Blue Jackets Blogger Roundtable, Part 5

The Blue Jackets kick off the 2011-12 NHL campaign tonight at Nationwide against the Nashville Predators. The bandwagon has been washed, waxed and gassed up. It's time to get this party started. But before we do, let's take care of some unfinished business.

Welcome to the fifth and final installment of the Blue Jackets Blogger Roundtable. All week long, Matt Wagner from The Cannon has been releasing segments of a roundtable discussion he led involving other CBJ bloggers. The panel consists of Andy Krygier of CBJ Blog, Mike MacLean and Dan P. from The Cannon, Alison Lukan from Heart of A Jacket, J.Martin Poston of Martini Hockey, Jeff Little of Ten Minute Misconduct and yours truly. Parts 1 through 4 can be found here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4. Let's have at it.

Question #9: I’m borrowing a question overheard many times online: The defense can certainly score more than last year – but are they better?

Jeff: Yes.  Part of the problem the defense had was the inability to skate with the opposition, particularly for Hejda and Commodore.  We have a strong skating unit now, with a nice combination of youth and veteran savvy.  Methot is a key.  He has not looked good in camp, and has to stop being a spectator, trapping himself on the backhand, and finishing people off physically.  He's playing like he's a legend in his own mind right now, and somebody needs to snap him out of it.  But overall, the unit is much better.  Also, keep in mind that an improved scoring punch means the puck spends less time in the defensive zone, and with the ability to score, the pressure is reduced.

Alison:  Yes - If Savard continues to improve, the 3rd pair will be stronger than in past years.  Tyutin, and Wiz have shown scoring ability, while Methot, and Martinek are reliable when on the ice. 

CBJ fans hope The Wiz  is the missing piece to the CBJ playoff puzzle.

Andy: 2011-2012 in:

Martinek

Wisniewski

Savard

Johnson 

Moore

Holden

2010-2011 out: 

Stralman (thank god!)

Lepisto

Hejda

Klesla

Commodore

Rivet

Do you trade to get the 2011-2012 group straight up for the 2010-2011 group? I'd say no doubt.  Of the group we lost, the only ones I'll miss are Hejda and Klesla.  No matter what your favorite motivational poster says, you win games and championships by outscoring opponents and you do that by scoring more or giving up less goals than your opponent. Do Wisniewski and Martinek represent an increase in goal differential over Hejda and Klesla.  Absolutely.

Dan:  Depends on how you define "better". I think they can move the puck better, which is what Scott Arniel wants. They don't have a true "shut down" pair in my estimation, but they have a top pair that can play high minutes, and that is responsible in getting the puck up and out to move it the other way. I think one thing the team is counting on is increased offensive possession, which should do a little to hide any warts defensively. 

Greg: This is a classic chicken/egg situation. Does a good offense start with a good defense, or does a good defense start with a good offense? On paper, this defense would appear to be a little thinner than what the Jackets rostered over the last two seasons. That being said, it would not surprise me if they post better numbers than those defenses did. Arniel came to Columbus preaching puck-possession. The problem was he didn't have the all the parts he needed. But Howson went on a veritable shopping spree in the off-season and, as discussed, several young guns are loaded and cocked. Perhaps we might finally start to witness the kind of play that made Arniel's teams so dominant in the AHL. The Real Arniel (I hereby copyright that phrase). If the Jackets start playing puck-possession hockey, the d-line and Mason will be big beneficiaries. Will they be better? Maybe not. But maybe they won't have to be.


(Continued after the break)

Martin: Depends on how well they play in their own end. Getting the puck out of your own zone and into the opponent’s net are important for defensemen, but the ability to shut down the play in the neutral zone and your own end are critical. That said, I think we’re looking at a slightly improved defensive corps, which I think will improve as the season goes on. It has to, to make sure Mason and Dekanich are getting good looks at the puck.

Mike: With Anton Stralman and Jan Hejda leaving the team via free agency, the team needed to fill the holes they created. Stralman was supposed to provide offense, but he didn’t meet expectations. Wisniewski is a legitimate offensive threat, a huge upgrade over Stralman. To fill the shutdown role that Hejda played, the Jackets signed Radek Martinek. I think this move is a lateral one, with the exception that the Jackets saved a lot of dough. In addition, stud prospect David Savard is on the roster, and he will provide scoring and steady play. Aaron Johnson, who is the likely 7^th defender in Columbus, is a veteran who can slide into the lineup and provide solid play. Marc Methot is ready for a breakout, and Fedor Tyutin has shown this preseason that he can provide more production. This blueline group will be both better, and higher scoring.

