“WE’VE GOT TO GET THAT MENTALITY THAT WE’RE PLAYING HARD NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS. I’D LIKE TO HAVE A SITUATION WHERE WE LOSE A GAME PLAYING OUR BUTTS OFF.”

-Coach Scott Arniel

For many Blue Jacket’s fans (myself included), Saturday night’s game against the Avalanche was the first game of the season that we could watch at home. Dish Network, and Fox finally worked out a deal,  restoring Fox Sports Ohio to my line-up (I am still dropping my service), and boy was I excited to see the Jackets hit the ice. I was looking forward to seeing the team play, hoping they would bring their winning streak to the road. However, what I saw was no where near what I expected.

It almost felt like I was watching an amateur team. I know that the Jackets are a very young hockey team, but I expected better than this. Opportunity after opportunity, play after play, the Jackets fell short .As Jackets fans, we have seen this time and time again. Down by two, and the team gives up. I am not sure what it is, but it seams like every time the team isn’t winning, they just roll over. The team seems to be beaten mentally.

There is still some transitioning going on with the new coaching staff and all, but let’s hope that Arniel’s locker room rants do the trick. The first step will be convincing our stubborn, $7.8 million captain Rick Nash, something that I don’t think has happened yet. It leaves me wondering why Nash is still sporting the captain’s “C” and not players like R.J. Umberger.

On the plus side of the night, Mathieu Garon. He never fails to impress me. I am a huge Mason fan (my long lost twin), but if Garon keeps bringing it as he Saturday night, Mason had better watch out. Garon’s saves were amazing, sure he let one past, but there really wasn’t much more he could have done to prevent it.

The Blue Jackets return to Columbus on Tuesday to take on the Canadians, will festering on Saturday night’s loss be enough to push the Jackets to a victory?

Their were a few highlights of the game for the Blue Jackets one of which was  Kristian Huselius who ended the night with 1 goal and 2 assists. He scored the Blue Jackets first goal at the 11:44 mark in the first perido and also assisted on their game tying and go ahead goals scored by Kris Russell and Rick Nash respectively.

Nash also had a good night scoring goals 20 and 21 on the season. His second goal of the evening scored at 7:12 of the second period, the goal that made the score 4-3 was a nice shot taken right at the end of a pentaly for the Hawks, where Nash walked in all alone down the right wing and snuck a fast shot past Chicago’s Huet. Frustration got the best of Huet, who turned around and two handed his post after the goal, clearly frustrated and disappointed in his play.

Star Patrick Kane was being fancy and trying to get deep in the corner when Hedja stepped up and laid him out pretty good below the goal line, check it out here at Jackets TV ( http://bluejackets.nhl.tv/ team/console.jsp?hlg=20092010, 2,707&event=CBJ333).

Steve Mason had an iffy night, allowing 6 goals on 31 shots. Although two of them were on powerplay, he really needs to be there for his team on the backend, when Mason struggles it is pretty apparent the Blue Jackets struggle too. To give Mason some credit however, he did have a beautful save during the second on on Byfuglien which can been seen here on Jackets TV ( http://bluejackets.nhl.tv/ team/console.jsp? hlg=20092010, 2,707&event=CBJ240).

Mason’s counterpart Saturday night, Huet didn’t fare much better in the statstics category, allowing five goals on 26 shots. It just was not a night for goalies in Columbus on Saturday.

In the new year so far the Blue Jackets have played 8 games and are 3-5. Going into a tough week with four games, three of which are away, they better be ready to play when they suit up against the Blues. The last time they faced them was January 12, in a 4-1 loss.

To have any chance at making the playoffs this squad is going to have to make some changes, some sacrifices. Clever t-shirts with slogans like “It Starts Now” aren’t going to cut it.  It isn’t just the players on the ice that need to make the changes, the sacrifices, but the coaching staff and the front office as well. Tonight’s game is number 42 for the Blue Jackets, the official start of the second half of the season. Making changes for New Year’s, or the new season as the Blue Jackets would like to treat it, certainly isn’t a new practice. So without further ado, the Blue Jackets 2010 New Year’s resolutions.

