In this edition of Shrapnel: Springfield's staff, Shelley, our draft history, Mayorov, lots and lots of playoff coverage, Theo Ruth, Matt Cooke gets a lesson in karma, and more!

Puck-rakers:

Syracuse Springfield will have a new coaching staff heading into next season. First priority will be finding the Jackets next head coach before hiring minor league coaches.

A really good piece on Jody Shelley. Looks like he landed in a good place. Congrats, Jody. If you stay in NY, I hope it works out well!

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BlueJackets XTRA:

Could this be the year the Jackets finally land another elite player in the draft? We'll find out tonight, remember Columbus has a 10.7% chance to get the top pick. The CBJ will either draft 1st, 4th or 5th. Tune in tonight at 8 to see the result!

In case you were wondering, here's a look at the Blue Jackets draft history. The last few years look promising, but you can't help but wonder what the hell was going on in the early days.

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BlueJackets.com:

Maksim Mayorov has been chosen as the AHL player of the week. Mak scored 6-3-9 in just 3 games last week. Not too shabby for a guy who has yet to make his mark anywhere. Please don't let this be false hope. Bring it on, Mayorov.

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Yahoo! Sports:

Tampa Bay is starting from scratch (again). The firing of head coach Rick Tocchet and GM Brian Lawton comes as no surprise. You know something is wrong when an Atlanta team sans Ilya Kovalchuk is doing better than you.

Playoff Primer:

Yahoo! Sports NHL columnist Ross McKeon gives his previews and picks for the Stanley Cup playoffs: Eastern Conference, Western Conference. He also looks at the players to watch from each team: East, West. Who will step up their game and lead their team to lift the Cup?

Ryan over at Puck Daddy is following up his "20 predictions of the year" with the playoff version.

1. Wrong, 2. Probably, 3. Wrong, 4. Wrong, 5. Right, 6. Wrong, 7. Right, 8. Right, 9. Wrong, 10. Wrong. You guys make the call. 

10 storylines to watch. It should be interesting to see how these stories develop. What stories will you keep an eye on? I think the "Wheel of Justice" should be a good one. Wonder if Pittsburgh will make it to the Finals this year.......

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HockeyFights.com:

Columbus may finally get their first look at Theo Ruth. If the name doesn't sound familiar, its because he's been hiding away at Notre Dame playing in the CCHA since we acquired him (see: Sergei Fedorov, 2008). Its a 3-year deal.

Karma and Irony.

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Quote of the day: 

"If we get the No. 1 pick, it would be a great opportunity for our franchise"

- GM Scott Howson on the draft lottery. A number one pick would be nice, afterall, it worked out great last time.

In this edition of Shrapnel: Playoffs, the draft, Pat Burns update, Nash in the World Championships, lineups, Iggy, Modano, and more!

Puck-rakers:

I'm as disappointed in this season as the rest of you, but its time to look at it this way, our draft position is great. Porty breaks down every scenario for the Jackets and other cellar-dwellers in the league. He also asks, if we land the top pick, is it worth it? You tell me, is it?

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BlueJackets XTRA:

Former Canadiens coach Pat Burns has been released from the hospital. While this is great news, the reality is his cancer is terminal. This tough Irishman won't go down without a fight.

While R.J. Umberger is mulling over playing in the World Championships, one Jacket has said no way. Captain Rick Nash has told Team Canada he will not make the trip to Germany. Nash was quoted as saying "It's only fair to Columbus that I get healthy and get back to 100 percent this summer." Other Jackets' decisions are listed in this article.

Tonight is Columbus' last game of the 2010 season. It may also be the last game coached by Claude Noel. After the game, the process for finding a full time head coach begins. Lots of names are being thrown around for candidates; most notable Kevin Dineen, Brent Peterson, and Paul MacLean. There's still a possibility of Ken Hitchcock returning, but his odds are about as good as Gerard Gallant and Doug MacLean's. My early favorites: Claude Noel, and Kevin Dineen.

Final lineups for the season:

CBJ - GO GET 'EM BOYS!!! Beat those damn Wings into the ground!

Detroit

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Bleacher Report:

The B/R asks a simple question. Should the Flames trade Jarome Iginla? Even though thats a long shot, here's a follow-up, would you make an offer?

Keep an eye out for these 14 stars and see where they end after free agency. Names like Volchenkov, Corvo and Marleau would look great in Union Blue.

