Autopsy of the Blue Jackets

[Mack674]

In another 2 or 3 games, Columbus is literally going to be out of the playoffs already..

I might be slightly off but on tsn the other night they were saying that only 2 teams since the lockout have recovered from a 7 point deficit to make the playoffs if they were that far back by november 1st. Yikes.

At one point do you think the vultures will start circling and trying to pick off players from their roster?
Theres no way that kind of start would fly here, montreal, or any of the big hockey markets. The coaches would be long gone, and or alot of the players would be up for grabs.

If they continue to slide, could provide an opportunity to capitalize on a panicking franchise? Do they have anybody the Leafs could really use?

 

[maplesyrup]

I'd still very much like Carter.

 

[Rebel_1812]

I'd still very much like Carter.

then what do we do with connolly?  Drop him off at a construction yard and hope his accident prone nature will resolve the situation?

 

[maplesyrup]

I'd still very much like Carter.

then what do we do with connolly? 

Carter is also capable of playing wing in the mean time... Either way, if the opportunity presented itself, Connolly and his status with this team wouldn't get it my way.

 

[Kin]

I don't know that there's going to be much in the way of discounting going on. Or, if there is, it's probably going to be for guys like Vermette as opposed to Carter and Nash.

 

[princedpw]

Theres no way that kind of start would fly here, montreal, or any of the big hockey markets. The coaches would be long gone, and or alot of the players would be up for grabs.

Ummm, didn't the leafs have pretty close (not exactly) to that start last year and the year before?  What happened to our coaches?

 

[bustaheims]

I don't know that there's going to be much in the way of discounting going on. Or, if there is, it's probably going to be for guys like Vermette as opposed to Carter and Nash.

Yeah. They'll be selling off spare parts rather than key pieces. It's guys like Huselius (if/when he's healthy), Pahlsson and Prospal that will be on the move.

 

[maplesyrup]

I also very much like Umberger but he's pushing 30 now. Not that he's "old"  but he would be by comparison to our forward group and our entire team for that matter.

 

[Stronger Than All]

I sure wish the beat the Sens the other night. 

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I also very much like Umberger but he's pushing 30 now. Not that he's "old"  but he would be by comparison to our forward group and our entire team for that matter.

I'd include Umberger in their list of untouchables. The organization if incredibly high on the guy.

Any trade with Columbus would be tricky to pull off. They want to be competitive so it's not like they'll be selling off pieces for draft picks or prospects. And they won't want to give up their best players in a backwards move. I'd hope they get desperate and put Brassard up on the block, but I don't think we have what it takes to acquire him. I could see them being interested in Franson though.

 

[maplesyrup]

I also very much like Umberger but he's pushing 30 now. Not that he's "old"  but he would be by comparison to our forward group and our entire team for that matter.

I'd include Umberger in their list of untouchables. The organization if incredibly high on the guy.

Any trade with Columbus would be tricky to pull off. They want to be competitive so it's not like they'll be selling off pieces for draft picks or prospects. And they won't want to give up their best players in a backwards move. I'd hope they get desperate and put Brassard up on the block, but I don't think we have what it takes to acquire him. I could see them being interested in Franson though.

Another thing to consider I guess is that given their bold moves and state of the franchise, they just might go the other way and add as opposed to subtract.

 

[moon111]

sportsclubstats.com puts Columbus at a 6.1% chance of making the playoffs.
The Leafs are at 68.2%.  If the Leafs don't lose more then 25 games for the rest of the season, they're guaranteed to male the playoffs.

 

[Deebo]

They have little cap room at this point, any salary coming in would have to see at least an equal amount going out.

 

[maplesyrup]

They have little cap room at this point, any salary coming in would have to see at least an equal amount going out.

Yeah... It's really not a good situation for them.

 

[The Red Polar Bear]

Another thing to consider I guess is that given their bold moves and state of the franchise, they just might go the other way and add as opposed to subtract.

I don't see that happening. They're maxed out cap-wise and only have LTIR space. Furthermore, looking at next year, they already have 50mil on the cap for only 15 players, with all of the RFAs/UFAs being the cheap contracts (besides Huselius).

I'm not even sure what we'd be able to trade for. They're not gonna trade Carter or Nash, we don't need a D-man or a goalie (of which they have 4 listed)... I'd like Brassard, but it's not exactly like we're short on centres.

Man, I'm looking at that roster, and it's amazing to me how they're at the cap. Though, the fact that they're carrying 3 extra Fs, 3 extra Ds and 2 extra Gs has a lot to do with it, even though they're all cheap contracts.

 

[maplesyrup]

Maybe Wisniewski will help... If they don't improve by American Thanksgiving, they're cooked.

 

[lamajama]

I'd still very much like Carter.

then what do we do with connolly?  Drop him off at a construction yard and hope his accident prone nature will resolve the situation?

OK that was a LMFAO moment.

Thanks  ;D

 

[Erndog]

Their next 4 games are against Detroit, Buffalo, Chicago and Anaheim so they could conceivably be out of the playoffs by next week.

Meaning- cut costs.  No team (owner) that is out of the playoffs this early is willing to let millions flush away like that.

Having said that, like Busta pointed out, it's likely going to be Huselius, Vermette, and Prospal that get turfed through this.  I can't see Nash/Carter being available before a) a coaching (managerial) change... and b) bering terrible for another year or two after having dumped those aforementioned contracts.

 

[ZBBM]

There is a fundamental disconnect in this discussion.  Why would the owner of an expansion franchise dump the best players off the roster as a cost-cutting move?  To send a signal to the fans that you are giving up on winning but hey, why don't you all come out to the games anyway to watch the stiffs I just brought in?

Any business owner knows you don't liquidate core capital.  Unless for some reason you are trying to go out of business.

 

[Mack674]

Boston dumping Thornton turned out to be great move for them in the long run. I doubt they deal Nash but who knows.

Either way, whatever theyre doing is not working whatsoever and the longer this slump goes on...

I didnt mean it had anything to do with cost cutting, but slightly more to do with the fact that theyve yet to win a hockey game yet this year and if they lose one or two more theyre pretty much out of the playoffs already.

Doing nothing about that situation tells me you're giving up on winning. Dealing star players for youth/prospects is called rebuilding because your team is an epic fail, not cost cutting.