The Dispatch's Aaron Portzline has reported via twitter that the team has reached a new deal with pending UFA Derek MacKenzie, pending a physical. The journeyman forward had been making $600,000 this season, so I would expect a new deal in the $750,000-800,000 range. The deal would also mean that the club would be down to three "major" pending RFAs - Jared Boll, Nikita Nikitin, and Shawn Hunwick.

The checking forward was a major part of the team's PK and defensive zone starts, but missed the last 16 games of the regular season with a concussion.

MacKenzie took a lot of heavy scoring chances against, but was also frequently asked to face off against the opponent's top lines, particularly once Samuel Pahlsson was traded to Vancouver.

MacKenzie has always been known as a "heart and soul" guy both in Columbus and Atlanta who was willing to put it all on the ice whenever he had the opportunity. When 97.1's Lori Schmidt and I interviewed him at the end of the season, he said he was medically cleared to play once again, so I wouldn't anticipate any issues with his upcoming physical.

More importantly, though, was the way he treated the idea of coming back to Columbus. Enthusiastic and hopeful, he set his jaw just a bit when he said, "I want to finish the job here."

Sports is an inherently unfair business. Thousands compete for a handful of jobs, and once you make it, only a fraction will ever win a championship.

Despite that, I can't help but think that MacKenzie's determination and character makes him the exact sort of player who deserves to win a championship in his career - and exactly the sort of guy that teams like Boston, New Jersey, and Detroit have built their franchises upon.

Here's hoping that he has the opportunity to finish what he started with the Blue Jackets.

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And then, there were two.

With the Devils eliminating New York last night in early OT, the Stanley Cup final has been set. One has to wonder if Glen Sather is going to be picking up the phone today to have a "polite chat" with Scott Howson.

Meanwhile, I love how Zach Parise handled the "DON'T TOUCH THE TROPHY!" debate.

Interestingly, Chris Lund argues that a cup win now will make Jersey even better next year. Meanwhile, Puck Daddy is debating if the "rest" the LA Kings are enjoying could potentially turn into rust.

Closer to home, and forgive me for playing catch up, the biggest news for Jackets fans was the three year deal for Derek Dorsett, a move that stacks up well statistically and has generally been met with a positive reaction, particularly from a particular blogger / superfan who shall remain nameless.

Less "sexy" but still good to see was the one year deal for Ryan Russell, who will likely split his time between Springfield and Columbus once again. Russell's excellent work blocking shots and helping out on the PK were a big asset to the club, particularly in the later half of the season. For all the people dismissing this move as "not enough change", Russell, Dorsett, and (hopefully) Derek MacKenzie are exactly the kind of guys you want in the core of your bottom six.

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Dalton Thrower

2011-2012 Regular Season Stats:

2011-2012 WHL Playoffs Stats:

A rising star for the Blades this season, Dalton Thrower was off the radar for most NHL scouts, but his near point a game pace opened a lot of eyes. After posting just six goals and fourteen assists in his previous season, he was a major producer on the Blades' power play this year, but also contributed on the penalty kill and key defensive zone starts. Late in the season, with the Saskatoon blue line decimated by injuries (sound familiar?) he found himself playing over 30 minutes a game through the end of the regular season and the playoffs. Physical and willing to block shots, it's strangely appropriate that the first links I found for him all went to Hockeyfights. I suppose it really is all in a name...

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Philip (Phil) Di Giuseppe

2011-2012 Regular Season Stats:

One of the small but interesting group of Canadian born players who choose to go the NCAA route instead of into Major Junior hockey, Phil Di Giuseppe was an explosive player for U of M in his freshman season, winning the CCHA Rookie of the Month award in October and receiving an honorable mention on the CCHA all rookie team. A power forward very much in the mold of a Rick Nash style player, he decided to go to the NCAA instead of the OHL for the chance to mature both on and off the ice - an interesting decision that says a lot about his ability to look at the long term. Regarded as more of a playmaker than a pure scoring forward, he's also been highlighted for good skating ability and a strong puck possession game.

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Sebastian Collberg

2011-2012 Regular Season Stats:

2011-2012 SuperElit Playoff Stats:

Another player who spent time in both the big leagues and his club's junior division, Collberg has been regarded as a skilled forward with excellent skating ability. He had a great World Junior Championships run with Team Sweden that many thought put him on par or above teammate Filip Forsberg, but there are a lot of concerns about his size and physicality - especially playing against older players compared to guys his own age. That seems to have been borne out by the wide selection of donuts he produced on Frolunda's SEL club compared to his numbers on the U20 squad, but he might still be able to build up his body as he adjusts.

