The Cannon and their ticket partner TiqIQ once again offers you the chance to save some dough on Blue Jackets tickets! The Jackets are home for two games this week, tomorrow night against the Blues, and Saturday against division rival Chicago.

Here are some numbers, supplied by TiqIQ:

- The Blue Jackets average home game ticket price for the season: $84
- Average ticket price for the 1st half of the season: $54
- Average ticket price for the 2nd half of the season: $93

If you want the best deal on CBJ tickets, click here to visit our ticket site. You can snag a ticket to the game against the Blues for as little as $16. A ticket for Saturday's game against the 'Hawks? How does about $35 sound? Again, just click here to go to our ticket site, and we'll see you at the game!

(Bolded players are under contract with Columbus)

On the heels of a great performance by Steve Mason the night before, the Jackets looked to take the season series against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday night. Sloppy, undisciplined play, combined with an atrocious penalty kill allowed the Ducks to get a lead early. The Jackets didn't roll over and die, however, showing some resolve in clawing back within two goals, but Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf were too good on this night.

Read on for the full story:

Continue reading this post »

This game can be divided into four distinct parts:

Part One: The first ten minutes of the opening period were horrific from a Jackets perspective. They were as sloppy as they've been all season, and were punished with a pair of goals against.

Part Two: In the second period, the Stars were undisciplined and the Jackets were able to pot a pair of powerplay goals to cut the lead to one. The Jackets looked very, very composed while up a man. Placing Derick Brassard on the point paid real dividends.

Part Three: The bulk of the third period was ugly hockey. The Stars were content to dump, and the Jackets couldn't establish possession.

Part Four: With the goalie pulled, the Jackets pushed, and pushed and pushed some more. They couldn't beat Kari Lehtonen, and Jamie Benn scored an empty netter to seal the deal.

EDIT: Shortly after the game, it was announced that Marc Methot had suffered a broken jaw, and Jared Boll suffered a broken foot during the game. In a season such as this, none of us should be surprised, but nonetheless this is another blow to a team that is already on the ground, beaten to a pulp.

Please read on for the full story.

Continue reading this post »

Color me surprised when I received an email from Blue Jackets PR this morning, with the words "Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Left Win..." visible on my Blackberry. My first thought was that maybe we signed a prospect to his entry level deal. I opened up the email, and there was the rest of the headline- "...ger Vinny Prospal to One-Year Contract Extension".

I think this is one of those transactions that has various layers. The first of which is of course his on-ice performance. Though Prospal is in a bit of a slump at the moment, he was at or near the top of the Jackets' scoring charts all season. The second, and most important, is his contributions off the ice. Vinny is a veteran player who will take his teammates to task if they aren't carrying their weight. He's got playoff experience, and he's a player who absolutely loves the game. You see this every time he scores a goal.

A third layer, reported by Aaron Portzline of the Dispatch, is that there is a "gentleman's agreement" between Prospal and the organization that will see Vinny take a job within the organization when his playing days are over. At a time when the public image of the Jackets was at an all-time low, this signing gives a boost to how the team looks to those outside of the city and organization. Vinny is willing to commit to living in the city long-term, as have many other former Jackets who return to Columbus after their playing days are over. Andrew Cassels and Freddy Modin come to mind.

The contract itself is valued at $2.5 million. This is excellent value for a 40-50 point player who's main objective is to mentor the young forwards and be a positive voice in the room.

This deal will be criticized by those who are committed to the "nuclear" option of blowing the team up at the trade deadline, as Prospal was arguably the team's most tradeable asset. Before this signing, he was a UFA-to-be, coming off a decent year offensively on a poor team. It was obviously determined that his value to the team both on and off the ice was far higher than whatever they were able to receive back in a potential trade. I'm sure that GM Scott Howson put the feelers out among his GM brethren to gauge what kind of return he could expect for Vinny, and was likely not impressed by what he was hearing.

Regardless of what happens to the other players on the roster before the deadline, Prospal is a part of the core in the short term, and will be a great addition to the organization from a management/coaching/scouting perspective.

