CBJ Training Camp Thread

[Doggy]

Sorry guys, starting this thread because AP posted his first post-summer article and needed a place to discuss it. Highlights include:

• it’s difficult to remember a recent Columbus Blue Jackets camp that has promised such a mixture of optimism and uncertainty as the one that starts in less than two weeks
• There are at least 17 forwards and 10 defensemen who will open training camp with what they feel is a reasonable expectation to earn a spot
• Kekalainen, who has been trying to swing a multi-player trade (or two) all offseason
• The preseason games begin with two split-quad games versus Pittsburgh on Sept. 24
• Roslovic third highest paid forward on roster...just wow!
• He goes on to list his "roster locks" obviously not accounting for potential trades between now and start of season.

Click to read more...

 

[ThirdPeriodTurtle]

To be honest, last season's start was pretty exciting too - arguably CBJ's biggest UFA signing in history, an unknown in Marchenko, a-year-older Johnson...

But very excited for this season either way, just trying to rein in the expectations a bit considering what happened last year...

 

[CBJx614]

To be honest, last season's start was pretty exciting too - arguably CBJ's biggest UFA signing in history, an unknown in Marchenko, a-year-older Johnson...

But very excited for this season either way, just trying to rein in the expectations a bit considering what happened last year...

Yeah I was gonna say, didnt we have record season ticket sales last season?

But this off-season definitely feels different. There's such a wide variety of pessimism and optimism between fans

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Yeah I was gonna say, didnt we have record season ticket sales last season?

But this off-season definitely feels different. There's such a wide variety of pessimism and optimism between fans

I think regardless of what a fan feels about the upcoming season, we're all ready for something to start that hopefully starts to wash away some of the stink of last year.

 

[Doggy]

I think regardless of what a fan feels about the upcoming season, we're all ready for something to start that hopefully starts to wash away some of the stink of last year.

I am sure the players are as well...especially Johnny Gaudreau who didn't sign up for that stink.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Just a personal request for tomorrows press conference:

Please put quotes/tweets in the appropriate threads. If Jarmo/JD answers Babcock related questions and you want to post the quotes, put it in the Babcock resigning thread. If Vincent talks about the job and all that, put it in his hiring thread.

If they talk about the roster, formations, players, etc. Put it in here. Just so we can keep all threads on track and not make every thread about the new coach and the Babcock drama. Trying to get some semblance of normalcy and get some excitement for hockey back.

 

[Youngguns80]

Just a personal request for tomorrows press conference:

Please put quotes/tweets in the appropriate threads. If Jarmo/JD answers Babcock related questions and you want to post the quotes, put it in the Babcock resigning thread. If Vincent talks about the job and all that, put it in his hiring thread.

If they talk about the roster, formations, players, etc. Put it in here. Just so we can keep all threads on track and not make every thread about the new coach and the Babcock drama. Trying to get some semblance of normalcy and get some excitement for hockey back.

I appreciate your zeal and housekeeping but it wiil be a while until their is some normalcy & excitement for hockey. After the Biz and Social Media victory laps and then rip on CBUS.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

 

[Monk]

I normally just watch the replays of these but... I blocked this one off on my work calendar.

 

[MAHJ71]

Feels relevant to training camp and beyond

 

[MoeBartoli]

Training camp? What? We finally get to talk on-ice hockey?!!

 

[MAHJ71]

 

[cbjthrowaway]

full speed ahead for the "#3 LHD denton mateychuk" agenda

 

[Doggy]

...it will be a while until there is some normalcy & excitement for hockey...

For starters, I am already excited for hockey to begin!

Secondly, F*** Bisonette. Everyone on that show has the sense of humor and maturity of a pre-teen boy. Except they have no excuse because they are adults...except maybe that they are simply just a$$holes. I think I maybe listened to it twice a few years ago and was saddened to think people actually find them worth listening to. The Athletic's hockey podcast is like a billion times better and I learn so much useful hockey stuff from them.

 

[DoingItCoolKiwi]

Has anyone seen the full player interviews anywhere? Talking about Boone, Werenski, Johnny and Laine. Only seen like one quote from each one despite tons of media being there

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

I just need to rant on this topic. When is the CBJ going to upgrade their infrastructure so we can look like our pressers aren't being live streamed on 4G network? The lighting is terrible and I'm pretty sure downtown Columbus has capabilities to stream in 1080p if not 4K on youtube.

 

[majormajor]

gaudreau - jenner - marchenko
johnson - fantilli - laine
texier - sillinger/roslovic - chinakhov
voronkov - kuraly - danforth

book it

Coming back to this, and moving it to a better thread:

Vincent is fully on board with the systems he and Babcock developed over the summer. That also likely includes the two center concept.

It is likely Fantilli and Laine get a chance to split center duties on a line. But less likely we start with Gaudreau - Jenner - Marchenko, who not only didn't score much together last year, but also are one center short.

Still a ton of questions. Is Texier ready to pick up where he left off? It's hard to tell who even makes the team. Does Dumais have a chance? Voronkov in the AHL? Sillinger looks much more fit, does that show on the ice? But I'll take a stab at one scenario.

Laine/Fantilli - Texier
Gaudreau - Sillinger/Roslovic
Jenner - Johnson/Danforth
Robinson - Kuraly - Marchenko

I know folks have a lot of strong opinions about which players are better than others and deserve to be listed higher, but lines are more about complements for me. Marchenko is on the 4th here because he is a great net front finisher and that's what that line needed (they got outscored badly because they shot 5%). Other lines need more retrievers, like Tex or Danforth.