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If you weren't listening to the Blue Jackets' Sunday Morning Skate this morning on 97.1, you may have missed Jeff Rimmer reporting that the Boston Bruins are very interested in Rick Nash, and preparing to make a "major" offer in an attempt to land the winger. With 18 current roster players heading into RFA or UFA status between this offseason and next, they're going to need to shuffle a lot of dollars around to keep everyone together, and they may see the next two seasons as their best chance to repeat as champs if they can get Nash into their lineup - particularly if the Jackets take back some salary (or a player likely to want a big raise) as part of the deal.

So, with that in mind, who might the Bruins be willing to offer, and who would the Jackets want back?

We'll get the obvious one out of the way: Tuukka Rask.

An upcoming RFA, the former Maple Leafs draft pick has been considered the heir apparent in Boston for the past three years, but Tim Thomas has this pesky habit of being Tim Thomas and stealing more time in the starter's role.

Likely to want a significant raise (he's posted a 2.23 GAA and .926 SV% the last three seasons, plus 2.61 GAA and .912 SV% in 13 playoff games), it's been assumed that the Bruins would want to keep Rask as their insurance policy, and it's hard to see him being traded.

Blue Jackets Suspected Interest: HIGH

Bruins Willingness To Trade: LOW

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Happy Saturday!

Kudos to the Jackets for another great fan outreach effort with their "Front Street Fridays." Reports from the inaugural event by Fire That Cannon and The Union Blue both make it sound like a great debut, and how about R.J. Umberger dropping into the open skate at the Ice Haus afterwards?

He's Umby, dammit, and he's a mensch.

Elsewhere, the LA Kings are rolling, but their local TV coverage is having some issues. At least they used the right logo this time.

Closer to home, the Jackets have signed 2010 draft pick Austin Madaisky, but informed picks Petr Straka and Brandon Archibald that they will not be tendered offers, and can return to the draft. The last player still on the fence is goalie Mathieu Corbeil, who is being scouted at the Memorial Cup. His tournament starts tonight vs. the London Knights, and I would expect a lot of eyes on how he handles the pressure.

(Speaking of the Memorial Cup, Jackets' prospect Michael Chaput had two goals and went 16/27 in the faceoff circle in Shawinigan's 4-3 loss to the Edmonton Oil Kings.)

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2011-2012 Regular Season Stats:

2011-2012 WHL Playoff Stats:

Basically a point a game player in the OHL this year, Gaunce lead the Belleville Bulls in scoring this season. Primarily a centerman, he was also put over on the wing at several points this year and didn't seem to have any trouble making the adjustment. A member of a hockey family (his older brother Cameron was drafted by the Avalanche a few years ago), he's been regarded as a talented player but also a natural leader and charismatic force in the dressing room.

At the same time, some scouts have raised concerns about his overall mobility and skating, pointing them out as areas he needs to improve if he wants to raise his game to the next level, and the dreaded issue of "consistency" has come up several times.

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Where do I begin?

How about right here in town, where we continue to see reactions to the hiring of Todd Richards as the team's permanent head coach.

At the Dispatch, Michael Arace decries the "safe" move, while Dannie over at Strait-Jackets found the move a bit circular.

Meanwhile, Rob Mixer has an interview with Senior Advisor Craig Patrick, who explained why he felt Richards was the right man for the job.

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At 9am this morning, Aaron Portzline broke the news that the Blue Jackets would make Todd Richards their newest head coach, taking the "interim" off his title.

I think it's fair to say that the reactions have been decidedly mixed. Some people say that Scott Howson jumped the gun. Others argue it's a case of stability over everything else. I think the truth runs a little bit in between the two.

While Howson got calls from "8-10" coaches, we don't know who contacted him, and if they might have been a better fit. Guys like Paul Maurice and Ted Nolan might very well be interested in getting back into the NHL's coaching ranks, but it's hard to say they'd be a better fit. I have no doubt there are coaches in the AHL, Major Junior, and even the NCAA ranks who saw an opportunity, but after the lack of NHL coaching experience burned them so badly, I doubt the team was going to walk down that road again.

A candidate like Todd McClellan might become available after the Stanley Cup Final ends, but waiting for "Mr. Right" is a dicey proposition - especially when you have a candidate in house who delivered a performance worthy of consideration.

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Teuvo Teravainen

2011-2012 Regular Season Stats*:

2011-2012 SM-Liiga Playoff Stats

One of the hardest names to say in the first round (though he's facing stiff competition on that from Zemgus Girgensons), Teravainen is interesting. Recently selected by the reborn Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the KHL draft, though it's not clear if he's actually interested in playing in Russia, Teravainen actually started this season with Jokerit's under-20 branch, where he shredded them for 20 points in 11 games. Quickly promoted to the senior squad, where he spent the remainder of the season plus nine playoff games, he continued to contribute another 11 goals and 7 assists in the regular season plus a healthy amount of playoff scoring.

