try and pick the perfect spot for people to gather at. If the other CBJ bloggers such as Sarah, Beth, Herringbone (even though he's stuck all the way in Seattle), or Tyler (or even the more Columbus/OSU-centric bloggers) want to help in the brainstorm process when it comes to picking the gathering place, then go nuts! The help would be appreciated!
Beyond my own NHL Entry Draft Primer, Sarah at Neutral Zone Trap has also done an amazing job herself at giving a massive rundown about Columbus, where to go, what to do, and everything else you can think of. Considering she's been here longer than me, I'd say she does a much more bang up job than I do when it pertains to covering all the bases on things you can partake in beyond just the draft while you're here.
Lastly, the Blue Jackets have been kind enough to put up a page on their website where you can get a good rundown on what to expect during the draft, and when things will be going on, so check it out!
I'm out for now. But not before I forget the weekly You Don't Know Jack!
Labels: GM search, jerseys, nhl draft, Nikolai Zherdev, You Don't Know Jack
Still ranting, and ranting, and RANTING ... and stop!
Friday, June 01, 2007
You know, I'm actually a little surprised. No sooner did I berate the fact that ESPN had the obligatory "American hockey ratings suck" headline near the top, did it vanished not only from the front page, but from the page devoted entirely to headlines as well. Given, it's still in existence, as noted by the link in my previous post still working.
Not that I'm taking any sort of responsibility whatsoever for this. Who do you think I am, George Bodenheimer? No, this is surely just an amusing, coincidental happenstance.
Before I move on, I want to add one last thought on my rant yesterday. To many people, including myself, the notion of simply sending letters or making an individual effort to make a difference can seem both a waste of time and downright silly. After all, what is a metric ton of vitriol-filled letters going to make the NHL do? Apologize for moving to Versus and promise to get right to work on a new deal with ESPN? Doubtful.
But being the most wired, the most intelligent, and for the most part the most learned fans in all of mainstream sports in North America, it's all about quality over quantity when trying to make our case to organizations, whom pretty much control whether the NHL ever will come back to any inkling of notability like it had during the mid-1990s, which most people love to point to as the point at which the league took its nosedive.
And it's also about letting organizations like ESPN know that believe it or not, we're not oblivious to just what the Hell they're doing each and every day when they let their "dogs" loose (see: your "friendly neighborhood" sports analysts) on hockey. I don't know about anyone else, but it insults my intelligence, as well as my very being, when I see Tony Kornheiser guffaw and mockingly say "Nashville!? I didn't know Nashville had a hockey team!" when asked about the possible relocation of the Predators to Canada.
I've probably wasted enough energy over yesterday and today going on about this, so I'll stop here. Just remember that doing nothing means nothing happens. And even if the odds dictate that even doing something won't lead to anything either, they still give us a better chance at some -- any -- sort of response or reaction than sitting on our hands.
With a bit of a long day ahead of me -- I have to call Ohio Dominican and see about doing a little class shuffling before it's too late, among other things -- I'm just going to quickly toss out the newest Dispatch article on the GM search, which has Aaron Portzline reporting that Bob Murray should be in Columbus at some point today for his interview with Mike Priest and the McConnells before he continues on his way up to Ottawa for the continuation of the Stanley Cup Finals. 1460 The Fan had earlier indicated that Murray was in town for the interview the other day, but from the looks of it they may have meant to say Neil Smith, who was in on Wednesday.
And with that, I am off! Enjoy your daily Dis or Dat!
Not that I'm taking any sort of responsibility whatsoever for this. Who do you think I am, George Bodenheimer? No, this is surely just an amusing, coincidental happenstance.
Before I move on, I want to add one last thought on my rant yesterday. To many people, including myself, the notion of simply sending letters or making an individual effort to make a difference can seem both a waste of time and downright silly. After all, what is a metric ton of vitriol-filled letters going to make the NHL do? Apologize for moving to Versus and promise to get right to work on a new deal with ESPN? Doubtful.
