Columbus Blue Jackets 2011-12 Preview/Ramblings

In the two-plus years that I've had this blog, the only thing I've done consistently is a Columbus Blue Jackets season preview. I didn't get a chance to do one before this hockey season started, but I think that may have been for the best. After all, it's not like I was in Columbus watching the team practice or play preseason games...a preview pretty much would have been talking about the moves the Jackets made this offseason, which has already been done by writers and message board junkies ad nauseam.

So instead of a "traditional" season preview, this will be more of my thoughts through the first four games of the season. I recently subscribed to NHL Gamecenter so I can watch the CBJ this season. And now that I'm locked into my purchase, I think it will force me to be a better hockey fan than I have been the last couple years...now that I'm pot committed I feel like I have to get my money's worth.

Yes, I realize four games isn't a huge sample size, but I've at least seen the team play and can form some of my own opinions, rather than re-hashing what I read online. Just think of this as part preview, part review(yes, that is the tag line from my days working on Bobcat Blitz, I'm sure everyone's familiar with it).

Goaltending

I usually end with goaltending, but I figured I'd start with it this season since it's probably the most important thing for this year's team. The Blue Jackets' only playoff berth was made possible by the play of Steve Mason. Has Mason been good in the two seasons since? Certainly not. But I love that after four games, plenty of folks are already back on their "when are the Blue Jackets going to get a new goalie?" and "Same old Mason" kicks. I'm not trying to say that Mason is definitely a guy who can get this team back to the playoffs...obviously the team thinks he is and he did it as a rookie, but he clearly hasn't been on that level since.

Honestly, I still just don't know how good he is. People are always so quick to blame the goalie. Again, I'm aware that he hasn't been good the past two seasons, but I dare anyone to tell me his defense was good in front of him. The Blue Jackets have never had a really good defensive corps, and you can't ask a goalie, especially a young one, to stand on his head every night. You do need to depend on him to make a couple big time saves most games, but there's a difference. A perfect example is the goal Alex Burrows scored Monday to win the game for the Canucks. The defense allowed him to just waltz right in front of the net for a point blank chance. And Mason stopped the first shot! But Burrows got multiple whacks at the puck a foot from the goal...shocking that he scored.

Again, Mason has definitely struggled since winning the Calder Trophy. He needs to step it up for this team to have any shot at the postseason. But give him a chance to get used to his new defensemen and new goalie coach before you blame him for every goal the Blue Jackets allow.

Defense

Speaking of defense, this is the part that's toughest to write because, frankly, I just don't know what the Jackets have. Scott Howson made the biggest free agent signing in club history to bring in James Wisniewski as the team's top D-man, and he won't see the ice until game nine.

Side rant: after some of the other hits players have received suspensions for, eight regular season games is a joke. I get that he's a repeat offender, and it definitely was a dumb play and warranted a few games, but Clutterbuck was looking right at him. Are you gonna sit there and tell me it was worse than this hit FROM THE SAME GAME? Gimme a break.

Anyway, I'm reserving complete judgement of the Columbus defense until Wiz plays a couple games...though they could be out of the playoffs by then. That being said, they've been pretty awful so far.

I've always wanted Kris Russell to be good, but I'm really worried that he just isn't. He's made some terrible turnovers and has looked awkward when trying to jump in on the rush, which is supposed to be the part of his game he's known for.

I could go more in-depth with the rest of the defensemen, but it would mostly be more of the same: nobody has looked great, especially with the puck. There have been some nice defensive plays, but they've been overshadowed by turnovers and generally sloppy play. I will say that I like what Grant Clitsome has done at times in the offensive zone. He's not afraid to ask for the puck and try to make something happen, which the Jackets definitely need more of. Still, the defense in general needs to step up big time. I don't know that one guy can fix such a widespread problem, but if anyone can, the guy who makes $5.5 million a year is probably a strong candidate.


Offense

For once, this should be a strength for the Blue Jackets. The addition of Jeff Carter gives them their first number one center ever(yes, ever). I've always liked Carter and think he's a great addition to the team, especially to center a line with Rick Nash. And while the trade was clearly the biggest splash Howson made this summer, I LOVE the Vinny Prospal signing. He's no spring chicken, but the guy puts up points(already has 4 points through four games). The Jackets signed him purely as a replacement for Kristian Huselius while he recovers from injury, but if Prospal stays healthy I think he's an upgrade.

For the first time, the Jackets finally have a line that opponents will have to fear. The Nash-Carter-Prospal combo has been dynamite through four games. Unfortunately, they're the only ones who have been consistently good. Part of the reason for that could be how much shuffling Scott Arniel has done with lines 2-4. And after Cam Atkinson was sent to Springfield today, I'm starting to worry that the head coach is doing too much tweaking. Clearly you can't keep everything the same when you're losing, but it's hard for guys to develop chemistry when they're constantly playing with different players. And personally, I thought Atkinson was one of the better forwards during the first four games. Not only did he score his first NHL goal, but he was creating chances, battling for pucks, and wasn't afraid to take hits to make plays.

