Topic: Columbus Blue Jackets Discussion

[Jaybird]

Red Wings now have the Blackhawks on the brink, after Jimmy Howard and the Wings shutout Chicago, 2-0! Detroit now with a commanding 3-1 series lead, going back to Chicago for Game 5 on Saturday! I would love it if the Wings could pull off the upset. Because with this Wings team defeating the No.2 and potentially No.1 seed, you just never know!

[Gramarye]

I guess getting edged out by them for the playoffs hurts a little less now.  Though getting edged out by the Wild still hurts.

BTW, why does the NHL but the 2/7 and 8/1 brackets together, i.e., playing those off before getting the winner emerging from the 3/6 and 4/5 brackets?

[Columbo]

Sorry about your Red Wings, Jaybird.  The Blackhawks were great, but winning those last 3 games and game 7 in OT is tough to take.

Chicago advancing over Detroit had a minor effect on one of the Jackets 1st round picks in the upcoming draft.  The Rangers pick moved from 18th to 19th, with Detroit moving into 18th.  The L.A. Kings advancing over San Jose means their pick will be in the 27 to 30 range.  So here's the three 1st round picks Columbus has in the 2013 draft:

- 14th: Columbus' own 1st round pick
- 19th: N.Y. Rangers 1st round pick traded to Columbus in the Rick Nash trade
- 27th-30th: L.A. Kings 1st round pick traded to Columbus in the Jeff Carter trade

[Columbo]

L.A. got eliminated in the Western Conference Finals.  So the three first round picks for the Blue Jackets are now set: 14th, 19th and 27th. 

The Jackets Cannon website had a thoughtful look at the various permutations that Jackets management could use those picks.  They generally fall into five directions: Keeping the Picks, Trading Picks to Move Up, Trading Picks to Move Down, Trading the Picks for Future Talent, Trading the Picks for "Now" Talent.  See the full analysis at the link below.

Jackets Cannon: Blue Jackets Have Options with Three First Round Draft Picks

[Columbo]

The NHL will award the Vezina Trophy tonight (aka Goaltender of the Year).  Sergei Bobrovsky is one of the three goalies nominated for it.  And from what I've been reading, Bobrovsky is considered to be the favorite over Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers and Antti Niemi of the San Jose Sharks.  But we'll find out tonight.

Bob's also been in the hockey news for another reason.  He is a RFA (Restricted Free Agent) and technically not under contract with the Jackets for next season.  This is different from an UFA (Unrestricted Free Agent), in which any NHL team could outbid the Jackets and sign him.  As an RFA, any NHL team could sign Bob to an offer sheet - but then the Jackets could keep Bob by matching that deal.  Assuming the Jackets don't sign him to a contract before July 5, when the RFA provisions start.

But because Bobrovsky is Russian (and also played in the Russian KHL league during the lockout), the spectre of a mega-money offer from a KHL team is possible.  And Bob's agent has confirmed he is negotiating with both Columbus and a KHL team.  Now, this could be a serious offer that Bob might consider - or it could just be a way for Bob's agent to leverage more from Columbus. 

A lot of people think it's the latter.  Because the NHL is still, far and away, the best hockey league in the world.  The destination for the best of the world.  The KHL has made some inroads by signing younger marginal to mid-level NHL players or older former top-level players past their prime nearing retirement.  To sign someone like Bobrovsky (24 and nominated for one of the NHL's most coveted awards) would be way above that.  But the NHL/KHL drama is making news in hockey circles.  Below are a couple links from CBS Sports and NBC's ProHockeyTalk site:

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2013/06/07/bobrovsky-confirms-contract-talks-with-both-jackets-and-khl-club/

http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/blog/eye-on-hockey/22388433/sergei-bobrovsky-blue-jackets-pick-up-contract-talks-as-khl-looms

[Columbo]

Goaltender of the Year goes to Bob!  The Blue Jackets' Sergei Bobrovsky has won the Vezina trophy for the 2012-2013 NHL season.  He is the first goaltender in franchise history to receive the honor, and first Russian born goaltender to ever claim this award.  And a storied award it is.

According to Michael Arace in today's Dispatch: "Joseph-Georges-Gonzague Vezina was the only goaltender to play for the Montreal Canadiens from 1910 to 1925.  He was the first NHL goalie to post a shutout, the first to register an assist and the first to post a goals-against average below 2.00 for a whole season.  He played 327 consecutive games, played until he could play no more.  On opening night of the 1925-26 season, he vomited blood during the first intermission and, four months later, died of tuberculosis.  Now, that is a trophy."



Big trophy too!  Pretty darn awesome for Bob and the franchise.  Almost as awesome as Bob's suit!   More fun at the below links from the Jackets Cannon fansite and Yahoo Sports Puck Daddy blog.  Check out the Blue Jackets website for a couple Bobrovsky videos - one shows his top 10 saves from last season, the other combines Bob's highlights with the 'Man of Steel' movie trailer:

JACKETS CANNON: KNEEL BEFORE BOB - Sergei Bobrovsky Wins Vezina Trophy

YAHOO SPORTS - PUCK DADDY: In honour of his Vezina win, watch the best of ‘Bobrovsky!’ by Jay Onrait (Video)

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS: Columbus Blue Jackets Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky Named Vezina Trophy Winner as NHL's Outstanding Goaltender for 2012-13 Season