Cleveland Indians Music Festival Coming This Summer
March 1, 2011While We’re Waiting… Detroit, Grady Sizemore Injury, Braylon Edwards’ Cake
March 2, 2011Every Tuesday, WFNY’s The 5-Hole brings you up to date with the goings-on of the CBJ…
The Week That Was
This Week: 2-1-0, 4 points
Overall: 31-24-6, 68 points (4th division; 12th conference)
Tuesday, 2/22 in Columbus – Blue Jackets 4, Predators 0 – recap
Friday, 2/25 in Columbus – Blue Jackets 5, Coyotes 3 – recap
Sunday, 2/27 in Nashville – Predators 3, Blue Jackets 2 – (box) – Highlights
Columbus was a horrible video review call and a fluke bounce off of Jan Hejda’s face from going undefeated this week. They got jobbed out of a goal in the second period on Sunday which, if you factor in the *actual* goal they scored shortly after might have completely changed the complexion of the game. Nashville—down only 1-0—was able to tie the game after a slapshot went off a stick and then Hejda’s mug to redirect into the goal and tie it at 1. Oof. The Jackets would lose late on a rebound and nice put back by Nashville’s David Legwand, but, Derek MacKenzie summed it up perfectly: “”I’m still not sure how we lost that game.”
On to the trading deadline. There were a few “big names” out there to be had, and many wondered if Howson had the muscle and intestinal fortitude to pull one of those deals off. At the end of the day, the two biggest names rumored to be moving—Dallas center Brad Richards and Colorado defenseman John Michael Liles—both stayed put, largely because the asking price for each was too high for other teams to stomach. That didn’t stop Howson, however, from making one move that should make his team a little better now and that ALSO provides a nice bit of financial relief in the future.
The Jackets traded their franchise’s first ever draft pick, defenseman Rostislav Klesla. In that respect, the move is bittersweet. Rusty is kind of like the Browns’ Phil Dawson: he was the only player left from “Day 1”. That said, the move makes sense for both Columbus and Phoenix, the team to which Klesla was traded. Phoenix gets a big, stay-at-home defenseman who had success in his one playoff series with the Jackets two seasons ago. The Jackets, in return, got two players who can help them now (remember, Klesla has been inactive due to injury since January 22nd) in winger Scottie Upshall and defenseman Sami Lepisto.
Klesla really no longer fits what the Jackets are trying to do defensively. He was never a great skater, and never looked comfortable being asked to make quick decisions and passes with the puck. Lepisto has been described as “a bigger Kris Russell,” which means he instantly becomes one of the Jackets’ best skating defensemen. This is something Scott Arniel wants for his system. Lepisto appears to be the longer-term target of the trade, and is a restricted free agent as season’s end.
Upshall should give a boost to the Jackets’ forward corps. He can play on either the 2nd or 3rd lines, he has experience playing alongside RJ Umberger, and his 16 goals are already 3rd on the Jackets’ scoring list behind Rick Nash and Umberger. He plays fast, aggressive, and high-energy hockey, which is again something this club can never have too much of. Add in his improved scoring touch should he find himself on the 3rd line, and the Jackets have just added some scoring depth to their roster. Upshall is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
So, two new players with no contract commitments after this season. Going the other way is Klesla, who is inked through the 2013-2014 season at almost $3 million per year, and has played just 105 of a possible 225 games since the end of the ‘07-‘08 season. So, as bittersweet as it is to say goodbye to Rusty, it’s hard to argue with the results. The Jackets got two players for one (though they did include mid-level prospect Dane Byers in the deal) on their NHL roster, got two guys who probably better fit their system for the playoff drive, and save potentially $9 million over the next three years while not having to worry about Klesla’s injury pattern/history.
In short, it’s not a ground-shaking moving, but it’s a solid move, both now and down the road. Both new players are with the team now and may very well play tonight against Vancouver.
The Jackets also made a minor-league move, trading winger Tom Sestito—who did play nine games with the big club this season—to the Philadelphia Flyers for minor leaguers Greg Moore and Michael Chaput. Of the deal, GM Scott Howson said: “Chaput was the key in the deal for us,” Howson said. “We were regretting that we didn’t draft him last year; that we didn’t have the chance. We really like him as a player, and one of my goals is to get quality depth in the organization at center. We have Ryan Johansen, now Chaput, and Kevin Lynch is now playing center at the University of Michigan.”
