(HFNHL) Movement up front in Columbus?

[Ohio Jones]

CD - Columbus, OH

Rumours of a shake-up are filtering out of Columbus that would see multiple players moved prior to the start of the regular season.

"When I have something to announce, I will," declared the Jackets' GM, Doug Emerson. "You guys know better than to ask me about this sort of thing - if and when we make a move, we have to notify and receive approval from the league, and then any player or players being moved must be notified before I have anything to say."

Unconfirmed sources suggest that the deal involves at least two skaters from the Jackets' current projected starting roster, and that an Eastern Conference team is involved.

The Jackets would appear to have a complete roster at present, so it's unclear what a supposed trade would be expected to deliver, unless it's another goalie to challenge Leland Irving for the back-up role behind Tomas Vokoun. One thing is clear, however: this team is virtually unchanged from the one that barely squeaked into the playoffs on a tie-breaker, and was unable to get past the second round, so some change would appear to be necessary.

More to follow.

Click to read more...

 

[Fooladelfia]

I can send you Ben Scrivens if you want want........

 

[Hossa]

One thing is clear, however: this team is virtually unchanged from the one that barely squeaked into the playoffs on a tie-breaker, and was unable to get past the second round, so some change would appear to be necessary.

More to follow.

Flawed logic Douglas. First, your team last year was not unchanged throughout the season, so who knows how you'd do over a full year with that group. Second, you're in the Western Conference, so making it is no small feat.

 

[Ohio Jones]

Columbus confirmed this afternoon that centers Mike Fisher and David Steckel have been traded to the Winnipeg Jets, along with prospect defenceman Patrick Wiercioch. Coming to the Jackets are winger Alex Tanguay and netminder Devan Dubnyk.

"We really liked our team," explained GM Doug Emerson, "and these guys in particular - as you know, we worked hard to acquire them in recent years. But in camp it became clear we had to make some tweaks to adjust to the continued evolution of the game - we needed a touch more scoring up front, and needed added depth and strength in net. Getting two players of Tanguay's and Dubnyk's abilities, within our budget, was a natural fit. We wish Fisher, Steckel and Wiercioch well with Winnipeg - and I guess we'll see them again next year when Winnipeg moves into the Western Conference."

Tanguay is a veteran scoring winger with great speed and playmaking skills - in some ways a mirror-image of current Jacket Daniel Briere. He's coming off a very strong season, and is off to a good start in the NHL as well. Dubnyk is a budding #1 coming off a strong rookie performance, and is expected to battle Nikolai Khabibulin for starts in Edmonton this year. He should provide the Jackets with a legitimate goalie of the future, and put pressure on newly re-signed veteran Tomas Vokoun to perform.

While it's tough to give up two big, strong and defensively sound faceoff men in Fisher and Steckel (the latter in particular has the top faceoff record in the HFNHL), the Jackets still have one of the strongest group of pivots in the league. Manny Malhotra leads the way at the faceoff dot (the league's #2 faceoff artist behind Steckel), with Zajac, Dubinsky and Moore all boasting favourable records.

The performance in camp of rookie forward Mats Zuccarello is thought to have played a part in the deal, as he gave the Jackets the flexibility to move Steckel from the team's fourth line. While Emerson said it would be up to Head Coach Mike Babcock to decide how to redistribute lines, the opening night roster might be expected to look something like this:

Burrows - Zajac - Briere
Tanguay - Dubinsky - Kulemin
Clarkson - Malhotra - Upshall
Zuccarello - Moore - Thorburn

Giordano - Timonen
Smid - Zidlicky
Daley - Sauer
Gunnarsson

Vokoun
Dubnyk



Okay guys, I'm ready to go - let's get the season started!