Question #10: How do you feel the lack of James Wisniewski and Mark Dekanich for the first 8 games is likely to affect the team on and off the ice?

Jeff:  No question that Wisniewski will be missed on the ice, and we could see some early struggles on the power play.  On the other hand, it provides an opportunity for a Savard or a Clitsome to get some top line experience.  Off the ice, I don't see an impact.  There are 74 other games, and these guys are professionals.  Every team is going to have injuries, suspensions, etc., so it's just another thing that needs to be dealt with in a long season.  The Dekanich thing is a minor issue, so long as it doesn't drag much longer than four weeks, and Mason stays healthy.  Sanford looks pretty good, and I'm sure Howson has his finger on the button in case Mason gets hurt or melts down and Dekanich is hurt long term.  Again, though, I don't see an off-ice impact.

Alison: one can look at this glass half full or glass half empty. Because we can't change either situation, I'm choosing the former. The reality is that Mason needs to prove himself and Wiz can't be our only powerhouse. If Mason can't be a solid #1 goalie, everyone (including GMSH) will agree that Dex is not yet our long term answer - so quite frankly this may just force the issue more readily and allow us to start to navigate the goalie landscape earlier if we need to. Regarding Wiz, assuming he's still practicing (and perhaps travelling) with the team, a lot of what we need him for will continue to infiltrate the team - leadership and direction, fire, understanding how to run the PP. We don't have a lot of Wiz's out there, but we will have access to that leadership. Also, the challenge of "overcoming" what some view as an "unfair (in length)" suspension, could create a valuable "us against them" mentality and also drive our D men to go even harder to be better. I believe that you can see what the new sense of competition from the new talent (both traded for and brought up in youth) is doing to the team and I like it. That coupled with a "righting a wrong" mentality could be valuable. [Now, all this goes out the window if Matt Cooke plays in similar form to last year, and doesn't get at least 8 games, and we end up losing the majority of our first 8, just sayin ;) ]

Andy: Dekanich, not too much.  Mason was going to play a lot early anyways and Dekanich might not have played until the back-to-back on Oct 21/22.  Wisniewski missing 1/10th of the season is a hit.  At least years pace, that's 1g, 4a and you never want to take points off the ice.  It gives the younger guys a chance to shine, but that's about the only positive.

Dan: It's likely to affect them on the ice, for sure. You're losing your #1 defenseman for 10% of the season. It's certainly not going to help. I don't know that Dekanich affects them quite so much on the ice, because Steve Mason--if he's playing well--can probably make the first eight starts of the season without an issue. Off the ice, Wisniewski is showing himself to be a legitimate leader, and so that certainly hurts as well. But, there is enough veteran presence in the room with Nash, Umberger, Tyutin, and company to get them through eight games. After all: they didn't have Wiz last season, and the room didn't implode.

Greg: Mason looks good to go and appears to be ready to be ridden hard to start the season. His health is paramount though. The loss of Wisniewski is more troubling. The law firm of Tyutin, Martinek, Clitsome and Methot is not going to scare off too many plaintiffs, but they all look like they can carry a heavy case load. Here again, an injury in the next 8 games could be very problematic. Still, look for Wiz's suspension to expedite the team bonding process and for them to pull together during his absence knowing they are going to get a helpful boost come October 25th when he makes his Jackets debut against the Red Wings.

Martin: It's tough when you have highly-anticipated players sitting out, especially when you're talking about guys like Wiz and Dex. I tend to lean more toward the Hitch side of the debate... injuries (or suspensions) are not an excuse. This is an opportunity to build character. Guys know they have to step up and keep playing. It's an opportunity to prove something, and potentially make the team stronger.

Mike: I don’t think the team will be affected at all off the ice. The Wisniewski suspension hurts, but as I touched on earlier, it’s an opportunity for Kris Russell (and David Savard) to show what they are truly capable of. It’s unsure how many starts Dekanich would have made over Mason between now and when he’s due back from injury, but if need be Sanford is a capable veteran who can provide steady play.

