Ohio Jones
Game on...
“Do I stay or do I go?â€
That song is much in the minds of Columbus management and fans right now as the team sits poised on the bubble between contention and oblivion in the always-competitive West. Do they make a push to hopefully secure a long playoff run, or do they re-tool and try to mitigate their losses? (A full rebuild seems unlikely at this point.)
In the “go for it†column are the on-paper strength of the Jackets’ roster, the .500 record the team has managed to date playing within (arguably) the HFNHL’s most competitive division, and the fact that the record improves to 6-3 since a stumble out of the gate prompted Head Coach Mike Babcock to revisit lines and strategies. Plus there’s the “sunk cost†of assets Emerson used to assemble this roster, which involved moving so much quality youth that the team has gone from a top-5 to a bottom-10 farm system within the past 12 months.
In the “retool†column are the fact that despite having a strong on-paper roster, the Jackets haven’t been able to establish any sustained dominance, the fact that they’re already a cap team with several key contracts due for renegotiation this summer, the disconcerting shots allowed and goals against differentials, and the even more disconcerting lack of discipline despite being (apparently) one of the least physical teams in the league (the ensuing imbalance in man advantage opportunities no doubt contributing to the shot and goal differentials). And of course there’s the compelling desire to restock the farm, at least in part.
If they go for it, the Jackets are likely to try and add a couple of key pieces, including a high-performing budget-friendly blueliner and a similarly budget-friendly versatile top-9 forward. If this is the direction Emerson chooses to go, he’ll have limited resources to go shopping with, having already moved the team’s top 2 picks along with most of the farm. Names likes Ben Scrivens and Devante Smith-Pelly come to mind as possible trade bait in the right deal.
If they decide to retool for next year, a very different picture emerges. Columbus would look to obtain future-focused assets in return for established players like Tomas Vokoun, Grant Clitsome and Alex Burrows, along with veterans Daniel Briere and Kimmo Timonen after the All Star break.
The team’s performance in the coming weeks will go a long way to helping Emerson decide which way to go, but so too will be the opportunities before him in terms of trades. A compelling set of trade offers for his veterans might well prompt Emerson to pull the “re-tool†trigger, while an affordably priced forward or defence option might encourage the Jackets to stay the course with the current group.
That song is much in the minds of Columbus management and fans right now as the team sits poised on the bubble between contention and oblivion in the always-competitive West. Do they make a push to hopefully secure a long playoff run, or do they re-tool and try to mitigate their losses? (A full rebuild seems unlikely at this point.)
In the “go for it†column are the on-paper strength of the Jackets’ roster, the .500 record the team has managed to date playing within (arguably) the HFNHL’s most competitive division, and the fact that the record improves to 6-3 since a stumble out of the gate prompted Head Coach Mike Babcock to revisit lines and strategies. Plus there’s the “sunk cost†of assets Emerson used to assemble this roster, which involved moving so much quality youth that the team has gone from a top-5 to a bottom-10 farm system within the past 12 months.
In the “retool†column are the fact that despite having a strong on-paper roster, the Jackets haven’t been able to establish any sustained dominance, the fact that they’re already a cap team with several key contracts due for renegotiation this summer, the disconcerting shots allowed and goals against differentials, and the even more disconcerting lack of discipline despite being (apparently) one of the least physical teams in the league (the ensuing imbalance in man advantage opportunities no doubt contributing to the shot and goal differentials). And of course there’s the compelling desire to restock the farm, at least in part.
If they go for it, the Jackets are likely to try and add a couple of key pieces, including a high-performing budget-friendly blueliner and a similarly budget-friendly versatile top-9 forward. If this is the direction Emerson chooses to go, he’ll have limited resources to go shopping with, having already moved the team’s top 2 picks along with most of the farm. Names likes Ben Scrivens and Devante Smith-Pelly come to mind as possible trade bait in the right deal.
If they decide to retool for next year, a very different picture emerges. Columbus would look to obtain future-focused assets in return for established players like Tomas Vokoun, Grant Clitsome and Alex Burrows, along with veterans Daniel Briere and Kimmo Timonen after the All Star break.
The team’s performance in the coming weeks will go a long way to helping Emerson decide which way to go, but so too will be the opportunities before him in terms of trades. A compelling set of trade offers for his veterans might well prompt Emerson to pull the “re-tool†trigger, while an affordably priced forward or defence option might encourage the Jackets to stay the course with the current group.