Scott Howson: The Blue Jackets are still without a legitimate number one center or defenseman. Derick Brassard was supposed to be the number one, but clearly he wasn’t ready to take it. Maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t the best idea to sign kid with 48 career games in the league, coming off an injury, to a four-year contract extension with a $3.2million annual cap hit. If the club is confident that he is capable of becoming a bonafide first-line center, why not have him playing with Rick Nash? If they’re not, then they need to start the searching now. On the defensive front, not a single player on the team is a top defenseman, and one could argue that there isn’t a no. 2 among them. John Moore isn’t going to blossom into a top defenseman in just a year. Something, or rather someone will need to be added through a trade or free agency. Ownership has claimed that they are willing to spend money to be competitive, time to make them pony up, and preferably before summer.

Ken Hitchcock: For starters, how about winning significantly more games in 2010 than in 2009? To do so it’s going to require a bit of philosophy change and negotiations. Hitchcock has historically been very hard on young players, while being slightly more lax on veterans. Unfortunately, that sort of mentality simply cannot cut it with the youngest team in the league. If he wants to be in Columbus by this time next year, he’ll need to become an equal-opportunity stickler. Yes, young players make mistakes, but so do veterans. Hitchcock may be starting on this resolution a little early as mistake-prone Mike Commodore appears to once again be a healthy scratch this evening; he was kept out of the lineup in favor of newly-acquired Milan Jurcina Tuesday night.

The next step is benching mercurial winger Kristian Huselius and there’s a laundry list of players perfectly capable of reevaluating their game in the press box. This organization has more depth than it has ever had and if veterans are not playing to the level they need to be at, there are numerous young guys waiting in the wings dying for a shot. Give the young guys chances and allow them to make and learn from their mistakes. It is crunch time, but there needs to be accountability throughout the locker room. The divide between veterans and youngsters needs to be broken down to get everyone playing their best and this team headed in the right direction.

Rick Nash: Nash needs to stop trying to do everything by himself, whether in the locker room or on the ice. Nash has been held to just 12 points in the last 21 games, 18 of which have been losses. He needs to do more and produce more, but he makes himself much easier to take out of the game by failing to utilize his teammates. He plays like the biggest, strongest, most skilled kid on the peewee hockey team. The only problem is, in the NHL other teams recognize that and can shutdown one elite player. In his defense it is tough to build chemistry when you’re playing with different players each night, but it’s even harder to score on a one-on-three.

In the locker room Nash has an equal amount of work to do. The first thing he needs to do, if not already, is to ask for help. Last season the veteran presence of Michael Peca helped lessen the leadership burden that comes with the “C”. He served as a mouthpiece for Nash in the locker room as well as a player that helped teach the Hitchcock system to the youngsters. With Peca is gone and players like Rostislav Klesla and Fredrik Modin out for large portions of the season, the leadership burden has fallen almost solely on the 25-year-old. He doesn’t need to, nor should he have to shoulder the load on his own. If that means calling Michael Peca for advice, so be it. If that means reaching out to newly-acquired winger Chris Clark (four-year captain of the Washington Capitals) and asking him to help fulfill a leadership role on the team, do it now rather than later. There is no time to spare.

Steve Mason: For the reigning Calder Trophy winner, 2009 has been bittersweet. Steve Mason took home some serious hardware for his performance during the year. Yet, this season he has looked far cry from the Mason of the last. His poor play has been exaggerated by the porous defense that has been in front of him most of the season but let’s be clear. Mason is in the midst of a sophomore slump. One of the things Mason needed most has already been done for him. He was stripped of the starting role. While that may not have been in his personal interest, it taught him a very tough lesson that needed to be learned. Nothing is given in this league. It’s earned.

The move is hoped to unleash the competitive monster that dwells inside Mason. You begin to recognize how much of a competitor he is when you speak with the kid, more so than with most professional athletes. He’s had to compete for every role he’s ever held be it with two different junior teams, Team Canada in the World Juniors or the AHL. Lest we forget that he was an injury call-up last season whose competitive edge made it impossible the Blue Jackets to send him down. However, going into the season as the undisputed starter and franchise goaltender, Mason appeared to become a little too confident and much too complacent.

Since Hitchcock announced the “Win and you’re in” policy, Mason has played extremely well and cut down in the areas that have hindered his play the most this season: bad goals and the reaction that follows, positioning and rebound control. One need not look further than Tuesday night in the first period when Mason allowed a relatively soft goal against the Islanders. Earlier in the year, it would be no surprise to see the Isles come down and spot two or three more on Mason. He went on the turn away every remaining shot and kept the Jackets in the game, only to fall in a shutout. He’ll need to continue to play with that competitive edge for the rest of the season if he wishes to truly reclaim his net.

