By William Espy
In the 2005 entry draft, all the hype was about the “Crosby Lottery” however there was a lot of high caliber talent in this draft. Bobby Ryan, Benoit Pouliot, and Carey Price just to name a few. The Blue Jackets draft however did not go as planned. They selected 6th overall and selected Gilbert Brule while names like Anze Kopitar, Tuukka Rask and TJ Oshie were on the board. At the time it seemed like a good idea, however in hindsight it was another draft disappointment for the Blue Jackets. (Now) Former Blue Jacket and current UFA Jack Skille was taken seventh overall by the Chicago Blackhawks. However I have left one player out of the discussion to this point. That player would be none other than a defenseman selected third overall by the Carolina Hurricanes. His name? None other than Jack Johnson.
Jack Johnson would be traded on October 1, 2006 to the LA Kings along with Oleg Tvordovsky in exchange for Eric Belanger and Tim Gleason. Johnson would remain with the Kings until an infamous trade in 2012. The Blue Jackets traded disgruntled forward Jeff Carter to the Kings in exchange for a first round pick and Johnson.
While Johnson never turned into a Norris candidate like he was probably expected to when he was drafted, he has been a top blue liner for the Blue Jackets since he was acquired. Who can forget the “Controlled Chaos” pairing of Johnson and James Wisniewski? In the 2014-2015 season, Johnson led Jackets defenseman in time on ice per game averaging 24:09. Second was Johnson’s partner for most of the season David Savard with 22:56.
STATUS: AVALIABLE FOR THE RIGHT PRICE
This is a bit of a tough one, the “right price” that the Blue Jackets would need to move Johnson would likely be very high. Johnson is unlikely to be involved in any trade talks, unless it is a trade that would involve the Jackets flipping him for a better defenseman. However, that is also unlikely as the Jackets would likely try to flip other assets to get a top pairing caliber defenseman to play alongside of Johnson. The Jackets have shown interest in doing so, inquiring about Kevin Shattenkirk, however it is highly unlikely that Johnson goes anywhere. On top of that, David Savard will likely be his defensive partner until around the trade deadline in which case Savard would move down a pairing.
Monday, July 27, 2015
Leaf of the Day: Volume 7 - Peter Holland
By Alex Hobson
As many know, the Leafs have not had too much success over the past 10 years. Not only have they failed to produce at a playoff level on the ice, but their management has been very bad. One of these problems was bad drafting. Several prospects such as Greg McKegg, Jamie Devane, Brad Ross, Tyler Biggs, and Jesse Blacker were drafted with high hopes that they would crack the Leafs roster in coming years. None of them ever panned out, so lots of these prospects have been since dealt. The first one being Jesse Blacker, who was dealt to the Anaheim Ducks along with a third round pick and a conditional seventh round pick in November 2011 in exchange for forward Peter Holland and forward Brad Staubitz. Staubitz would fail to crack the Leafs lineup during his short tenure in the T-dot, but Holland would be an interesting player. Let's look into Holland's history and what you can expect from him in coming years.
STATUS: SAFE
This is the first of this status to appear in the Leaf of the Day series, but basically what it means is that he's not untouchable, but he's also not neccesarily availible to other teams, such as Jonathan Bernier or Jake Gardiner. I fail to see any reason why the Leafs would trade Holland, considering he's a young centre who plays offense and defense, and has a very cheap cap hit.
2015-16 ROLE: MIDDLE SIX CENTRE
The way things are shaping up for the upcoming season, it looks like Nazem Kadri will be given first line minutes, so the middle six duties will likely be patrolled by Holland and newly acquired Leaf Shawn Matthias. Whether Holland takes on second or third line duties, he'll likely flourish and stay off the fourth line.
What do you think of Holland, Leafs fans? Where will he play in the upcoming year? Weigh in below.
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Blue Jackets Forward Evaluation Part 1: The Departures
By William Espy
It’s coming down to the time of the offseason where transactions between teams are far between and few. The Blue Jackets have made quite a few moves on the forward front this off-season so let’s start by taking a look at the players who have left the team.
