Should He Stay Or Should He Go?
Should He Stay Or Should He Go: The Recap
With much of the free agency dust settled around the Blue Jackets and the rest of the NHL, by reader request, we'll take a look today at how our "Should He Stay or Should He Go" votes worked out compared to the results in the first week of July.
Should He Stay or Should He Go: Ben Guite
Name: Ben Guite
Position: Center
Status: UFA
2010-2011 Salary / Cap Hit: $575K (NHL), $75K (AHL) / $575,000
Last 3 Years Stats:
| Year | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM |
| 2010-11 | 72 | 17 | 30 | 47 | +12 | 91 |
| 2009-10 | 64 | 8 | 13 | 21 | +3 | 56 |
| 2008-09 | 50 | 5 | 7 | 12 | +2 | 30 |
Second only to Tomas Kubalik in points, Ben Guite had a good season for the Falcons. A gritty centerman, Guite was signed as a free agent last summer by the Blue Jackets to add leadership for the young Falcon lineup. In a season marred with player movement, Guite remained the face of the franchise through the ups and downs of the season.
Should He Stay or Should He Go? Anton Stralman
Name: Anton Stralman
Position: Defenseman
Status: Restricted Free Agent
2010-2011 Salary/Cap Hit: $1,950,000 / $1,950,000
Last Three Years' Stats:
|
GP |
G |
A |
PTS |
+/- |
PIM |
|
51 |
1 |
17 |
18 |
-11 |
22 |
|
73 |
6 |
28 |
34 |
-17 |
37 |
|
38 |
1 |
12 |
13 |
-2 |
20 |
When he was originally acquired by Scott Howson from Calgary for a third round pick in 2009, Anton Stralman looked like the missing piece of the puzzle for the Jackets' back end. Contributing a power play goal in his first game, Stralman's point production from the blue line made up for the grumbles over his sometimes frustrating defense, and after Howson was able to get him back under contract without having to go through Salary Arbitration and a big raise from his entry level $750,000 deal, much was expected. Many thought he would be a key contributor under Scott Arniel with the man advantage, perhaps even improving from his 34 point season. Instead, he spent part of the year injured and much of it in the press box after making miscue after miscue, frequently negating the very power plays he was supposed to be aiding. Named the team's midseason goat by Puck Daddy, and the general sense by the end of the year was don't let the door hit you on the way out...
Should He Stay or Should He Go? Sami Lepisto
Name: Sami Lepisto
Position: Defense
Status: RFA
2010-2011 Salary/Cap Hit: $800,000 / $800,000
Qualifying Offer: $840,000
Last Three Years' Stats:
| Year | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM |
| '10-'11 | 70 | 4 | 12 | 16 | +10 | 55 |
| '09-'10 | 66 | 1 | 10 | 11 | +14 | 60 |
| '08-'09 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 4 | -3 | 6 |
Lepisto came to Columbus at the trade deadline from Phoenix along with forward Scottie Upshall in exchange for defenseman Rostislav Klesla. After the trade, Lepisto played 19 games for Columbus, notching five assists with a +3 rating. Should he stay, or should he go?
Should He Stay or Should He Go: Kyle Wilson
Name: Kyle Wilson
Position: Center
Status: UFA
2010-2011 Salary/Cap Hit: $0.6 million / $0.6 million
Last Three Years' AHL Stats:
| Year | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM |
| '10-'11 | 23 | 12 | 12 | 24 | -4 | 2 |
| '09-'10 | 77 | 24 | 29 | 53 | +17 | 23 |
| '08-'09 | 80 | 28 | 30 | 58 | +13 | 31 |
Kyle Wilson was signed last summer to a one year, two-way deal. He's a known quantity at the AHL level and was signed to provide depth for the Jackets, and to be a go-to producer for the Springfield Falcons. He provided just that and more last season, but going into next year- should he stay, or should he go?
Should He Stay or Should He Go: Nick Holden
Name: Nick Holden
Position: Defense
Status: RFA
2010-2011 Salary / Cap Hit: $875K (NHL), $65K (AHL) / $941,667
Last 3 Years AHL Stats:
| Year | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM |
| 2010-11 | 67 | 4 | 21 | 25 | +2 | 63 |
| 2009-10 | 68 | 6 | 17 | 23 | -9 | 52 |
| 2008-09 | 61 | 4 | 18 | 22 | -11 | 46 |
Excluded from the stats table above, Holden got his first taste of the NHL this season. In fact, he was the first of this season's Springfield Falcons to get the call. For the Jackets, he played in five games from October 20th to October 30th. He averaged about 17 minutes a game while with the Jackets.
One of only five Falcons to finish the season in the black as far as +/- goes, Holden showed consistent improvement on the blueline as the season progressed. On June 15th, Aaron Portzline reported that he expects the Jackets to tender a qualifying offer to Holden.
Should He Stay Or Should He Go? Andrew Murray
Name: Andrew Murray
Position: C / LW
Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
2010-2011 Salary/Cap Hit: $625,000 / $625,000
Last Three Years' Stats:
|
GP |
G |
A |
PTS |
+/- |
PIM |
|
67 |
8 |
3 |
11 |
-6 |
10 |
|
46 |
5 |
2 |
7 |
-6 |
6 |
|
29 |
4 |
4 |
8 |
+2 |
4 |
Andrew Murray is one of a group of NHL players who can say he was drafted in a round that no longer exists. The 8th round pick of the Blue Jackets, 242nd overall, in 2001, he spent four years at Bemidji State, and two and a half years with the Syracuse Crunch, before breaking into the NHL midway through the 2007-2008 season under Ken Hitchcock. Delivering a solid 39 game performance, he was re-signed to a three year deal, but due to a combination of injuries and battling for roster spots with other players in the third / fourth lines, he's yet to play a full 82 game season at the NHL level. Though he seemed to be developing some talent for going to the front of the net in a Tomas Holmstrom style role in addition to his "weighty" checking game, he's the very picture of a tweener in many fan's eyes - probably too talented for the AHL level, but yet to really take off in NHL play.
Should He Stay or Should He Go? Marc Methot
Name: Marc Methot
Position: Defense
Status: RFA
2010-2011 Salary/Cap Hit: $1.05 million / $1.0125 million
Qualifying Offer: $1.05 million
Last Three Years' Stats:
| Year | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM |
| '10-'11 | 74 | 0 | 15 | 15 | +2 | 58 |
| '09-'10 | 60 | 2 | 6 | 8 | -8 | 51 |
| '08-'09 | 66 | 4 | 13 | 17 | +7 | 55 |
Drafted in the 6th round in 2003, Methot made his debut with the Jackets in 2006-2007, and came up for good in 2008-2009. He played just 29 games in his first two years, and is just now eligible for restricted free agency. Should he stay, or should he go?
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