Jf doesn't like the draft he gets when he plays in a short skirt. I keep telling him to go with a unitard, but he's just so old school!
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"Every game, every point is a necessity." -- Ty Conklin, January 2007
"I'll have a chance to compete for the post of first issue. This is the most important thing." -- Sergei Bobrovsky, June 2012
Go ahead and wipe out the season. Davidson and his staff can have unfettered months to study, analyze and scout the minors, juniors and colleges in preparation for the draft. Remember, the Jackets have three first-round picks next year — their own as well as the Los Angeles Kings’ and the New York Rangers’. It could be a windfall.
You know what would be better? If Davidson was able to figure out the lay of the actual team. Is there actually something to build from on the forward corps or is it as crappy as most people seem to think it is? Is Derick Brassard going to turn into anything more than an often-injured 45 point 2nd line center who doesn't play defense or is there something more there? Is there actually something to the reports that Mason actually worked hard this offseason and maybe his rookie season wasn't one of the the biggest flukes in NHL history? Is Jack Johnson really the #1 defensemen he looked like after he came over last season? Is Nikita Nikitin for real? Is Todd Richards actually a decent coach or does he simply look competent because his predecessor was awful?
It's certainly harder to answer these questions during a lockout.
And I really don't buy that this team was anything but lottery material. It definitely would have been more entertaining, but I don't think that would have translated to wins. So in that sense, the lockout probably hurt our chances of getting a franchise type player. With this team's luck, we'll probably get the 5th pick, get a good but not great player, and remain mired in the "Awful, but not awful enough to improve significantly enough to have a cup-winning core"
Edit: In summary, I would have bought that article if he had gone the "This lockout might not be as awful for the Jackets as one might think", not the "Root for the lockout" approach.
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Truth should never get in the way of a good persecution complex.
To the fans, they have been serving up lemons and guano for months now, with no end in sight. So, let us make lemonade and bat salad.
My how I've missed Arace's writing.
Something for him to chew on, sure the lockout will harm the fanbase of every team. But maybe not so much for the Jackets. I figure the fanbase has already been reduced as far as it can go by the team's performance. Those that remain are likely the ones who are utterly incapable of quitting (due to some dependence or maybe they just forgot their ticket rep's phone number).
Financially, it makes sense for both the Blue Jackets and their fans. The CBJ don't have to pay those bad contracts Howson wrote and fans don't have to pay to watch bad hockey.
However, it may cost us draft time. The 2005 lockout lottery opened the door to all teams winning the "Crosby" draft. Every team started with 3 balls, then had one taken away for each playoff appearance in last 3 years or first overall draft pick they had during last 4 years. Based on this, it looks like the CBJ would only have a 10% chance at the #1 overall draft pick, versus the 48.2% chance they had this past Spring for finishing last in the league.
Teams with 3 Lottery Balls
Columbus (5 total balls including 1 from NYR and 1 from LA)
Minnesota
Dallas
Calgary
Toronto
Carolina
Winnipeg
Teams with 2 Lottery Balls
Anaheim
Colorado
NYI
Florida
Tampa
St Louis
Teams with 1 Lottery Ball
Remaining 17 teams
50 total balls, Columbus with 5 total balls including NYR's and LA's.
Of course, this could be better overall. We could see better overall picks with LA and NYR's balls than if the season was played. There's a 0.0023% chance the CBJ could have the 1st, 2nd and 3rd overall picks using this formula. That's about a 1 in 50,000 shot
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“@Aportzline: RT @skeezer1212: @Aportzline are you on record about if you think they should trade Nash, *Carter? / Not my place. Reporter, not columnist.”
Cancel the season already. Blow it up. Start over. Let's see how they put this back together.
Such an idiot. Even questions Davidson's integrity before the guy has the chance to do ANYTHING.
"(Wonder if the deal reached so quickly between Prospal and the Blue Jackets last winter -- a one-year recurring contract as long as he wants to keep playing, then a job within the organization -- will still be honored now that Davidson is in charge of hockey ops?)"
This is why, the cookie trick notwithstanding, the pay to view switch from the dispatch is a blessing in disguise.
Teams like the CBJ are viewed as reasons for the lockout by other fans. Now we have local writers, including the beat reporter, seemingly cheering on the lockout.
Such an idiot. Even questions Davidson's integrity before the guy has the chance to do ANYTHING.
"(Wonder if the deal reached so quickly between Prospal and the Blue Jackets last winter -- a one-year recurring contract as long as he wants to keep playing, then a job within the organization -- will still be honored now that Davidson is in charge of hockey ops?)"
Didn't realize it was a recurring contract. As a matter of fact I can't believe that it is. At forward, in his 44th season, Vinnie Prospal.
Anyway, I don't see the harm (or idiocy) in Porty's musings. I'm pretty sure if Prospal is the stand up guy as has been reported, Davidson will give him a shot, but as the new guy in charge, it is his call as to how, and with whom he structures and staffs his organization.