But being the most wired, the most intelligent, and for the most part the most learned fans in all of mainstream sports in North America, it's all about quality over quantity when trying to make our case to organizations, whom pretty much control whether the NHL ever will come back to any inkling of notability like it had during the mid-1990s, which most people love to point to as the point at which the league took its nosedive.
And it's also about letting organizations like ESPN know that believe it or not, we're not oblivious to just what the Hell they're doing each and every day when they let their "dogs" loose (see: your "friendly neighborhood" sports analysts) on hockey. I don't know about anyone else, but it insults my intelligence, as well as my very being, when I see Tony Kornheiser guffaw and mockingly say "Nashville!? I didn't know Nashville had a hockey team!" when asked about the possible relocation of the Predators to Canada.
I've probably wasted enough energy over yesterday and today going on about this, so I'll stop here. Just remember that doing nothing means nothing happens. And even if the odds dictate that even doing something won't lead to anything either, they still give us a better chance at some -- any -- sort of response or reaction than sitting on our hands.
With a bit of a long day ahead of me -- I have to call Ohio Dominican and see about doing a little class shuffling before it's too late, among other things -- I'm just going to quickly toss out the newest Dispatch article on the GM search, which has Aaron Portzline reporting that Bob Murray should be in Columbus at some point today for his interview with Mike Priest and the McConnells before he continues on his way up to Ottawa for the continuation of the Stanley Cup Finals. 1460 The Fan had earlier indicated that Murray was in town for the interview the other day, but from the looks of it they may have meant to say Neil Smith, who was in on Wednesday.
And with that, I am off! Enjoy your daily Dis or Dat!
Labels: america hates hockey, Dis or Dat, GM search, ranting
The dog days of summer are a total b***h ... and it isn't even June!
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
You know, this 91 degree weather hitting Columbus right now is killing me. And it isn't going to be ending anytime soon, either, with the weekly forecast predicting equal to -- if not hotter -- weather up until Saturday. I'd kill for some rain right about now, or even a mild cold front to bump the temperature down 20 degrees.
Sigh. I long for winter, and it isn't even fall yet.
But enough whining; new news on the search for a general manager has come to light, as Aaron Portzline has once again seemingly picked the lock on the Blue Jackets' and Mike Priest's seemingly impenetrable information vault for the second time in less than a week, coming out with the strongest declaration yet on who is going to be the Jackets' next GM: Anaheim Ducks' Vice President of Hockey Operations, Bob Murray.
When you look back on who the final four candidates were revealed to be, this seems like the obvious and best choice to be made by the organization ... of course, remember that this article isn't so much a confirmation that Murray has been given the job; merely that Murray is the one who is the leading candidate. And even then, if Murray isn't able to sneak in an interview in Columbus sometime during the Stanley Cup Finals (something that is possible when the series shifts back to Ottawa due to a two day break, like Portzline speculated), that lead in the chase for the job might be given up. Doubtful, but you never know.
The Dispatch also has a small capsule report on Murray, which doesn't give you much information, but just enough to know what he's done in the NHL and how long he's been a part of the league in some capacity, from being a player to someone in a team's front office. If you're looking for some even deeper information on Murray, the HFBoards have been their usual, busy self, with numerous Jackets' fans running expeditions into the depths of the Hockey Database and other websites for information on his history. Some specific posts to peek at are here, here, and here.
Before I head out for the afternoon, I just want to remind everyone that yes, me and Drew at End of the Bench are still hammering out some final details for a draft get-together for people who are interested. Hopefully some time by the end of the week we should be looking into contacting a few people about helping out with getting the word spread so that this doesn't turn out to be some dud. Or at least by sometime in the middle of next week. But with the draft now just a little over three weeks away, we really should wrap up some plans and fast.
With that, I bring you a Dis or Dat. Adios!
Sigh. I long for winter, and it isn't even fall yet.
But enough whining; new news on the search for a general manager has come to light, as Aaron Portzline has once again seemingly picked the lock on the Blue Jackets' and Mike Priest's seemingly impenetrable information vault for the second time in less than a week, coming out with the strongest declaration yet on who is going to be the Jackets' next GM: Anaheim Ducks' Vice President of Hockey Operations, Bob Murray.
