Monday once again? I thought we fixed that problem.
I’ll be honest – today is very “NHL / hockey” news rather than Jackets news, but I’m hoping you’ll find these interesting.
Over at icethetics, they’ve got a look at almost every new jersey in the NHL this season – the exception, of course, being Winnipeg. That means they also have the first looks at the new Islanders and Leafs thirds.
For a look at Mr. Wisniewski, here’s a video he shot for “Nos Canadiens” last season in Montreal.
Over at Crimespree hockey, they’ve got a look at Jeff Skinner, and the chances for a sophomore slump, while the guys at PHT are wondering if this year’s crop of rookies might be even better than last season.
LTL thinks the Jackets need to rethink how the preseason is handled. I can see both sides of the equation here, but I would point out that many of the ticket giveaways he cites in Pittsburgh or Nashville were NOT just the team doing a promotion – they came with a corporate sponsor / donor being willing to buy the tickets. If we want to see Columbus give away tickets to pre-season games, or even sell them at a much lower price, we need local corporate dollars (AEP? Nationwide? OSU? Wendy’s? Worthington Industries?) ponying up.
Over at In Lou We Trust, they’re looking at how Brendan Shanahan can make changes to succeed as the NHL’s new head of discipline.
Over at The Hockey Writers, Salim Valji thinks the Jackets have failed as a franchise due to the lack of first round picks playing in the system – and again, he has part of a point. But let’s also consider that some of those first round picks brought Jeff Carter, Fedor Tyutin, and Antoine Vermette into Columbus. That lower round picks like Matt Calvert and Grant Clitsome are making a solid impact. Also note that as the joke goes, the people responsible for so many of those “failed” picks have all been sacked. Now we still have the potential for growth from prospects like John Moore and Ryan Johansen, and the pipeline of players like Cam Atkinson, Allen York, David Savard, Tomas Kubalik, and Will Weber is as deep as it has ever been.
If the Blue Jackets were failing in the draft, those mistakes have been corrected and Scott Howson is clearly making roads to keep building a solid foundation.
Puck Daddy has some looks at the pros and cons of giving referees better tools for communication on the ice.
Fantasy Hockey Scouts has their Central Division preview up, while the NHL also includes Columbus in their 10 newcomers being counted on for a big impact.
PHT has a look at the Buisness Journal article we discussed yesterday, and break down where their metrics fail to tell the whole story.
The Florida Panthers are planning a serious price hike in the 2012-2013 season. Faith in the new product, or hubris?
Brad Marchandt is enjoying his Stanley Summer, but his contract negotiations aren’t going terribly well.
Finally, a look at a young hockey player dealing with staying in the closet, and the fear of coming out to his teammates. We talked a lot at the time about Brendan Burke coming out at Miami University, and the way it was amplified by his death, but the battle hasn’t ended for many players, and we hope that “Ryan” can find a balance of support and trust to be honest about himself while still being able to play the game he loves.