Finally, the all important question: Where do you see this team finishing this year, and who will be the biggest impact players?

Jeff: I think this is a playoff team, likely somewhere around the #6 slot, but higher wouldn't shock me.  I think you're going to see a surprising variety of impact players, simply because the talent that was added is going to open up the ice and create opportunities for others to show their stuff.  Carter, Nash, Wisniewski are obvious choices, but I see big years for Vermette and Brassard as well.  Umberger will contribute his stuff as well, but he really needs to improve puck handling.  Other guys, like Martinek, will contribute in ways that may not be obvious on the scoresheet.  Mason, of course, will be an impact player, and I see a return to solid form for him, with a more potent offense and more predictable defense in front of him.

Alison: 6th in the West.  Optimism abounds, however reality is the West is still tough.  The team MUST avoid losing streaks, and has to show it can win in Nashville, and take a few games from Detroit, San Jose, and Vancouver

Andy: Stanley Cup champions.  Kidding (or am I?).  I see them as improved significantly over last year and I thought they underachieved last year.   I'll go with 7-8 seed in the playoffs with a good Mason, 4-6 with a very good Mason, and golfing in April with last years Mason. Impact… Rick Nash.  I think all this stuff about Nash and Carter both being shooters is bunk.  Nash is a world class player (that was made exceptionally clear at the Vancouver Winter Olympics) who has had the burden of being the only top player on the team for too long.  Jeff Carter lightens that load enormously, even if they play on different lines.  You heard it here first (questionable assertion):  Rick Nash scores 45g this year if he's healthy for 70+ games.

Dan: I see them coming in around 7th in the West, and 3rd in their division ahead of Nashville and St. Louis. I don't get the sense that those two teams did enough to stay/move up this off-season, and the Jackets certainly did. The Jackets were close in February of 2011, and with the additions of legitimate veteran talent, I think it pushes them over the line into the top 8. In terms of impact players, I think I'm giddy about the numbers that Nash will put up, but in terms of pure impact I'm looking to a guy like Vinny Prospal. Watching him in the pre-season, you just get the sense of a pure veteran who knows what's expected of him, what he needs to do out on the ice, and where to be at all times. He's a playmaker, and I think he will be a tremendous contributor to whichever scoring line he's on, as well as on the Power Play.

Greg: I almost hate to answer this question. Because I really have no feel for how good this team could be. Do they look better on paper? Yes. But there are so many intangibles. Will all these new guys unite, quickly, in the locker room? What injuries, to whom and how bad? And then there is Toronto's tendency to give it to Columbus in the shorts at seemingly every turn. How much of a buzzkill might it be when The Little Man steps up to the podium and announces that Detroit is going to the East and we're not? Or maybe, just maybe, this will be the year when the Jackets and their fans take 10+ years of frustration, melt it all down and recast it as cannonballs, aim them at the league's shorts and start to fire back. And it's plausible at least. I'm sensing momentum. I'm sensing a second-year coach coming into his own. I'm sensing lots of offense. And I'm sensing a statue of Ian Clark somewhere on Nationwide Boulevard in 5-10 years. If all that happens, I feel comfortable picking the Jackets to finish 5th in the West and make it to the conference semifinals. Baby steps. Giant baby steps actually. Biggest impact player: that's easy. Welcome back Old Mason.

Martin: The Jackets are in. It leans heavily on offseason acquisitions like Carter and Wisniewski, but the heat is on Mason, and the season will hinge on his offseason improvement, and his continued improvement over the course of the season. A few voices in the Columbus blogosphere have said that Ian Clark was the CBJ’s most important acquisition in the offseason. They may be right. I have the Jackets finishing sixth or seventh. The Central Division will be in the top nine in the Western Conference, and whether it’s St. Louis or Chicago making the cut for the Playoffs will be determined in April.

Mike: I think this team will fight with Detroit all season for second place in the Central division, with Chicago finishing as division winner. At this point, prior to the season starting, Columbus has a more complete team than both Nashville and St. Louis. If Steve Mason can provide strong play, Columbus is looking at a 5-6-7 spot in the West. Here is my Western Conference prediction:

1) Vancouver 2) Chicago 3) Los Angeles 4) San Jose Sharks 5) Anaheim Ducks 6) Columbus Blue Jackets 7) Detroit Red Wings 8) Nashville Predators