No Gimmicks Necessary: Jackets Gain Respect On Their Own

Part of me was pretty excited to see the Columbus Blue Jackets get into the playoffs. Of course, that was before the whole "Lumbus" thing which make everyone so very obnoxious. At that point, I wanted them to tank worse than any tanking from a scene out of "Patton."

And GM Jarmo Kekalainen saying that he hopes people don't think they arrived at something because they hadn't-- which rekindled my enjoyment for the Blue Jackets beyond some gimmick that wore out it's welcome like so much B-Sharps. Yet, they did arrive at the point that they are a team that is to be taken seriously, which is a huge step for a team that was in the shadows of THE Ohio State University.

Looking back, what the front office has done with the Blue Jackets in one shortened-season and one summer has been fantastic. John Davidson is working is magic once again by getting rid of one of the big problems in Scott Howson, despite Howson making bold moves to get rid of Rick Nash and bring in the likes of Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, and of course-- Sergei Bobrovsky. One of the bigger moves was to snag Marian Gaborik at the trade deadline, something that showed people actually wanted to be in Columbus.

More over, the move that will happen next year will be a huge one for the Jackets. Going to the Eastern Conference will help the Jackets in terms of finances and will maybe give them a better chance at making the playoffs on a consistent basis-- barring another realignment due to teams moving. Granted, they'll have to play in the same division as four current playoff teams in the East; dealing with lack of travel could make this young team a fresher team which will make them a dangerous team.

Gimmicky things aside, the stir that the Jackets brought amongst hockey fans near and far was one for the ages. It was an underdog team that was all but written off and gave them life. Players who were casted away revitalized themselves, while the front office tries to repair a reputation that has been drug through the mud for a majority of the franchise's existence.

The biggest thing for the Jackets now is to keep it going. Take away from this season what to do to get better next season. Granted, the test will be what a full 82-game slate will provide this team and how much endurance they have-- but from the glimpse we saw this season; there's a good chance they won't let this misstep completely derail the next season.

Debating the Inevitable Rebuild

Whether it be the shortened-season or something coming to a head as it was, but the idea of blowing up some teams has been very rampant from this season. Of course, there are some teams that are long overdue for it, as their teams have been in a sinkhole for a while, but these talks have since been escalated with their lack of things happening during this short season.

One of the teams who have had a lot of talk behind them recently is the Buffalo Sabres. With Lindy Ruff being canned earlier in the season, you have to think that they are looking for a new kind of look about them. While the free-spending of Terry Pegula hasn't yielded many results-- it does yield talk about whether or not Thomas Vanek and Ryan Miller want to stick around for misfitting puzzle pieces and hope that they work. Those frustrations have one foot out the door with the both of them, the big blow-up happening as soon as this trade deadline, as their return would probably be as high as it ever will be then.

Though, while Vanek and Miller are on their way out, the big question is whether GM Darcy Regier will join them. The fact remains that regardless of what parts you move out, if you truly want a full rebuild; you have to get rid of the decision maker Regier in this. Ruff and Regier were there from the same times and you'd think they'd both go down with the ship-- but it seems that Regier somehow found a way to dodge a bullet. My guess is that he won't dodge it in the summer time, which could create quite the rebuilding ripple for the Sabres.

The Calgary Flames are another team that has people wondering if they need to start looking at a solid rebuilding model rather than picking up parts here and there and hoping the playoffs are in the crystal ball. Fact of the matter is that Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff are both likely gone from the Flames plans sooner rather than later, either by trades or impending free agency (Kipper still has one more year after this)-- but they are a team in need of a full-rebuild, though it's almost not possible with their minor league affiliate not being as strong as others and draft picks not panning out as well as they thought.

With the Flames, you'd think something different would have happened with Jay Feaster taking over, but he seemed to get kneecaps by the contract he inherited. And while you can say the contracts with the No-Movement/Trade Clauses hamper him, there are some player who would probably lift it to get onto a contending team rather than floundering where they are. While many are calling for Feaster's departure, the lack of progress from the prospects can't be completely put on him, but inheriting the prospects or contract or not-- it's his job to move things around and get the right people in there to maybe give a shot to the arm of others.