From the quotes I read from Arniel, it sounds like he basically sent Atkinson down so he doesn't have to be with the Blue Jackets while they struggle. It kind of makes sense, but I'd rather give him more playing time than than sending him to the AHL. Still, I'm not passing judgement on Arniel...obviously there are several reasons why he's an NHL coach and I never made it past high school hockey.

The main problem I have with the forwards, and the team in general, is their inconsistency(sound familiar?). I've watched about two-and-a-half of the Jackets first four games, and I've seen about two periods of good hockey from them. One was the first of the season against the Predators, but unfortunately Pekka Rinne basically stole that game for Nashville. The other, probably the best one of the season that I've seen, was the first period against Vancouver. Columbus outshot the defending conference champs 11-2 in the first, but were tied 1-1. The Blue Jackets were all over the Canucks in the first, forechecking and creating all kinds of chances. Then, they effectively quit playing. From what I hear the Blue Jackets know they need to work for everything they get...even with a legit first line, they still "don't have enough talent to win on talent alone." But whether they know what's necessary or not, the Blue Jackets definitely haven't shown the work ethic needed for them to become a playoff team.


Let me make it clear: I'm not giving up on this team or this season. I understand that there are 78 games left on the schedule. But the fact is, right now, there's not much to be happy about when it comes to this team. I'm not saying they can't become contenders, and there have been some good things through four games, but they've got plenty of work to do. Again, I'm not even sure what they have. Get Wisniewski on the ice...heck, get Huselius back...and then we'll talk.

A Fond Farewell

One of the great things about sports is the passion it can bring out in people. Not just the participants themselves, but the spectators, especially those who are fans of particular athletes and teams. I'm not here to say that fans care more about the outcome of games than players do(though in some cases I guarantee they do), but it's remarkable to see just how invested fans can be in their teams. They outfit their wardrobes, houses, and even their children in the colors of their favorite teams. Not only do they unconditionally cheer and rejoice with their teams, they hurt with them as well.

Take "The Decision" for example. When LeBron James created an hour-long special to announce that he would not return to Cleveland, Cavs fans everywhere went off the deep-end like none other. They weren't just angry or shocked, but legitimately felt betrayed by LeBron. And they aren't even part of the team he left. Granted, without fans there are no professional sports, but this was in no way a shot at the Cleveland fans. I don't know what went on in Lebron's head, but the consensus seems to be that he left Cleveland so he could win. The Cavs simply didn't make the right moves or build the right team around him to do so, so after seven years he left. I'm in the camp of people who don't fault LeBron at all for leaving Cleveland, given how inept the management is, but I don't agree with how he did it. Nor do I agree with Dan Gilbert's ridiculous letter he wrote in response...sometimes you have to take the high road, sir.

This may seem like an incredibly late reaction to something that happened last July, but I bring it up only as an example of how invested fans can be in sports. I mean, people were burning LeBron jerseys in the streets when this guy announced he was leaving. You have to really care about a team to react that strongly when you think it got screwed over.

I've always loved sports, and while I have teams that I root for, I have more of a connection to some than others. For one, as a graduate of Ohio University, the Bobcats will always hold a special place in my heart. I've said before that college sports teams are quite literally representing their schools and anyone who is a part of that school, so in my opinion you should never root against the school you attended.

The other team that I have a unique attachment to is the Columbus Blue Jackets. I've always loved hockey, but for a long time I didn't have a real connection to an NHL team. Then the Blue Jackets came along. Since it was first announced that the franchise was for real, I've been there. My dad and I attended the unveiling of the team's original jerseys, ordered some before they came to stores, and wore them when we attended the first game of franchise history. I suffered through the growing pains most expansion teams suffer, and then some. And I got to experience the high of finally seeing the Jackets make it to the postseason, even if they were swept out of the first round. In fact, as I've written on this very blog, the fourth game of that series is, thus far, the most incredible live sporting event I've ever experienced.


Just as I've always been a die-hard Blue Jackets fan, I've always had a favorite Blue Jacket - Rostislav Klesla. There are plenty of reasons why I quickly adopted him as my favorite player. He was a defenseman, just like me. His first full-time NHL season also happened to be my first year in high school as one of the only freshmen on our hockey team. He was the franchise's first draft pick ever and, even though he spent most of the team's inaugural season back in juniors, he provided a face for the franchise when it didn't really have one. I've not only been a fan of the Blue Jackets since they were created, but I've been fan of Rusty ever since he was drafted.

One problem with picking a favorite athlete is the amount of turnover that now exists in professional sports. Nowadays it is much less likely to see players stay with one team for most or all of their careers. This was always something that worried me about Klesla, partly because of the injury problems he's had the past few seasons, partly because his name was often one that came up when CBJ trade rumors surfaced. On Monday, this fear finally came to life when Klesla was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes. I'm not here to break down the trade and whether or not it was good for the team(I already did some of that in my latest CSC podcast with Matt Barnes), but just to reflect on time he spent in Columbus(yes, I'm aware that the Dispatch hockey writers did this earlier, but this is for me).