When you look back on who the final four candidates were revealed to be, this seems like the obvious and best choice to be made by the organization ... of course, remember that this article isn't so much a confirmation that Murray has been given the job; merely that Murray is the one who is the leading candidate. And even then, if Murray isn't able to sneak in an interview in Columbus sometime during the Stanley Cup Finals (something that is possible when the series shifts back to Ottawa due to a two day break, like Portzline speculated), that lead in the chase for the job might be given up. Doubtful, but you never know.
The Dispatch also has a small capsule report on Murray, which doesn't give you much information, but just enough to know what he's done in the NHL and how long he's been a part of the league in some capacity, from being a player to someone in a team's front office. If you're looking for some even deeper information on Murray, the HFBoards have been their usual, busy self, with numerous Jackets' fans running expeditions into the depths of the Hockey Database and other websites for information on his history. Some specific posts to peek at are here, here, and here.
Before I head out for the afternoon, I just want to remind everyone that yes, me and Drew at End of the Bench are still hammering out some final details for a draft get-together for people who are interested. Hopefully some time by the end of the week we should be looking into contacting a few people about helping out with getting the word spread so that this doesn't turn out to be some dud. Or at least by sometime in the middle of next week. But with the draft now just a little over three weeks away, we really should wrap up some plans and fast.
With that, I bring you a Dis or Dat. Adios!
Labels: Dis or Dat, GM search, nhl draft
Arrr! A pirate's matinee movie for me!
Monday, May 28, 2007
Guess I took my sweet time updating this Monday, huh? Whoops! Well, I was out with a friend seeing a matinee showing of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, so I was a little preoccupied for much of the day. The movie? I liked it ... though it was hard to stay focused when the movie was just shy of three hours in length. That's just way too much for one sitting, especially when it's a sequel or part of a trilogy. That sort of length should be reserved for things like Saving Private Ryan, thank you.
So, a hybrid of revelations and speculation came out of the Dispatch over the weekend, when Aaron Portzline reported that the search had been seemingly narrowed down to four candidates. There are actually more than a couple surprises on such a small list, at least in my opinion.
First, there is the fact that Anaheim Ducks' Bob Murray is one of the final four. It isn't that he's not qualified, because he certainly is when you look at how much of a hand he has had in turning the Ducks into what they are alongside their GM Brian Burke. However it's the fact that he's still being considered even though the Ducks are still playing, meaning that for all intents and purposes, if he's the final choice, don't expect the Blue Jackets to go announcing their new GM until after the Stanley Cup Finals.
The other candidate from outside of the Blue Jackets organization is Neil Smith. Most people would probably recognize Smith's name due to the fact that he was involved in one of the weirder stories of the 2006-07 season, when Charles Wang -- owner of the New York Islanders -- handed him his pink slip after no more than 40 days on the job as Isles' GM. However in those 40 days, he was able to help lay the groundwork with some quick player shuffling and signings for the Islanders to ice a modestly good team, who surprised most everyone in the league when they clinched the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference on the very last day of the regular season. Besides that, Smith was also the GM of the most recent Stanley Cup winning New York Rangers' team during the 1994 season, but remember that was way before the salary cap era, with a team which had plenty of money to use if it needed to.
Then comes the in-house candidates, which leaves me a little worried. Don Boyd, director of player personnel, and Interim GM Jim Clark both made the cut to round out the four candidates.
I've already expressed in previous entries my feelings about promoting from within the Jackets' organization. Michael Arace, in his blog, mused:
Okay, fair enough. So maybe both Clark and Boyd had their names tossed out there for the sake of legitimizing the organization. But what I wonder is, if that is the case, do both need to be kept in the mix? While this "final four" label on these candidates is lax in terms of whether someone else can be added or removed from it (Portzline even says a name or two could be added to the list later), it probably leaves many a Jackets' fan -- myself included -- with a sense of dread that this so-called "organizational shake-up" will result in nothing but more of the same. Clark and Boyd might be unique people who are not Doug MacLean, but they were still a part of the very organization that's yet to even sniff a playoff berth, let alone a winning season.