These resolutions only address a few of the major issues this team is facing. Feel free to share your resolutions for the team, coaching staff and management.

Happy New Years from the FTC Staff!

-Bart Logan

bartftc@gmail.com

Twitter: BartFTC

Mason does appear to be taking steps forward. He single-handedly kept the Jackets in the game early as he was peppered with 11 shots from the Wild in the first. Columbus managed just three. Nash gave the Jackets the lead early in the first but Guillaume Latendresse tied the game up less than five minutes later after the Wild had been working the puck behind the net.

The CBJ outshot the Wild in the second and third periods but failed to beat goaltender Niklas Backstrom and the stingy Wild team that has won eight of their last 10. Marek Zidlicky scored the game winner off a key face-off win from Miko Koivu in the final minute of the third; a defensive zone face-off that Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock called a timeout to plan out. Zidlicky’s shot deflected off of Mason’s paddle and over his shoulder into the net. Despite playing a markedly improved game in the later periods, the Jackets could not catch a break.

So where does the team go from here? The Union Blue take on an upstart Phoenix team Thursday night in Nationwide Arena (over/under 11,500 fans?) and head to Colorado Saturday. Things will not get easier with only one game against a sub-500 opponent in the eight remaining December games. They don’t get more than a day off until next Thursday and Friday.

The Jackets’ issues lie deeper than the non-stop “looking tired” excuse that seems to be the first thing out of every players mouth after a game. Every team is playing a compacted schedule. It affects everyone. Derek Dorsett is out of the lineup (again) for the next four plus weeks with a broken hand. It’s no secret that this team has not faired well in his absence but does anyone honestly think that Double D in the lineup completely turns things around? No, for whatever reason, this team is not buying Hitch’s system. That’s not a new development; it’s been harped on for most of the year.

There are a couple schools of thought that seek to remedy this situation. One is to continue to ride the course and hope that the leaders on this team, especially with Fredrick Modin back in the lineup, can get the rest of the group invested in playing Hitch’s style. Another is that Hitchcock cannot deal with young players and that he will never be able to force this team to play his kind of game. Certainly they way he went about dealing with Nikita Filatov lends itself to this theory, as does his track record with Philadelphia and to a less extent Dallas. Could a coaching change be what the team needs to get back on track?

I am of the tweener school. A coaching change is premature, especially with how invested the upper management of this organization is in Hitchcock. This team was built in his mold and they have had success when they play his style. The turnover from last season’s roster is not that significant at first glance. Most would say they have improved on paper. But, what they may have made up for in skill, they gave up in experience. This team is severely lacking in the leadership department, especially vocal guys. Rick Nash is not a vocal leader. Mike Commodore is not at a point where he feels comfortable as a vocal leader on this team. RJ Umberger has been to an extent but that’s not enough. That’s what having the youngest team in the league will do to you.

While many fans were heartbroken by the way things worked out, or rather did not work out with Manny Malhotra, I would argue that it is the absence of a player like Michael Peca on this roster that is killing this team. Peca was the mouthpiece for both Hitchcock and Nash in the locker room last season. He was a player that completely bought into the Hitchcock system and was able to help translate and teach it to younger players. He was also the vocal leader in the dressing room that Rick Nash was not, nor is not, ready to be. He lifted much of that burden from Nash’s shoulders and demanded accountability and respect from his teammates. Few, myself included, realized the immense contribution he made to the team.

Unfortunately, Michael Peca’s career appears to be over and the Jackets are not likely to pull off a trade in the near future. They have few assets that they would be willing to part with in order to bring a player in that would be able to immediately buy into the Hitchcock system and serve as the sort of locker room liaison that the team needs. There is not clean-cut solution, but this sort of “unstoppable force meets an immovable object” mentality cannot continue or this season of unmatched optimism could quickly be lost for good. Something, or someone, has got to give.

Comments welcome.

- Bart Logan

bartftc@gmail.com

Twitter: BartFTC

To say the Blue Jackets played 54 minutes of good hockey would be an overstatement; the CBJ came out flat in the first period. Steve Mason almost single-handedly kept them in the game making a couple circus saves as the Flames outshot the Jackets 10-5 and had control of the puck for the majority of the first 20.

A different Jackets team came out in the second period and despite giving up the first goal, managed to keep things together and dictate the play of the game. Then the Jackets got to Calgary backup Curtis McElhinney. At the 13:20 mark Rick Nash wristed a slick power play goal to tie the game up and snap a four-game goalless drought. Just 63 second later Marc Methot scored his first of the season to give the Jackets the lead. Jared Boll scored with less than 30 seconds remaining in the second to give the Jackets a two-goal lead and all the momentum heading into the intermission.