If nothing else, there's no player in the NHL who I love to see score a goal more than Vinny.

The Jackets were 0-2 on the current California road trip, but they had Jeff Carter and Marc Methot back in the lineup. Methot had a solid game, but Carter was also effective- providing a timely goal and solid play in the offensive zone.

This night was dominated by another Columbus center however, as Derick Brassard took it upon himself to almost single-handedly defeat the Ducks.

Please read on after the break for the complete run-down.

Continue reading this post »

In the first game after the all star break, the Jackets came out flat, looking almost disinterested at times. Steve Mason was kicking rebounds all over the rink, and the game ended like a scene from Slap Shot.

It was a terrible game, and for the Jackets the life they showed in the third was far too little, too late.

If you feel so inclined, I've recapped the fun after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

The Jackets tried hard, they really did. The effort was there, from start to finish. They were the better team for most of the final two periods, but at the end of the game defensive miscues and poor defensive-zone play in general led to the team falling to the Predators for the fifth time in six contests this season.

If you want to read how it all went down, feel free to check it out after the jump:

Continue reading this post »

On a night when the Jackets were far and away the better team, they faced one of the best goaltenders in the league who brought his "A" game. The Jackets pressed hard, and showed a ton of effort, but were unable to come away with the victory.

Read on after the jump for the tale of the tape:

Continue reading this post »

Here at The Cannon there are a few things that we know:

1) We are part of a small, but strong community of Jackets fans who have taken to the interwebs to spread our thoughts and opinions. We are but one of the many excellent blogs that are dedicated to the Blue Jackets.

2) We have some of the most loyal and knowledgeable readers and contributors in hockey.

3) Our team kind of stinks.

4) When we finally do start winning, it will feel oh so sweet.

With that, I have a small announcement. I know it pales in comparison to some of our bigger market blog brothers, but recently The Cannon passed the one million page view mark.

I find this astounding. Only a few short years ago, The Cannon was a fledgling blog that averaged in and around ten page views per day. In 2009 I made the jump to SB Nation, and I can't thank the network enough for the opportunities it has given me and my contributors.

On that note, over the past few years I have been honored to work with Matt Wagner, Andy Newman, Dan Parker and Lou Bordeaux. These guys are flat out pros. They love the team and are fantastic bloggers. Our milestone wouldn't have been possible without these gentlemen.

Most of all though it's because of you, our readers, that we are where we are today. I can't thank you enough for your contributions to fanposts, fanshots, comments and continued readership.

See you at the next milestone!

-Mike

The Jackets have nine prospects currently developing in the Canadian Hockey League. There are six forwards, a pair of defensemen and a goaltender.

Second round pick Boone Jenner continues to contribute to the Oshawa offense and remains one of their top scorers even after missing time to play for Team Canada at the World Juniors. Jenner missed the bronze medal game after receiving a match penalty for a spearing incident against the Russians. Jenner is the captain of the Generals, and is a gritty, two-way forward.

Another second rounder- Dalton Smith-has been a bit of a disappointment statistically since being drafted. He's an agitator who was supposed to break out offensively last season, but failed to do so. He continued to struggle with scoring in the first half of this season, but as this article from Behind the Net states, he may have finally had his breakout since moving to Ottawa's top line.

Winger Oliver Gabriel started the season with the Springfield Falcons of the AHL. When he wasn't getting the ice time he needed to develop, the decision was made to return him to junior, where he is rejoining a powerhouse Portland team. He's scored some timely goals for Portland since his return and will provide leadership and gritty play down the stretch.

Czech winger Lukas Sedlak has taken a similar path to the NHL as fellow countryman and current Blue Jacket Tomas Kubalik. Sedlak's offensive totals don't project to be as high as Kubalik's were in his one season of junior, but Sedlak's Chicoutimi Sagueneens loaded up at the trade deadline and Sedlak looks to be a big part of their push for a championship. A strong second half that would see his statistics increase exponentially is a possibility. Sedlak was a member of the Czech team at the World Juniors.