There's still 25 days until the NHL Entry Draft comes to Columbus. The latest the Stanley Cup Finals could last is the 11th of June, leaving an 11 day cushion for Mike Priest to name the new GM if he decides that his pick is Murray, or he simply decides to wait until the playoffs are over to make a possibly bigger splash in the hockey media. We'll just have to see what happens, I guess.
You Don't Know Jack time, and now I'm off to get ready to watch tonight's game!
So, a hybrid of revelations and speculation came out of the Dispatch over the weekend, when Aaron Portzline reported that the search had been seemingly narrowed down to four candidates. There are actually more than a couple surprises on such a small list, at least in my opinion.
First, there is the fact that Anaheim Ducks' Bob Murray is one of the final four. It isn't that he's not qualified, because he certainly is when you look at how much of a hand he has had in turning the Ducks into what they are alongside their GM Brian Burke. However it's the fact that he's still being considered even though the Ducks are still playing, meaning that for all intents and purposes, if he's the final choice, don't expect the Blue Jackets to go announcing their new GM until after the Stanley Cup Finals.
The other candidate from outside of the Blue Jackets organization is Neil Smith. Most people would probably recognize Smith's name due to the fact that he was involved in one of the weirder stories of the 2006-07 season, when Charles Wang -- owner of the New York Islanders -- handed him his pink slip after no more than 40 days on the job as Isles' GM. However in those 40 days, he was able to help lay the groundwork with some quick player shuffling and signings for the Islanders to ice a modestly good team, who surprised most everyone in the league when they clinched the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference on the very last day of the regular season. Besides that, Smith was also the GM of the most recent Stanley Cup winning New York Rangers' team during the 1994 season, but remember that was way before the salary cap era, with a team which had plenty of money to use if it needed to.
Then comes the in-house candidates, which leaves me a little worried. Don Boyd, director of player personnel, and Interim GM Jim Clark both made the cut to round out the four candidates.
I've already expressed in previous entries my feelings about promoting from within the Jackets' organization. Michael Arace, in his blog, mused:
The in-house candidates, Clark and Boyd, don’t lack for legitimacy – they know this team, and, in different ways, they are intriguing – but it may be that they’re mentioned as finalists as a matter of good form. If you throw them out now, it’s something of a condemnation of the organization as it stands now.
Okay, fair enough. So maybe both Clark and Boyd had their names tossed out there for the sake of legitimizing the organization. But what I wonder is, if that is the case, do both need to be kept in the mix? While this "final four" label on these candidates is lax in terms of whether someone else can be added or removed from it (Portzline even says a name or two could be added to the list later), it probably leaves many a Jackets' fan -- myself included -- with a sense of dread that this so-called "organizational shake-up" will result in nothing but more of the same. Clark and Boyd might be unique people who are not Doug MacLean, but they were still a part of the very organization that's yet to even sniff a playoff berth, let alone a winning season.
There's still 25 days until the NHL Entry Draft comes to Columbus. The latest the Stanley Cup Finals could last is the 11th of June, leaving an 11 day cushion for Mike Priest to name the new GM if he decides that his pick is Murray, or he simply decides to wait until the playoffs are over to make a possibly bigger splash in the hockey media. We'll just have to see what happens, I guess.
You Don't Know Jack time, and now I'm off to get ready to watch tonight's game!
Labels: GM search, You Don't Know Jack
Out the door, but not without a quick post!
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Another day, another Dis or Dat.
I don't have a lot of time this morning for a grandiose post, as I have to be out the door in a couple hours to take care of some errands much of the day, and still have to eat, shower, exercise, and change (not in that order, mind you), but I just wanted to comment on a couple of things really quickly.
First off, as was heard in the middle of the day yesterday, defensive prospect, 2005 2nd round pick Adam McQuaid has decided that he wanted to hardball the Blue Jackets with entry level contract salaries that the CBJ just could not handle during this time of transition, and thus was dealt to the Boston Bruins (who rather quickly were able to sign him, interestingly enough), in return for a 5th round pick in this year's draft.
