Line Combos: Roster Discussion/Line Combos

[CBJWerenski8]

Item No. 2: Contracts on hold​

Blue Jackets president Mike Priest and president of hockey operations John Davidson have whittled through the list of GM candidates and begun to focus on the group that intrigues them enough to schedule interviews. Those will start soon after the regular season ends on Tuesday.

“We’re going to find out who’s available and who’s not, and then get going,” Davidson told The Athletic. “The sooner the better, but there’s no rush.”

The process could take a while, especially if a candidate the Blue Jackets want to interview is employed by an NHL club that plays deep into the playoffs.

The last time the Blue Jackets held an offseason GM search — that was in 2007, after the firing of inaugural GM Doug MacLean — it took until mid-June before they hired Scott Howson. (The Jackets were turned down by Bob Murray and Colin Campbell before they arrived at Howson.)

There are major decisions on hold pending the new hire, including a bevy of contract negotiations. Blue Jackets forwards Yegor Chinakhov, Kent Johnson, Kirill Marchenko, Alex Nylander, Cole Sillinger and Alexandre Texier are all restricted free agents, as are defensemen Jake Bean, Nick Blankenburg and Jake Christiansen and goaltender Jet Greaves.

“We’ve had discussions with them and their agents, for sure, to get things in place,” Davidson said. “The agents have been told that we’re in a situation where we’re not going to move on anything until a GM is in place. They all understand that.”

The RFAs would all be free to negotiate with other NHL clubs if they aren’t signed by July 1, but the Blue Jackets would have the right to match any offer a player receives. If any player signs an offer sheet with another club — those are exceedingly rare, by the way — the Blue Jackets would have the right to match the offer.

Where it could get sticky is that several of those players are eligible for arbitration, which can be a long, tedious process. The Blue Jackets have come close through the years, but they’ve never gone through arbitration with a player.

Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering: Awaiting the reward after another tough season in Columbus

The Blue Jackets once again will be watching closely when the league holds its draft lottery next month.

theathletic.com

 

[majormajor]

Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering: Awaiting the reward after another tough season in Columbus

The Blue Jackets once again will be watching closely when the league holds its draft lottery next month.

theathletic.com

Luckily we don't have any huge decisions to make with any of the RFAs. None of them have played consistently well enough to get a huge contract.

The new GM will have more interesting choices to make with Elvis, maybe Laine, maybe Provorov.

 

[Aaaarrgghh]

Luckily we don't have any huge decisions to make with any of the RFAs. None of them have played consistently well enough to get a huge contract.

The new GM will have more interesting choices to make with Elvis, maybe Laine, maybe Provorov.

Agreed, this feels like a transitional off-season more than a formative one. Marchenko is probably the only one who might get a long-term deal. Maybe five years or something like that. Chinakhov and Johnson will probably take two-year deals.

I fullt expect a buyout of Elvis at this stage. Provorov I don't see them moving unless they get a very good offer. He should have maximum value at the trade deadline*. With regards to Laine, I don't think the GM realistically has any other option than give him the chance to get back on track next year.

All in all, I don't expect much to happen in the off-season, to be honest.

*EDIT: Though the Blue Jackets do have the option of weaponising their cap space for next year. Anyone or all of Provorov, Kuraly and Danforth could theoretically be moved with 50 % retention.

 

[majormajor]

With regards to Laine, I don't think the GM realistically has any other option than give him the chance to get back on track next year.

If that's what Laine wants to do, then sure. We really have no idea.

*EDIT: Though the Blue Jackets do have the option of weaponising their cap space for next year. Anyone or all of Provorov, Kuraly and Danforth could theoretically be moved with 50 % retention.

I think any of them could be moved without retention as well. Cap is going to jump upward and those are useful players.

I'm not entertaining the thought of moving Kuraly and Danforth though. Two of our very few veteran leaders, and two of our very few guys who know how to forecheck.