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Yahoo! Sports:

This story is easily one of the top 3 feel good stories of the year. You can hate the team but you have to respect the career of Mike Modano. The Stars assistant captain may call it a career after playing his entire career with the Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars franchise (take the hint Nasher, Jake, and Mase).

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NHL.com:

The race for the Rocket Richard Trophy is a wild one. It could very well come down to the last game of the season. It was only a few years ago a young kid from a virtual nothing team came out of nowhere to share the trophy.

Clinching scenarios for the bottom 3 teams in the East. A Flyers win would not only help themselves, it would also lock up spots for Montreal and Boston. A win tonight for Philly will end the Rangers season.

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Quote of the day:

"You become two people battling for space, and now you've got two people screening the goalie."

- Claude Noel on why the Jackets will not put a D in the crease to block out guys like Tomas Holmstrom who will undoubtedly be screening G Steve Mason.

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Fight of the night:

Devils C David Clarkson v. Panthers C Nick Tarnasky 

In this edition of Shrapnel: Interviews galore, drafting #1, a definite retirement, a potential retirement, Pat Burns, and more!

Puck-rakers:

Whats this? Umberger getting an invite to play for Team USA in the World Championships?? Its no Olympics, but its a start. R.J. has yet to make his decision and has said he'd "do anything" to play in the 2014 Olympics.

Get to know a prospect: Cody Goloubef. Remember him? Here's his bio in case you forgot. The defenseman is having another solid year for the University of Wisconsin.

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BlueJackets XTRA:

Umberger and Antoine Vermette have been two of the most consistent players on the team this year. If the Jackets pick up where they left off in 2009, I have really high hopes with these two help lead the way.

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Puck Daddy's headlines from around the league. Some quick thoughts: Modano has one more year, Boucher's save was AWESOME, and if there's an argument in favor of Pittsburgh not being favored by the league, I'd love to hear it.

The latest scouting reports are out, and Tyler Seguin has leap frogged Taylor Hall as the top prospect in the draft. If you're Edmonton, you have a tough problem - Who to pick? In my opinion, thats the best kind of problem you can have.

According to this Draft lottery simulator, the CBJ has an 8.1% chance to land the top pick. Hey, it could happen.

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Fanhouse:

Its the end of the road for one of our least favorite Blues (is "least favorite Blues" an oxymoron?). Tkachuk calls it quits after this season. Good riddance.

On a sad note, former Montreal coach Pat Burns has been hospitalized with pneumonia. Pat was fortunate enough to beat liver and colon cancer, only to have it move to his lungs. This is very sad news for a great hockey coach. My condolences go out to his friends, family, and the fans in Montreal.

One of the next All-Star games already has a home. The Hurricanes have been selected either the 2011, 12, or 13 game. Commissioner Bettman will be in Raleigh today to make the announcement. UPDATE: The 'Canes will host next years All-Star Game.

In this brief interview, our favorite mullet-sporting forward, Jakub Voracek talks about his first time on the ice, gameday rituals, and who he would be for a day given the chance. And Jake, if your girlfriend looked like that, your teammates would be option 2 also. Here is a similar interview with R.J. Umberger.

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Quote of the day:

"Your team starts to wonder why after a while the calls seem to go in the other direction. There is only so much you can take, and after a while it gets frustrating.

- Claude Noel on the shoddy officiating from last night's game.

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Fight of the night:

Maple Leafs RW Colton Orr v. Rangers LW Jody Shelley

In this edition of Shrapnel: Power rankings, backlash, Eastern race, more milestones, clinching , and more!

For anyone who noticed, Chad Kolarik made his NHL debut last night. However, unlike all the others to play their first games this year, Kolarik almost didn't make it to the arena before game time.

Just days after Umberger's questionable comments about the Capitals playing style, the backlash has finally come out. All of this verbal firing back and forth is making for a great inter-conference rivalry. Since the Jackets and Caps always play tough games against each other, this should add for extra motivation in the future.

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Puck-rakers:

Game recap via Porty. I haven't seen any highlights, but I'm guessing Tkachuk's hit was more than questionable. I'd be pissed off if I were playing in St. Louis too. Tool.

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Yahoo! Sports:

Puck Daddy's Three Stars. Nothing too special here, but, is there ever?

With just three games left, the Eastern Conference race is white hot. I think the Canadiens and Bruins make it, and the Rangers sneak by the Flyers to round out the top 8.

