(3:25 pm) The Jackets trade forward Tom Sestito to the Philadelphia Flyers for forwards Greg Moore and Michael Chaput. 

(1:15 pm) Thanks Klesla for the many great years.  Klesla was the Jackets first ever first round pick.  He was a good player for the Jackets but never really developed into the player they thought he was going to be.  He has experienced some injuries in the past few seasons and has struggled to be consistent.  Not to mention he has three years left on his contract.

Scottie Upshall is a great addition to the Jackets line-up.  Upshall will be a role player with plenty of speed who can kill penalties.  He will fit perfectly into Arniel’s aggressive and fore-checking style of game.  There is little commitment to Upshall as he will be a UFA at the end of the season.  

Sami Lepisto is a young defenseman who was drafted in the third round (66 th overall)of the 2004 entry draft.  He is exactly what the Jackets were looking to get at the trade deadline.  He is an offensive, puck-moving defenseman who can play the powerplay.  He will eliviate some of the stress from Kris Russell and Anton Stralman as he’s a similar type of player.  Lepisto is a RFA at the end of the season. 

(12:58 pm) The Jackets just traded Rostislav Klesla to the Phoenix Coyotes for   Scottie Upshall and d-man Sami Lepisto.

(12:50 pm)  Very slow but looks like things could pick up.  There is still talk about Liles coming to Columbus.  Arnott might be a good fit on the Jackets’ top line.

(9:44 am) I will try to keep you updated all day with rumors and trades related to you Blue Jackets. 

The Jackets still remain 4 points out with plenty of teams to jump.  I think the Jackets need to go big of go home.  Making a small addition to their roster is not going to get them in the playoffs and will definitely not give them a shot at the cup.

Rumors:

There is still interest in Filatovaround the league.  He’ s a risk but some teams might be desperate enough to give him a shot to help them with their offense.

Klesla to Montreal?  It would be a great fit. 

I still believe the Jackets are trying to land an offensive defenseman and some help up front with Huselius out. 

Go Jackets Go!

There is less than 44 hours left until the trade deadline and the Jackets find themselves 3 points out of a playoff spot. 

Jacket Buzz

The big news for the Jackets is the pick-up Craig Rivet off of re-entry waivers from the Buffalo Sabres.  This move will give the Jackets the security they need on the back-end as they head into the most important time of the season.  Rivet will give the Jackets extra depth on D and veteran leadership with playoff experience.  The 36 year old former captain of the Buffalo Sabres is excited to be a part of the Jackets playoff run.  The Jackets will pay Rivet just over $400, 000 for the rest of the season.  He is a UFA at the end of the season so it is a good financial move for the Jackets as well. 

Mike Commodore cleared waivers earlier today and will report back to the Springfield Falcons. 

Rumors still surround Rostislav Klesla  as he is sparking interest from many teams.  The Montreal Canadiens are said to be interested if they can’t land the ‘Big Rig’, Chris Phillips from the Ottawa Senators.  I would assume Klesla won’t be moved until some of the bigger name defensmen have been sorted out.

Even with the addition of Rivet the Jackerts still have a puck-moving defenseman on the top of their priority list. 

Go Jackets Go!

The Jackets start the night 2 points out of a playoff spot but will finish the night 4 points behind either the Kings or the Ducks.  The Jackets are becoming hesitant buyers.  They are staying with the pack in the Western Conference but have a lot of hurdles to leap before they have secured a playoff spot. 

Jacket Buzz

There is reason to believe that the Jackets GM Scott Howson has made a call about Brad Richards.  I wouldn’t expect anything to come from this especially with the risk of his injury.

John-Michael Liles’ name keeps coming up and would be a great fit in Columbus but will they pay the price.

Kristian Huselius continues to struggle with injuries and inconsistency but will there be anyone interested?

The name that has been thrown around the most during trade deadline talk is Rostislav Klesla.

If the price is right I think the Blue Jackets would move Nikita Filatov.

More tomorrow…

Go Jackets Go!

With the six days until the trade deadline the Blue Jackets shutout the Nashville Predators 4-0 and are still shutout on the trade front.

Rick Nash took his team on his back and scored two goals as the Blue Jackets defeated the Predators for one of the most important victories of the season.  All the trade rumors surrounding the Blue Jackets seem to be about getting a puck-moving defenseman who can contribute offensively.  Kris Russell and Fedor Tyutin must have been reading the trade rumour blogs as they both contributed 2 assists in their attempt to be that defenseman everyone wants the Blue Jackets to acquire.  Steve Mason continues to improve his numbers by making 20 saves to earn the shutout. 

