The Neutral Zone Trap

Well, I’ve gone to Target, eaten dinner, surfed around on the internets, and had some time to reflect further upon the Zherdev/Fritsche for Tyutin/Backman deal. And I still don’t like it much.

I’d said on here before that it would neither be shocking nor be the end of the world to see Zherdev traded this summer. He has talent to burn, but we all know there are a lot of question marks around him. And with some of the kids in the system like Voracek and Filatov seemingly having Zherdev-like talent without the Zherdev-like drama (yet), it was a fair gamble to trade away the enigmatic one in order to fill any of the glaring holes in the roster.

Which is what gets me, because Tyutin and Backman don’t seem to do that, at least based on their stats and what Ranger fans have to say about them. I’ll grant that Tyutin is still young-ish for a defenseman, so he may yet grow into a more two-way defenseman…but he’s only a year younger than Rusty Klesla, and I think we’ve just about given up hope that he’ll ever be a #1 blueliner. From what I can glean from Ranger fan opinion, many of them liked Tyutin okay, but see him as a second pairing guy at best. Seems to me the Jackets have a ton of second/third pairing caliber defensemen in the system…was adding another worth losing the second best offensive threat on the team, especially without a replacement immediately apparent (unless the expectation is that Voracek or Filatov will replace Zherdev…which seems risky, given the recent sad history with Brule).

As for Backman, Ranger fans seem glad to see the back of him. I should remember him from his time in St. Louis since we play them about 30,000 times a year, but I’m drawing a blank. Maybe not a terrible thing for a defensive defenseman, but still, color me underwhelmed.

And I haven’t even touched upon Fritsche…at some level, it’s worse to see him go than Zherdev. He was a third line grinder without a real strong offensive touch, and an unfortunate propensity to suffer freakish injuries. But I always liked the way he played — he never seemed to leave anything on the table, and played with a lot of heart on a team that all too often lacked that trait. And for someone who didn’t score very many goals, he seemed to have a knack for scoring the big goal at the right time. I always felt that Dan Fritsche was a player who wasn’t going to be a huge part of getting Columbus to the playoffs, but once we were there, we’d be glad to have a guy like him on the roster. In all likelihood he’ll get a taste of playoff hockey next spring in New York, so we’ll see if that plays out.

I do recognize that it’s only July 2, and there’s still time for Howson to fill in the gaps in the roster. I also recognize, as I’ve said again and again the past year, that undoing Doug MacLean’s handiwork wouldn’t be an overnight thing, and that we’re still in for a lot of growing pains. I want to put my trust in Howson, really I do. Right now I’m just feeling a little skeptical.

Puck-Rakers says Zherdev and Fritsche to the Rangers for Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman. If that’s true, Howson has lost his mind…

ETA: TSN would seem to be confirming this now

BREAKING NEWS:

Sources tell TSN the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers have completed a trade. The Rangers will get Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche, with Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman going to Columbus.

Howson’d better have something else big up his sleeve…or the Jackets just traded a big hunk of their already anemic offense for a couple of defensemen who don’t quite seem to fill that “#1″ hole. Don’t get this one…

Five year deal. He’s obviously not the offensive-minded d-man the Jackets still need, but he should fill the Adam Foote-sized shutdown defenseman hole pretty well. And he’s got some playoff experience, for whenever that becomes an issue with the Jackets. Hopefully some time in the next five years.

Per Puck-Rakers.

Assuming Torres is over his knee injury from last season, he’s probably good for 20 goals, which more or less replaces what we would have expected from a healthy Vyborny, with more of a physical edge. Not a significant upgrade for the team IMHO, but he should help.

I’ve never given up hope that Brule would eventually get his mojo back and start becoming the player he was projected to be in 2005. It could still happen, and if it does, Howson could come out of this with egg on his face — it could be the Jackets’ Pavol Demitra moment.

With the pressure to make the playoffs this season, though, the deal makes some sense, as Torres will probably produce more in 2008-09 than Brule likely would have. So this makes sense in the short term — it does just come with the risk of looking really bad in the long run. Without many cards to play, though, that’s a chance Howson has to take.

I am kind of hoping that the meeting I have this morning goes all day, so I’ll be away from the computer as the gnashing of teeth and rending of garments flares up in response to each UFA who does not sign with Columbus.