Other teams, namely the Washington Capitals, could probably be looking at a sort of a rebuild-- but they're either too stubborn to do so or think this trend will work itself out. That's not always the case though, as it often takes a big shake-up to actually bring a team back to life and give them an actual turn-around.

Drastic times call for drastic measures and there are played time that many teams are way too late in picking up on their teams downward spiral. There's a fine line of thinking a team will actually "snap out of it" and noticing a complete collapse, but it's picking up on that certain thing that separates the good GM and a great GM....and also helps them keep their job as well.

Why Brian Burke in Columbus Makes Sense

Reportedly, the Toronto Maple Leafs fired their GM Brian Burke. It was reported by Bob McKenzie and seconded by Nick Kypreos, two men who are not only in-tune the Toronto media, but hockey media overall. While the timing of this is very odd and the reports of why it happened is unknown....this is something that many owners should look at if they are unhappy with their GM.

The Burke name brings along a sense of attention, a sense of belonging, and a sense of change. There's one place that needs it the most and a place where I think Burke would thrive in with basically carte blanche-- Columbus.

Scott Howson has been a bit of a wreck for the Blue Jackets and the change of culture in Columbus with John Davidson coming into the fold could mean that Howson's days are numbered, especially after dealing their franchise player over the summer. Davidson and Burke are two powerful hockey guys and while they may have differences of opinion at times-- they both want to win and would do a lot in order to do so.

In a market like Columbus that could use a nice shot in the arm when it comes to loving professional hockey again, Brian Burke can create that. He'd be able to have some buzz around the team, get some players to come in and play for him, and put the right people in place in order to actually make it a great market. Plus, Burke has an idea of what to do in Ohio, as he late son Brendan attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

Should Burke decide to wait it out until a better job comes along, TV would be the best bet for him. He doesn't have the big energy as some other personalities, his dry delivery and no-nonsense persona will make him a TV darling. He has done it once before at TSN when he was out of a job and the fans seemed to enjoy his take and the way he handle things when the camera was on him. His history from being in and out of the game is invaluable.

Whatever Burke chooses is something that people will keep an eye on and give attention to when he makes a decision one way or another. He's a persona the game cannot afford to let out of the limelight, especially not now.

Capital Punished

While it may be throwing the baby out with the bath water after another loss against a top tier team and their back-up (Thomas Greiss' Sharks won 5-3), you have to wonder how much time the Capitals have with Dale Hunter behind the bench and George McPhee as the GM. Sure, it's not been a good year all around and you could blame injuries, but it's proving that the Caps are not adjusting as well as many thought they would.

The Dale Hunter ideal is an interesting one because you have to wonder if owner Ted Leonsis will give him a full off-season to work with in order to get his schemes down and to pass along to the players. He acquired Bruce Boudreau's team and really hasn't had that much time to adjust the players to his system. If he gets a full off-season, he could be able to turn the team around.

With GMGM, you have to think that he's out unless it shows that Leonsis is too loyal and too proud to actually let him go. GMGM has been through the rough times and built a winner-- even though in the playoffs-- not much came from it. He was able to get the Caps relevant again, but in an off-season where many thought McPhee stole Tomas Vokoun away from everyone-- he hasn't has much to show from it. If the Caps fail to make the playoffs, he'd be the first to go.

One also has to wonder why they would throw Braden Holtby to the wolves, calling him up in the morning, waiting until he gets to Washington in the afternoon to tell him he's starting. Vokoun being sick is one thing to call him up, but is Michal Neuvirth not good enough to start back-to-back games?? That should speak volumes in confidence of the goalies right now.

That said, the Caps still have about one-third of a season to go and do have a history of making late-season runs to the playoffs-- most notably the run in 2006-07, winning down the stretch to knock off the Carolina Hurricanes to win the Southeast and get into the playoffs. We'll have to see if this team has something left in them and if they get the confidence and awareness to actually show and play the last 20+ games in the season.

Cannon Fodder in Columbus

The natives are restless in Columbus.

Through possible protests to beat writers basically having enough of the team they have been following, the state of the Blue Jackets have never been in more peril in the critical eye as it has been for this season. The criticism is well-needed, but the fact remains that nothing will fix this team, even though suggestions have been put out there.