Another member of that Czech team was former second rounder Petr Straka. I'm floored by his lack of production. He's an offensive forward playing on a bad team, and he dealt with an early-season injury, but I expected a lot more from him, especially given the fact he plays in the high-scoring QMJHL.

Michael Chaput is an exciting prospect. He's scoring at more than a point-per-game, and is a go-to forward for the Memorial Cup host Shawinigan Cataractes. The Shawi bulked up on defense at the trade deadline and appear to be a lethal team going forward. Winning a Q title and perhaps even the Memorial Cup would be huge for Chaput's development. It's always important to have players with winning attitudes in the organization.

Brandon Archibald seems like a guy who isn't in the best situation. Last year, he was a member of the woeful Soo Greyhounds until the OHL trade deadline, where he was sent to the Saginaw Spirit. The Spirit were loading up for a playoff push, and Archibald was pushed to the bottom pairing in Saginaw, limiting his minutes. This season, the Spirit are one of the league's worst teams, which makes it difficult to truly see what he is capable of. For a defenseman that was touted as a two-way blueliner in his draft year, his single goal on the season is disappointing.

Austin Madaisky on the other hand is a guy to keep your eye on. He's the highest scoring blueliner on the Kamloops Blazers, and is ninth in the WHL in defenseman scoring. The Blazers are one of the top teams in the WHL and Madaisky is a big part of their success.

The Jackets' lone goaltending prospect in the CHL is Mathieu Corbeil. Corbeil won a Memorial Cup with Saint John last season, and the Sea Dogs have a very good chance of repeating this season. Corbeil has had the benefit of playing on a very good squad, but his numbers are just awesome: first in the league in wins and shutouts, second in goals-against average and fifth in save percentage. He'll likely make the jump to the ECHL next season.

Read on for each player's statistics:

Continue reading this post »

The Jackets put forth another great effort last night, showing skill, hard work and determination. There was no quit in this team against the Sharks, but they fell just short after a late third period goal by Patrick Marleau gave the visiting Sharks the victory.

Check after the jump for a recap of last night's events.

Continue reading this post »

The Jackets put forth one of their most complete efforts of the season tonight, defeating the Phoenix Coyotes 4-3. Though they gave up three goals, they were the dominant team for most of the game.

Tonight was a night of firsts, as two rookies scored their first NHL goals. Captain Nash and his new center also chipped in goals, as the Jackets defeated the Coyotes 4-3.

Read on to see the whole story.

Continue reading this post »

Every year I try to get a few mock drafts out there, and this version is my first leading up to the 2012 NHL Draft. The team rankings are based solely on the inverse league standings as of the time of writing, which for me was yesterday morning.

As with any mock draft, there will be some picks that folks think are too high, or too low, or maybe I have a team taking a player that plays a certain position, and the organization's needs are elsewhere. While researching for this mock draft, I took into account draft tendencies of the each team over the past three seasons, organizational needs at the prospect and NHL level, and overall ranking of each prospect.

Please enjoy, and let the comments be civil and constructive!

Continue reading this post »

The coach has been fired. The general manager is on record stating that he'll be active leading up to the trade deadline. With the Jackets dead last in the NHL with little to no chance of making the playoffs, a roster overhaul is necessary.

The team has a handful of UFAs, and some players with contracts that go beyond this season who could/should be dealt. Let's take a look at some of the changes that could take place between now and the deadline.

Continue reading this post »

Some might say that this move should have been made earlier.

Some might say that the Jackets' terrible season isn't the coach's fault, but rather the players are to blame.

At any rate, something had to give. This team was built to win now. Ownership approved a large hike in payroll, putting the Jackets near the salary cap. General Manager Scott Howson made a substantial trade in the summer, acquiring Jeff Carter, and dipped into free agency to acquire veterans James Wisniewski and Vinny Prospal. This was all to supplement the talent already here in Rick Nash, R.J. Umberger, Derick Brassard, Antoine Vermette...the list goes on.

The result?

The Jackets have been in last place in the NHL virtually all season.