Until this past week, Klesla's entire NHL career was played in a Blue Jackets sweater, and as someone who followed this team since its inception, I had the unique opportunity to watch him grow up as a person and player. He went from being the prospect who was sent back to juniors in his first season to one of the team's most consistent defenders when healthy. Once the youngster trying to adjust to the speed of the NHL game, he became one of the team's leaders sometimes seen with the "A" of an alternate captain.


Never was his development as a player better displayed than the Blue Jackets' aforementioned lone playoff appearance. I maintain that Rusty was the best player for Columbus during that sweep at the hands of the Red Wings. He may have only played 34 games during the regular season, but in the playoffs he did not at all look out of place against the Red Wings, who couldn't be more used to the pressure of the postseason.

I often heard fans complain that he played poorly and didn't do anything on the ice, which always irked me. Not to say that he always played great, that's far from the truth. But because I was always a fan of his, I probably kept my eye on him more than most. Sure, he wasn't flashy, didn't have a Chara-like shot or Rob Blake's hip check, but over the years he turned into a legitimate top-four defenseman, which is why his name continued to come up during trade talks(before you say so, I do realize that I'm biased in my praise of Klesla's play and improvement, considering I just talked about how I've been a fan of his since before he even played an NHL game).

Klesla was the last of the original Blue Jackets to leave the team, and his is by far the departure that hurts me the most. I don't harbor any kind of ill-will towards him or the team, but it still stinks that he's gone. The Blue Jackets are the sports team I feel most connected to, and Rusty has always been the player I've watched the closest and rooted for the hardest. And I'll continue to do so. While it's not like I wish ill upon other former Blue Jackets, he's the first player to leave Columbus who I genuinely want to see succeed in the NHL.

I don't plan on getting rid of the shelf's worth of hockey cards with Klesla's picture, and I'll probably still occasionally wear that original CBJ sweater with his 44 on the back. And when his name makes a box score, as it did his first game as a Coyote, I'll give him an "atta boy" in my mind.

It may be a different set of emotions than Cavs fans feel towards LeBron, but that doesn't mean they aren't as strong. I just wish it didn't take my favorite player leaving my favorite team to bring them out.

Fictional Athlete Hall of Fame: Nominations/Open Forum

When I created this blog I had the vision of not only using it as an opportunity to do some real writing, but especially to create some fun posts that, if someone else published something similar, I would enjoy. My inaugural 08-09 top ten was the first example of both of these ideas (if you didn't read these, check them out in the blog archive...if you're already on my blog, chances are you'll enjoy them).

One topic that has been in my brain since starting the blog was sports fiction, namely movies and TV shows. During college I took an online film class that focused on sports films. While I mostly took it because it counted for part of my specialization hour requirement (love that "sport industry"), it turned out to be pretty interesting. It made me think about films in a different way and introduced me to some sports movies I hadn't seen. Not only that, some of the readings discussed movies I'd never even heard of and I started making an effort to find and watch a lot of them.

It probably sounds like this is going to turn into my own personal list of the greatest sports movies of all time...but if you read the title of this post, you already know that's not true. It's been done before ad nauseam, so making that list doesn't really interest me. Instead, I want to tackle a much more hypothetical topic, one that quite literally has no real answer: who are the best fictional athletes of all-time? I'm sure this too has been done before, but not nearly as much, or in this fashion. Not only will I get to present some of my own opinions, but I want to make this an open forum for anyone reading this (no matter how few of you are out there). After this post is up for a while, I hope to get responses from others containing their opinions and nominations for the FHOF. My plan is to eventually come up with an official ballot and have people vote on their picks and create features for the official inductees.

This isn't going to be based on who the best actor was or even the best movie, though that may end up factoring in to the final vote. It's a purely hypothetical concept of, "based on a 2-hour fictional story, how good would this person have been in real life?" I realize the concept is ridiculous, but I feel like it has the potential to spark some interesting discussions and debates, however pointless they are in the grand scheme of things.

I've come up with a brief list of some initial nominees for the big four sports. I'm guessing in the end one or two athletes from each sport will make the hall, but I'm not willing to put a definitive number on it. I realize there are plenty of movies out there based around other sports, this is just a jumping-off point to get people thinking. I know there are plenty of movies and shows out there that I haven't even seen, so enlighten me if you have some names I might not know.

Please post your own thoughts and contributions to this project, whether you want to make a case for a particular fake player, nominate someone not on this list, or suggest a way to improve this very rough format I'm working on. Feel free to post your comments on the blog, Facebook, Twitter, via e-mail, text, or even by letter mail if you're so inclined. I plan on keeping a record of every thought and contribution I receive so that they can be shared with everyone, just keep in mind this is for fictional athletes only, since a lot of sports movies are based on real teams and people. I want to have as many people contribute to the debate as possible, so don't be shy. Here are my early nominees to get you thinking.