The main point from everywhere is to get rid of most of the personnel in the organization and start anew, even though it won't create a quick fix and will probably actually make things worse before they are made better. Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch and the Puck Rakers blog put out two suggestions, which encompasses the main bickering points of the Blue Jackets fateful.

It's about having more people in the organization -- not just players, but above them, too -- who meet one or (preferably) both of the following two criteria:
1. They're absolutely g-- d--- obsessed with winning hockey games. Not competing. Not playing tough. Winning. It's a shallow way to go through life, perhaps, if your only concern is winning hockey games. And perhaps these individuals are so driven and myopic as to be a bit unnerving (Jonathan Toews). But it's what every winning club has in surplus, and every losing club needs.
2. They have long track records of winning in the NHL, either as a player or a builder. Some of the players in the room have had playoff runs, but a shocking number of them haven't. Ever. Only two of them -- third-line center Sammy Pahlsson and emergency defenseman Brett Lebda -- have their names on the Stanley Cup. The Blue Jackets front office is one of the most inexperienced and unproven in the NHL. There are some very good people, for sure, but compare the Blue Jackets, for instance, to the Blues. Can the Jackets match John Davidson, Doug Armstrong, Larry Pleau, Al MacInnis and Ken Hitchcock?

All well and good and while the point is a great one, but the big issue for me is that whether or not there's anyone who will actually want to take a job in Columbus. That doesn't say that the actual city or market or bad, but it's not one where people who are "hockey people" may not think it's the best place to be, especially since they probably don't have any link to the organization or want to be the guinea pig for this transformation in management. Sure, you can say that Steve Yzerman didn't have a link to the Tampa Bay Lightning to start, but he did start under the guise of Ken Holland in Detroit learning the trade.

We all know the history of the Blue Jackets had one playoff season and actually got off to a solid franchise start with a bunch of Expansion Draftees, like Geoff Sanderson, Tyler Wright, and Kevin Dineen-- which makes you wonder if the Jackets feel bad for not taking a chance on Dineen considering what he's doing in Florida right now with the Panthers. But, like it shows-- there's not many big names that have solid connections to the franchise or have the management skills to take over a team and have a quick turnover into greatness-- which is just happenstance of who they are and maybe where the team is located, always playing second fiddle to the University.

Not only that, but the reports out about the Blue Jackets losing money hand-over-fist and hoping for casino money, the attendance dipping to 80% capacity, and just the team getting worse despite getting bigger names in trades and free agency....it doesn't seem like the team is long for the area unless there's a DRASTIC change in the next.....six to ten months. That's not to say the team will fold or move-- but the reality of the situation is that if things don't change quick, it will be a long road to recovery for the Blue Jackets.

It stinks to think that this could be another failure to a NHL team and to Gary Bettman's expansion era regime, but it's the after-thoughts that always seems to get over-analyzed to no end. It's almost as bad as wishing for a team to move out of market to a more prosperous area to a more prosperous owner, but it's something that occasionally needs to be done in hindsight.

Former NHLers Say "Hello MoDo"

An interesting article on IIHF.com about the hopes of a revival for one of the most recognizable Swedish Elite teams, MODO Örnsköldsvik, also know as MoDo. The point of the article was the return of some of the stars from their North American careers-- like Markus Naslund as the General Manager and Peter Forsberg as the Assistant GM, then hiring Ulf Samuelsson as the head coach. The article basically goes onward to say that it seems that the MoDo organization could be showing a bit of a North American style because of this for the upcoming season.

While the MoDo organization has been quite the factory for producing NHL players, especially with Victor Hedman and Mats Zuccarello Aasen coming out from the team most recently-- is it the best to have the North American/NHL style of play over in the European game??

Sure, there's going to be a change of pace for MoDo as they have all new management and need to get out of their funk of not making the post-season in the last three seasons and not winning a championship since 2007. Yet, is the overhaul of a system going to be the thing that makes this team have a rebound and maybe make this team a force to be reckoned with??

The style it seems that Samuelsson wants to employ is a high-paced action; which on the bigger rink could be great to the start, but if the conditioning isn't there-- the team will falter later on in the season. Plus, the type of player they're bringing in must be comfortable with the system beforehand because of the fact trying to transition to an overly offensive from maybe a more defensive-based system is a shock to the style of play.