The ensuing third period was really a tale of two teams, the Jackets continued to get shots on McElhinney, making his second start of the season, and almost extended the lead. Then with about 10 minutes remaining they reverted into defense-mode. Any coach will tell you, a two-goal lead is the most dangerous lead in hockey. The Blue Jackets found that out the hard way. They were manhandled on the boards in their own end and in the Calgary end. Columbus defenders looked like pee-wees chasing the puck around in the defensive zone. Breakout attempts were less than half-hearted and the Jackets committed numerous turnovers in at their blue line. The Flames cycled the puck behind the net, won on the boards, and Dustin Boyd and Nigel Dawes scored goals 79 seconds apart to tie the game up at 15:32 mark.

The Blue Jackets looked aloof in the final minutes of the third and overtime. Steve Mason looked lost in the shootout giving up three goals to four skaters. The Jackets losing streak was extended to five games.

The Blue Jackets are now 12-9-4 on the season, tied for third in the Central Division. Things do not get any easier for the Jackets tonight as they take on rival St. Louis in Nationwide. This will be the first meeting between CBJ and St. Louis on the season. Last year the Blues won five of six games against the Jackets and eventually overtook Columbus for the sixth playoff seed. The Blues haven’t hit their stride yet on the season and are in last place in the Central, but just three points out of third.

Tonight is a gut check for the Blue Jackets. Scott Howson and Ken Hitchcock believe this team has all of the pieces to contend but need to start putting in a full 60 minutes, a rarity this season. The players and fans shouldn’t need any more motivation than a quick YouTube search of Rick Nash and TJ Oshie to get revved up for this game. The Blues are a very similar team to the Blue Jackets, with a talented group of young forwards and defensemen. Not to mention both teams will likely be starting Masons in goal. This could very well be a defining game for Columbus in this young season. The Union Blue had better let their play define it.

Notes:

Kris Russell will return to the lineup tonight after being a healthy scratch for five of the past six. Marc Methot will likely miss the Jackets next two games with an unspecified upper body injury.

After a short experiment with Raffi Torres on the first line early in Saturday night’s loss, Kristian Huselius has rejoined Rick Nash. Huselius has been a man on fire since returning from injury November 13th. Juice has 5-6-11 in his last eight games. He had nine points in 13 games prior to the injury.

The 2006 first overall pick Erik Johnson leads the Blues with 17 points in 24 games. The talented defenseman has been a rock for St. Louis after missing all of last season due to injuries from a freak golf cart accident.

Comments Welcome

-Bart Logan

bartftc@gmail.com

Twitter: BartFTC

Klesla’s tenure with the Blue Jackets has been full of ups and downs. The Blue Jackets first ever draft pick, selected fourth overall in the 2000 Entry Draft, had massive expectations. Klesla was in the lineup for the Jackets inaugural game October 7, 2000 against Chicago. He played in the Jackets first eight games before being sent back down to Brampton to play out the rest of the junior season. In his eight games in that inaugural season Rusty netted himself two goals. It was certainly an admirable performance for the young Czech defender, albeit a shortsighted decision from team management.

The learning curve for a young defenseman is surpassed only by the learning curve for a goaltender. Physically, the NHL game is light years ahead of Major Juniors. It’s the difference between men on professional workout regimens and teenagers. The speed of the NHL game is also incredibly difficult for most defenders to get used to. A single misread, a single mistake often leads to a youngster digging the puck out of his own net. While the damage done on the scoreboard is one thing, the affliction to a player’s confidence may be the most pressing issue. Youngsters start to question their skill set, shying away from the play that garnered them the attention to land on an NHL roster.

Forgoing a year in Syracuse, where he could have continued to develop, Klesla found himself in the Blue Jackets lineup for the 2001-2002 season. On an awful team, Rusty still had a very productive rookie season going 8-8-16 in 75 games. He showed a bit of the mean streak scouts praised with 74 penalty minutes on the season and garnered All-Rookie Team honors. There appeared to be a very promising future for 6’3” 220 pound defender.