Baseball

Roy Hobbs - The Natural
This guy could do it all. Just imagine if he had a real career...he might indeed have been the best ever, like he wanted. Also, his credentials are kind of in the title.

Nuke Laloosh - Bull Durham
When you think about it, he made it to the big leagues incredibly fast. And not only could he throw heat, but he also has a brain full of Kevin Costner wisdom.

Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez - The Sandlot
We know the Jet made it to the show, and if he could still steal home with that mustache, chances are he had a pretty solid career.

Billy Chapel - For Love of the Game
This guy brought Detroit a World Series and tossed a perfect game...plus he hung out with John C. Reilly all the time.

Willie Mays Hayes - Major League
Hard not to love that speed...and that they couldn't get the same actor to play him twice.

Rick Vaughn - Major League
He's sort of like Brian Wilson, but I personally found him less annoying.

Pedro Cerrano - Major League
Sure he couldn't really hit curve balls, but did you see how much he hit the straight ones?


Football

"Steamin" Willie Beamen - Any Given Sunday
A nightmare for opposing defenses, though I'm not sure I buy Jamie Foxx playing him...or LL Cool J as a running back.

Jack "Cap" Rooney - Any Given Sunday
A more traditional passer than Beamen and over-the-hill in the movie, but you could tell he was one of the best in the league in his prime.

Stefen Djordjevic - All The Right Moves
A pretty legit DB prospect until getting black-balled by Craig T. Nelson...plus if he were real he wouldn't have grown up to become 2010 Tom Cruise.

Jason Street - Friday Night Lights (TV)
Really the only team-based sports show I'm familiar with, and one of my favorite shows ever. Street had it all until the first episode of the series.


Brian "Smash" Williams - Friday Night Lights (TV)
Smash was one of the top recruits in the country until he ran into trouble with the law, then hurt his knee. He did, however, recover from the injury and win a scholarship...we have no way of knowing how far he made it in the fictional world, or how good he could have been in real life (by the way, Coach Taylor would definitely be a nominee for the fictional coach hall of fame).


Hockey

Dean Youngblood - Youngblood
Tons of skill and apparently learned how to play with some edge...plus I'm a huge fan of the coach's daughter he hooked up with in that movie.


Derek Sutton - Youngblood
We learned from the movie he had great numbers and would've been a top draft pick if not for Racki's cheap shot. Hard not to love seeing Swayze as a junior hockey player.

Adam Banks - Mighty Ducks 1-3
By far the best player in these movies. Not even close. The drawback is he's a definite risk because he's injury-prone...and a cake-eater.

Ned Braden - Slap Shot
Again, the most talented player in the movie...then again, he did play in the Federal League.

Connor Banks - Mystery, Alaska
The scene where he's shooting the cans outside the grocery store where he works? Sniper.

Stevie Weeks - Mystery, Alaska
I love the concept of skating the river like Stevie is doing at the beginning of the movie. He was young with a ton of potential and incredible speed, the one thing you can't teach.


Basketball

Jimmy Chitwood - Hoosiers
While Hoosiers is loosely based on a true story, Chitwood isn't a real person so I'm including him. One word: pure.

Jesus Shuttlesworth - He Got Game
Again, it's in the title. I just hope he didn't fall in with a bad crowd at Big State.

Quincy McCall - Love & Basketball
If Q stayed in college longer he probably would have been a legitimate NBA player. Having a dad who wasn't a dirtbag might have helped too.

2010-11 Columbus Blue Jackets Season Preview

Last Sunday I had an unfortunate mishap on the roller hockey rink. With about three minutes left in the third period of a tie game, the chassis on my left skate broke out from the boot of the skate and was quite literally hanging on by a rivot. The problem was, not only was the game hanging in the balance, but the Marmosets(my team) were playing an ironman, meaning we only had enough skaters for one line and all four of us played the entire game. I proceeded to roll around for the rest of the game, including overtime, pushing off with my right foot and "gliding" on my left, as I found picking up my disheveled skate to be counterproductive. We ended up losing the game and I ended up with the sad realization that I need to get a new pair of skates. After getting by for two games on Wednesday using borrowed skates, I took my day off on Thursday to decide on a new pair and get them on their way to Connecticut. While I try to play hockey all year long, my new purchase fell in line with one of my favorite times of the year: the start of a new NHL season.

While I now live on the other side of the country from my favorite sports franchise, I do my best to keep up with the Columbus Blue Jackets and hope to watch a decent amount of games, whether on TV or online. It's strangely fitting that the first time I won't be in Ohio for the start of the season since the Blue Jackets began play is also the first time the team isn't there either. The Blue Jackets face-off with the San Jose Sharks in Stockholm, Sweden in a matter of minutes to start their 10th NHL season. A year ago at this time there was a buzz around a team coming off its first playoff appearance. Unfortunately Columbus had one of the worst 20-game stretches in history and played itself out of the postseason conversation relatively early. This eventually led to the firing of Ken Hitchcock, paving the way for a completely new coaching staff to take the CBJ reigns for the 2010-11 season. While I haven't been able to see much of the Blue Jackets during the preseason, I am never at a loss of thoughts and opinions on this team...unfortunately, it could be a rough year.