 

[VT]

Coming back to this, and moving it to a better thread:

Vincent is fully on board with the systems he and Babcock developed over the summer. That also likely includes the two center concept.

It is likely Fantilli and Laine get a chance to split center duties on a line. But less likely we start with Gaudreau - Jenner - Marchenko, who not only didn't score much together last year, but also are one center short.

Still a ton of questions. Is Texier ready to pick up where he left off? It's hard to tell who even makes the team. Does Dumais have a chance? Voronkov in the AHL? Sillinger looks much more fit, does that show on the ice? But I'll take a stab at one scenario.

Laine/Fantilli - Texier
Gaudreau - Sillinger/Roslovic
Jenner - Johnson/Danforth
Robinson - Kuraly - Marchenko

I know folks have a lot of strong opinions about which players are better than others and deserve to be listed higher, but lines are more about complements for me. Marchenko is on the 4th here because he is a great net front finisher and that's what that line needed (they got outscored badly because they shot 5%). Other lines need more retrievers, like Tex or Danforth.

Texier played best on the wing with bum-bum players, possibly center with Jenner and Foligno. Once he was moved to players who played more combination, there were problems. So, honestly, I doubt his pairing with Laine as a winger would have been ideal. Patrik probably wouldn't have gotten to the puck even if he had skated like Foudy the whole game.

Conversely, Laine had pretty good chemistry with Marchenko (except Roslovic, of course) and also with Chinakhov. I'd love to try him with Voronkov, Voron would play winger. Although I think, if nothing changes in camp. Dima would get me started in Cleveland.

Fantilli is a great shooter, why not pair him with Gaudreau? To them a player playing similarly to Brindley. One from Texier/Danforth (maybe we might risk Tex to Gaudreau). Foudy improved his play in the end of the season so I would give him a chance in preseason games.

With all due respect to Kuraly, he is overrated.

 

[majormajor]

Texier played best on the wing with bum-bum players, possibly center with Jenner and Foligno. Once he was moved to players who played more combination, there were problems. So, honestly, I doubt his pairing with Laine as a winger would have been ideal. Patrik probably wouldn't have gotten to the puck even if he had skated like Foudy the whole game.

Conversely, Laine had pretty good chemistry with Marchenko (except Roslovic, of course) and also with Chinakhov. I'd love to try him with Voronkov, Voron would play winger. Although I think, if nothing changes in camp. Dima would get me started in Cleveland.

Fantilli is a great shooter, why not pair him with Gaudreau? To them a player playing similarly to Brindley. One from Texier/Danforth (maybe we might risk Tex to Gaudreau). Foudy improved his play in the end of the season so I would give him a chance in preseason games.

With all due respect to Kuraly, he is overrated.

Fantilli with Gaudreau might be a great combination, I'm fine with that. I don't really see much chemistry in what you're talking about. Laine and Chinny did have a few nice shifts together. But broadly speaking there is little to no chemistry among anyone on the team. They don't have the experience with each other. A few shifts doesn't tell you much. And Texier struggling here and there early in his career doesn't tell you how he'll do a few years later.

 

[VT]

Fantilli with Gaudreau might be a great combination, I'm fine with that. I don't really see much chemistry in what you're talking about. Laine and Chinny did have a few nice shifts together. But broadly speaking there is little to no chemistry among anyone on the team. They don't have the experience with each other. A few shifts doesn't tell you much. And Texier struggling here and there early in his career doesn't tell you how he'll do a few years later.

Texier played with Laine. First one game under Torts, then a few under Larsen. Yeah in one nothing much, not even a couple of shifts. Other than that Tex's strength is in other things, forchecking, pressure opposing players, transition. Unfortunately, he's not ideal at using partners, so players who play great without the puck, aggressive, are more ideal to him. Remember his best games.

I know you like him. So do I. But if Laine would play winger, I don't know... . Maybe with Fantilli and Gaudreau he would have been good, after all, Johnny is in a different position, maybe he would have used partners more here. Also, both Johnny and Adam are fast. Besides, Alex could be to Adam what Briendly was to him at Michigan.

Simply, we will see. Vincent's system and the selection of players for each position can send our proposal lines to "warm countries".

 

[ThirdPeriodTurtle]

I just need to rant on this topic. When is the CBJ going to upgrade their infrastructure so we can look like our pressers aren't being live streamed on 4G network? The lighting is terrible and I'm pretty sure downtown Columbus has capabilities to stream in 1080p if not 4K on youtube.

I know this is OT for the thread but I concur. The CBJ stream was horrible; the local news network had a camera there too and that shows how this should be done (or at least so much better I can't fault this one).

Two more days until camp!

 

[CBJWerenski8]

 

[GoJackets1]

I wish Gaudreau-Fantilli-Texier worked from a handedness perspective. Fantilli with a playmaker and puck hound seems like it would be perfect.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

I'm not sure exactly why Berni is still holding out for a guy who played respectably given the circumstances but will still end up back in Cleveland. If its about money wouldn't you just sign back in Europe for the season? He's not getting a 1 way deal and I seriously doubt they are going to give him a huge AHL salary.

 

[VT]

I wish Gaudreau-Fantilli-Texier worked from a handedness perspective. Fantilli with a playmaker and puck hound seems like it would be perfect.

I agree and wrote this line too.