Rome signed a 1 year contract with Vancouver early on the first day worth $550,000.

Some of the free agents you knew were going to have to wait and see how it all unfolds with the likes of Wade Dubielewicz, Jiri Novotny, Christian Backman and Chris Gratton.

Manny Malhotra has to be feeling the sting as he is still sitting along the wall waiting for someone to ask him to dance. Malhotra has come under the misguiding of his agent and what his true worth is. This is common and now he is going to have to up root his family. If the reports are true that he was demanding 5 years and $10 million from the Blue Jackets, he could be waiting a long time if he has dug his heels into these numbers.

Not many roll players get 5 year contracts. Most are 2 or 3 years. Somebody might pay Manny the $2 million per year if they really need a great face off guy and decent checking line center but I can’t see anyone giving him that kind of money over 5 years.

Jason Williams probably knew he would sit on the sidelines for a little bit and wait for the dust to settle. Somebody is going to want this guy for sure. Big right handed shot, can play center if needed even though he is better suited on the wing and has pretty decent wheels. I still would love to see him on the Blue Jackets but there just isn’t any room at wing and the money he would want probably wouldn’t allow him to be a 4th line center that would be used as a power play specialist. He did make it known that he wanted to stay in Columbus.

Ole-Kristian Tollefsen has been long rumored in trade talks last year and even the year before. There is a market for him as the hard hitting defenseman is a commodity for teams that are looking for a little nasty in their blue line. Tolly has always given the Blue Jackets everything he had even playing with a broken neck for awhile. He is all heart and he will always shoot you straight. I know I will miss him in the locker room as you always got a great quote from OKT and never had to guess what he was thinking.

Most of these guys are going to have to wait late into the summer to see where they will play and some will end up playing in Europe or in the KHL. The only thing I know is that none of them will be pulling on the Union Blue sweater most likely.

Fire The Cannon!

Eric Smith
JacketsBuzz@yahoo.com

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This virtual hysteria began when Puck-Rakers broke the news earlier today that Steve Mason has an upper respiratory bug, and is questionable for tonight’s game. This, of course, implicates the possiblity that Wade Dubielewicz will be in goal tonight, which is enough to send the supposed faithful scurrying to the exits. Those same folks are also moaning about the reported scratching of Chris Gratton in favor of Jiri Novotny.

Clearly, it is time for another public service reality check here:

1. Mason is questionable, not out. However, if he is marginal, he should be rested for this Eastern Conference game and be ready for Chicago and Detroit, IMHO.

2. When the Jackets lost to the Penguins in Game 52, we were at the end of one of our worst periods of the season. Mason was in the throes of his mono, Dubielewicz had just arrived, out of condition, without his equipment, and unused to the smaller NHL ice. On the larger ponds of Europe, there is far more time for the goalie to follow the play and react, in general. The loss to Pittsburgh ended a 3-5-1 streak for the Jackets, who then went on to go 7-0-1 in the next 8. Now, the team is basically healthy, with a guy named Vermette, and Dubielewicz has had time to round into shape and get used to the NHL ice.

3. Excuse me, but has anybody watched Novotny play in the last half dozen games? He has been a presence and contributed at both ends of the ice. He also has a much higher mobility factor than Gratton, which is important against Pittsburgh.

4. Pittsburgh is hot, but the Jackets are playing their best defensive hockey of the year, and are showing signs of an offensive resurgence as well. The formula is well known to the Jackets by now — an Eastern team with speed and some high priced talent on the wings. Disrupt their timing, stand them up at the Blue Line, and transition out of the zone. That recipe has given us a record of 11-3-1 against the East. If Dubie goes tonight, pay extra attention to the vision lanes, as he does not have Mason’s size.

5. Pittsburgh has surrendered 210 goals already this season, and Fleury is being ridden almost as hard as Mason. He can be had. Remember 8 – 2 against Detroit, in their house? Pittsburgh’s defense is not close to Detroit’s, so we need to take advantage by peppering Fleury and maintaining possession in their zone.

6. Keep the PK strong and cash in one or two power plays.

Predicition here is Jackets 5, Penguins 3. We have a monster home crowd in our favor tonight, Hitch gets rewarded for #500, and we are halfway throught the toughest stretch of the remaining season in terms of the schedule. Go Jackets!

Things could well be different in this matchup. Both teams have been playing very well over the last 2+ months, with Dallas earning points at a 63% clip since 1/1, and the Jackets at a 61% pace for the same period. Mason is back and healthy, as are the majority of the other Jackets, though Modin is out for a week due to a marginal hit he took at the end of the Carolina game, forcing his knee into the post.

Dallas has shown some signs of cooling off of late. They are just 4 – 3 in February, having lost 2 of the last 3, while scoring just 4 goals in that stretch. This includes a 1 – 0 shutout at the hands of the Coyotes in Dallas, and a 6-2 thumping at Chicago in their last outing. According to the Dallas bloggers, Lehtinen skated this morning, but was obviously favoring a leg injury. Steve Ott did not skate, and is considered a gametime decision. Dallas has a big homestand coming up, and needs to be healthy for the likes of Chicago and San Jose. Their road record is comparable to the Jackets at 11-14-3.

No doubt the Stars will try the same attack as last game — come out with a rush and try to overwhelm the Jackets forwards in the defensive zone, and crowding the net on Mason. While we lose a little muscle in Modin, we now have a healthy Chimera and Torres, and both Murray and Dorsett in the lineup, which we did not have last time.

The keys to success:

Puck Control — This is first and foremost — do not turn the puck over in our zone, or at either blue line. We do not want to give Dallas any momentum or the opportunity to start a track meet. Keep your heads up, be aware of time and space, and support each other. Move it briskly, but not rashly.

Be Physical — We can sometimes act a bit afraid to hit hard against teams that we fear in transition. Can’t do that. Put up the picket fence in the neutral zone, and hit hard. Win the battles for the puck as we did in Carolina. Block shots and do the little things well.

Offensive Movement — Use all of the ice and get Turco moving, both at full strength and on the PP. Traffic in front, and put good shots on net. Get the puck deep to set up the defense in the neutral zone.

Dominate The Circle — After having our head handed to us on faceoffs in Carolina, let’s return to dominance. If we have possession, we can be a very scary team.

Strong Backbone: Mase will feel he has something to prove after his last outing, so I fully anticipate a monster game from him.

Interesting stat: The team with the most shots has lost in each of the first three games of the series.

Big home game with likely a huge crowd to get them through the lulls. A 4 game week, but 3 of them in the friendly confines, so energy needs to be high. Sole possession of 5th place at stake, and evening up of the season series.

Go Jackets!!!