The Good

Scott Arniel has taken over as the new Blue Jackets coach and brought with him an up-tempo, aggressive style of play. By hiring Arniel, Scott Howson basically went from one extreme to the other. After the last few years under Hitchcock's defensive-minded coaching style, the Blue Jackets young forwards will essentially be turned loose, which will be a good thing. Derick Brassard, Jakub Voracek and Nikita Filatov need this freedom to use their offensive abilities and get creative...after all, those skills are why they were top-10 draft picks. The transition from Hitchcock to Arniel actually works out perfectly, especially for these young forwards; they spent a couple years listening to Hitchcock preach about defensive responsibility(even Filatov has been praised for improved play in his own end), and now they can combine that defensive responsibility with their natural scoring abilities in Arniel's wide-open system. If these young forwards can, in some combination, create a threatening second line, teams won't be able to focus on simply shutting down Rick Nash, allowing the captain to flex his muscle and become more productive himself.

The Bad

Aside from the new coaching staff, Howson didn't make much noise during the off-season. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but Columbus's main problem remains its defensive corps. Two years ago the Jackets proved they could win with the group they have, but a big part of Arniel's new system is the team's defensemen getting involved in the play and being very mobile all over the ice. Aside from Kris Russell, the Jackets don't have anyone who fits this mold that well. Anton Stralman could develop into a good fit if he improves his play in his own zone, while Fedor Tyutin and Rusty Klesla(when healthy) have shown the ability to play in both zones, but mobility is generally not a strength of the CBJ defense. It will take a lot of work for this group of defensemen to make Arniel's system work. Don't be surprised if John Moore gets called up at some point this season, even if just for a few games, to get some NHL experience. He's a major piece to the CBJ puzzle under Arniel's leadership.

The Unknown

Which Steve Mason will we get this year? He was brilliant as a rookie but rather awful last season. Granted he didn't have a whole lot of help from his defensemen, but Mason has to be better for the Jackets to win. While the team should score more goals this season, there will be plenty of times when Mason has to win a game for Columbus, something he didn't do last year. His play did gradually improve as the season went on, so hopefully he can build on that momentum and have a strong third season. The Blue Jackets need him to.

The Verdict

Do I think this Blue Jackets team could make the playoffs? Yes. Will they? Probably not. The talent is there, especially up front. The last two Stanley Cup Champions have shown how far young talent can take a team, and the Blue Jackets definitely have that. The return of Filatov could be huge. After last year's debacle, people seem to have forgotten how high they were on this guy entering last season. The problem was he didn't get much of an opportunity to display his talent last year, which will not be an issue this year. Arniel is going to give him a chance, which is exactly what he needs. While goals will be up, goals against likely will as well, at least early on. There will be plenty of growing pains defensively under Arniel's system. I did get to catch part of one preseason game, since I randomly get the NHL Network, and while the Jackets seem to be creating more offense, they're also giving up more chances. This run-and-gun style promotes end-to-end action, which can sometimes leave a goalie hung out to dry...and this will definitely happen early on. The keys to this season will be how quickly the CBJ defensemen can pick up Arniel's system and how well Mason plays. If he can return to his rookie season form, the Blue Jackets could be in the playoff hunt. While I'm cautiously optimistic about this team and its new coaching staff, I doubt this will be their year. Things should start to click by the end of the season, but I'd still expect the Jackets to finish around 11th in the Western Conference.

That being said, I couldn't be more excited. Hockey is back, and all is right with the world.

Quick CBJ Thoughts

It's times like this I wish I worked in journalism. What? I do? Oh, then it's times like this I wish I covered the teams I care about. Blue Jackets training camp started over the weekend, meaning the start of the NHL season is less than a month away and that I'm going to be very excited very soon. Unfortunately, I now live farther from home than ever and it's not the best way to follow my favorite sports team. Thankfully Al Gore invented the internet so I'm able to stay somewhat connected to the Blue Jackets, mostly by following CBJ beat writers on Twitter and checking this site often. From what I've read, a few very interesting stories are already developing after the first few days that have started to put me in the hockey mood.

Kris Russell sprains his knee

This may sound extreme, but Russell getting hurt is one of the worst things that could happen to the Blue Jackets. One of the biggest changes new coach Scott Arniel is said to be bringing to the team is the philosophy that defensemen should be very active in joining the play, and Russell is easily the team's rearguard most suited for this. It's not even close. GM Scott Howson says he will probably be out 2-4 weeks, so it could be much worse and they definitely shouldn't rush him back into the lineup, but it's still a big blow to a defensive corps that is already not very offensive-minded. What the heck happened to not playing the owner's cup at the beginning of camp because so many guys got hurt early last season? If you want a positive twist to this, it could improve John Moore's chances to make the big club out of camp. I haven't seen him play so I don't know if he's NHL-ready yet, but he was drafted specifically to be the offensive defenseman this team needs.