The old saying goes, "you can't fire 23 players when things are tough, so you fire the coach". That applies here, but only to a point. In addition to costing Scott Arniel his first NHL head coaching job, the players should be on notice-the team will be cleaning-house, between now and the deadline.

One question that pops into my mind is whether you can classify this group of players as coach-killers. Without being too dramatic, it seems as though (as they did with former coach Ken Hitchcock) they quit early on in the season. We'll never know for sure if the players tuned him out, and if so, it's strange to think that a coach has lost his room after less than two full seasons.

Todd Richards will take over for the rest of the season on an interim basis. Given last night's injury to Jeff Carter, and with James Wisniewski out and Steve Mason looking like anything but an NHL goaltender, I highly doubt we'll see a Blues-esque turnaround.

What we can hope for is a visible change in culture, with every player giving his all every game, competing for ice time and contributing to the overall team concept. The players weren't doing these things on a consistent basis to this point and it cost Scott Arniel his job.

I wish him all the best in the future.

The Jackets worked their tails off tonight, and behind some stellar goaltending from Curtis Sanford, they came away victorious over the Los Angeles Kings. The game was filled with penalties, and from an entertainment perspective it was a bit of a bore, but at the end of the day the Jackets can go into Anaheim tomorrow night fresh off a hard-earned victory.

Check after the jump for the tale of the tape:

Continue reading this post »

The Cannon, along with our SBNation ticket partner TiqIQ, would like to offer you the chance to "pick your price" for the next three Columbus home games. What's better than a live NHL game? The speed, the excitement and the chance to see your home team's stars and those of the visiting teams. The only thing better is to pick your own price!

From TiqIQ:

For those games, The Cannon ticket partner TiqIQ enables fans to pick their price via the ScoreBig.com "make an offer" feature. For example, for the game next Friday - Jan 13th - fans can save up to 50% on "2 star" tickets (as determined by ScoreBig.com) with an offer of around $26. Fans should click here to see the deal: http://tiqiq.us/6RE

For Saturday Jan 14th's game, the average ticket price is $84. With the "make an offer" feature, fans can get "3 star" seats with an offer of about $64 here: http://tiqiq.us/6RK

The game on Tues Jan 17th has an average ticket price of $106. But by using the "make an offer" feature, a "4 star" tickets can be had for offers of around $86, here: http://tiqiq.us/6RQ

Just click the links, make your offer, and away you go! You can get discounted tickets to games against the Coyotes, Sharks and Oilers, respectively.

Here's a quick pro/con list of the team's season so far. It's been a miserable year, but there are some bright spots, with reason to continue feeling hopeful that the team will one day have success.

PROS

The team has two star players on the roster- Rick Nash and Jeff Carter.

The Jackets have a very good coach behind the bench, he's just not the guy in charge. (Todd Richards)

The team has some players who could have value at the trade deadline- Antoine Vermette, Samuel Pahlsson, Kristian Huselius, R.J. Umberger, Derick Brassard, Mark Letestu, Vinny Prospal, Fedor Tyutin and Marc Methot.

There are a handful of promising young players on the roster already- Ryan Johansen, John Moore and Nikita Nikitin.

Derek Dorsett is having a career year, establishing himself as a solid third liner who can agitate and contribute offensively.

The team will have a high draft pick this summer, and there's a good chance it will be first overall.

In the minors, the team has a handful of promising wingers- Camt Atkinson, Matt Calvert, Maksim Mayorov and Tomas Kubalik. The same can be said for a pair of blueliners- David Savard and Cody Goloubef.

At the college level, T.J. Tynan is carving out a career that reminds us all of Atkinson. Tynan was also a member of Team USA at the World Juniors.

The team has a pair of prospects playing Canadian junior who look like they can be full-time NHLers- future third line center and captain material Boone Jenner, and playmaking center Michael Chaput.

The arena cannon is easily the coolest thing in any NHL arena.

Even though the team has struggled mightily, ownership has shown a willingness to spend to the cap. Whether or not they will back off from this after this season, until then the proof is in the pudding.