The Blue Jackets rumor mill is very quiet today.  Some will say that Steve Mason has increased his trade value by shutting out the Preds tonight, however, I would disagree.  Mason is just proving why he is the Blue Jackets number one goalie and still their goalie of the future.  It is way too early for the Jacket management to give up on Mason so don’t expect him to move anytime soon. 

Go Jackets Go!

There is less than a week until the trade deadline and the Blue Jackets find themselves only 4 points out a playoff spot.  It’s great to be in a playoff race but it’s a difficult position to be in at the trade deadline.  The Edmonton Oilers and Ottawa Senators know that they are not going to make the playoffs.  It’s easy for the Oilers to keep developing their young talent and the Sens are selling in order to start their rebuild.  Likewise the Philadelphia Flyers and Vancouver Canucks have it easy…just add a few players to give themselves the best shot at the Stanley Cup.  The Blue Jackets, on the other hand, can’t mortgage their future just to make it to the playoffs just to play Vancouver or Detroit and have an early exit.  However, they want to make some moves in order to show their fans that they are committed to the playoffs and that they will give it their best shot.  I don’t envy the position Scott Howson finds himself in leading into the trade deadline. 

Trade Rumours

Who is the most likely to go?

Jan Hejda is one of the most likely Blue Jackets to find himself in a new uniform next week.  He doesn’t want to go but the Jackets have to do what is best for the team and he is a UFA at the end of the season. 

Rostislav Klesla has been drawing some attention from some teams in the league. 

Mike Commodore is still with the Falcons hoping for a chance to play in the NHL again. 

Others that are drawing a lot of attention are Jakub Voracek, Steve Mason, and Mathieu Garon.

Who should the Jackets trade for?

The Jackets need a puck-moving defenseman.  Most of their D-men are stay at home and lack the ability to move the puck out of their zone.  Like most other teams in the NHL they could use a top six forward that has a natural ability to score goals. 

Zach Bogosian would look good in a Blue Jackets uniform.  However, I think it would be a better move for the future unless he can turn his season around for the Blue Jackets playoff push.  Joe Corvo would be an affordable puck moving defenseman that would help the Jackets in the playoffs and only has one year remaining on his contract for 2.3 million.

Paul Stastny would be a great fit as a center on Rick Nash’s line.  I just don’t think the 6.6 million dollar ticket for three years is going to work in the Blue Jackets budget.  Stephen Weiss might be another option for the Jackets to give them a little more depth upfront. 

The Blue Jackets play three crucial games between now and the deadline.  Two games against Nashville and one against Phoenix.  The outcomes of these games could change the attitude and plans of the front office.  I guess we will just have to wait and see.  Either way I don’t expect the Jackets to be too active at the deadline. 

Go Jackets Go!

Tonight the Captains of the two All-Star Teams, Eric Staal and Nicklas Lidstrom, will pick their players for their team similar to the way we used to pick them at recess in elementary school.  This has added a new sense of excitement and anticipation surrounding the All-Star Weekend.

The Blue Jackets are represented by none other than Rick Nash.  I think Nash will be picked by Staal early in the draft because of their friendship and familiarity stemming from their time playing together for Team Canada.  Here are some of the main stories and my predictions going into tonight’s All-Star Team Draft:

Who will be picked first?

If Lidstrom has the first pick he will pick Alexander Ovechkin for two reasons.  First, Ovechkin thrives off of entertaining an audience and especially in a situation that encourages offense and creativity.  Secondly, Lidstrom would rather have him on his team than have to defend against him.  If Staal has the first pick I have to believe he will go for blood and choose his brother Marc Staal.

Will the Sedin twins be separated for the first time?

Absolutely!  As soon as one captain picks Henrik Sedin or Daniel Sedin the other captain will respond by picking the other.  It would be great to have them both on your team but you don’t want them playing together on the opposite team. 

Who will be picked last?

According to the rules of the draft we know that it won’t be a defenseman or goalie.  I also can’t believe that it will be a Swedish or Canadian player based on the captains’ nationality.  I am going to predict that it will be one of: Phil Kessel, David Backes, or Patrik Elias.  Backes probably provides the least amount of offensive flare as he is more of a power-forward and that is why my final prediction will be…Backes.

Who will the Captains pick to be their goalies?

Lidstrom will pick his fellow countryman Henrik Lundqvist as his first goalie.  Staal will use his second overall pick to pick his teammate Cam Ward.  I think Staal will also attempt to pick his Team Canada teammate Marc-Andre Fleury and his fellow Canadian Carey Price.  Lidstrom will pick Jonas Hiller as he is probably pretty familiar with his incredible skill as they’ve played lots in the Western Conference.  He will round things up with Tim Thomas as his other goalie.