Testing a young gun line

Word on Portzline's Twitter feed is that Arniel has been playing Jakub Voracek, Derick Brassard and Nikita Filatov together early in camp. While the new coach will obviously do a lot of experimenting with different line combinations, I love the potential here. Three first-round draft picks with great skill sets playing together could be just what an offensively-challenged team needs. All three of these guys have great hands and vision, and Filatov has shown flashes of goal-scoring touch in his limited NHL playing time. I'm not going to defend him leaving the team last season, but I have no problem giving him a second chance...it seems to me what he needs is an opportunity. Nobody can make much of an impact when they're only playing 6-8 minutes each game, like Filatov was last season. With a regular top-6 shift I think he could definitely score 60 points this season as a rookie...especially playing with Voracek and Brassard. While Brassard needs a big bounce-back year after being pretty awful last season, Voracek has quietly become an effective and pretty consistent scorer. If these guys develop some chemistry and are able to produce once the season starts, not only will their own stats receive a big boost, but things will start to open up for Rick Nash on the top line.

Souray trade rumors

Haven't heard a whole lot about this, but I read the other day the Blue Jackets might be the leading team in the running to trade for Edmonton defenseman Sheldon Souray. He is known to have one of the hardest shots in the league and is great on the powerplay, which is just what the Jackets are looking for on the blue line, so I definitely liked when I heard about a potential trade. Then, I heard Mike Commodore would likely be the player dealt for Souray and I was ecstatic. I made it no secret that I was incredibly frustrated with Commodore all of last season. He claimed his off-season conditioning program screwed him up, which could be true. But you can only use that for so long. At some point, you're a professional athlete and conditioning should not be an issue...especially not for a whole season. I'm not trying to attack the guy(haven't met him but I've heard he's a pretty cool dude), but he's definitely the first player I would want to be traded for Souray. Is Souray's more than he's worth? Yep. Is Commodore's more than he's worth? Sure is. For a cap hit that, in the grand scheme of things, isn't that great, I think this would be a great move. Souray is the offensive defenseman the team needs, and I'm not sure how well Commodore fits into Arniel's system...he's not exactly fleet-footed. I obviously don't know any details about a possible deal, and reporters say no deal is on the table, but this is a rumor I'm very interested in and hope has some truth to it.

Turns out my thoughts ran a little longer than I thought, and we're not even a week into training camp....I really like hockey.

You wanna see what my life is???

A classic Ricky Bobby quote, to be sure. But beyond its contextual hilarity, this quote immediately came to mind when I decided to write this blog entry. I'm hoping to start writing more often, but I've said that before so we shall see. Now, on with it.

I've been wanting to write this for a while, and a few days ago I experienced the last straw in putting it off. I took a trip to a nearby mall with an Apple store to get a new iPod. My old model broke sometime in the April-May area of this year and I found out that Apple gives you a 10% discount on a new one if you recycle any old model, so that's what I did. When I took my old 20-gig iPod photo from my pocket to give to the cashier, his immediate reaction was, "Oh, nice!" We had a brief conversation about how he likes seeing when people see the older models of products that people still use, since new versions seem to come out so often. I had a good run with my old iPod. I got it in the summer of 2005, just before I started college, and it lasted me all four years I was in Athens and nearly another year. After mentioning how the old pod had lasted me through college, I got a little sentimental(don't worry, I was able to hold back the tears), because it was a unique metaphor for where I am in my life.

During my time at Ohio University a lot changed in my life, as it does for everyone in their late teens/early 20s, and I went through a very wide range of experiences and learned a lot about the world, the people in it, and myself. I worked on a show that won a regional Emmy, had a relationship with someone that lasted nearly two years(by far the most serious one of my life), confirmed that I had chosen the right field I wanted to work in, and made some of the best friends I have ever and will ever have. Through all the highs and lows, all the stressful and fun times, one thing I always had was that iPod. Sure, there were probably some other constants during my college career, but in four years I probably used it more often then anything. I had it while walking to classes and uptown, in the WOUB newsroom while getting ready for a show, when I went for runs along the Hocking, and hooked up to the speakers at 124 East Union.

Even though now I'm more than a year removed from college life, thinking about how much that iPod and I went through in Athens reminded me of how much I miss it. While I hated going to class with a passion, it was still one of the best times of my life and Athens will always have a special place in my heart, as anyone who went there can understand. The year following graduation was a very strange one. I essentially spent the year failing at getting a job. I probably sent resumes and demo reels to 50+ job openings and had a total of 4 interviews. Part of that may have been due to the state of the economy and the fact that people who had been out of college for a year or two were applying for the same jobs I was. At the same time, though, a lot of my classmates got jobs in the broadcast industry, so I'm not sure what the specific reason or reasons for my lack of success was/were...don't think I ever will.

