Columbus Blue Jackets

Today, the headlines are dominated by the buzz of free agency, but little by little, teams are falling out of the Rick Nash sweepstakes. 

The New York Rangers also appear to be the favorite at this time because of the amount of teams left on the "list." Rick Nash has an NMC and controls his own destiny. Many teams have expressed interest and may offer a lot, but Nash has final say on where he plays.

As teams drop off the list, it appears Nash wants to play for the Rangers. The San Jose Sharks could still be in the mix, but Darren Dreger (see below) thinks that is a long shot.

 

DET GM Ken Holland tells FP Red Wings have made offers to both Ryan Suter and Zach Parise.

— Detroit Free Press (@freepwings) July 1, 2012

Sens are out of Rick Nash talks. "We weren't on the list," said Murray. #Sens

— Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) July 1, 2012

Make no mistake. Sather wants Nash and has for months. If Howson is realistic, a deal will be made.

— Larry Brooks(@NYP_Brooksie) July 1, 2012

Told that Red Wing offer for Nash is not competitive...Carolina, Ottawa, Philly not on 61's list.

— Larry Brooks(@NYP_Brooksie) July 1, 2012

The New York Rangers were picked by Darren Dreger as the favorite earlier in the day and now that these teams appear to be out, is it only a matter of time before Nash becomes a Ranger?

 

Flyers submitted big bids on both Parise and Suter. For the moment, Philly appears to be out on Nash. Things can change quickly.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) July 1, 2012

 

With great respect to teams who think they're in on Rick Nash, my guess he ends up in NY, Philly or SJ(longshot). Remember his list is short

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) July 1, 2012

Said all along, though, that likely window for a Nash trade is July 2-5, or the few days after Zach Parise finds a new home.

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) July 1, 2012

However, the Rangers are not going to cave into Scott Howson's demands. Howson keeps going back to Glen Sather with the same high demands, and the Rangers will not budge. The price for Nash is undoubtably high because of the talent he has, but one would think that as the list of teams shrink, will the price drop as well?

The Rangers will not part with Chris Kreider or Ryan McDonagh under any circumstances, but if Derek Stepan was involved in a lesser package, Sather might bite the bullet.

It is understandable that Sather will not uproot the team to acquire Nash, but it will be interesting to see how things change once Ryan Suter and Zach Parise drop anchor.

It was no secret around the NHL that the Columbus Blue Jackets were in the market for a veteran goaltender this offseason.

Former Calder Trophy winner Steve Mason has had three consecutive seasons of inconsistency, and the Blue Jackets were through with the idea that he was the future for the franchise in net.

Names like Vancouver's Cory Schneider and Roberto Luongo, Los Angeles' Jonathan Bernier, and Boston's Tuukka Rask were all names that were brought up as possible targets for the Jackets via trade or free agency.

However, one name that was not mentioned much as a possibility was the Philadelphia Flyers' youngster Sergei Bobrovsky.

Apparently, Columbus had a lot of interest in the Russian as on Friday, the team dealt three draft picks to the Flyers in exchange for the 23-year-old netminder.

Bobrovsky was thought to be the Flyers' future in net after a stellar rookie season in 2010-11. However, an inconsistent postseason that year led Philadelphia to go shopping in the offseason. They ultimately signed Ilya Bryzgalov last summer to a massive nine-year deal, sending "Bob" to the bench.

In his second season, this time as the backup, Bobrovsky put up so-so numbers with a 14-10-2 record and an unimpressive save percentage of .899, allowing a little over three goals a game.

Looking at the stats from the last season brings about a very crucial question in Columbus, is Bobrovsky truely the answer in net?

Bobrovsky was clearly not the top goaltender in the trade or free agent market this offseason, and the Jackets could have acquired a better goalie in the unfortunate, but inevitable trading of Rick Nash.

However, before the competition for the top available players even began, Columbus traded for a still unproven youngster.

Weren't the Jackets trying to acquire a proven goaltender because their previous unproven youngster could not cut it?

This season is a make-or-break season for general manager Scott Howson, and he cannot afford to make such a risky move.

If Bobrovsky puts up similar numbers to last season, Howson can pretty much start updating his resume, because he will be looking for a new job.

The Jackets had plenty of options available to them this summer in net, and yet, Howson shows his hand early. Howson also believes that the combo of Bobrovsky and Mason is good for the team moving forward.

