Ohio Jones
Game on...
CD - Columbus
The 2008 Entry Draft is approaching, and everywhere teams are shaking the rust off their trade buttons, looking for that one deal that will help them succeed, either next season or in the future.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are no strangers to the off-season trade (one memorable summer trade sent veteran Mike Modano to Washington for Chris Kelly and Peter Budaj), and look to be exploring their options again this year.
With three NHL goaltenders under contract, the possibility of one of Martin Gerber, Peter Budaj or Mike Smith wearing another jersey come October is good. Coming off a strong statistical season in the NHL, Gerber has two years left at $4.8 million, while RFAs Smith and Budaj each signed one-year extensions (Smith at $1.045M, Budaj at $800K).
Puck-moving blueliner Tom Poti can likely be had, as his $5.1M salary commitment may be too much for the Jackets to swallow. He's a key part of the surging young Capitals franchise, quarterbacking the powerplay for the likes of Niklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin and of course Alexander Ovechkin. Poti will likely be a strong performer in coming years for an HFNHL team that can handle his salary.
Teams looking for a tough presence on the blueline might also be inquiing about veteran Aaron Ward. Ward's solid defensive presence and Stanley Cup-winning experience would be valuable for the #4 slot. Ward has one year left at $1.875M.
Up front, swing man Andrew Brunette (L/RW) has two years left at $3.5M, and after consecutive strong offensive seasons, will be a good fit as complentary player on a scoring line. He's pencilled in as the Jackets' #1 LW for 2008-09, but could be had for the right offer.
Gritty checkers Aaron Asham and Mark Bell are also available. Asham has one season left at $1.15M, while Bell is an RFA who earned $990K last season.
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The Jackets are looking to upgrade their blueline corps and add a checking center. They aren't in a position to add much in terms of salary commitments - not only are they close to the expected cap already with the extensions signed by players like Olli Jokinen, Henrik Sedin and Pavel Kubina, but they're also in serious financial difficulty after consecutive under-performing seasons took a bite out of their revenues.
Looks like GM Emerson will have his hands full stickhandling out of this mess.
Milo Minderbinder
Columbus Discoverer
The 2008 Entry Draft is approaching, and everywhere teams are shaking the rust off their trade buttons, looking for that one deal that will help them succeed, either next season or in the future.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are no strangers to the off-season trade (one memorable summer trade sent veteran Mike Modano to Washington for Chris Kelly and Peter Budaj), and look to be exploring their options again this year.
With three NHL goaltenders under contract, the possibility of one of Martin Gerber, Peter Budaj or Mike Smith wearing another jersey come October is good. Coming off a strong statistical season in the NHL, Gerber has two years left at $4.8 million, while RFAs Smith and Budaj each signed one-year extensions (Smith at $1.045M, Budaj at $800K).
Puck-moving blueliner Tom Poti can likely be had, as his $5.1M salary commitment may be too much for the Jackets to swallow. He's a key part of the surging young Capitals franchise, quarterbacking the powerplay for the likes of Niklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin and of course Alexander Ovechkin. Poti will likely be a strong performer in coming years for an HFNHL team that can handle his salary.
Teams looking for a tough presence on the blueline might also be inquiing about veteran Aaron Ward. Ward's solid defensive presence and Stanley Cup-winning experience would be valuable for the #4 slot. Ward has one year left at $1.875M.
Up front, swing man Andrew Brunette (L/RW) has two years left at $3.5M, and after consecutive strong offensive seasons, will be a good fit as complentary player on a scoring line. He's pencilled in as the Jackets' #1 LW for 2008-09, but could be had for the right offer.
Gritty checkers Aaron Asham and Mark Bell are also available. Asham has one season left at $1.15M, while Bell is an RFA who earned $990K last season.
---
The Jackets are looking to upgrade their blueline corps and add a checking center. They aren't in a position to add much in terms of salary commitments - not only are they close to the expected cap already with the extensions signed by players like Olli Jokinen, Henrik Sedin and Pavel Kubina, but they're also in serious financial difficulty after consecutive under-performing seasons took a bite out of their revenues.
Looks like GM Emerson will have his hands full stickhandling out of this mess.
Milo Minderbinder
Columbus Discoverer