With Provorov I question whether he can be a stable solid vet for us, if he has good leadership qualities. We also could better use a veteran LD with real shutdown qualities. That's why I'd be interested in signing Brenden Dillon and trading Provorov for a pick.

 

[Aaaarrgghh]

With Provorov I question whether he can be a stable solid vet for us, if he has good leadership qualities. We also could better use a veteran LD with real shutdown qualities. That's why I'd be interested in signing Brenden Dillon and trading Provorov for a pick.

Totally agree. The Blue Jackets need their veterans to be leaders. Provorov is not that, honestly. His qualities do not suit Columbus at present. The only reason to keep him is to sell him at maximum value at the deadline. Dillon is someone that I want Columbus to sign as well. If they could move Provorov at 50 % retained for a 1st + complementary pick to a team like Tampa, New Jersey or Edmonton and then sign Dillon as a UFA on a two year deal with a little bit higher salary than he'd get elsewhere, I'd be very happy.

I'm not entertaining the thought of moving Kuraly and Danforth though. Two of our very few veteran leaders, and two of our very few guys who know how to forecheck.

EDIT: I guess it depends on how impressed the GM is with their on-ice perfomance and leadership qualities.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering: Awaiting the reward after another tough season in Columbus

The Blue Jackets once again will be watching closely when the league holds its draft lottery next month.

theathletic.com

“We’re going to find out who’s available and who’s not, and then get going,” Davidson told The Athletic. “The sooner the better, but there’s no rush.”

Do I take from this that they really haven't got any idea about who might be available? If this is correct, then the inference is that they are focusing on current NHL GMs-and even then they ought to have some idea of who might be for the taking. Every asst NHL GM or candidate from outside the NHL would almost certainly be "available". If JD were as connected as we're led to believe then he probably could obtain permission to have an initial conversation with an asst NHL GM. I suppose it's possible that he has, but then it's possible that I may wake up one day and really commit myself to that physical training regimen I've been considering for years.

"......and then get going."

What the hell have they been doing for the last 2 months? If I thought that JD was just being coy, then I wouldn't have posted this. I really don't think that he is.

Every time JD opens his mouth, my disdain for him grows. A competent organization would have no part of this incompetent. Fire him and pay him off. Now.

 

[EspenK]

“We’re going to find out who’s available and who’s not, and then get going,” Davidson told The Athletic. “The sooner the better, but there’s no rush.”



"......and then get going."

Really? The draft is coming as is free agency and contracts to be negotiated. Not to mention a roster evaluation, a coaching staff evaluation and who might be available in the trade market.

Hopefully he isn't as nonchalant about this as he appears to be. But I doubt it.

 

[Xoggz22]

Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering: Awaiting the reward after another tough season in Columbus

The Blue Jackets once again will be watching closely when the league holds its draft lottery next month.

theathletic.com

Now wait a minute. I thought we weren't doing anything about a GM? I mean weren't we convince they hadn't done a thing and were waiting as they surely woudl have candidates from teams going to the playoffs? This is all lies

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Hopefully he isn't as nonchalant about this as he appears to be. But I doubt it.

https://dfjc3etzov2zz.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Mad-Magazine-Alfred-Neuman-what-me-worry.gif

 

[Viqsi]

“We’re going to find out who’s available and who’s not, and then get going,” Davidson told The Athletic. “The sooner the better, but there’s no rush.”

Do I take from this that they really haven't got any idea about who might be available? If this is correct, then the inference is that they are focusing on current NHL GMs-and even then they ought to have some idea of who might be for the taking. Every asst NHL GM or candidate from outside the NHL would almost certainly be "available". If JD were as connected as we're led to believe then he probably could obtain permission to have an initial conversation with an asst NHL GM. I suppose it's possible that he has, but then it's possible that I may wake up one day and really commit myself to that physical training regimen I've been considering for years.

"......and then get going."

What the hell have they been doing for the last 2 months? If I thought that JD was just being coy, then I wouldn't have posted this. I really don't think that he is.

Every time JD opens his mouth, my disdain for him grows. A competent organization would have no part of this incompetent. Fire him and pay him off. Now.