The team has one of the league's top goaltending coaches. Give him some talent to work with, and he'll work his magic. Some players just can't be coached, or have reached their limit.

CONS

The team doesn't have any goaltending. WIth all due respect to Curtis Sanford, who has put together a decent campaign, he's an AHL goaltender in most organizations. We haven't seen what Mark Dekanich is capable of due to injuries, but I think it's safe to say that Steve Mason is no longer in the team's long-term plans.

Head coach Scott Arniel has been given the vote of confidence from GM Scott Howson, but something has to give. This season is on the players, but whatever he is doing to change the culture of things isn't working. His New Year's Eve comments to Columbus media showed two things- a lack of full understanding of his team's situation (you bet your ass Hitch would have known the 4-on-4 plus/minus) and he had the look and demeanor of a man defeated.

The team seemingly lacks chemistry. Every line combo imagineable has been attempted, with no success.

This one is a bit weak, but worth the mention regardless- the team hasn't had any pretty, tic-tac-toe plays. The scoring that has occured has been ugly, desperate and at times soft. Almost every goal-for this season has been of the ho-hum variety. At least a couple of times a year a true highlight-reel goal has been scored.

The breakout from the defense to forwards has been atrocious.

The defense seems to play tentatively in the neutral zone. 50/50 pucks between the blue lines always see the Columbus defense immediately shifting to reverse and backskating to prepare for a chance against. I'm not saying the blueliners should be reckless and always rush the puck, but they shouldn't open up the gap every single time when the puck is loose in the neutral zone. Take chances, close the gap!

R.J. Umberger has not been himself this season. He's scored a couple of goals, but otherwise has been a non-factor. It's been said that he is the heart of the team, and if his play has any correlation to the team's success, it's no secret the team is dead last in the NHL, and vice-versa.

Injuries and suspensions are a fact of the NHL, and they can't lead to excuses. That said, the Jackets have been hit hard. Huselius, a big part of the top six, and Nash's playmaker, has been essentially out all season. The early season suspension to James WIsniewski was ridiculous. Not only was it far too many games, but the pressue on Wiz when he returned was too much. Now that the big free agent signing is injured, it just adds to a nightmare season for him. Jeff Carter has dealt with off-and-on foot injuries himself, and is only just starting to play like we thought he could. Backup goaltender Mark Dekanich has yet to play a game, and who knows? Maybe he could have strung together some wins and the team would be in a much different position than they are now.

The overall defensive play has been ugly. The team works hard, but still loses more battles than they win. This leads to an above average amount of scoring chances against.

The psyche of the team seems as weak as a kitten. If they get down by one goal, it takes them more than a period to start lifting their heads again. I'm not sure what it would take to show the players that they are very talented and are capable of beating almost anyone when they are at their best, but the message is not being received.

This was supposed to be Marc Methot's breakout year. It's hard to judge when a shutdown blueliner is having a career year, but Methot just isn't playing at the same level he was at the second half of last season.

This post was more of an exercise to set the current state of affairs, but as you can see, the cons outweigh the pros both in quantity and quality. Feel free to add to my list in the comments below. Just remember Jacket fans- it's not all bad! Hang in there, you've been great since day one, and just think of how sweet it will be when the team finally has success on the ice.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Dallas Stars

December 29, 2011 - 8:30pm EST
American Airlines Center- Dallas, Texas
Radio: 97.1 WBNS-FM - TV: Fox Sports Ohio
Opponents Blog: Defending Big D
Get Tickets

Tonight's game will be the third meeting of these two teams this season, with Dallas winning each of the first two games. Steve Mason will be making his third straight start, and will look to build off a strong outing last game against the Flames. He'll be opposite Kari Lehtonen, who gets the start for the Stars.

This game will be very telling- after GM Scott Howson announced that he will be active on the trade market, I'm eager to see which players got the message and will up their game in response to Howson's strong comments. I'll say this much though- I'm hoping that the top line as it stands now, with Carter, Nash and Johansen, continues to stay together and produce. I'd like to think that these three forwards are the core players up front, and I'd like to see them as a unit long-term.