Now I have a couple qualms with what apparently McQuaid did, considering that scouting reports had listed him as an up-and-coming good defensive prospect for the Jackets down the road (and we all know the Jackets desperately need some blue line help, even if it is later and now sooner). First off, it seems interesting to me that no sooner had Boston gotten their hands on McQuaid's rights, they were able to sign him in mere seconds. That leaves a rather bitter taste in my mouth ... as though ol' McQuaid and his agent were purposefully seeking a way to force Columbus to send him elsewhere, despite the fact that the Jackets are currently not in the best of positions to sign anyone, prospect or otherwise.
... and there was something else I wanted to say about this, but my brain just sort of deflated on the topic, since I'm in a bit of a hurry. I'll try to amend that second thought in when I come home later!
But besides prospect issues, some news on the GM search has finally reared its head. Aaron Portzline reports that Neil Smith, who was not only the 40-day GM of the New York Islanders this season but also the one who brought together the 1994 Stanley Cup-winning New York Rangers' team, has passed through the doors into Nationwide Arena for his interview with President Mike Priest.
From a bare minimal standpoint, Smith seems like a good person to interview. Regardless of what one may think of what happened on Long Island, Smith was in essence the person who put together the 2006-07 Islanders roster, with the exception of a tweak or two down the line. Now, mind you those tweaks that Smith didn't have a role in (Ryan Smyth) were what pushed the Isles into the playoffs on the last day of the season, but he was able to beat practically all expectations that pundits had about the ol' Isles in just 40 days (like John Buccigross thinking they'd finish dead last in the East). This shows me that he still has a bit of a magic touch, even after all that time off between his Rangers' GM role and short-lived Isles' GM role.
Beyond that, Don Boyd, the Jackets' director of player personnel, has already has interview ... and Jim Clark is still waiting on his, which looks to be coming sometime today or tomorrow. Additionally, pro scouting director Bob Strumm has tossed his hat into the ring, so we'll see where that goes, if anywhere.
And that's all I got, folks. I'm out!
I don't have a lot of time this morning for a grandiose post, as I have to be out the door in a couple hours to take care of some errands much of the day, and still have to eat, shower, exercise, and change (not in that order, mind you), but I just wanted to comment on a couple of things really quickly.
First off, as was heard in the middle of the day yesterday, defensive prospect, 2005 2nd round pick Adam McQuaid has decided that he wanted to hardball the Blue Jackets with entry level contract salaries that the CBJ just could not handle during this time of transition, and thus was dealt to the Boston Bruins (who rather quickly were able to sign him, interestingly enough), in return for a 5th round pick in this year's draft.
Now I have a couple qualms with what apparently McQuaid did, considering that scouting reports had listed him as an up-and-coming good defensive prospect for the Jackets down the road (and we all know the Jackets desperately need some blue line help, even if it is later and now sooner). First off, it seems interesting to me that no sooner had Boston gotten their hands on McQuaid's rights, they were able to sign him in mere seconds. That leaves a rather bitter taste in my mouth ... as though ol' McQuaid and his agent were purposefully seeking a way to force Columbus to send him elsewhere, despite the fact that the Jackets are currently not in the best of positions to sign anyone, prospect or otherwise.
... and there was something else I wanted to say about this, but my brain just sort of deflated on the topic, since I'm in a bit of a hurry. I'll try to amend that second thought in when I come home later!
But besides prospect issues, some news on the GM search has finally reared its head. Aaron Portzline reports that Neil Smith, who was not only the 40-day GM of the New York Islanders this season but also the one who brought together the 1994 Stanley Cup-winning New York Rangers' team, has passed through the doors into Nationwide Arena for his interview with President Mike Priest.
From a bare minimal standpoint, Smith seems like a good person to interview. Regardless of what one may think of what happened on Long Island, Smith was in essence the person who put together the 2006-07 Islanders roster, with the exception of a tweak or two down the line. Now, mind you those tweaks that Smith didn't have a role in (Ryan Smyth) were what pushed the Isles into the playoffs on the last day of the season, but he was able to beat practically all expectations that pundits had about the ol' Isles in just 40 days (like John Buccigross thinking they'd finish dead last in the East). This shows me that he still has a bit of a magic touch, even after all that time off between his Rangers' GM role and short-lived Isles' GM role.