Mark Letestu:
Mark Letestu had been a member of the Blue Jackets organization since he was acquired through a trade on November 8, 2011. He was a versatile player who could play any forward position on any line. Following the emergence of Ryan Johansen as a number one center during the 2013-2014 season and the departure of Derek Mackenzie following the season, Letestu spent most of the 2014-2015 season in the fourth line center position. His contract expired on July 1, 2015 and although he had repeatedly expressed his desires to stay in Columbus, the Oilers had made an offer that Jarmo Kekalainen felt he could not match. The Columbus Dispatch reported Letestu was disappointed saying:
"I wanted to see it through, we came a long way in a pretty short time, if you think about it. There are some great guys in that room, some real character guys who really want to win. We were so beat up this season - myself included - that it was a tough year, but we still felt really good about heading into next season. I didn't want to go. I wanted to see it through, be a part of what I think is going to be a very special string of years here in Columbus. I wanted to be a part of it, see it through. I'll still be watching, but I'll be doing it from afar."
He also stated that although Edmonton was his home town, whenever someone asked he said Columbus was his home. It’s a difficult process; however management could not let emotions get in the way. Letestu will be joining a very promising Oilers team, and Blue Jackets fans cannot wait to be able to welcome him back to Columbus and say thanks for the memories when they come to visit.
Artem Anisimov:
Artem Anisimov was acquired, with various others, in the trade that sent Rick Nash to New York. Anisimov fit into the lineup instantly. He is a big bodied centerman who could do just about everything. As time moved on, he started to fall out of the Blue Jackets plans. As concussions became more and more problematic, he began to miss time. He was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2016 and did not fit in anywhere on the lineup. His departure from Columbus was an expected one, and while it was not as emotional as some other pieces that left, Anisimov will be missed by the Blue Jackets faithful. When he arrived in Chicago, he immediately signed a five year extension. He will likely play center for Patrick Kane for the next five years, and he couldn’t be more excited. Nearly every Blue Jackets fan will agree on one thing, it will be odd not seeing the familiar number 42 on a daily basis in Columbus.
Marko Dano:
The departure of Letestu and Anisimov pulled on the heart strings of Blue Jackets fans, however the one that made most of them disappointed was Marko Dano. Dano appeared to be the Wonderkid for Columbus, in his first NHL season he had stepped in as an injury replacement and put up 21 points in 35 games. While that may not seem too impressive on paper, Dano made plays that caused fans to be awestruck. Look at this pass to Scott Hartnell for example:
Dano was the 27th overall pick in the 2013 draft. He made his NHL debut on opening night of the 2014-2015 season, and he became a fan favorite from the start. His goofy personality, the ability for older-minded fans to make the “Book ‘em Dano” jokes mixed with his skill on the ice made him someone that could not be hated. Columbus has never had this big of an impact from a drafted player so quickly. Marko Dano became one of the most loved players on the team and #56 became more and more popular in the audience. Dano has all the makings of a future superstar and Jackets fans will always be proud to call him one of their own no matter where he is playing. The disappointment partially seemed to go both ways for a while. Dano stayed in Columbus and attended the Blue Jackets prospect tournament to say goodbye to fans. He then posted this on every form of social media he uses:
Today is the time to move on , bye bye Nationwide Arena. Everything begins in here. Home opener (10/11/14). pic.twitter.com/0XBOVyq80c
— Marko Dano (@Marko_Dano) July 6, 2015
He has also kept the Blue Jackets in his Twitter bio, a very respectable move. Marko Dano is going to be a top player with Toews and Kane, now he is excited to be able to play with Hossa.
Corey Tropp:
There’s not much to say about Corey Tropp. He was a depth player for the Blue Jackets for most of his career, and did a pretty good job with it. He is quoted for saying “I only score pretty goals” in a joking manner, but for the most part it was true. For example he scored this highlight reel goal:
Tropp was a very well rounded player but lacked offensively in some areas. For most Blue Jackets fans, this is the lasting memory they will have of him:
Jeremy Morin:
Jeremy Morin was a player who always seemed to be in trouble for various reasons in Chicago, he never seemed to get an opportunity under Joel Quenneville and requested a trade to get more playing time. He would then be traded to Columbus in exchange for Tim Erixon and after an injury filled season and almost no production he was moved, unfortunately for him, back to Chicago. Morin has potential, however it seems like it will be difficult to make him use every bit of it.
Mike Reilly:
I was always taught if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all.
Leaf of the Day: Volume 6 - Jake Gardiner
By Alex Hobson
Back when Brian Burke was still running the show, he made many questionable moves, but he also made a couple that ended up greatly benefiting the team in the future. One of these moves was a 2011 trade sending defenseman Francois Beauchemin to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Joffrey Lupul and rookie defenseman Jake Gardiner. Lupul would remain as a starting forward in each year with the Leafs following the trade, recording points at a steady pace when healthy, and Gardiner would have a solid rookie season, recording 30 points in 72 games. In this article, however, let's focus mainly on Gardiner.