One good thing is that it could possibly catch other teams off-guard, which would definitely be a help-- but much like the hot play of an unknown goalie in the playoffs; team may catch on, adjust, and if MoDo can't adjust properly to counteract the change of the opposition, they could very well be looking from the outside of the playoff picture once again.

It should be an interesting year for the MoDo team, with many of their legendary players coming back to be in a higher position, which also seems to be common theme for recently retired NHLers. Whether this will pay off dividends, of course, remains to be seen-- but it's a nice little something to be on the look-out for outside of the NHL storylines that will be happening.

Steve is Here, Man

(FOHS fans will get that pun by me going with our first ever called asking if it's "Eye-zer-man" or "Is-ear-man"-- got it?? Okay, not so funny if you weren't there.)

The Tampa Bay Lightning take another step to relevancy by hiring Steve Yzerman as their new GM. Yzerman was under Ken Holland's tutelage in Detroit and has been the head guy with Hockey Canada putting together the 2010 Canadian Olympic Team and a couple World Championship teams, as well. Now, he takes over the mess that has been created in Tampa before him, but not by the GM prior, but due to the ownership situation that had happened.

The good thing with this team is that they have a solid framework. The likes of Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Steven Stamkos, and Victor Hedman on the roster help, but there's work to be done elsewhere, for sure.

One of the first things would be trying to get Stamkos re-signed to a long-term deal come July 1st and make sure that he's under contract for this team for a while. Stamkos will be the cornerstone moving forward, that's for sure. Of course, in order to do that, some players may need to be moved. The one name that pops up is always Lecavalier, but his No-Movement Clause ruins that rumor in it's tracks. Especially with the future ahead, it's unlikely Lecavalier will move that clause and move himself out. Even with Lecavalier slumping last season, it could be hard to move him even if he did waive that clause. St. Louis has another year left and Yzerman will probably see what he does with a second year alongside Stamkos to see if he's worth an extension. To free up the money, Ryan Malone could be moved out, so that his contract is off the books; but considering his underachievement for his big contract-- another hard sell.

Plus, what could Yzerman do with the coaching issue. Many names have been mentioned in terms of the people he's worked closely to like Dave Lewis and Ken Hitchcock, but while familiarity could be nice-- the fit with the team will be what gets them to the next level. Depending on how long Yzerman has known about this deal, which he has been offered numerous times before saying yes, he could have been scouting out who he could get for that role.

Regardless of what happens, Yzerman is a good hockey mind. He has always been know as a leader on and off the ice, which definitely shows in his limited time in the front office after his 2006 retirement. If there's anyone who can clean up the mess that is in Tampa, it's Yzerman. He's definitely a better choice than some of the names put out there-- like Pierre McGuire, Doug Risebrough, or Dave Nonis-- and really could bring together the best team to get them out of the lurch they have been in. The fans in Tampa should be excited about this move, and coupled with the Florida Panthers hiring of Dale Tallon, the Southeast Division could actually be competitive through and through in the next couple of seasons if they play their cards right.

Airing Grievances 140 Characters At A Time

The "Twitter-verse" asploded today, with Martin Havlat giving an inside look to what's going on with the Dale Tallon/Stan Bowman/Chicago Blackhawks fiasco. Mirtle has a brief overview of what's happening and what Havlat said.

While this is great for fans to get an inside view to the happenings, turmoils, and pretty much grudges that come out from one player leaving a team because he felt he was disrespected by the organization after giving his all for them; is this the right medium to do it in and what precedent does this put out there for other athlete's who are pissed off at their teammates, coaches, and front office??

To drop a name or so, I've done some stuff with Havlat when he did his FHM Online thing while I was doing my thing for FHM. He's a great guy and he's a straight-shooter. However, I don't think he knows what he's could be getting into by doing something like this-- especially after he ripped the franchise for not giving him a better offer in order to keep him in Chicago. If he does this now, on his own, off of pure emotion-- it could come off as sour grapes and bitterness toward the Hawks-- which could be the case, but isn't the right light he should be portrayed in.