Beyond that, Don Boyd, the Jackets' director of player personnel, has already has interview ... and Jim Clark is still waiting on his, which looks to be coming sometime today or tomorrow. Additionally, pro scouting director Bob Strumm has tossed his hat into the ring, so we'll see where that goes, if anywhere.
And that's all I got, folks. I'm out!
Labels: Dis or Dat, GM search, trades
Rick Nash's father was a steamroller.
Monday, May 14, 2007
What's that? You thought I was not going to post today, since it was the middle of the afternoon and I still hadn't updated? Well, you thought wrong! For that, I have to smack you with a You Don't Know Jack!
So the IIHF World Championships came and went, and on Sunday Team Canada was crowned the champions of the world with a 4-2 win over Finland. Hip, hip, hooray!
As a Jackets' fan, the focus that you'll find here will be on Game MVP/Tournament MVP Rick Nash. I was lucky enough to catch the 3rd period via a TSN feed (thank you to the fine folks at HFBoards for posting it up), and see that absolutely staggering and amazing goal that Nasher pulled out of his magic hat to seal the deal against the late surging Fins. For those who didn't see it, check this baby out:
I mean ... good God, man! Look at that! He's being bear hugged and piggy backed on his way to the net!
But highlight reel goals that seal gold medal victories in world championships aside, let's also look at Nasher's numbers: He tied for the most goals on Team Canada with Matthew Lombardi ... he had the 2nd most points for Team Canada (only behind Lombardi) ... and this here is the real kicker for his statistics: he had the best +/- rating of anyone on Team Canada.
Let that sink in, folks. The player who, in past seasons, has been lambasted for poor defense (one look at his +/- in both his rookie and sophomore years can tell you why he was lambasted), led Team Canada in +/- rating for this tournament. You can't ignore this, especially when you consider the possible influence that defensive-minded coach Ken Hitchcock had on him prior to the end of the Blue Jackets' season.
By the way, let's not forget Jason Chimera, who looked like he was having the time of his life at the Worlds. He must have drowned Nasher and Shane Doan with more champagne than I've ever even drank in my whole life (which is actually pretty easy to beat) during the locker room celebration. And besides just partying up a storm, he actually played a damn good game, at one point leading the team in +/-, and finishing with a respectable 6 points.
So the IIHF World Championships came and went, and on Sunday Team Canada was crowned the champions of the world with a 4-2 win over Finland. Hip, hip, hooray!
As a Jackets' fan, the focus that you'll find here will be on Game MVP/Tournament MVP Rick Nash. I was lucky enough to catch the 3rd period via a TSN feed (thank you to the fine folks at HFBoards for posting it up), and see that absolutely staggering and amazing goal that Nasher pulled out of his magic hat to seal the deal against the late surging Fins. For those who didn't see it, check this baby out:
I mean ... good God, man! Look at that! He's being bear hugged and piggy backed on his way to the net!
But highlight reel goals that seal gold medal victories in world championships aside, let's also look at Nasher's numbers: He tied for the most goals on Team Canada with Matthew Lombardi ... he had the 2nd most points for Team Canada (only behind Lombardi) ... and this here is the real kicker for his statistics: he had the best +/- rating of anyone on Team Canada.
Let that sink in, folks. The player who, in past seasons, has been lambasted for poor defense (one look at his +/- in both his rookie and sophomore years can tell you why he was lambasted), led Team Canada in +/- rating for this tournament. You can't ignore this, especially when you consider the possible influence that defensive-minded coach Ken Hitchcock had on him prior to the end of the Blue Jackets' season.
By the way, let's not forget Jason Chimera, who looked like he was having the time of his life at the Worlds. He must have drowned Nasher and Shane Doan with more champagne than I've ever even drank in my whole life (which is actually pretty easy to beat) during the locker room celebration. And besides just partying up a storm, he actually played a damn good game, at one point leading the team in +/-, and finishing with a respectable 6 points.