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NHL.com:

Milestones must be a popular thing this year. In case you missed it, check out my post from last week about the CBJ and the milestones they achieved this year. Meanwhile, in the rest of the league, one goalie looks for win number 600 (I'll give you one guess who it is) and a player hits the 1,000 game mark.

Here's who can clinch tonight, and how they can do it.

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Power Rankings:

CBS Sports: 29

Fox Sports: 25

ESPN: 26

Columbus Dispatch: 24

Bleacher Report: 27

TSN: 27

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Quote of the day:

"Murray is going to be possibly out for a while"

- Claude Noel with a "kinda sorta" assessment on Andrew Murray. Wouldn't count on him playing in either game with Detroit. Get your Syracuse rosters ready, who is up next?

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In this edition of Shrapnel: Umberger speaks, the "war room", Filatov, lineups, playoffs, and more!

Puck-rakers:

Umberger goes a little more in depth regarding his comments of the Caps. You can read what he said in the Quote of the weekend section. I think his quote was R.J. just getting frustrated - not just Saturday, but all season. With only a couple games left, might as well let it all out, right?

A day of rest was on the menu for Columbus yesterday. Garon to get the start tonight. One of our prospects is putting up good numbers in the QMJHL.

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BlueJackets XTRA:

Regardless of what they tell me, I still believe the "war room" is out to get us. I can't think of a time a decision has made its way to Toronto, that went our way. Hey NHL, make like the rest of sports and let the refs make the call in-house. Also, does Mason want out of Columbus? He may wait until after next year (the final year in his entry-level contract) to negotiate a deal. He will be a RFA.

A current Jacket got to reminisce with some old friends this past weekend. Even though they are on different teams, Chris Clark and his former Washington teammates got together for dinner as they had so many times in the past. Its hard losing a guy after having him on your team for so long isn't it? (see: Jason Chimera, Jody Shelley, Manny Malhotra)

Jackets on-again off-again prospect Nikita Filatov got some advice from an unlikely source, telling him he has to come back. Thanks, Ovie. I hope he's matured enough and will listen to you.

By Saturday morning, we will know if we have a coach, or if we will be in search of another. At this point, I see it going 50-50. I would love to see Noel back because the team has responded so well under him. Answer the poll below and let us at the Cannon know what you think!

Possible lineups for tonight's game in St. Louis:

CBJ

St. Louis

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BlueJackets.com:

We always talk about "the future", its always "we'll be better in the future." The future has to happen sooner or later. I think it starts in October. These are the guys who will help lead the Blue Jackets back to the playoffs. Columbus will rise again!

Enter this sweepstakes for a chance to win two tickets to Friday night's game with Detroit. A winner will be selected from a random drawing, and will receive a game-worn jersey from their favorite Blue Jacket.

Can't make it to St. Louis for tonight's game? (I wouldn't blame you for not going) Head down to one of these viewing locations. I personally recommend heading to Brother's, McFadden's, or of course the R-Bar.

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Yahoo! Sports:

As the season winds down, here are the potential match-ups for the first round.

This is a good read. Take Umberger's comments after the Washington game, and do some digging. What if the playoff teams were seeded 1-16? This would confirm if one conference was statistically better than the other. In this year's case, the West has 10 of the 16 teams heading to the playoffs.

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NHL.com:

One of the greatest NHLers of all time has a big decision ahead of him. Far and away the top US-born NHL player, Mike Modano will consider retirement this summer. Whatever he decides to do, he'll be a HOF'er in no time.

State of the Division. After a rough year, the Wings can still hit 100 points. Sad.

Chicago clinches their division, as does Vancouver. The Wings and Kings clinch spots. All the while, the Capitals win the President's Trophy.

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TSN.ca:

Are the Stars for sale? One Hall of Famer could be interested in buying from current owner Tom Hicks, and he doesn't want to buy it alone.

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Quote of the weekend:

"I don't think any team in the West would be overmatched by them. They play the wrong way. They want to be moving all the time. They float around in their zone, looking for breakaways and odd-man rushes. A good defensive team is going to beat them (in the playoffs). If you eliminate your turnovers and keep them off the power play, they're going to get frustrated because they're in their zone a lot."

- R.J. Umberger, with some choice words for the Washington Capitals after the 3-2 loss.