The fine line that Havlat is walking is going to be something that will be very showing of how he is treated for the rest of his career. Should Havlat air this "dirty laundry" off of pure emotion-- how do you think the brass of the Wild or whoever else he plays for will treat him?? How inside do you think he'll get if he goes off on a tangent about how the Hawks are run and what happened?? More over, how trusting will his teammates be if they know he's capable of tweeting about their mishaps or what-have-you?? Sure, those are extreme situations, but at the same time-- it may not be out of the realm of possibility depending on what he does with this Tallon situation.

We talked on the FOHS Draft Show (being fixed in "post", as they say) about the new dimension that Twitter brings to the table with teams tweeting their picks and trades, but this is bringing it to another level and could be a landmark situation we're getting into. It'll be interesting what Havlat does in terms of information given and what could be done afterwords in terms of deleting and not recognizing these tweets at a later time.

All of the people follow Havlat will await with bated breath.....even if he only can use 140 characters and needs to abbreviate like a mofo to get what he wants to say across to the masses. Best of luck with this, Marty-- but at the same time-- there's a better medium to go about it, should you choice it.

McGuire May Be Minnesota's Monster

Reports out of St. Paul have the Wild short-listing for their possible replacement for their GM position and it seems that TSN analyst, color-blind advocate, and all around annoyance for some people, Pierre McGuire seems to be the front runner for this position.

Now, say what you will about this man, but he has a decent hockey mind and could take over in this position and flourish. He may be loud, obnoxious, and hated by many who can't deal with his shrill voice and commentary, but when you stop to listen to what he says; it actually makes sense. You have to remember, he did help coach the Penguins to a Stanley Cup as a scout and assistant coach in '91 and '92, so he has the ability to go into a deeper role and have an eye for talent and knows what will work with the line-up out there.

Other non-factors that may or may not work into his favor for getting this job-- his real first name is "Regis", he was born in New Jersey, and he's got TV savvy. Thanks to Wikipedia for the first two.

The fact of the matter is that many may rejoice about him being off the TSN and NBC broadcast, and they could be right in doing so; yet I think this could help out the Wild or anyone else looking to fill a GM position. While he's crazy, kooky, and at times insane and beligerent-- he has a mind for hockey, which could be priceless to have someone that available with that much knowledge on the game and knows the players well from his time as a broadcaster and getting to know them more. With those connections, it could prove invaluable to when it comes to trades and free agencies......or not.

The only downside to this is that during TSN's Trade Deadline show, Darren Dutchyshen won't have McGuire uncomfortably close to him again in the studio.......you know, that may be the best for everyone.

The Burke Era Begins

On Saturday, the Toronto Maple Leafs will announce Brian Burke as their new GM and president. Finally.

That's right, all the speculation has come to fruition and I have to say.....how anti-climatic. I mean, you would think to build up some suspense, other teams would talk to him about a front office or advisor position and really put whoever the GM was on the hot seat to actually make a move or lose their gig (COUGHbryanmurrayCOUGH), but for this to just be a matter of semantics; come on now.

But, the Leafs got their man a full half-a-season earlier than they expected. Burke will have full decision making abilities, which is something that he stated he wanted to have before he signed anything. A big question in this is the whole ordeal is who will be the first person gone once Burke takes over the position and what kind of overhaul he will make in order to make it his team and make it a successful one. Then there is the question of the clashing of egos of Burke and head coach Ron Wilson and if both can co-exist in peace.

Yet, the oversight about this could be whether this move is the best for the team right now. Looking at the team right now, they aren't doing half-bad. Sure, they're 11th in the East and the injury bug has took its toll, but all things considered-- it's better than some would have thought. If Burke comes in and makes drastic changes that don't help the team; will he still be hailed as the savior that the Leafs faithful wanted and will MLSE second guess their decision making process after all is said and done.

Of course, Burke hasn't yet taken over the helm and all scenarios are just hearsay. Burke has a Stanley Cup to his name and has been talked about like he's the greatest GM in the modern NHL, so you have think anything is a step-up from having an interim GM who is a puppet to the team's board of directors. If Burke can make the moves to make this a playoff team, then he could be the miracle man the Leafs were hoping would come free. Even if he comes close, they'll look at this as a genius move at the early jump upon things.