Fast forward to 2008-2009, Klesla, played in only 34 regular season games. For the third time in his eight-year career, Rusty had missed 30 or more games due to injury. In 410 career games, he had amassed 35-71-106 and a career minus 53 rating. He appeared to have plateaued, at least points-wise, in 2006-2007. Many wanted to label Klesla a bust, especially with the three players selected before him; Rick DiPietro, Dany Heatley and Marian Gaborik all as established NHL stars (in DiPietro’s case he’s paid like one).

Then came the Blue Jackets first ever playoff experience: a four-game sweep at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings. Yet, even with an overall dismal playoff performance, there was much taken away to be optimistic about. One of those reasons for optimism, perhaps the biggest, was the play of Klesla. While his postseason numbers do not really jump off the stat sheet, it was his incredible play that netted him praise from Blue Jackets management. On a team that was out scored 18 to 7 in the series, Rusty had an even rating, and averaged over 21 minutes of ice-time a night. With Mike Commodore and Jan Hejda’s sub par performances, Klesla emerged as the shutdown defenseman for the Jackets in the series.

The off-season saw a slew of Jackets handed long-term contracts to stay with the budding franchise. The Rick Nash deal was a “gimme” of sorts because there was no way Scott Howson would let the face of the franchise test free agent waters in 2010. That was followed by surprising extensions for Derick Brassard, a four-year deal for a player with 48 NHL games under his belt, and Antoine Vermette, a five-year deal for a deadline acquisition. While neither of those extensions was met with much animosity by fans or players, there was one notable exclusion. The career leader in games played in a Union Blue sweater, the first ever draft pick, the top playoff performer, was set to be a free agent come Summer 2010. That changed in a hurry.

In front of a packed Nationwide Arena, the opening night crowd eagerly anticipating the drop of the puck on the new season, the Blue Jackets announced a new four-year contract extension for Klesla. The deal will pay him $11.9 million over those four-years. Rusty responded by scoring the game winning goal, redemption for a miscommunication on the penalty kill that led to the Minnesota tying the game up. In a post game interview with George Matthews and Bob McElligott, a comment was made about Rusty perhaps trying to play more of a two-way game. Klesla seemed almost taken aback and responded that he has always thought of himself as a two-way defenseman. The shot has always been there, for Klesla. The offensive skills have always been there. The confidence however, has not always been there. For Klesla it’s just a question transferring his skills to the NHL game and staying confident in his play.

At least through two games, Rusty is having no problems with that.

bartftc@gmail.com
Twitter: BartFTC

This is the latest in a flurry of summer signings by Howson, during which he has secured long term deals for Captain Rick Nash (eight years) and center Derick Brassard (four years), inked shorter deals with defenseman Mark Methot and forward Derek Dorsett, and signed free agents Sammy Pahlsson and Mathieu Garon.

Clearly, the rapid signing of Rick Nash to a long term contract has had the desired “trickle down” effect with the younger players. Both Brassard and Vermette saw that signing as hugely positive, and noted their pleasure with the direction the organization was taking. By the same token, Howson is showing considerable faith in Brassard and Vermette, who played a combined total of 52 games for the CBJ last season (Brassard – 31 regular season, Vermette 17 regular season, four playoff games). Players appreciate that kind of confidence, and by all reports Brassard and Vermette are returning the favor through hard work.

The benefits of what Howson has done this summer are enormous for the franchise. First, he has locked up a significant percentage of his core talent for a long time. Huselius, Umberger and Tyutin are signed through the 2011/12 season, Commodore through 2012/2013, and Hejda through 2010/2011. Of the regulars, only Klesla, Modin and Torres are in their final year before UFA status. Howson now has the predictability he needs going forward, so that he will be able to address the increases that players like Voracek, Mason and Filatov will garner as they come off of their entry level contracts, while still being prepared for the eventuality of a cap decrease next year.

At the same time, all of this positive activity gets noticed around the league, and players begin viewing Columbus in a different light when it comes time for free agency. The fact that so many veterans are willing to sign extended contracts represents a big PR boost for the franchise. Season ticket sales are on the increase, the first day of practice drew a packed house — the signs are all positive, and Howson hand his team have a lot to do with it.

Aside from all of the other benefits of these signings, Howson now knows what he can spend in the short term. I frankly did not think that a Vermette deal would get done until later in the Fall, given the few number of games he played last season. Obviously, Hitchcock loves his talents at both ends of the ice, and Howson struck while the iron was hot. He now faces the glut of forwards and the absence of a offensively minded defenseman with a right-hand shot.