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Fight of the weekend:

Oilers D Jason Strudwick v. Stars C Brian Sutherby

FOTW Honorable Mention:

Canucks LW Darcy Hordichuk v. Ducks RW George Parros (and his moustache). Video.

In this edition of Shrapnel: Nash's play, Kana's debut, playoffs, top 100 prospects, voodoo, and more!

Puck-rakers:

Last night's game against the Lightning was played with seemingly little effort from both sides through the first two periods. Noel put it best when he said "but the first two periods were a clinic in how not to play – for both teams."

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BlueJackets XTRA:

Nash does it again. Then he does it again - playing with a team first attitude, that is. He had two prime opportunitites to ice the game and score his third goal but he either a) cleared the puck, or b) passed it off to a teammate. Anyone else think Nash needs to develop an edge that makes him a ruthless scorer and take the chances when he has them?

Tomas Kana made his debut last night. He only played Jared Boll-like numbers (under Hitchcock) with about 5. One of his first touches resulted in a turnover, but after that, Kana settled down. In time, I really feel he'll be a contributor to this team. He'll be great in camp this summer and could make the team for next season.

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NHL.com:

R.J. Umberger's feed to Rick Nash to assist on the PP goal is one of the top plays from last night's action.

One team can clinch tonight, at the expense of another. Making the playoffs without having to play would be a great way to wind down the season.

If the playoffs started today, here's what we would be watching.

The scouting combine takes place at the end of May. The top 100 players eligible for the draft are invited. Here's who they are.

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Yahoo! Sports:

If you believe in voodoo and jinxes, then get a load of this one. Aside from basically calling their shot a la Babe Ruth and looking like douchebags in the process, Chicago fans are more concerned about the way Jonathan Toews' nose looks. Dear Chicago, win the cup, then gloat about it later. I hope they get swept out of the first round.

Pittsburgh has signed D Kris Letang to an extension. This makes the return of Sergei Gonchar a little less likely. He will be a UFA this offseason. Any takers?

Don't look now, but Columbus is able to jump into 11th place and escape the bowels of the Western Conference. Forget the draft, finish the season strong and end up better than 14th!

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Quote of the day:

"He told me, 'You can't be hitting our guys like that." I told him, 'He's not (Wayne) Gretzky, so he's fair game.'"

Derek Dorsett, to Zenon Konopka about Mattius Ohlund. One thing is true, Ohlund is no Gretzky.

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Fight of the night:

The first rule of Fight Club is you do not talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club is you DO NOT talk about Fight Club. The third rule of Fight Club should be you DO NOT fuck with Cam Jannsen.

Blackhawks D Nick Boynton v. Blues RW Cam Jannsen

FotN Honorable Mention:

Blackhawks LW Ben Eager v. Blues RW Cam Jannsen. Video.

In this edition of Shrapnel: Battle of #1s, another rookie debut, Z returns to Columbus, lineups, the draft, power rankings, and more!

Puck-rakers:

How often do you get to see #1 overall picks play against the Jackets? (#1s from other teams, nice try). The team is in the middle of 4 straight occurances. It was Kane (twice) and Tavares last week, tonight its Stamkos, and it will end with Ovechkin later this week. Picking up 5 out of 6 points sounds like a good sign to me.

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BlueJackets XTRA:

The Jackets have already made history by having more than three players score 50+ points (61, 50, 20, 18) and can add a fifth (93) as early as tonight. In a season full of disappointing play, all kinds of records are being set (FORESHADOWING). I'll cover more on this later this week.

Tonight, we welcome back a former BJ - Zenon Konopka. Welcome back, Z (the other one). In case you didn't know, he leads the league in PIM and major penalties (236, 28). With Boller out of the lineup, we shouldn't expect to see any scraps...or should we?

To tank, or not to tank, that is the question. Is Columbus' recent push (6-2-2 in their last 10) a good sign of the future or the team's inability to do well in the draft? Lets face it, our draft history has been iffy at best. LeClaire, Z, Picarde, Brule, Filatov (at least for now) aren't around anymore. There's half our first round picks right there. Klesla is always hurt, Brass and Jake are still trying to get there. We haven't seen what Moore is capable of. So that leaves Nash as our most productive draft pick (go figure). Howson, its time to find us a winner!

Lineups for tonight (Go to the game!):

CBJ - 4th line looks intriguing. I have a funny feeling about these guys...

