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Category: Columbus-Blue-Jackets

Would Nash Stay In Columbus If Howson Left?

by Paul on 03/11/12 at 11:10 AM ET
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from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun,

You have to wonder what is going to happen to Howson in the off-season. Do the Jackets keep a franchise player or a failed GM? Wonder if they’ll have to make a choice? If Howson is ousted, then whoever inherits the mess might be able to convince captain Nash to withdraw his demand for a trade. Sources say Nash is tired of losing. He doesn’t want to end up like Edmonton’s Ryan Smyth, playing for Team Canada at the world championship every spring. Perhaps, if Nash saw a light at the end of the tunnel, he’d stay. There just isn’t one now.

more topics llike this…

Everybody is wondering what’s wrong with the Sharks and there’s a lot fingers being pointed at G Antti Niemi. He won a Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks, but didn’t exactly steal the title for Chicago, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise. A lack of blue-line depth hasn’t helped this season, either.

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Jack Johnson’s Play Rubbing Off On The Blue Jackets

by Paul on 03/10/12 at 08:34 AM ET
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from Shawn Mitchell of the Columbus Dispatch,

Johnson is no Jeremy Lin. He plays for a last-place team in Columbus. David Letterman’s people are not on line 2.

But there is no denying the minor mania that has followed his arrival after he was acquired from the Los Angeles Kings last month for center Jeff Carter.

On Thursday, when Johnson got the winning goal against Carter and the Kings to push the Blue Jackets’ winning streak to four games, a Nationwide Arena crowd erupted as it has so few times during the most trying season in franchise history.

But to get excited about Johnson is to get excited about the future. Johnson, a former U.S. Olympian, is under contract through 2018.

“He’s energized,” goaltender Curtis Sanford said. “He wants to be here. Columbus is a great market to play in and I love playing here, but he’s really shown what it means to him to play here, and that’s rubbing off on other guys.”

more

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 Tags: Jack+Johnson,

Jeff Carter Returns To Columbus

by Paul on 03/07/12 at 04:17 PM ET
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from Rich Hammond of LA Kings Insider,

He isn’t likely to get a warm welcome from the Blue Jackets faithful tomorrow night, but after today’s practice, Carter spoke at length about his return to the city and gave his thoughts about his time with the Blue Jackets…

Question: There’s a segment of the (Columbus) fan base, as you know, that has the opinion that you never really wanted to be here? What would you say to people who think that?

CARTER: “I think that’s tough to say. I don’t know if that’s completely true. Obviously when I got traded from Philly, it was hard on me, something that I didn’t expect. Over time, you get over that. I came in here [Columbus] with an open mind. There were a lot of expectations around the team, from the fans and the city and stuff like that. For whatever reason, it didn’t really work out that way, and things just started to snowball from there. When you’re losing games, like we did, and giving up leads late, it’s pretty tough on guys. It’s hard to kind of keep going. It was a tough year.’’

Question: Do you have a sense of why things didn’t go well for the (Columbus) team this year>

CARTER: “It’s tough to say. All the things that you pointed out there, it goes into it, with bringing news guys in, and injuries and suspensions, not having everybody play together. All that stuff is a big part. I wish I could tell you one thing. If I knew, this probably wouldn’t be the situation.’’

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 Tags: Jeff+Carter,

Duh!

by Paul on 02/29/12 at 03:15 PM ET
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via Shawn Mitchell of Puck-Rakers,

Winger Colton Gillies said he tried to pick a fight late in Tuesday’s loss to the Red Wings but found no takers.

Colton, are you sure you knew you were playing the Wings?

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Nash Talks

by Paul on 02/28/12 at 01:05 PM ET
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Rick Nash held a press conference this morning…

from the Columbus Dispatch,

Q: Why did you go to Scott Howson in January and ask him to trade you?

A: I was informed by management that there was a rebuild, a reshape, of the team, and I personally felt I could be a huge part of that, toward bringing assets in. I think that was in my view that was the best thing for the team, the organization, and personally for my career.

Q: Does this say, Rick, that you don’t believe in the direction the club has taken?