The first thing you'll notice after watching Gardiner play for a bit is his offensive ability. He knows how to rush the puck and he's a great player to have on the powerplay. That being said, lots of people have questioned Gardiner's defensive ability and his hockey iq when it comes to making defensive plays. Gardiner had many turnovers and his head didn't seem into it over several games in 2014-15. Given the fact that he's still young at 24 years old, the Leafs haven't decided to make a move just yet. He was a trading chip in 2014-15, but the Leafs weren't aggresively shopping him. Gardiner will have a stellar coach to play under in Mike Babacock, and he won't have a coach who he doesn't get along with in Randy Carlyle. Gardiner is a swift, puck moving defenseman who is arguably the best skater on the Leafs, competing with Morgan Rielly, and he has a great offensive upside. Towards the end of the 2013-14 season, Gardiner broke out when the team was failing, recording 14 points in 18 games. All in all, Gardiner is still young and there is still reason to believe that Gardiner can rebound and blossom into a top four defenseman like everybody expected him to.
STATUS: AVAILIBLE FOR THE RIGHT PRICE
Much like Jonathan Bernier, Gardiner could be availible if given the right offer, but nothing is imminent, and they're likely going to give him time this year to prove himself.
2015-16 ROLE: TOP 4 DEFENSEMAN
The way the defensive core is looking this year, it's entirely possible that the Leafs could slot in Gardiner on the top four pairing, potentially along somebody like Roman Polak, a right hand shooting tough defenseman. It's uncertain where everyone could end up, for example Gardiner could be bumped down to the top six to make room for fellow young defenseman Martin Marinin, or Morgan Rielly even. It's extremely hard to predict at this point but a top four position seems most likely.
CBJ of the Day: Boone Jenner
By William Espy
It is opening night in Columbus; the cheers of the fans grow increasingly as another player is introduced. Then all of a sudden public address announcer Greg Murray says “Number thirty-eight, Boone Jenner”. What happens next is a sight to behold. A casual hockey fan in the arena may become confused, it sounds like the passionate fans are… booing? their own player but it’s quite the contrary. The sound of “BOOOOOONE” echoes throughout the arena.
The 2011 NHL entry draft was a bit of an interesting one. Outside of the top ten, very few players have made an impact in the NHL. The second round however, would have a surprising amount of talent coming out of it. Players such as Nikita Kucherov, Tomas Jurco, John Gibson, and three current Blue Jackets (Brandon Saad, William Karlsson, and Boone Jenner) would hear their names called in the first round of the second day. The Blue Jackets first had been sent to Philadelphia in the infamous trade that brought Jeff Carter to Columbus because of this, the 37th overall pick was a very important one for the Blue Jackets. Once the time for their first pick of the draft finally came, GM Scott Howson called the name of Oshawa Generals forward Boone Jenner.
Prior to the draft, Jenner was seen as a possible mid to late first rounder but luckily for the Blue Jackets he fell to the second round. NHL Central Scouting’s Chris Edwards had this to say about the young center:
"The phrase, 'I want 20 of those guys on my team,' gets overused, but it not only applies to Boone, he can be the poster boy for it. Boone does what it takes to win. He blocks shots, wins battles along the boards and is an outstanding forechecker. He wants to be first to the puck every time. He's solid on his skates and fights through checks on his way to the net.”
Boone could do almost anything in the OHL and that has carried over to the NHL. During the 2012 World Junior Championships, Jenner faced a three game suspension following this hit:
Jenner has however proven that he has cleaned up his game to remove hits like that. Following the injury decimated 2014-2015 season, Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch revealed this statistic:
#CBJ Boone Jenner and Brandon Dubinsky only dressed in the same game 13 times this season. CBJ was 11-0-2 in those game.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) April 12, 2015
STATUS: Nearly Untouchable
It’s not every day that a 22 year old is in the running to be named captain of an NHL team. Had it not been for Nick Foligno’s amazing season, could we have seen the “C” stitched on to the #38? Possibly. While there were still more candidates who likely would have taken over the role like Brandon Dubinsky or Jack Johnson, Jenner would have been up in the race as well. Now that Foligno is captain, as long as Boone Jenner stays a Columbus Blue Jacket, there is very little doubt about who his replacement will be when he decides to give up the captaincy.