Other Key Points:

Staal will pick rookie sensation Jeff Skinner.  As captain for the Hurricanes how could you not pick your own teams’ star rookie.  It would be devastating to a young player to know that your Captain didn’t want you on his All-Star team. 

Erik Karlsson has openly admitted that Nicklas Lidstrom is his hockey idol.  If Lidstrom has caught wind of this he is sure to pick Karlsson on his team. 

Watch it live tonight at 7:30 pm on TSN.

The Blue Jackets are sitting just 5 points out of a playoff spot at the All-Star Break.  The only problem is they still have 4 teams to climb over top of in order to be in the 8th spot in the Western Conference.  Their work is far from over. 

With a 3-1-2 record leading into the All-Star Break, the Blue Jackets are playing with plenty of confidence.  They took 3 out of 4 points against the mighty Detroit Red Wings and took a much needed 2 points from the St. Louis Blues.  The Jackets latest success can be contributed to the team getting back to what made them successful early in the year.  They have been fore-checking hard and using their speed to force their opposition to turn over the puck.  They have been getting scoring from all four lines and have thankfully had some steady goal-tending.

The only game out of the last six where the Jackets didn’t earn at least one point was their last game against the Anaheim Ducks.  The Jackets began the game the way they needed to with intense fore-checking.  Unfortunately, the over enthusiastic play of Derek Doresett earned him a 5 minute boarding penalty as he hit the Ducks Corey Perry from behind.  This penalty cost the Jackets the game as the Ducks capitalized by scoring two goals on the power-play.  However, I strongly believe the Jackets need to continue to play this risky type of game in order to be successful during the rest of the season.  The positive news is that the Jackets responded by outplaying the Ducks the rest of the game and were the far better team.  Despite the loss the Blue Jackets were gaining steam and confidence heading into the All-Star Break.

Jacket Buzz

Congratulations to Rick Nash for once again being an NHL All-Star and to one of the Jacket’s top prospects, John Moore, for being an AHL All-Star.

Mike Commodore’sdebut with the Jacket’s farm team, Springfield Falcons, was spoiled by miserable weather conditions.  Mike has reported to the Falcons and shown no signs of resentment.  He is enjoying being a role model to the young players and sharing his experiences with NHL hopefuls.

Nikita Filatov continues to be on the shelf since January 15th with a stiff neck. 

Go Jackets Go!

It’s that time of year again when many NHL teams begin to contemplate which direction they are going in.  Are they close enough to being a Stanley Cup contender or are they closer to winning the Adam Larsson sweepstakes? Should they add a few pieces and make a run at the cup or should they trade what they have for draft picks?

The Blue Jackets are in a tough position as they are in 13th place in the West with 46 points and presently are sitting 6 points out of a playoff spot.  A six point deficit is not a lot, however when you have to jump 5 other teams to get there, it seems next to impossible.  Not to mention two of the five teams are the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings who are both underachieving in a big way.  This is the position the Blue Jackets find themselves in after 45 games played this season.

The NHL Trade Deadline is scheduled for February 28.  The Blue Jackets play 16 games from now until the trade deadline in order to evaluate the future of the team.  In the next 13 games the Blue Jackets play 7 games against teams that are in positions of 6th through 12th in the West.  These games will begin tomorrow night and continue until the 18th of February.  By then the picture should be very clear to the Blue Jackets if they have any hope of making a push for the playoffs.

It is not going to be an easy road ahead for the Blue Jackets.  The toughest position to be in at the end of the season is standing a few points out of a playoff spot.  You don’t make the playoffs and you don’t have an excellent draft position.  In fact you aren’t close to winning the Stanley Cup or the Larsson Cup.

Jacket Buzz

Mike Commodore – Commodore just cleared waivers today.  At 6.85 million over two years he is t00 expensive for any team to take a chance on, even at 1/2 price.  He is reporting to the farm team in Springfield until the Blue Jackets are able to trade him, if they are able to trade him.  At this point there has been very little interest in any other team acquiring Commodore.  Too expensive, too slow, and on the wrong side of his prime.

Fathers Trip – The Blue Jackets are taking their fathers on their mini road-trip this week.  The fathers flew into town today to accompany their sons to travel to the sunny state of Florida.  The Jackets will play the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night and the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night.

Go Jackets Go!

Merry Christmas Blue Jacket Fans!

Everyone has a list of things they want for Christmas.  It may be on paper, in a word document, in your mind, or online, but everyone has one and the Blue Jackets are no different.  Christmas could not have come at a more perfect time for the Blue Jackets as they are coming off their worst game of the season and possibly the worst loss in franchise history.  Well lets hope Santa is good to the Blue Jackets and gives them everything they want for 2011. 