Up Next
The Jackets finish the rest of their road trip this week, with four games. The cut a swath through northwestern Canada, as they’re in Vancouver (39-15-9, 87pts) on Tuesday night, Edmonton (20-35-8, 48pts) on Thursday night, and Calgary (32-23-9, 73pts) on Friday night. They finish the trip on Monday back in the US in St. Louis (28-25-9, 65pts). It’s going to be tough to beat Vancouver, currently the league’s best team, on the road. The Jackets almost have to win three of these games, however, to continue their push. Two of the teams are below them in the standings (rebuilding Edmonton who just sent Dustin Penner to LA, and St. Louis who sold off some pieces at the deadline themselves), and so those games are must-MUST-win. This means the Calgary game is almost like the “swing game” when looking at this stretch on paper.
Playoff Talk
Two years ago when the Jackets made their run to their first ever playoff appearance, we called upon the brilliance that is Sports Club Stats. There, Ken Roberts uses all kinds of genius simulations and modeling to do three things: “calculate a team’s odds of making the playoffs, or winning the title for sports without playoffs; show how today’s games impact those odds, so you know who to pull for; and showing how well they need to finish the season to have a shot.” And it’s a wonderful site. My favorite thing is the daily matchups, and the roll-over ability to see how each and every possible result affects your team.
There are two pages on this website that are of interest to Jackets fans right now:
Western Conference Odds
Blue Jackets’ Odds
Right now, the Jackets are still lagging a bit, mainly because they haven’t had the chance to earn as many points as other teams by virtue of having played the fewest games in the conference to date. That will all change in March, however, as the Jackets have 16 games this month.
Things have improved in the simulations for the Jackets over the past week, as their probability has jumped seven percent, from 13.5% to 20.5%.
Bookmark Ken’s site for daily updates on the Jackets’ odds as they improve or fall away as the rest of the season unwinds!
By The Numbers
Let’s take a quick look at the Jackets by the numbers, through 61 games. There is a lot to like here. All four team categories improved this week, with the Power Play being the biggest winner, jumping more than a full percentage point thanks to seven PP goals in the three games. Over the past 19 games, the Power Play has been humming at an 18-for-75 (24%) clip. Imagine if they had been playing that well all season; they’d be the third-best unit in the league!
Scoring:
2.72 gpg (17th NHL)
Defense:
2.92 gapg (21st NHL)
Power Play:
16.0% (26th NHL)
Penalty Kill:
81.0% (21st NHL)
Goals Leader:
Rick Nash – 29
Assists Leader:
Jakub Voracek – 28
Points Leader:
Rick Nash – 56
Wins (Goalie):
Steve Mason – 22
Goals-Against Average:
Mathieu Garon – 2.62
Save Percentage:
Mathieu Garon – 90.4%
Injury Update
Derek Dorsett is back in action, as his “concussion” was not really such. Also, with the trade of Rostislav Klesla, that removes him from the ongoing injury report. That said, winger Kristian Huselius’s lost season continues. He’s back on the IR list with a lower body injury. In addition, the, err, addition of Sami Lepisto from the deadline day trade comes at a good time, with defenseman Anton Stralman getting his knee fouled up on Sunday to the tune of a four- to six-week (read: pretty much the rest of the season) absence. Derick Brassard is still out with a badly bruised hand, and looks to still be at least a week or more away from being seriously considered to play.
“The New Guys!” Quotes of the Week
Some thoughts about the players added in Monday’s deadline-deal:
He’s sandpaper. He’s hard to play against and he gets under the skin of other people and he has the scoring touch to go with it . . . He’s a player who comes to play every night and he’s got experience playing in the playoffs and playing at this time of year. With his speed and skill, he should fit in well here.
–Coach Scott Arniel, talking about new winger Scottie Upshall.We hope he’s going to give us an offensive jolt. He’s got speed, he’s got tenactiy, he’s got some experience. He’s played with R.J. (Umberger) before in Philadelphia. We hope he’s going to give us some of those elements on our team.
–GM Scott Howson, on UpshallThe best way to describe him is he’s a bigger version of Russ(Kris Russell). He’s a great skater with great mobility, but he’s a bigger-bodied guy. He shoots the puck well. I’ve been a fan of Sami’s for a couple of years now. I saw him in the American League. He can really get up and go and I think he will enjoy playing the style that we play.