The more he's performed, the more his draft status has shot up, too. Where a lot of scouting services originally had him in the low 50-60s at the start of the year, some now list him in the top ten, while Hockey Prospectus has him as the #5 prospect overall in this draft, and the second best European player behind Filip Forsberg.

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A mid-afternoon Shrapnel? Why not! We'll mix it up a little.

In case you've been under a very large rock, we're all set for Game Seven tonight between the Rangers and Capitals. I'll be honest - despite this game being in Madison Square Garden, I can't help but feel like the Capitals have the edge tonight. New York got INCREDIBLY fortunate to take Game Five to OT, and were pretty solidly locked down for Game Six. I suspect that if they don't change things up, we'll be talking about the Caps first trip to the Conference Finals since 1998.

Along the same lines, Backhand Shelf takes a look at how Dale Hunter is utilizing Alex Ovechkin, and Cam Charron asks if their playoff success vindicates the decision to turf Bruce Boudreau.

Closer to home, both DBJ and The Union Blue talk about the possibility of the NBA coming to Columbus, a new "#CBJ" blog has started up and is looking to organize for the Columbus Color Run this July!

Puck Daddy looks at some potential Game Seven heroes and reports on the news that former Jacket Sergei Fedorov is poised to become the new GM of CSKA Moscow.

At DBJ+, Tom lays out a fairly complete offseason agenda, while there's an interesting bit of symmetry between Canadan at The Union Blue and Aaron Portzline looking at former Jackets finding success in the playoffs, though Dan looks at guys across the league while Porty focuses on the group in Phoenix.

As you may have seen in the FanPosts, frequent commenter Zekebud has a look at the Jackets' lack of skill up front - and while he doesn't like what he sees, I do wonder if the eventual "get" from a Rick Nash trade may help in raising the overall skill level - particularly if, as Michael Arace suggests, his value is rising daily.

We'll have some fun tonight, and tomorrow night the Western Conference Finals will finally begin, putting us one step closer to the awarding of the Stanley Cup.

Enjoy!

I mentioned in Shrapnel a few days ago that the "For A New Start" group (AKA F.A.N.S.) delivered a petition to the Blue Jackets calling for the immediate dismissal of both team president Mike Priest and GM Scott Howson, backed by ~1,000 signatures from fans and season ticket holders.

I don't mean to dismiss their accomplishment - getting 1,000 people to agree on anything is generally a pretty major achievement - but what I do question is how much the "nuclear option" group truly speaks for the fanbase, and if they're really speaking the language the team understands.

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Jacob Trouba

Position: Defense
Team: US National Development Program (USHL)
Age: 18
Date of Birth: February 26, 1994
Place of Birth: Rochester, MN
Ht: 6'2" Wt: 194
Shoots: Right

2012 Regular Season Stats:

Generally regarded as the top draft prospect in this year's draft class from the NTDP, Trouba was the only player from the U-18 squad to earn a spot on the U-20 World Junior Championships squad for team USA, where he contributed a pair of assists in six games. (Trouba also played in the U-18s this spring, where he had a goal, two assists, and 8 PIMs.) He's big, he's physical, he doesn't have a problem stepping up against higher levels of competition, and scouts generally agree he's a good "all around" d-man with strong skating ability. He's generally projected as a potential top pairing D-man, and that's exactly why our fraternal enemies over at Hockey Wilderness want the Wild to draft him ever so badly.

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Is there anything better than the prospect of a big game seven matchup to close out the semi-finals? I submit that there is not.

On the one side, you have a Rangers team that has looked incredible at times, particularly when King Henrik gets his crown on (that scissor sliding stop yesterday - WOW.) On the other, you have a Capitals club that has banded together under Dale Hunter and Braden Holtby in a way I don't think anyone expected when the playoffs started.

Saturday is going to be tons of fun.

Closer to home, now that the City of Columbus (and Franklin County) own Nationwide Arena, they're interested in bringing the NBA to town.

While that CAN work in some cities (heck, LA has TWO teams sharing the Staples Center with the Kings), I'm not 100% convinced that Columbus has the right market for it - as the Dispatch points out, Columbus would be the lowest metro population of any team to try hosting both NBA and NHL franchises in the same arena. There's also all the issues of sharing the facility, converting the playing surfaces....oh, yeah, and the question of who, exactly, would be paying to own the team.

I certainly see where it would be a potential win for the city (the idea of someday having an I-71 playoff series between the theoretical Columbus team and the Cavs is thick with awesome), but I suspect this is an area where all parties should proceed very carefully.

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Good morning! It's been awhile since I got one of these out the door, and everything has been happening in the meantime!

