By Tom T
That was an interesting weekend in CBJ-land. Jarmo added to Senators – Duchene already with two games as a Jacket – to the upcoming lineup. On ice the Union Blue took two victories and re-claimed the 3rd place spot in the Metro standings. THE Ohio State Buckeyes won the Big Ten Men’s Hockey Championship (at TTUN’s home ice) while the women took down #1 ranked Wisconsin twice with shootout victories. Bonus, we got to see the Pens lose in dramatic fashion on national television.
Last Week
Record: 2 – 2
Games:
· L, TBL 5 – 1. Ugly. Bolts came in and showed why they are the class of the NHL this year. · L, MTL 3 – 2. Road loss to a team fighting to get in the playoffs. CBJ need to learn how to win these games. · W, OTT 3 – 0. Energized by the Duchene acquisition the Jackets got the job done against an inferior and emotionally deflated Sens team. · W, SJS 4 – 0. The type of win a playoff-bound team gets. Second straight shutout for Bob, Duchene’s 1st goal as a Jacket and taking down one of the top Western Conference teams. · Acquired both Duchene and Dzingel from OTT.
The Trades
Duchene
I’m still excited by this trade, especially after seeing his excitement to join the team and his skill on the ice. As I heard someone say this weekend, they guy can stickhandle in a phone booth. For millennials that is confusing, I know, but for the rest of us that are 40+ and remember phone booths, it is an impressive complement. The price was steep for him, but I believe if he can be re-signed it will be worth it, in the near future, at least.
Dzingel
CBJ get Dzingel and a 7th round pick for, two 2nd round picks and Duclair. Knee jerk reaction is that this was an overpayment. And that the Jackets will not have a significant draft pick until 2021. The Nyquist deal seems to confirm the overpayment. However, he has had back-to-back quality seasons and has ties to C-Bus that may influence him to re-sign here. The jury is still out on this move, but Dzingel is an upgrade from Duclair.
Are there more moves to come from Kek? It would not surprise me. Good money is that Bob stays as there has not really been a market for goalies this trade cycle. Panarin is 50/50 at this point. Jarmo would have to get an offer he could not refuse, Godfather style, to move him at this point.
This Week
Will both PA teams suffer from outdoor game hangovers? I certainly hope so. That game was a spectacle, it was exciting, showcased a deep rivalry and a good collection of today’s stars. In short, it lived up to the hype. As hockey fans we should all be happy with how the NHL and our sport performed in the prime-time spotlight. Both those teams make their way to Columbus this week. First up, PIT, the loser of the outdoor game, who now find themselves on the outside looking in on the playoff picture. Like a cornered animal, they will be dangerous. Historically the CBJ have struggled with PIT. Can they get this monkey off their back and solidify a playoff spot? I believe they can as these two teams are headed in opposite directions.
Thursday the Flyers come to town. Philly finds themselves 7 points from a playoff spot with their darling goalie, Carter Hart out of the lineup with the infamous ‘lower-body-injury’. This is a bit of a trap game if the Jackets are coming off a W against PIT. I know that is a big IF. With only two games this week Torts should have them focused and ready to win both.
In honor of the Flyers coming to town I have decided to get the thoughts of a local Philly fan about their season, the new goalie and the trade deadline. Adam has been a friend of mine for over a decade, we met playing hockey. He grew up in Philly, where his parents still live. During the 2010 playoffs we caught game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals where my-then-Chicago-Blackhawks would lose for the last time in the 2010 season and go on to hoist the cup. If you have never had been thrown on you as an opposing fan in Philadelphia you have not lived as a hockey fan. Here is some of the Q&A from our interview:
Q1: Give me your take on Wayne Simmonds. Does he still hold a place on the Flyers team? What would you expect to get in return for him? Where would you want to see him play, not want to see him play?
While Simmonds is a heart and soul type player who will be the first one to stand up for a teammate. I do believe his time as a Flyer is over…for now? He is 30yrs old and will be looking for his final contract. While his numbers haven’t quite shown it, I do believe he will be on the decline. I believe the Flyers trade him and will likely get more then what he’s really worth. I believe the Flyers will get a prospect and a 1st round pick and he will be a rental for the remainder of the season. The reason I said “for now… above, is it would not surprise me to see him go to another team as a rental and then re-sign with the Flyers during free agency with a team friendly contract that works out for both the Flyers and Simmonds. After all, he has stated that he would like to retire as a Flyer. If he goes somewhere as a “rental… and doesn’t re-sign after this season, I have no preference which team he goes too…however if he were to sign an extension, I would like to see him out West. Q2: Was calling up Carter Hart a good decision at this point in the season? Do you think he is the long-term solution at G for Philly? Are you afraid that he may turn out like Steve Mason did with the Jackets?