Moving back to news in Columbus and on the Blue Jackets organization itself, the interview process looks to be officially started as of this week, with internal interviews of Don Boyd and Jim Clark on tap for the early part of it, followed by external, non-CBJ employee interviews to come later in the week. Michael Arace churns out a good list (and the odds of landing) each of the several candidates that are supposedly on Jackets' President Jim Priest's list.
I still find myself wondering about the apparent love that former Kings GM Dave Taylor is getting. I've already pointed out one issue in that while he's supposedly a good GM, his Kings' teams fell out of playoff contention in his final three years as GM. Maybe Arace will spot this and go into a little detail about what he likes about Taylor on his own blog -- that is, if he does like him, and isn't just reporting Taylor as the favorite based off of rumblings around the league or in Columbus or anywhere else.
Outside of that, I got nothing else for you today. I have some groceries to buy and some laundry to do. So off with you, now! Go on, shoo!
Labels: GM search, international hockey, You Don't Know Jack
Candidacy 2007: Dave Taylor
Monday, May 07, 2007
This is Mikey with your You Don't Know Jack for May 7, 2007 (and yes, I am so ripping Cookie off by using that phrase to introduce today's post):
So, yeah. Not every YDKJ-related post will have just a Dis or Dat. In fact, at least once a week, the YDKJ website instead comes up with a full mini-game with seven questions (Dis or Dat included in the questions). Always expect them on Monday.
Now, on the topic of hockey, let's talk general managers. Before my hiatus, I'd taken the opportunity to touch on some of the concerns, as well as questions, I had when it came to the feasibility of Assistant/Interim GM Jim Clark taking on permanent GM status for the Blue Jackets, and to an extent the similar concerns attached to Don Boyd taking over as the GM. In essence, my concern was that with either Clark or Boyd at the top of the hockey operations food chain in Columbus, we'd simply see more of the same when it comes to decisions made for the team. After all, Boyd has been with the Jackets' since the very beginning (and that means he had been working under Doug MacLean for that whole period of time), and Clark had been in and around NHL teams at the same time as MacLean had been with those teams (the Red Wings and the Panthers) since at least the mid-90s. To me, this raises some serious red flags about whether or not Clark has "learned" too much from MacLean.
Regardless of what Stan Fischler might say, the world isn't going to end if Clark isn't given the GM position. The end.
Now, what about candidates outside of the Blue Jackets' organization? Well, one name that I see almost religiously popping up in The Columbus Dispatch and other media outlets has been Dave Taylor, former GM of the Los Angeles Kings. Currently, Taylor heads up amateur development for the Kings, so it isn't like he's been out of the game since he was dismissed as GM of the Kings in 2006 (and since that's so recent, would it really have been long enough to say he's rusty at wheeling and dealing and managing a team?).
"He's a man with vast experience and an impeccable reputation." Writes Michael Arace in his most recent article that covers several of the potential candidates. "His work ethic is legendary."
But hold on; while Taylor certainly has a respectable list of credentials as both a respected and retired hockey player and as someone who was at the helm of the Kings during their several most recent playoff berths, I have some concerns about what I've seen so far when it pertains to him. In particular, his more recent record as general manager of the Kings prior to dismissal.
In his ten years as general manager of the Kings, Taylor went 5 for 10 when it comes to making the playoffs. That's all well and good, but I'm worried about the fact that 3 out of those 5 years that he didn't make the playoffs were during his final years as GM. What, exactly, happened in those three years that Taylor was incapable of righting?
On the other hand, with the Blue Jackets' going ahead with this whole "youth movement" thing, Taylor's experience as an amateur development director could prove to be beneficial. If he wasn't capable of handling younger players or properly gauging their skills and abilities both before calling them up to the NHL and also while they're with the team, he wouldn't be the Kings' head of amateur development, right?
I've tried doing some digging in to Taylor on Google, but alas, with such a common name, even specifying my searches leads to very little outside of a meager Wikipedia article. So what about any Kings' fans out there that may be reading this post? Any thoughts or feelings on Taylor during his time as the Kings' GM? Maybe clarify some of the mistakes he made which led to his dismissal and the team's three-year playoff drought near the end of his time?