Lucky for me, I have parents who were willing to help me out and put me up while I looked for real work. Meanwhile I started working at the ice rink where I learned to skate and spent 3+ days a week throughout high school. It didn't pay much and isn't what I wanted to do for an extended period of time, but it was the perfect part-time job for me while I tried to start my career. Sure it was less than awesome when people I knew from high school came in and saw me working there, but it wasn't that big of a deal. And, even when I went through some cases of "this is what I'm doing as a college graduate?", the people I worked with helped me through it. They were easily the best part of the job and I'm incredibly grateful that I got to meet and work with them.

After spending a year in career limbo I finally got a real job and moved on to the next stage of life. As most of the people reading this know, I started working for ESPN this past June as a production assistant. It has already been a great experience for me and I'm learning a lot about the industry and how things work here, and the people are work with are amazing. If you're reading this you probably also know that it can take a while for me to open up to people and build strong relationships. Not that I'm a loner...I feel like I'm pretty nice and easy to get along with, but it's just who I am. Thankfully everyone here in Bristol has been incredibly welcoming and nice to me.

Not only has my life taken some huge turns in the last few months, but the same can be said for the people I love. Two days before I started my job, my sister got married. I can say, without a doubt, that that day was the happiest I had ever been for anyone. Ever. I don't know her husband all that well but I hope to change that as time goes on, even though they live in St. Louis and I'm now in Connecticut...we didn't coordinate our moving directions too well. These moves also caused a huge change for my parents. After almost a year of having both their kids living at home, in a matter of 3 days both of us were gone. I know they're glad we're out and making our own lives(just like I'm glad to no longer be living with my parents at age 23), but it's a heck of a change in a very short amount of time. I know it's a little hard on them, as it is on me.

I knew living on my own in a new place would be difficult, but there are some aspects of it that are much harder than I expected. Again, I'm definitely glad to be out on my own, not living at home, and making more that $7.50 an hour, but Ohio is all I've ever known, and I basically left everyone important to me behind when I moved to Connecticut. Obviously I love my parents and knew it would be difficult to be this far away from them, but it seems like I underestimated what it would be like to move away from my friends. It's not that I didn't think it would be difficult; like I said, I know how amazing my friends are and that I would miss them. Plus, as I was preparing to leave, a couple of my best friends were on their way to Columbus, joining the rest of the crew that was already there. It really hit home how much I miss them when activities started happening back in Ohio and I wasn't there. I spent the last year being around and available for a lot of amazing times, and now I'm not around for them. I'm glad to finally have a job in the field I want to be in, but part of me definitely misses being in Ohio. It's just another representation of the change occurring in my life. Like the iPod.

Despite how much has changed for me, I'm not at all convinced that things will settle down any time soon. For one, my job is currently a seven-month gig. Once that time is up, they evaluate the work I've done and whether or not they want to hire me full-time. While I'm confident that I'm a smart guy who knows what he's doing and works hard, there are no guarantees. I could be gone after seven months or stay for years to come. At this point, I'm willing to say anything could happen.

For all that has changed, I'm determined to not let the friendships I've made deteriorate. Sure I'm living 10+ hours away from most of them, but despite that distance my friends are still one of the best things in my life. A random text, e-mail or phone call from Ohio can sometimes be the best part of my day, and that's just fine. I'm not saying I won't make new friends here or wherever life takes me, but I never ever will lose the friends I already have.

Basically, I don't know what the future holds for me, and that might be for the best. There have been times when I get caught up in a "What am I going to do for the rest of my life" mindset, but when it comes down to it I'm 23. I'm not saying I don't have goals, career and otherwise, because I absolutely do. But goals change. Opportunities can materialize from strange places. You can meet someone you want to spend your life with when and where you least expect it(or so I'm told). That's why we play the games.

So while I've moved on to a new media player, I'll always look back on that old brick iPod fondly, as silly as it may sound. We went through a lot together.

Such is life.

Stanley Cup Playoffs: 1st Round Recap/2nd Round Preview

I've said it before and I'll say it again: the Stanley Cup Playoffs are the best sporting event of the year. Most people wouldn't agree with me, which is fine seeing as how I'm biased, being a hockey fan first and foremost. Still, it's hard to argue against the passion, intensity and beards of playoff hockey. The Olympic tournament is always fun to watch, and this year's was a great one for the game in North America, but the NHL playoffs are on a whole other level

With that being said, here are my thoughts from the first round of this season's postseason and a look ahead to the second round (yes, I'm aware the first game of the second round has already started).

