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Cannon Blasts – September 24, 2014

With CBJ fans now going on a week of #JoeyWatch, I held off on posting Cannon Blasts so as not to clutter up the homepage. Unfortunately, there is still no deal but keep it locked here in the event news does break. That said, there’s plenty of other stories and links out there on the interwebs.

  • Pierre LeBrun (ESPN) reported (posted? blogged?) yesterday on some of the unsigned RFAs around the league. On Johansen – ” Sources confirmed the counteroffer from the player’s camp is two years and $9.5 million in total, so a $4.75 million average. It’s believed to be $3.5 million in the first year and $6 million in Year 2 (when he’s eligible for salary arbitration). The Jackets as of Tuesday are remaining firm on their offer of two years at $3 million per. Neither side sounds one bit willing to move at this point. So it’s a waiting game, and a very bitter one at that.
  • Ready for some more recaps and previews? ESPN’s Katie Strang chimed in, pegging the CBJ for third place in the Metro. Craig Merz broke down the roster for NHL.com as the team looks to build off of last season’s success. Bobrovsky gave a rare interview and says team success is most important to him (a really good read, actually). Merz also gave his three keys for the upcoming season for the CBJ – a better start, upping the level of play, and puck possession. Notably – “The days of seemingly facing every opponent’s backup goalie are over. Since Feb. 26, 2013, the Blue Jackets are 62-37-12, good for the eighth-most points in the NHL.
  • Another NHL.com article, this time detailing the team’s success in ticket sales, social media presence, revenue, charitable giving, and how special the year might be with the All-Star Game coming to Columbus.
  • ESPN’s SportsNation ranked all the professional sports team (major four of NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL) in their Ultimate Team Rankings. Perhaps somewhat surprising was the Blue Jackets coming in 21st overall. The arena experience was rated #2 in an earlier version, but has slipped to 14th overall (5th in the NHL).
  • Perhaps lost a bit between the Johansen hoopla and Hartnell trade is new assistant coach Brad Larsen. He seemed like an obvious pick coming from Springfield.
  • Friedman’s 30 Thoughts, in which he hits on Columbus on a few points again.
  • Portzline give his predictions on the first round of roster cuts, which are expected today.
  • Some of the Blue Jackets players shared their offseason experiences with the Dispatch.
  • Springfield will remain the Jackets’ AHL affiliate through 2015-2016, with an option for two additional years./