The thing that is known, at least for now, is that from this point until the foreseeable future; it'll never be a slow day when it comes to Toronto hockey news.

Burke Flying The Coop

In what would call a shocking move this early in the season, Brian Burke is out as GM for the Anaheim Ducks with Bob Murray replacing him in that capacity. Burke will stay on with the Ducks as a senior advisor, but will now be able to negociate freely with any NHL team for any job opening that may be available.

That's right kids, look for the Burke-to-Toronto rumors to heat up in a big way....mostly because odds are now these rumors could very well become reality in the near future.

For the Ducks side, Burke's contract was going to expire at the end of the season anyway and claimed family considerations as his excuse not to re-sign with the club after his current contract lapsed. May as well get Murray in there to learn the ropes and get the keys to the team earlier than this summer. Murray, who was a Hawks GM, was the assistant to Burke and is taking the Dave Nonis route to GMing and sliding in there due to a Burke departure. Murray just needs to hope his fate isn't the same as Nonis, who didn't have an impressive career in the Vancouver GM role.

For Burke, this will pretty much seal his fate on the worst kept secret in the NHL, which will see him in Toronto as the GM there, replacing the vintage Cliff Fletcher model-- who was just a stopgap until someone who didn't have one of the first AARP memberships that came along. It's what the media in Toronto will love because of the sound bytes that Burke will give out to the team, but it will also give the Leafs their first real, proven GM since Pat Quinn start there in 1999. Let's face it, John Ferguson Jr. really screwed over the Leafs in terms of being able to move people and Fletcher is.....well, Fletcher.

The real question is whether this is a good move for the Leafs and Burke. While it gives the Toronto fans a prominent figure in the GM role who has had a history of getting some good deals now and again; can he really make the Leafs a serious contender again?? There's plenty of claims to say that he will and that anything he can touch will turn to gold. There's the devil's advocate approach to say that this will work as well as other new, persumably high-priced talent that Leafs have brought in within the last few years....which is to say that it will turn to crap fast.

However, this is putting the cart before the horse. Burke's name hasn't even been taken off the GM's door and we're moving him to Toronto already. It's not a sure thing right now that he'll even go to Toronto, but it seems like a 85-90% chance that it'll happen sometime in the near future or end of the season. Then, if and when it does happen-- it will be disected further. And knowing the Toronto media-- it'll be disected to the littlest detail and the media vultures will enjoy every minute of it.

Feaster and Famine or The Bay Bunch At It Again

To the surprise of virtually no one, Jay Feaster and the Tampa Bay Lightning have parted ways. The writing was on the wall for Feaster first when the ownership change came to fruition and second when he really had no voice when hiring a new coach or making moves that have made the Lightning roster what it is presently. And with the new ownership pretty much playing by their own rules, I'm surprised this move didn't happen with John Tortorella's departure.

However, they discount Feaster's ability to build a great club. Once he came into the GM position in 2002, he built the team that went on to win 2004 Stanley Cup. It seemed the the Bolts club today is almost like the club that Feaster took over from Rick Dudley. That said, you have to wonder about the contracts he gave to the big three in Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier, and Brad Richards, which resulted in Richards being dealt to Dallas, as well as not leaving enough money to put towards a goalie and solid stay-at-home defenseman. Yet, could you really blame him for doing such a thing, especially considering that Richards would have gotten that much from someone else if the Bolts weren't going to give it to him.

Notwithstanding, Feaster could have made some better decisions, but that could be said for a lot of former GMs. Feaster did what he thought was good for the team for the future, though he didn't think of other aspect of the future enough to save his job. Of course, the ownership group that came into place didn't help his cause either.

Which begs the question-- who are Len and Oren going to bring into the "sideshow", as some would say. Brian Lawton is in the fold as VP of Hockey Ops, and it could be a value to him being a former agent to bring in some of his old guys into the fold. If they're going old school with coaching, why not bring in Bobby Clarke as the GM or even Mike Milbury?? Sure, the last two are very absurd....but look at what this club has done with it's head coach and tell me it's not possible.

Whatever the future brings, like I've said before-- the one thing you can't accuse the OK Hockey group of doing is not trying. They've made headway in terms of creating attention for a last place club and pulling out all the stops to keep their team in the headlines.