For now, the top two lines appear to be set, with Nash, Brassard, Huselius, Vermette, Umberger and Voracek accounting for those six slots. The third and fourth line forwards must come from a group that includes Modin, Chimera, Torres, Filatov, Murray, Dorsett, Boll, Blunden, Picard and Sestito, to include only the obvious candidates. While two-way contracts may enter into the mix a bit, the noises coming from Hitchcock and Howson indicate that the final slots are going based on merit, not contract.

Filatov is the real deal, and has started camp very well. While he will likely be eased into things in terms of minutes, his future is not on the third or fourth line, and for him the future is likely measure in weeks or months, not years. So, that being the case, who moves out of the top six? While injury could make that determination, Howson likely will have some tough decisions to make, sooner than later.

It seems likely that a number of forwards, and perhaps a defenseman coming up on free agency, i.e. Klesla, could be leveraged in a deal that would bring the necessary power play leading defenseman, and perhaps some depth at center. With so much of the tough contract work behind him, Howson has a better idea of what he has to work with. Do not be surprised if a deal or two materializes fairly suddenly during camp.

Howson continues to deliver the goods in his methodical, understated, but ultimately very effective way. The Blue Jackets are a different franchise today, and all of the signs are pointing up.

“Rick is a Blue Jacket. He is our captain, the foundation of our team and one of the elite players in the National Hockey League and we are very happy that he will continue to call Columbus home for many years to come,” said Howson. “This is an important and exciting day for our franchise and our fans.”

The contract breaks down as follows

2010-2011 – $7.5M
2011-2012 – $7.6M
2012-2013 – $7.7M
2013-2014 – $7.8M
2014-2015 – $7.9M
2015-2016 – $8.0M
2016-2017 – $8.1M
2017-2018 – $8.2M

A full no trade clause comes into effect for the first 5 seasons of the deal, followed by a limited trade clause for the remainder. Give Howson credit, Nash is only 25 years of age and this deal with end when he is 34 years of age. Unlike the 12 year deal that Chicago signed Hossa too, the team will not have to worry if Nash can still compete towards the end of his contract.

There were rumors that contract talks were breaking down and Nash was frustrated with the teams offer. This was most likely caused when the New York Rangers announced the signing of oft injured winger Marian Gaborik to a monster contract. Marian Gaborik received a five-year, $37.5 million contract from the New York Rangers that has an annual salary cap hit of $7.5 million. This probability did not help Howson’s cause but they stuck it out and got a deal done.

Would you rather build your team around Gaborik at $7.5 million a season? or Nash at $7.5 million?

My initial reaction to this deal was that no matter what number the Jackets were going to pay Nash, he had to stay with this club. Even if it came down to overpaying for him I would of be fine giving him 8 million + a season.  For what Nash means to this team, the city and the fans; every dollar would be well spent in my mind. Blue Jacket fans are going to see a player that was not only the clubs highest draft choice, franchise leader in goals and points but he has the opportunity to play his entire career in one city. This is something you do not see often in sports and for a talent of Nash’s nature, fans of Columbus should be excited. To put things into a perspective, the last player off the top of my head that spent his entire career on one team in the NHL was Steve Yzerman. We all know Yzerman is one of the most well respected individuals in the game, one of the leagues greatest leaders of all time and put his personal health on the line to help his team win.

Now Nash has a long way to go to reach the level Yzerman did but General Manager Howson is going to do all he can to help him reach that level. Howson has shown he can be an elite GM in this league. He has spent his money wisely in free agency, worked the draft board with ease and locked up the biggest player in club history. The Blue Jackets are on the verge of breaking through and will most likely catch many by surprise.

Since I have started this site, I have always said that Nash is not going anywhere. Rumors to Toronto or former GM MacLean catching on with a team to deliver Nash were crazy. Once again Leaf fans, not every player from the Toronto area wants to play for the Leafs! Since Nash is now off the market, you better start hoping for the next big player to sign with Toronto. Maybe try Kovalchuk? I heard his contract is expiring soon. Nash is a special player and will be a Blue Jacket for life, no matter what.

Also there is a great article at Light the Lamp showing off all clippings of Nash signing a contract. Check it out here.

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So, I am off for 8 days of vacation with the family, heading to Ft. Lauderdale, Cozumel, Costa Rica and Panama. Probably no hockey games to watch there, but we will get more than our share of sunshine.

Back online next Sunday night. In the meantime, I will Twitter any news I come across on Nash or other events.

Cheers & Happy 4th of July!!!!