Aside from that, look for a grinding, physical game tonight. I think the goalies will tell the story.

Continue reading this post »

As expected, tonight's game was physical and full of ill temper. It was exciting, with multiple lead changes. The Jackets led at two different times tonight, but a fluky goal, along with a softie later allowed the Blues to come away with a victory.

Check after the jump for a breakdown of the action.

Continue reading this post »

There's been one major development since the preview: according to Aaron Portzline of the Dispatch it looks like Steve Mason will get the start tonight, after Curtis Sanford experienced back spasms earlier today.

This is another chance for Mason to earn the number one job back. His performance between now and the end of the season will dictate whether he'll be back with the team next season. I'm pulling for him, but at this point it's a game-by-game audition. He's a good goaltender, but he needs to get some things sorted out.

Tonight would also be a good opportunity for the top line of Rick Nash, Jeff Carter and Vinny Prospal to have a truly dominant game. Talent-wise, they are one of the best in the league. Now it's time to prove it on a far more regular basis.

I put an end to my fearless predictions, but here's one anyway- James Wisniewski will score tonight.

See you after the game with the recap.

Columbus Blue Jackets at St.Louis Blues

December 18, 2011 - 8:00pm EST
Scottrade Center - St.Louis, Missouri
Radio: 97.1 WBNS-FM - TV: Fox Sports Ohio
Opponents Blog: St. Louis Game Time
Get Tickets

When the NHL schedule was first released, I identified the just-completed five game home stand as a crucial point in the season. Prior to the start of the year, I thought this stretch would be a fantastic opportunity for the Jackets to gain some points prior to the break, in what was hopefully a battle for the top of the division.It's obvious that things didn't work out that way, but I believe that the home stand was still crucial.

Crucial for the future of Scott Arniel as head coach.

So far, there have been six NHL head coaches fired this season already. All of those teams were struggling or looking for a shakeup, and all are ahead of Columbus in the standings. It's admirable that management and/or ownership has allowed Arniel to fight through the team's struggles, but there are no excuses left. The team's best players are healthy, the goaltending hasn't been a problem in over a month, but yet the team (which carries one of the highest payrolls in the league) still continues to lose on a regular basis. The recent home stand was an opportunity for Arniel to prove that this lineup could win. Instead, the team went 1-3-1. They looked out of sync, sloppy and disinterested. If this stretch of games wasn't the best litmus test, I don't know what it is.

Somewhat ironically, if tonight is Arniel's last game as Columbus' coach, it will be against the St.Louis Blues, coached by none other than Ken Hitchcock, the man that Arniel replaced with the Jackets.

The Jackets and Blues truly dislike each other, and tonight's game will no doubt be physical and nasty. Whether tonight is Arniel's last game or not, something has to give, and the irony of facing Hitchcock shouldn't be lost on anyone.

Continue reading this post »

I'll be honest, I enjoy reading rumor sites.

Not because I take them seriously or put any stock in these rumors, rather I enjoy tossing around ideas in my head of how teams would look if these supposed deals were to actually happen.

I'm a subscriber to The Hockey News, and in doing so I get their morning newsletter in my inbox. The December 14th rumor roundup had Lyle Richardson linking a story by Ottawa's Bruce Garrioch (I know, I know...). The proposed deal would see Derick Brassard dealt to the Maple Leafs for Nazem Kadri.

I've used this space before to discuss a trade involving Brassard. After sitting in the pressbox for a better part of a month, Brassard has been back in the Columbus lineup recently, and from my vantage point he's been playing well. The points aren't there, but he doesn't seem to be making mistakes and has been given powerplay time, occasionally with Rick Nash and Jeff Carter on the top unit. That said, I believe the coaching staff still still feels the same way about Brassard, but perhaps this time around they were given a directive to put him in the lineup for the purpose of showcasing him. I feel inclined to mention that this is personal speculation on my part.

The Jackets are not going to make the playoffs this season, so a deal that sends Brassard and his 3-plus million per season contract to another team makes sense, especially if the coaches have lost faith in him.