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Leaf of the Day: Volume 5 - Tyler Bozak
By Alex Hobson
Dating back to 2008, the Leafs have always lacked a true #1 centre. Mats Sundin was the last to fill that role, and since then different players such as Tim Connolly, Mikhail Grabovski, and Matt Stajan among others, but none have worked out. In April of 2009, the Leafs went on to sign an undrafted forward who would then remain with the franchise and be pushed into the #1 centre slot. This man would be Tyler Bozak.
Bozak began to find time on the first line considering his chemistry and friendship with recently-departed sniper Phil Kessel. Many Leafs fans were skeptical about the claim that Bozak was a #1, considering that despite playing alongside of one of the best goal scorers in the NHL, he put up merely average numbers. That being said, Bozak was still a fan favourite in Toronto and was liked by most fans, but just wasn't believed to be that #1 the Leafs desperately needed. Bozak appeared in 37 games in the 2009-10 season, while playing on a line with Phil Kessel and Nikolai Kulemin. In his first full season in the NHL, Bozak registered a total of 32 points in 82 games, with his career high being in 2013-14, where he would record 48 points, despite missing several games to injury and playing in only 59 contests. Over the past year there's been speculation that Bozak would be traded due to his average production and decently-hefty cap hit, but the rumours have skyrocketed considering the Leafs were entering a rebuild and Bozak is part of the core the Leafs were trying to get rid of.
STATUS: ON THE BLOCK
It's no secret that as of now the Leafs are trying to make a deal to flip Bozak to another team. They announced around the draft that their price for Bozak was set at a second round pick, and on top of that they stated that Bozak would be moved before training camp, and since then the Leafs have lowered the asking price from a second rounder.
2015-16 ROLE: 2ND LINE CENTRE IF HE STAYS WITH THE TEAM
Ever since Nazem Kadri was signed to his new one year, $4.1 million contract, there have been sky-high expectations for the young centre coming into next year. New head coach Mike Babcock says that he expects Kadri to be an elite player, and considering the pressure is on for him, he'll likely be given first line minutes. On top of that, Bozak no longer has Phil Kessel to work with, so it would be more realistic to see Bozak on the second line. That is, IF he stays with the team, in which the chance is very low.
What do you think the Leafs should do with Bozak, Leafs fans? Should they keep him or trade him? Weigh in below.
Friday, July 24, 2015
Leaf of the Day: Volume 4 - Jonathan Bernier
By Alex Hobson
The day June 23rd 2013 is a day many Leafs fans will not forget. The day that the Leafs sent Matt Frattin, Ben Scrivens, and a conditional 2nd round pick to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for goaltender Jonathan Bernier. Not only would this move add a second capable goalie to the main roster, but it would also spark a new controversy among Leafs fans. Many Leafs fans argue that Bernier was the better goalie, others believe Reimer is the guy. Truth be told, despite people's opinions on who's the real man for the job, the Leafs have two good goaltenders. For this article, however, let's focus on Bernier and what he brings to the table.
Bernier has been a solid goaltender for the Leafs, and even though his record may sometimes not show it, he's a very able goaltender who, with the right team in front of him, can be a serviceable starter. Unfortunately, the Leafs haven't been able to put an overly strong team in front of Bernier. Given the weak defense the Leafs have had for the past 5 or so years, almost every goalie has been portrayed worse than he actually is, and yes, this includes Reimer as well. But all in all, Bernier hasn't been too bad for the Buds. In his first season, the 26 year old netminder recorded a 26-19-7 record with a 2.68 goals against average and a .923 save percentage, while his next season wasn't as good, with a 21-28-7 record, 2.87 goals against average, and .912 save percentage. These aren't awful numbers for a goalie, especially considering the mess the Leafs showed last year, but he's a decent goalie in general.
STATUS: AVAILIBLE FOR THE RIGHT PRICE
When I say Bernier is availible for the right price, that doesn't mean he's on the block and currently being shopped around. It just means he's not being shopped right now, but he's not untouchable and if an offer came around that the Leafs couldn't turn down, they would likely accept. For now, though, Bernier is safe.
2015-16 ROLE: STARTING GOALTENDER
According to the stats, Bernier will likely get the majority of the games for the Leafs in 2015-16. Keep in mind that Bernier will not start every single game, and Reimer will more than likely get his fair share of games, but given each netminder's statistics in the past two years, Bernier will start more games than Reimer.
What do you think of Bernier, Leafs fans? Weigh in below.
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