Given the Flyers goalie carousel this season and where they were in the standings at the time they called him up, I absolutely believe it was the right decision. It puts him in a no pressure situation where he can begin to get NHL games under his belt. The main reason for the recent Flyers success was strictly the play of Carter Hart. The Flyers were finally getting the saves they were lacking the first half of the season. There is no question that he is the future goalie for the Flyers. They recently brought in Cam Talbot with whom already had a friendly relationship with Carter Hart outside of the rink. Talbot served as an admirable backup to Lundquist in NYR and gives Carter Hart some veteran experience. I look forward to many years of Hart/Talbot as the new goalie tandem with Hart winning a Vezina in the next 5 years. Q3: Do the Flyers have a chance of making the playoffs? Do you want them to make the playoffs? Would you rather they stop winning in order to get a better draft position? If they make the playoffs what are your expectations in the playoffs?
If you had asked me this question prior to the Lightning and Canadiens losses, I would have said, yes, I think they will sneak into the final Wild Card spot and I had thought the Canadiens would be the team to drop out given they were on a 3-game losing streak. Even with those recent losses, I would like for them to still go after it. With Carter Hart in goal now, you want this to be a good learning experience for him. They are not going to be bad enough to have a chance of Jack Hughes, give the fans something to be excited about for next season. Now, for the sake of it, let’s just say they go on a tear, only lose 2-3 more games in the regular season and do sneak into the final Wild Card spot. Their reward…the Lightning who just man-handled them at home. While I believe the Flyers have enough talent to win a game or two, they would be dismissed in the first round by the Lightning in a 4-1 or 4-2 series. While another first round dismissal would not sit well with the loyal fan base, it would still prove as a valuable experience for Carter Hart. Q4: Who is your favorite player on the current Flyers roster and who is it all-time? Why?
My favorite player on the current roster was Brayden Schenn before he was traded to St. Louis. He was my favorite for the sole reason my two young boys ages 10 and 7 came to love him. We were attending a Flyers/Jackets game in Columbus two years ago. We were all decked out in our Flyers gear watching the pre-game warm-up right up on the glass on the Flyers side. As the players normally do, they like to toss out pucks to younger fans. Brayden Schenn caught eye of my boys who were pounding on the glass looking for any attention. Brayden Schenn went ahead and picked up the puck he had just finished stick handling with and tossed it over the glass. My 10-year-old was quick to catch it. My 7-year-old however started to break down in tears. As Brayden Schenn was skating away, he happened to observe the situation I was now dealing with, picked up another puck, pointed at my 7-year-old and tossed me over another puck. My favorite player on today’s current roster, is Claude Giroux. He’s the captain, the leading scorer, and the face of the franchise since the Richards/Carter trades. His #28 will be retired by the Flyers once he retires…without question. My favorite past Flyer was always Mark Recchi. I loved the way he played the game. Even today when I play hockey, I play on my off-wing just like Mark Recchi. My favorite line back in the early 90’s was the “Crazy Eights… that consisted of Eric Lindros #88, Mark Recchi #8, and Brent Fedyk #18. Q5: Are the Flyers buyers or sellers on Monday?
Even before the recent losses to the Lightning and Canadiens, the Flyers were going to be sellers. There are a few players that I can see the Flyers trading before the deadline. The obvious one is Wayne Simmonds. However, I do believe there will be a market for Radko Gudas. Gudas can add some value to a team looking for some depth on defense that plays with that edge. The Flyers just brought up Philippe Myers from the AHL and looks to be NHL ready and serving as a 7th defensemen. Moving Gudas will give the opportunity to Myers to get some NHL experience in while the season is all about shot. Michael Raffl is another player I can see the Flyers shopping. He can be served as a depth forward on a team’s 3rd or 4th line but also carries some skill to fill in on a 2nd line when needed. A player I would love to see go but likely won’t due to his contract is Andrew McDonald. This contract was a disaster from the day it was signed. Getting this off the books would be a huge win for the new GM Fletcher. There you have it a little late-season chat with a Flyers fan. I am excited to see what else transpires today at the deadline and to see how far this CBJ team can advance this spring. Who do you want to see the Jackets bring in today? Who do you want to see them ship out?