These thoughts are why I wanted to take a Garrioch rumor and expand on it. Again, not because I am a rumor monger, but because I can see some logic to a Brassard for Kadri trade. The Leafs can use a player with Brassard's experience and skill set. The Jackets could use the cap relief, and would gain a skilled young player in return. Kadri has only played three games for the Leafs this season, with one assist. He's played a bulk of the season with Toronto's AHL affiliate, the Marlies, putting up 8-14-22 in 19 games. If Kadri joined the Jackets, he could continue to develop in Springfield, and be ready next season for the final year of his entry-level contract, where he would be expected to become a full-time Jacket. If it doesn't work out, the Jackets can decline to offer him a new contract and he'd become a free agent. On the other hand, if he performs well the Jackets can elect to sign him to a new deal, on their terms.

It's hard to say where Kadri would fit in, but with the potential departures of Samuel Pahlsson and Kristian Huselius after this season, and Vinny Prospal and Maksim Mayorov needing new contracts, an influx of skill may be required in the organization. I think it's obvious that Prospal should be brought back, but if the team loses Huselius, and if Mayorov decides that the KHL is a better option, Kadri makes sense.

You saw this coming, here's a potential lineup next year:

Prospal - Carter - Nash
Kadri - Johansen - Umberger
Letestu - Vermette - Dorsett
Calvert / Atkinson / Kubalik - MacKenzie - Boll

Kadri has a similar skill set to Huselius, so there's a logical fit there. The issue though, as the Maple Leafs have noticed, is that Kadri is a player who needs to be on a scoring line. You can't throw him on the checking unit, and he'd almost be wasted on the fourth line. If under this, or a similar scenario he doesn't do well, the Jackets can simply not re-sign him.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on a Brassard for Kadri deal.

The Jackets were in for a tough test tonight, but backed by strong goaltending from Steve Mason, a regulation goal from Jeff Carter and three straight goals in the shootout they ended the night on a winning note. It was one of those victories that feels better because it was hard-earned.

Read on for a recap of the night that was.

Continue reading this post »

Let's not sugar coat this, the Jackets have their work cut out for them tonight. The Canucks are hot, very hot, right now, winning nine of their last ten games. Columbus will need to make the most of every powerplay, and will need to avoid taking penalties themselves.

The biggest story for tonight's game remains Steve Mason- the team's franchise goaltender will make his first start in almost a month. How the team in front of him responds to him being back in the cage remains to be seen, but Mason has had a lot of time to work with goaltending coach Ian Clark. There's no denying the fact that Mason will need to be strong tonight against the Canucks.

Look for Dane Byers to come out banging bodies tonight, looking to make an impact after being called up from Springfield yesterday.

Vancouver Canucks at Columbus Blue Jackets

December 13, 2011 - 7:00pm EST
Nationwide Arena - Columbus, Ohio
Radio: 97.1 WBNS-FM - TV: Fox Sports Ohio
Opponents Blog: Nucks Misconduct
Get Tickets

This is the third meeting between the Jackets and Canucks, with Vancouver winning both contests. The most noticeable discrepancy between these two teams are on special teams-Columbus is at or near the bottom on both the powerplay and penalty kill, while the Canucks are among the league's best in both categories. It's crucial for Columbus to stay out of the box tonight.

R.J. Umberger has been playing his best hockey of the season the past handful of games, and I look for him to have a big night, especially going up against former teammate and rival Ryan Kesler. I'm just going to throw this out there, but I think you'll see James Wisniewski on the scoresheet tonight. While he continues to turn the puck over more than any of us would like, the Jackets will look to pepper the Vancouver goal with pucks all night long, and The Wiz loves to let 'er rip.

Continue reading this post »

The Jackets have ten prospects playing Division One hockey in the NCAA. Of the ten, six are forwards, three are blueliners and there is one goaltender. There are a couple of prospects who have the potential to be impact players, while some seem like their tenure in the organization won't go past this season.

Check after the jump for updates on the ten Columbus prospects playing in the NCAA.

Continue reading this post »