Sebastian Collberg

2011-2012 Regular Season Stats:

2011-2012 SuperElit Playoff Stats:

Another player who spent time in both the big leagues and his club's junior division, Collberg has been regarded as a skilled forward with excellent skating ability. He had a great World Junior Championships run with Team Sweden that many thought put him on par or above teammate Filip Forsberg, but there are a lot of concerns about his size and physicality - especially playing against older players compared to guys his own age. That seems to have been borne out by the wide selection of donuts he produced on Frolunda's SEL club compared to his numbers on the U20 squad, but he might still be able to build up his body as he adjusts.

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If you weren't listening to the Blue Jackets' Sunday Morning Skate this morning on 97.1, you may have missed Jeff Rimmer reporting that the Boston Bruins are very interested in Rick Nash, and preparing to make a "major" offer in an attempt to land the winger. With 18 current roster players heading into RFA or UFA status between this offseason and next, they're going to need to shuffle a lot of dollars around to keep everyone together, and they may see the next two seasons as their best chance to repeat as champs if they can get Nash into their lineup - particularly if the Jackets take back some salary (or a player likely to want a big raise) as part of the deal.

So, with that in mind, who might the Bruins be willing to offer, and who would the Jackets want back?

We'll get the obvious one out of the way: Tuukka Rask.

An upcoming RFA, the former Maple Leafs draft pick has been considered the heir apparent in Boston for the past three years, but Tim Thomas has this pesky habit of being Tim Thomas and stealing more time in the starter's role.

Likely to want a significant raise (he's posted a 2.23 GAA and .926 SV% the last three seasons, plus 2.61 GAA and .912 SV% in 13 playoff games), it's been assumed that the Bruins would want to keep Rask as their insurance policy, and it's hard to see him being traded.

Blue Jackets Suspected Interest: HIGH

Bruins Willingness To Trade: LOW

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Matt Finn

Position: Defense
Team: Guelph Storm (OHL)
Age: 18
Date of Birth: February 24, 1994
Place of Birth: Toronto, Ontario
Ht: 6'0" Wt: 195
Shoots: Left

2011-2012 Regular Season Stats:

2011-2012 Playoff Stats:

After a confidence filled sophomore season with the Guelph Storm, Matt Finn looks to be a lock as a first round draft pick next month.

Finn's motivation for his breakout season came from something that didn't happen. Looking forward to the Ivan Hlinka tourney, Finn was told "thanks, but no thanks". With one of the marquee events that every junior wants to have on his resume, Finn re-dedicated himself to all facets of his game.

After the 2010-11 season, Storm coach Scott Walker was concerned with Finn's dedication, in particular his conditioning. In speaking with Neate Sager of Yahoo! sports, Walker said last November:

"His conditioning is 100 times better this season. If you can imagine a 16-year-old being out of shape, he was. I had my year-end meeting with him and I said, 'you can be a top 10 player or in the top seven rounds, you got to decide.' That's really ultimately on the player and, man, he went home and came back in phenomenal shape. I give full credit to him.

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Happy Saturday!

Kudos to the Jackets for another great fan outreach effort with their "Front Street Fridays." Reports from the inaugural event by Fire That Cannon and The Union Blue both make it sound like a great debut, and how about R.J. Umberger dropping into the open skate at the Ice Haus afterwards?

He's Umby, dammit, and he's a mensch.

Elsewhere, the LA Kings are rolling, but their local TV coverage is having some issues. At least they used the right logo this time.

Closer to home, the Jackets have signed 2010 draft pick Austin Madaisky, but informed picks Petr Straka and Brandon Archibald that they will not be tendered offers, and can return to the draft. The last player still on the fence is goalie Mathieu Corbeil, who is being scouted at the Memorial Cup. His tournament starts tonight vs. the London Knights, and I would expect a lot of eyes on how he handles the pressure.

(Speaking of the Memorial Cup, Jackets' prospect Michael Chaput had two goals and went 16/27 in the faceoff circle in Shawinigan's 4-3 loss to the Edmonton Oil Kings.)

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Stefan Matteau

Position: Left Wing
Team: USNTDP
Age: 18
Date of Birth: February 23rd, 1994
Place of Birth: Chicago, IL
Ht: 6'2" Wt: 210
Shoots: Left

2011-2012 Regular Season Stats:

If you're thinking to yourself, "I've heard that name before," you're right; Matteau is the son of Stephane Matteau, and carries some similar qualities. He finished the year as Central Scouting's 17th-ranked North American skater. He's a gritty player who wins puck battles and is disruptive when allowed to camp in front of the net. He has a strong shot from in close, but isn't known for his ability to set up teammates.

He's not without risk, however, as his discipline has been in question from time to time. He's been suspended multiple times for going over the edge, and he plays with that tenacity that can reward you just as well as it can punish you. In the right system, that "edge" can probably be molded into a leadership asset.

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2011-2012 Regular Season Stats:

2011-2012 QMJHL Playoff Stats:

Frk was one of the many young draft-eligibles that missed a large chunk of time this past season, in what has become known as the year of the injured prospect. In a preseason game last fall, in a game against the Moncton Wildcats, Frk suffered a concussion after taking an open-ice hit. He missed over three months of the season, but managed to appear in 34 games, scoring at a 0.895 points-per-game clip.

He plays a power forward style, choosing to go through defenses, rather than around them. He isn't particularly tall, but he plays like a wrecking ball on the ice. He is more than willing to take a hit, and has been bloodied at various points in his brief QMJHL career. A shot to the chops earned him a trip to the dentist, where we get to see a lighter side of Marty. To go along with his physical play, he also has an NHL-caliber shot. He can make his own space on the ice, and if he's anywhere near the hashmarks, he's absolutely lethal with his wrister.

His intense style of play can sometimes lead to bad penalties, but when a player can toe the line so well most of the time, and also score a ton of points, the occassional ugly minor can be forgotten. Additionally, he needs some work in the defensive zone, like so many of his fellow prospects. The good thing is, that can be coached when paired with effort.

He also didn't score at the rate that many expected in the playoffs, which gave scouts (and fans) some pause. That said, the Mooseheads were leaning heavily on their duo of sixteen year-olds in Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin, with Marty relied on for secondary scoring. Frk did see time as the quarterback of the powerplay as well.

I have a hard tme finding an NHL comparible for Marty, but I'll say this much- players like him that bring both talent and physicality to the game are valuable to any NHL team. The team that drafts him will get a top-six winger who'll keep the opposition honest and provide serious offense.

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2011-2012 Regular Season Stats:

2011-2012 WHL Playoff Stats:

Basically a point a game player in the OHL this year, Gaunce lead the Belleville Bulls in scoring this season. Primarily a centerman, he was also put over on the wing at several points this year and didn't seem to have any trouble making the adjustment. A member of a hockey family (his older brother Cameron was drafted by the Avalanche a few years ago), he's been regarded as a talented player but also a natural leader and charismatic force in the dressing room.

At the same time, some scouts have raised concerns about his overall mobility and skating, pointing them out as areas he needs to improve if he wants to raise his game to the next level, and the dreaded issue of "consistency" has come up several times.

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