And as it’s also Canada Day, here’s something to take your mind off TEH HORROR! TEH HORROR! of being a CBJ fan on July 1 — Kathleen Edwards singing her song “Oh Canada” (not to be confused with the Canadian national anthem) in concert:

I think we all knew this was coming. It’s too bad, because Duvie seemed like a good guy and hard worker. But he just never regained his form after his injury shortened 2006-07 season, and with young guys like Rome, Methot, and Russell challenging for roster spots on D, Westcott became superfluous to the team’s needs. I wish him the best of luck in his hockey career and other future endeavors.

Also in this morning’s Dispatch, Mike Arace raises the spectre of the Jackets moving as a roundabout way to call out J.P. McConnell for not sitting down to an interview with the paper. Stay classy, Columbus.

Finally, on the off topic tip, it’s Comfest weekend in Goodale Park. Which also means it’s the weekend when my hits spike because people are searching for “comfest topless”, of which I am still the fourth result on Google. Stay classy, Columbus.

And here’s a picture of Ron House from Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments performing last night at Comfest. Not topless, though. Sorry.

Presenting the Columbus Blue Jackets 2008 Draft Class:

#6: Nikita Filatov, F

#37: Cody Goloubef, D

#107: Steven Delisle, D

#118: Drew Olson, D

#127: Matt Calvert, LW

#135: Tomas Kubalik, RW

#137: Brent Regner, D

#157: Cameron Atkinson, RW

#187: Sean Collins, LW

Cody Goloubef, defenseman from University of Wisconsin.

The remaining draft rounds are being broadcast on the NHL Network, if it’s of interest to you. I’m headed out to run errands but will check in later on the rest of the CBJ picks.

And the usual suspects don’t feel fine. I’m certainly not doing jumps for joy about how draft day one worked out for the Jackets — it was far less than my ideal. But there’s still lots of summer yet; we’re not even to July 1. Hell, we’re not even to the second round of the draft. I’m refraining from jumping off any buildings yet.

(9:25PM) — All quiet on the Jackets’ front. I’m thinking we’ll see nothing else from Howson until tomorrow. I’m calling it a night on blogging.

(8:55PM) — Er, I just spent 20 minutes reading the posts about the Jackets on a puckbunny site. I have no idea what is going on with the draft at the moment, and my IQ has dropped 30 points since my last update.

(8:38PM) — Firefox crash took my liveblog down temporarily. Admittedly, now that Columbus has made one pick and traded the other, I’m losing interest here…

(8:24PM) — Isles trade down again, Nashville moves into the #7 spot and takes Colin Wilson. Carey Wilson looks old, and that makes me feel old, as I had a schoolgirl crush on Carey Wilson when I first started watching hockey.

(8:13PM) — Jackets pick Nikita Filatov with the #6. Dunno how I feel about that yet, as once again I was hoping for a defenseman to be the #1 pick. The TSN guys seem pretty confident that Filatov was the proverbial “best player available” at #6, but as always, “the Russian factor” creates question marks. We’ll see…we’ll see…a little underwhelmed thus far by the Jackets’ moves tonight.

(8:09PM) — Jackets make a trade! #19 and #67 to Philly for R.J. Umberger and a 4th. Not a terrible deal…not the answer…guess this means they will use the #6.

(8:03PM) — Toronto does take Schenn. Dangit. Seven drafts in a row Columbus misses out on top ranked blueliners…but now the excitement really begins, Jacket fans.

(7:54PM) — It appears Toronto has vaulted over Columbus, trading #7 for #5 so they can pick Luke Schenn. He was my second choice dream pick for the Jackets, so if this is the case, I’m pulling for SH to make a trade with the #6.

(7:49PM) — JD tugs at the heartstrings sending out wishes to the victims of the flooding in Missouri and Iowa, and then the Blues pick Alex Pietrangelo. Isles are next and then it’s Columbus’ turn at #6.

(7:40PM) — My dreams of seeing Zach Bogosian in a Jackets’ uniform are dashed by the Atlanta Thrashers.

(7:29PM) — Doughty to LA.

(7:25PM) — Tampa kicks off the festivities, picking Steve Stamkos #1 overall. No big surprise there.

(7:18PM) — Cross Jokinen off the list of potential centers for Columbus — he’s gone to Phoenix for Keith Ballard, Nick Boynton, and a pick.

(7:07PM) — Calgary is busy; Alex Tanguay to the Habs for a pick.

(7:05PM) — Coverage starts with a trade: not the Jackets, though. Calgary gets Mike Cammalleri, picks go to Anaheim and LA.

(6:10PM) — About an hour from the start of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. No news out of the Jackets’ camp yet. I’ll liveblog here once the draft is underway.