Dude. You've raised confirmation bias to an art form with this one. You're starting from a premise that absolutely everything he does is bad and/or incompetent, using that to read evil and horrible double-meanings in content-free noise of the sort everybody gives media folks, and summing up by concluding that because it looks bad if you assume it's bad, therefore he's not only bad but even worse. It's like insisting a GM has poor judgement based on Eklund rumors about them. There's literally nothing there and you've turned it into a further condemnation of a guy you already can't stand.

It doesn't take a full physical training regimen to go out and touch grass every once in a while.

 

[koteka]

What was the last good hiring decision in Columbus? Torts in 2015? The coaching hires since then have been pretty bad and have not seemed well thought out. We have mostly gone for cheap and convenient. While you could make the case that Lars or Vincent were decent assistant coach hires, we also have the Lefebre hiring disaster. It is hard to have much confidence that due diligence is being done given recent history.

 

[CBJx614]

“We’re going to find out who’s available and who’s not, and then get going,” Davidson told The Athletic. “The sooner the better, but there’s no rush.”

Do I take from this that they really haven't got any idea about who might be available? If this is correct, then the inference is that they are focusing on current NHL GMs-and even then they ought to have some idea of who might be for the taking. Every asst NHL GM or candidate from outside the NHL would almost certainly be "available". If JD were as connected as we're led to believe then he probably could obtain permission to have an initial conversation with an asst NHL GM. I suppose it's possible that he has, but then it's possible that I may wake up one day and really commit myself to that physical training regimen I've been considering for years.

"......and then get going."

What the hell have they been doing for the last 2 months? If I thought that JD was just being coy, then I wouldn't have posted this. I really don't think that he is.

Every time JD opens his mouth, my disdain for him grows. A competent organization would have no part of this incompetent. Fire him and pay him off. Now.

If it's anything similar to the NFL, they can't even talk to other possible candidates until the seasons over. I'm sure theyve had discussions with candidates who aren't currently unemployed, but it's pretty obvious the full search won't/can't begin until they can start talking to people. Some of which won't be able to have conversations with until May/June.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

It doesn't take a full physical training regimen to go out and touch grass every once in a while.

This is only the latest use of this particular language so I apologize if I appear to be singling it out - but can we stop using it? "Touch grass" is essentially the modern-day "get a life" and it's a crap way to dismiss an opinion with which you're not in alignment. It probably ought to be added to the list of fallacies - although it probably falls under ad hominem.

I mean, the rest of the rebuttal stands on its own without this anyway.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

 

[CBJWerenski8]

 

[Cyclones Rock]

nm

 

[cbjthrowaway]

random thought here but one guy on my offseason wishlist is nick bjugstad. has one more year left at $2.1m. checks a ton of boxes.

i remember really liking him when he first broke out with florida years ago. he just wrapped up his best season in terms of production since 17-18 (22-23–45 in 76gp this year) while being +11 on a pretty putrid team.

6'6, plays a good two-way game, average on face-offs, center/wing flexibility, nearly 700 NHL games under his belt… could be a nice complimentary player here. i'd view him as more of a bridge player for the next few years, but could get flipped at the deadline to recoup cost.

 

[Aaaarrgghh]

random thought here but one guy on my offseason wishlist is nick bjugstad. has one more year left at $2.1m. checks a ton of boxes.

i remember really liking him when he first broke out with florida years ago. he just wrapped up his best season in terms of production since 17-18 (22-23–45 in 76gp this year) while being +11 on a pretty putrid team.

6'6, plays a good two-way game, average on face-offs, center/wing flexibility, nearly 700 NHL games under his belt… could be a nice complimentary player here. i'd view him as more of a bridge player for the next few years, but could get flipped at the deadline to recoup cost.

What would you trade for him?

 

[Cyclones Rock]

random thought here but one guy on my offseason wishlist is nick bjugstad. has one more year left at $2.1m. checks a ton of boxes.

i remember really liking him when he first broke out with florida years ago. he just wrapped up his best season in terms of production since 17-18 (22-23–45 in 76gp this year) while being +11 on a pretty putrid team.