A: I think I answered that question when I signed my long-term deal. I believe in ownership, I believe in Scott Howson. I love being a Blue Jacket, love the city, love the fans – and that is something that will never change.

continued or watch the conference below…

Continue Reading »

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 Tags: Rick+Nash,

Who Columbus Wanted From The Rangers

by Paul on 02/28/12 at 09:47 AM ET
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from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,

Maybe Scott Howson read the standings upside down. Maybe the Blue Jackets general manager thought his team was first overall in the NHL rather than 30th, and maybe he thought the Rangers were last instead of first in the Eastern Conference and first in the league in points-per-game.

Perhaps that explains why Howson acted with a sense of entitlement through his negotiations regarding Rick Nash with Rangers GM Glen Sather, who lusted after the power winger to such an extent he is believed to have offered the Blue Jackets a five-asset package including Brandon Dubinsky, 21-year-old top defense prospect Tim Erixon, highly regarded 2011 first-round draft choice J.T. Miller and 2010 second-round pick Christian Thomas, along with a 2012 first-round selection in order to make it happen as yesterday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline approached.

There is a difference though between lusting and sinning, the latter the impulse Sather ultimately resisted by rejecting Howson’s laughable demand the package include Dubinsky — plus either Ryan McDonagh or Michael Del Zotto — plus either Derek Stepan or Carl Hagelin — plus 2009 first-rounder Chris Kreider, the Boston College winger who conceivably could join the Rangers when his college season ends — plus a 2012 first-round selection.

continued

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Howson Did What He Had To Do

by Paul on 02/28/12 at 08:59 AM ET
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from Nicholas J. Cotsonika of Yahoo,

The general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets refused to trade his franchise player for anything less than a massive return before Monday’s NHL trade deadline. Then Scott Howson held a news conference and declared that it was Rick Nash who had asked for a trade in the first place, that it wasn’t the team that had asked Nash to waive his no-trade clause.

“Hey, the price was high, and I don’t apologize for that,” Howson said. “It had to be high.”

Howson doesn’t have to apologize for telling the truth, either.

In a sad, twisted way, this might have been Howson’s finest hour. He has made so many mistakes as the Jackets’ GM since June 2007, it’s amazing that ownership let him handle this situation – even with the help of senior advisor Craig Patrick, a veteran NHL executive. But he isn’t compounding his mistakes this time, and he finally is standing up for a franchise that has become the laughingstock of the league.

Howson said Nash asked for a trade in mid- to late January. The request had to be hard to hear. Nash was their captain, the face of their franchise, an elite scorer. He always had said all the right things about loving Columbus and wanting to win with the Blue Jackets. And now he wanted out.

continued

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 Tags: Rick+Nash, Scott+Howson,

Howson Talks Nash

by Paul on 02/27/12 at 06:27 PM ET
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from David Shoalts of the Globe and Mail,

The gloves came off Monday in what had been a civilized divorce proceeding between Rick Nash and the Columbus Blue Jackets.

After failing to get his price for the unhappy star forward by the 3 p.m. Eastern time NHL trade deadline, Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson revealed it was Nash who asked for a trade. Until then, it was assumed the Blue Jackets were the ones who reluctantly came to the decision it was best for their rebuilding plan to trade Nash.

Nash did nothing to persuade anyone otherwise until the weekend when his agent, Joe Resnick, said they hoped a trade would be completed by Monday’s deadline. Resnick also put pressure on Howson to complete the trade by saying Nash would not change the short list of teams he agreed to be traded to by this summer when more teams might be willing to meet Howson’s price.

“[Nash] approached us and asked us to consider trading him,” Howson said. “We agreed as long as we could obtain the cornerstone pieces to build our franchise.”

continued

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Afternoon Line

by Paul on 02/26/12 at 04:25 PM ET
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“It’s been a great time living in Columbus. I’m a Blue Jacket today and we’re going to do everything we can to move forward as a team. Like I said the other day, these fans deserve a winning team. They’re the ones that have been the most patient.”

-Rich Nash of the Columbus Blue Jackets after today’s loss to the Penguins. Quote via Aaron Portzline tweets.

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 Tags: Rick+Nash,

Nash’s Agent Speaks

by Paul on 02/25/12 at 04:29 PM ET
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via Bob McKenzie tweets,

Rick Nash’s agent Joe Resnick has broken his silence on client’s trade situation. Told TSN the following:

“We’re hopeful a deal can get done prior to the trade deadline that is fair and equitable for the Blue Jackets…

“We’re hopeful a deal can get done prior to the trade deadline that is fair and equitable for the Blue Jackets…

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 Tags: Joe+Resnick, Rick+Nash,

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