Here are the top ten things that should have been on the Blue Jackets Christmas list:

10) Be moved to the Eastern Conference – It is no secret that the Western Conference is a tougher conference.  The Blue Jackets are only 500 against the Western Conference teams and are 5-2 against the East.  Not to mention that they are in the most competitive division in the West.  Imagine how things might be different if they were in the East.

9) Increase in attendance – Is it too much to ask for more people to attend the games?  The price is right and the quality of play on most nights is pretty good.  Cheap Entertainment…what more do you want?  Players notice the empty seats and the noise level even if they won’t admit to it.  Show your Blue Jacket Spirit!

Score the first goal in every game - The Blue Jackets are ranked 3rd in the league when scoring the first goal with a 13-2 record.  They are also 11-1 when they go into the first intermission with the lead.

7) Just One goal from Nikita Filatov before the season ends - Is he the real deal?  The Jackest can’t afford to have their first round pick (6th overall) in 2008 be a bust.  I know that he is still young at 20 years of age but he needs to start showing some positive signs that he is going to be a great player for this organization.  Is just one goal too much to ask?

6) Consistent play from their youthful players - Kris Russell, Anton Stralman, and Derick Brassard are three of the top young stars on the team.  They all show glimpses of incredible skill and then return to average or sometimes below average performances.  The Blue Jackets need them to start contributing on a regular basis.

5) More Scoring- Rick Nash and RJ Umberger are the only two Blue Jackets with 10 or more goals.  Even the lowly Toronto Maple Leafs have four players with more than 10 goals. They need more players to contribute on the scoresheet on a nightly basis.  The Blue Jackets are ranked 22nd in scoring and that isn’t good enough to make the playoffs.   

4) Rick Nash to play like a top 15 player in the league – Nash is considered one of the elite players in the NHL but sits at 55th in the league in points.  He has only scored in 12 of the 33 games he has played in this season. The good news is that the team is 10-1-1 when Nash does score a goal and the bad news is that he is not scoring consistently enough.

3) More veteran leadership - The Blue Jackets could use a player like Mark Reechi.  The man has 19 points and demonstrates excellent leadership.  He goes about his business every night, playing hard and setting a positive example.  He will drop the gloves or trash talk his opponents if he sees that his team needs a lift.  The Jackets could use a veteran who knows what it takes to win.

2) An improved powerplay- Everybody knows that games are won and lost on the powerplay.  At the end of the season if the Jackets are sitting on the outside looking in on the playoffs, it may be the missed opportunities on the powerplay that cost them.  They are 29th in the league on the powerplay with a horrible 11.8% success rate. 

1) Consistent goaltending- Neither Steve Mason or Mathieu Garon have been able to play well on a consistent basis.  Mason hasn’t been able to string more than 2-3 games together where he has played above average.  Garon has played out of his league on some nights and then is quickly brought back down to reality when we realize that he is just a solid NHL backup goalie.  They have to have better goaltending from Steve Mason if they are going to make a run at the playoffs.

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and I wish you a Happy New Year.  Cheers to the Blue Jackets and lets hope that they get everything they want for 2011. 

Go Blue Jackets Go!

After experiencing their longest losing streak of the season, the Jackets look to be getting their game back on track.  They have earned 6 of the possible 10 points in their last five games.  It has been a tough stretch in the schedule for the Jackets as tonight they will be playing their fifth game in eight night.  However, they need the points and it won’t be an acceptable excuse if they fall a few points short of making the playoffs. 

The Jackets need to get back to their attacking style of uptempo hockey that earned them their quick start.  They have been guilty of slow starts against the Calgary Flames and most recently the Vancouver Canucks.  

Kristian Huselius was welcomed back into the line-up with open arms.  They finally have their top six forwards healthy and in the line-up.  Huselius will help Antoine Vermette and R.J. Umberger get back to their scoring ways and will give the Jackets two solid lines of attack. 

At first glance the Jackets schedule looks like it works in their favour.  During the rest of December the Jackets will play eight games and six of them will be against non-playoff teams.  However, if you take a closer look at their record you realize they are playing under 500 against non-playoff teams.  On the other hand they are playing five games over 500 against playoff teams.  It is crucial that they starting picking up the points against the non-playoff teams as these are the teams they will be fighting with for a playoff spot.  The Western Conference playoff race is close and will be like this to the bitter end.  The Jackets need to earn   10 of the possible 16 points during the rest of 2010. 

JACKET BUZZ

Nikita Filatov is playing in the AHL for the Springfield Falcons.  He has 1 assist, 4 shots, and a minus one in two games played since he has been set down by the Jackets.  This is definitely the best solution for Filatov as he needs to build his confidence and start scoring goals again.

Go Jackets Go!