1st Round Recap

Best Series: Vancouver - Los Angeles

I'm glad this is the series I probably ended up seeing the most of. The Kings are an extremely young team and hadn't been to the playoffs in ages. Vancouver boasts one of the game's best goalies in Roberto Luongo and the regular season scoring champ, Henrik Sedin, but the Kings didn't look out of place. Their young forwards and defensemen kept up with the Canucks, producing some of the most exciting end-to-end action I've seen in some time. Even though the Kings got shelled in game 5 and lost the series in 6, most of the series was fun to watch and hopefully a preview of more series to come.
Runner-up: San Jose - Colorado

Biggest Disappointment: Washington's 7-game exit

The Capitals cruised through the regular season, winning 54 games and scoring 313 goals, 45 more than the next closest team. Then came the playoffs. Montreal barely snuck in to the playoffs and proceeded to take down the mighty Caps in seven games. After winning just one series over the past three seasons, it seems to me that Washington might be the new San Jose: great in the regular season, can't get it done in the playoffs. I've said before that it doesn't seem like Bruce Boudreau actually coaches his team, and now I'm almost sure of it. They don't seem to run any sort of system, they just rely on their incredible talent and wing it. This works in the regular season, especially in a condensed regular season like this year's. In a seven-game series, though, teams have the time to prepare for their opponents, and Montreal simply out-prepared the Washington. The Canadiens' defense played good, positional hockey, blocked shooting lanes, and got great goaltending from Jaroslav Halak. If the Capitals ever want to succeed in the playoffs, "winging it" won't cut it.
Runner-up: Martin Brodeur and the Devils

Biggest Surprise: Phoenix pushing Detroit to the limit

The Coyotes made their first trip to the postseason since 2002, before they even played in their current arena. While they finished fourth in the Western Conference and had home-ice advantage over Detroit, nobody gave the Coyotes much of a chance. Still, the Coyotes fought until the very end, even though they played without captain Shane Doan for most of the series. Phoenix doesn't have a big-name superstar, but the team's strong defense and goaltending almost got it into the second round.
Runner-up: Bruins eliminate Ryan Miller and the Sabres

2nd Round Preview

Western Conference

(1) San Jose vs. (5) Detroit

With Washington assuming the Sharks' old role of early choke artists, this could finally be San Jose's year. They had their hands full with Colorado in the first round, but some players finally stepped up and closed out a series. While Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau still haven't proven themselves as clutch performers, they have more support than ever before, namely in the form of Joe Pavelski. He played a big part in getting Team USA to the Olympic gold medal game, and came through in the clutch more than once against the Avalanche. Pavelski's performance, along with a gritty and skilled defensive corps and the always strong Evgeni Nabokov, the Sharks could be tough to beat.
Where Detroit has an advantage is in experience and coaching. Mike Babcock and almost all of his players know how to win in the playoffs, but they haven't been as intimidating as past postseasons. Jimmy Howard will need to stay strong in net for the Red Wings to have a shot against the Sharks.
My Prediction: Sharks in 7

(2) Chicago vs. (3) Vancouver

This should be fun. I love this Blackhawks team, except for their goaltending. Though Anti Niemi played well against Nashville in the first round, the Sedin twins are several steps ahead of the Predators' "offense." While Chicago took care of Nashville in six games, the Blackhawks didn't look particularly good for much of the series. They'll need to bear down and play a tougher all-around game to get past Luongo and back to the conference finals. If the Canucks hope to advance, they'll have to play with a lot more discipline, particularly defensively. None of their blue-liners looked very good in round one, and powerplays alone almost won the series for Los Angeles. Vancouver needs to play a much tighter game to take down the high-powered Blackhawk offense.
My Prediction: Blackhawks in 7

Eastern Conference

(4) Pittsburgh vs. (8) Montreal

While nothing is guaranteed at this point of the year, the Penguins have a fairly easy road left to reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the third straight year. This is nothing against Montreal, but the Canadiens just don't have the horses to match the Penguins. Montreal's defense was phenominal in shutting down Alexander Ovechkin and the Capitals, but the Penguins play a better team game than the Caps, so shutting down one player won't do anything for the Canadiens. Halak will have to play even better than he did in the first round to give his team a chance. While he should play well, it won't be enough.
My Prediction: Penguins in 5

(6) Boston vs. (7) Philadelphia

These teams are both confusing to me. I maintain that the Flyers have one of the best rosters in the NHL, but it took a win on the last day of the season to get them into the playoffs. The Bruins traded their best scorer early in the season and have last season's Vezina winner as their backup goalie. Still, it's hard to argue what both these teams did in the first round of the playoffs. Philadelphia won its series faster than any other team in the conference quarterfinals, while Boston eliminated one of the frontrunners for this year's Vezina Trophy, Ryan Miller. Marc Savard will return for the second round, which will give the Bruins a big boost offensively, regardless of how many minutes he plays. Both Tuukka Rask and Brian Boucher played great in net in the first round, but I don't know that either will be able to play at the same click in the second round. I give Rask the advantage over Boucher, but the Flyers the edge offensively and defensively. Even though it looks like Jeff Carter's season is over, Philadelphia's depth should win-out in this series.
My Prediction: Flyers in 6