–Arniel, talking about new defenseman Sami Lepisto
Here’s hoping The Two Scotts aren’t just blowing smoke.
…With a Little Help from My Friends
The Hockey Writers’ Rick Gethin breaks down deadline-day for the Jackets:
Whether on the face of it, or looking deeper, Howson won this deal hands down. The upside for Columbus is a scoring forward with the work ethic of RJ Umberger and the grit of a Jared Boll/Derek Dorsett. Sami Lepisto is described by head coach Scott Arniel as a “Kris Russell-type” player, only bigger. Phoenix gets an oft-injured stay-at-home defenseman in Klesla, which is what the were looking for. The stay-at-home, not the oft-injured.
…
he permutations are seemingly endless, but for now, Columbus fans should be happy with these two acquisitions. Former NHL-er Jeremy Roenick said this about Scottie Upshall, “Teams win cups with players like Upshall”. That should tell you something.
While the nostalgia of losing Klesla is pretty hard to take for many fans, it’s hard to disagree with this assessment. Let’s hope that Roenick—while talking about the Cup is overstating it a bit—is right on in terms of how Upshall can help this club the rest of the way.
Similarly, the boys over at The Cannon weighed in on the trade:
Andy’s take:
Great deal for the Jackets here. Rusty is a solid defenseman but not spectacular. The Jackets are receiving quite a bit of production and two good roster players in return and that’s a bit of a surprise. Klesla should fill in well for the Coyotes, but I don’t see him taking them to the next level by any means.Mike’s Take:
I like the financial flexibility offered by this deal. Rusty still has three more years at just under 3 million a year left on his contract, whereas Upshall is a UFA this summer, and Lepisto an RFA. To me Upshall seems like he was included to offset the contract, as Lepisto was the target. Rusty isn’t the sort of blueliner that coach Arniel prefers to run with, a mobile guy like Lepisto is a much better fit. The long term cap savings may allow the Jackets to be remain in the mix for another player today. Another thought is that with Anton Stralman going down with an injury last night, Lepisto may be his replacement and the team is still looking to add a blueliner.Matt’s Take:
A move nobody suspected or anticipated – that’s Scott Howson to the note. Upshall immediately adds scoring and grit to our top six, plus he has history with R.J. Umberger, who he played with in Philly. Lepisto may not be a Power Play QB, but he’s a guy with as many goals from the blue line as Kris Russell, and since he’s an RFA, a good performance might see him replacing Anton Stralman next year. The idea of an Upshall – Umberger – Calvert second line is really attractive where I sit, but I’m not going to shuffle the line combos too much yet. This move helps the Jackets quite a bit, but it also frees up a bit more salary. [It] feels like a move that will help this team in the playoff push, and I can’t ask for anything more.Lou’s Take:
Like Matt said, I never saw this deal coming. In fact, I was thoroughly convinced that Howson would stand pat today. I thought this trade was a fantastic move for the Jackets. Whether Upshall and/or Lepisto stay beyond the end of this season is only one factor of this deal. I’m a fan of the reuniting of former teammates Upshall and Umberger. Lepisto may benefit from the change of scenery. In other words, two guys into town with a fresh start, playing for contracts…I like it! On a bit of a down note, losing Klesla may be like losing one of the family…a guy who has been with the Jackets pretty much from the beginning. I can only say that as a newcomer to Blue Jackets hockey, I thought he was adequate at his position, and had a pretty large contract to boot. The guy I’ll miss is Dane Byers. Prior to this season, I was able to watch him as the captain of the Hartford Wolfpack and then as a rugged forward for the Falcons. I mentioned on Saturday that it was possible that he could turn out to be a deal enhancer, and sure enough there he went. Losing Byers and Sestito as they embark on their bid for a playoff run seems to increase the difficulty of succeeding. The Falcons though are a resilient bunch this season, and I anticipate that they will still make a good drive toward the Calder Cup playoffs! All in all, a good trade!
Looks like a lot of folks like this move. Add me to that list. NOW LET’S MAKE THAT PLAYOFF PUSH!
1 Comment
That game Sunday killed me. That was definitely an unlucky break.
Didn’t get to watch much of last night’s game, but from what I saw of Upshall in the first period, he seemed like a good addition. There were a couple of nice passes, and considering he missed the morning skate, I thought he seemed to fit in well. It was a little sad to see Klesla go, but if it helps us I’m all for it.