6'6, plays a good two-way game, average on face-offs, center/wing flexibility, nearly 700 NHL games under his belt… could be a nice complimentary player here. i'd view him as more of a bridge player for the next few years, but could get flipped at the deadline to recoup cost.

Didn't do much for Edmonton last season in the playoffs nor down the stretch in the reg season after he was acquired.

The CBJ have plenty of middling players. Bjugstad would just be another bottom 6er.

 

[cbjthrowaway]

What would you trade for him?

boqvist + a pick or prospect.

The CBJ have plenty of middling players. Bjugstad would just be another bottom 6er.

bjugstad outproduced kirill marchenko this season btw

on top of that production, he:

1. is an experienced player
2. has size (6-foot-6!)
3. is tough/gritty
4. can play center or wing
5. is defensively responsible
6. doesn't need the puck to be effective

on a board where "we need more guys like boone jenner" is a common refrain, he's about as close as you'll get to meeting that criteria.

he could play a variety of roles here, too:

1. power wing to compliment/do the dirty work for gaudreau + fantilli
2. big, responsible second line center with johnson and laine
3. key piece on a big/strong third line (i.e. voronkov-sillinger-bjugstad) + swiss-army knife on special teams (PP + PK)

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

If we're doing wish lists, I'd love for us to figure a way to trade for either Lehkonen or Nichushkin from Colorado.

I have no idea how realistic it might be, or if there's even a reason the Avs might consider such a thing. It would depend, I suppose at least partly, on how they fare in the postseason. I also don't really know if we have anything that would move the needle for them.

But either fits my ideal player profile - age, contract, ability, the kind of player who could help knit some of our pieces together.

I know we have too many forwards. But my ideal offseason includes shedding a guy or two as well.

 

[Aaaarrgghh]

If we're doing wish lists, I'd love for us to figure a way to trade for either Lehkonen or Nichushkin from Colorado.

I have no idea how realistic it might be, or if there's even a reason the Avs might consider such a thing. It would depend, I suppose at least partly, on how they fare in the postseason. I also don't really know if we have anything that would move the needle for them.

But either fits my ideal player profile - age, contract, ability, the kind of player who could help knit some of our pieces together.

I know we have too many forwards. But my ideal offseason includes shedding a guy or two as well.

Regarding the too many forwards parts, the main challenge for the new GM in the years to come is going to be smartly using the many good young players and prospects on this team to acquire some really fantastic players, i.e. turning quantity into quality.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Regarding the too many forwards parts, the main challenge for the new GM in the years to come is going to be smartly using the many good young players and prospects on this team to acquire some really fantastic players, i.e. turning quantity into quality.

Exactly. That's exactly what I meant by my last sentence. I can see howe "shedding" could be taken to mean just removing but I meant strategically.

 

[squashmaple]

While we're talking about which very tall players are on our wishlists, I want Brenden Dillon. Allows them to keep Mateychuk in Cleveland until Provorov is moved, and he's huge. And actually a capable defender.

 

[Aaaarrgghh]

While we're talking about which very tall players are on our wishlists, I want Brenden Dillon. Allows them to keep Mateychuk in Cleveland until Provorov is moved, and he's huge. And actually a capable defender.

One reason why I actually want Vincent to stay another season is that he has a whole year of feedback to give to the new GM about what he thinks he lacks on the roster. He should then get another season to prove that he can do better with the suggested improvements. One thing he has mentioned several times is how light the Blue Jackets are. Dillon would certainly help with that and probably with the PK.

While I actually am one of those overly optimistic types who believe that Mateychuk is ready for the NHL next year, I would still be pro acquiring Dillon. My ideal off-season would probably include something like trade Provorov to LA for their 1st rounder, use it to draft Surin and then sign Dillon as a UFA on a two-year deal. They have the cap space to offer him more money than most teams.