First off, a heart congratulations and Manly Hug to The Dark Blue Jacket, who will be starting a unique partnership with Fox Sports Ohio this summer. This is awesome news, and I look forward to seeing what comes out of it.

Over at Bluejackets.com, Rob Mixer sat down with newly signed prospect Michael Chaput, who isn't satisfied with just earning an NHL contract.

At Fear The Hat, Lori noticed that Jason Chimera....bears a certain resemblance thanks to his playoff goatee / chin thicket. (How has this not appeared on Puck Daddy's beard watch?)

A little story you may have missed - former Jacket Rostislav Klesla has a discipinary hearing today for a boarding call in game four of the Coyotes / Predators series. Don't be surprised if Rusty finds himself sit down for a couple of games.

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Position: Center
Team: Sarnia Sting, OHL
Age: 18
Date Of Birth: February 12, 1994
Place of Birth: Milwaukee, WI
Ht: 6' 1" WT: 185
Shoots: Left

If there was an award for the biggest gamble of the 2012 draft class, it might go to the team who decides to call Alex Galchenyuk's name at the podium.

The first overall pick of the 2010 OHL Priority Selection Draft, Galchenyuk made a big splash along with teammate Nail Yakupov, and was third to the Russian winger in overall rookie scoring last year. Strong on the puck and projecting to fill out his frame rapidly, it seemed entirely possible that he might be vying with Yakupov for the #1 overall pick.

Then it all went horribly wrong.

Taking a misstep as he drove to the net on a routine play during a preseason game, Galchenyuk tore his ACL, and he didn't make it back to the Sarnia lineup until March 14th. Playing in just two games of the regular season (where he was held scoreless), he did pick up two goals and two assists in the Sting's first round playoff exit.

He could be a top six center. He could find himself unable to keep up with the demands of the NHL. He might turn into a first class playmaker. He might find that his skating (a concern that was raised pre-injury) finds him as a career AHLer. He might be a perennial all star.

Galchenyuk NEEDS a good NHL Combine. It might be what makes the difference between a top ten pick and dropping into the second round, if not lower. Because there simply wasn't enough time to judge his on ice performance, teams interested in him will have to measure his physical performance in the combine testing, gauge his character, and throw the dice.

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Position: RW
Age: 18
Date of Birth: October 6, 1993
Place of Birth: Nizhnekamsk, Tartarstan (Russia)
HT: 5' 11" WT: 167 lbs.
Shoots: Left

2011-2012 Regular Season Stats:

2012 OHL Playoff Stats:

The consensus top skater in the 2012 NHL draft by NHL Central Scouting, ISS, and most hockey pundits, Yakupov was the anticipated silver lining to a wretched season for nearly every fan of a struggling team, but particularly in Columbus, where the "Fail for Nail" phrase was coined.

So, of course, Edmonton won the lottery. And now he's campaigning for them to take him with the #1 pick rather than looking at a player like d-man Ryan Murray. Ouch.

Yakupov has been one of the top players in the OHL since coming over from Russia (including winning the CHL rookie of the year award), has dedicated himself to learning the North American style of hockey, and has been vocal about his desire to make it to the NHL and succeed. He's been compared to Ovechkin quite a lot, but I see him as more of a Stamkos type player. He'll get physical when it's appropriate, but he's more of a sniper and explosive speed demon than power forward.

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Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends!

The second round kicked off last night with the Predators and Coyotes, and I am SURE you will not be shocked to hear it went to OT...but you might be surprised to find out it was a 3-3 tie. As it turned out, former Jacket Ray Whitney nailed his second career OT goal to give the Coyotes a 1-0 lead on the series.

Meanwhile, they had the All Star Logo unveiling yesterday. You may have heart about it already, but just in case you somehow missed it, check out the coverage from Martini Hockey, Fear The Hat (including bonus pictures!), Puck Rakers, and Dark Blue Jacket. Oh, and of course you could always go right to the source. All things considered I'd say reactions have been positive, and I personally like it. Maybe it could have been made a bit more unique, but it's a very solid design and I think it'll look great sewn onto a jersey.

For those who tried to get ASG gear downtown and found the Nationwide Arena Blue Line had sold out, I found a bunch of stuff at the Tuttle Mall Blue Line store. I was told that they won't have ASG polos or knit items for a little bit, but they had hats, two styles of t-shirt, pucks, and mini-sticks ready to go.

Meanwhile, the NHL released their Hart Trophy candidates, Ellen Etchingham has a great piece on terrible hockey "storylines" that need to go away at Backhand Shelf, Brendan Shanahan has the ability to be surprisingly cool at times and DBJ's season in review posts are already halfway through the season.

We'll have more playoff action starting at 3pm today, and continuing through the weekend. It's a good time to be a hockey fan in Columbus!