Tampa Bay - Notice anything funny? Steve Downie is the only plus player on the team, and...he's a +15??? How does that happen? Its not like he was traded this season either, he's been with Tampa since game 1. Mind = blown.

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Yahoo! Sports:

The seasons of forwards Jared Boll and Chris Clark are over. Both suffering from injuries, the Jackets have used an emergency recall on Syracuse C Tomas Kana. I'm very excited for this move. Kana, this year, has tallied 15-13-28 45 PIM and is a +2 in 49 games. He is 4th on the team in goals scored. Kana was drafted in '06 by the Blues, and was acquired by the Jackets this year for Pascal Pelletier.

You have to wonder if the rumors of the league agreeing to move the 'Yotes back to Canada is on the minds of the players. As Mike said yesterday, they're the biggest feel good story of the year, so is this putting a damper on things?

Just when you think coach and manager blow ups can't get any more amusing, this happens. Who is going to be the next coach to go berserk, and how will he top the two-stick break?

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Power Rankings:

Fox Sports: 24th

CBS Sports: 29th (WTF?)

ESPN: 24th

TSN: 26th

Columbus Dispatch: 24th

Bleacher Report: 24th

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Quote of the day:

"I'd be lying to you if I said I was happy with my time here. I thought I could have brought more to this organization and more to this team Maybe fighting and hitting hurts me sometimes because people forget I can play the game."

- Zenon Konopka, on his relationship with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

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Fight of the night:

Predators D Wade Belak v. Panthers D Steve MacIntyre

In this edition of Shrapnel: Mike Commodore - team sniper, Frisch's debut, the future, Winter Classic '11, mock drafts, and more!

Case of the Monday's. Just sayin'

Puck-rakers:

Porty's take on yesterday's win. Even if he is just joking, calling Mike Commodore a sniper is NOT funny. Speaking of the game though, it was a great all around effort. Mase looks like his old self, and thats scary for everyone else. Again, next year is looking good!

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BlueJackets XTRA:

With the playoffs right around the corner, and us missing it, the offseason starts early. For those of you who also follow the Indians, especially in the 90's, you'll know that it just might take one piece to turn things around (Omar Vizquel). Scott Howson acknowledges that this offseason is huge. Most of the pieces are in place but there's something missing. Howson better find it if the Jackets are going to contend next year.

Another Blue Jackets rookie made his debut this season. Trevor Frischmon saw his first NHL action last night in Chicago. Strange thing is, he's 28 years old. The minor league journeyman finally got his chance to prove he can play in the NHL. I didn't watch the whole game, but I thought he did well. Its good to know Coach Noel trusts him to play with Dorse and MurrDawg. Didn't he also get some time with Jake as well?

Flashback to last year when Columbus beat Detroit 8-2. In the next meeting, they returned the favor by shutting us out 4-0. Fast forward to Thursday night. We crush Chicago 8-3 in the highest scoring home game in Jackets history. I immediately thought back to last year and figured Chicago would blow us away. On the contrary, the good guys pull off another good victory, and we did it with our future.

Yahoo! Sports:

Early rumors around the league are that the Capitals and Penguins will be in next season's Winter Classic at Heinz Field. If the NHL doesn't make this happen, they're missing out on a huge marketing gold mine. Its a wonder it hasn't already happened. I guarantee we will see the Jackets play in a Winter Classic at the 'Shoe (against Detroit?) in the near future. That would be another great marketing opportunity for the league whether they know it or not.

The Frozen Four will take place in just a couple weeks. One team made the cut with a lot of help from a future Blue Jacket.

Only one of Columbus' youngsters received top star honors from Puck Daddy.

This is "What We Learned" from the weekend of NHL action.

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NHL.com:

Our little Jakey is growing up right before our eyes. He earns TOP honors from the league for his 3-point night against Chicago.

The NHL.com experts have already released their Mock Drafts. If the season ended today, we would find ourselves in a familiar place - the top 10. The battle is on for Tyler Seguin and Taylor Hall. Here are what the experts have to say:

Rourke

Kimelman

Raimondi

Morreale

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Quote of the day:

"What can I say? I'm streaky."

- Mike Commodore, on scoring his 2 goal in three days.

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Fight of the weekend:

Colorado RW Chris Stewart v. Phoenix LW Taylor Pyatt

FOTW Honorable Mention:

Ottawa C Zack Smith v. Buffalo RW Patrick Kaleta. Video.