Would you be okay with a goalie pairing that posted a combined 30-36-5 record last season, with an average goals against average of 3.21? Not many teams in the NHL would.

The acquisition of Bobrovsky does not answer the question for the Jackets in net; it only creates a similar dilemma.

But who knows, without the pressure that comes from being a goalie in Philadelphia on his shoulders, Bobrovsky's numbers may improve next year.

However, Columbus does not have the time or the patience for another building project in net.

They need to drastically improve from last year or else the fans will be asking the same questions next year, along with looking for a new general manager.

According to Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch, Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson turned down a huge offer from GM Garth Snow of the New York Islanders during the 2012 NHL draft.

The rumored deal would have landed the Blue Jackets seven draft picks over the course of the weekend in exchange to move down from the No. 2 to the No. 4 spot. Here's an excerpt from the article:

How highly did the Blue Jackets value defenseman Ryan Murray before taking him with the No. 2 overall pick in Friday's first round of the NHL Draft? Enough to turn down an eye-opening offer from the New York Islanders, who, according to numerous NHL sources, offered all of their picks -- one in each round -- for the right to move up from No. 4 to No. 2 for Murray.

That's right, for the Jackets' No. 2 pick, the Islanders offered pick Nos. 4, 34, 65, 103, 125, 155 and 185. The bounty would have given the Jackets the following picks: 4, 31, 34, 62, 65, 95, 103, 125, 152, 155, 182 and 185.

Who is crazier here, Howson for turning down the offer, or Snow for offering an entire draft's worth of picks to move up just two spots?

Howson has come under a lot of heat for the way he's handled the Rick Nash trade saga, refusing to negate from his astronomical demands for his captain. Now, we learn seven additional draft picks weren't enough for the organization to move down and not select Ryan Murray.

It really makes you wonder what the ultimate plan is in Ohio—or if there even is a plan in place.

A team looking to "rebuild" its team and its image has had multiple chances to do so over the course of several months and failed to pull the trigger. It's one thing to want the best for your organization and wait for the right deals, but it's another thing to be either excessively greedy or flat-out incompetent.

It begs the question of whether Howson is being set up to fail, or if he's got the organization drinking his Kool-Aid.

Citing quality over quantity, you can argue having an abundance of draft picks isn't the best thing. How about taking some of those picks and packaging them in separate deals, perhaps for more assets in the short term?

There were multiple scenarios that could have come after, but we'll never know.

The ones who get hurt the most are the Columbus Blue Jackets fans. Loyal since the team's inception, lovers of the Union Blue are now in an extreme state of flux, not knowing when their team will ever be in the proper hands to be successful. 

The 2012 NHL Entry Draft was an unquestioned success for the Columbus Blue Jackets and their general manager Scott Howson.

First, the Blue Jackets avoided the mistake of trading away the second pick in the draft and took defenseman Ryan Murray from the Everett Silvertips on the first day.

Murray, 6’1" 197 lbs., was the premier blueliner the draft had to offer by all accounts, and, according to the folks in Columbus, is NHL ready.

Next, and as important, Howson traded the second- and fourth-round picks in this year’s draft along with the fourth-round selection next year to the Philadelphia Flyers for goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.

Bobrovsky looks like a keeper.

Columbus identified the areas of greatest need and attacked the draft weekend.

Aaron Portzline from the Columbus Dispatch noted on Sunday that, while Bobrovsky was less than spectacular during the 2011-12 season, he finished seventh in the Calder Trophy voting the prior year, allowing 2.59 goals-against while finishing 28-13-8.

Pretty impressive.

While the NHL draft is about prospects and potential, Bobrovsky has a track record that can be built upon.

Howson noted that Bobrovsky’s numbers last year were “not great” but that during stretches last year, he outperformed the Flyers’ starting goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov.

The NHL draft this year was fairly light on goaltenders, so the Columbus GM had to get creative.

When Howson took Murray and followed that up with the trade for Bobrovsky, he signaled that the Blue Jackets mean to get better through defense.

To be sure, goals need to be scored to win hockey games, but they have to be stopped as well.

Remember, the Blue Jackets gave up the third-most goals in the NHL and the most in the Western Conference last season.

Contrary to what some may think, defense wins hockey games, and Howson seems to be preparing Columbus for an extended run of relevance.

The Blue Jackets became considerably better over the course of the weekend.

The Columbus Blue Jackets needed the most out of any team in the NHL this offseason, that much was evident after a woeful 2011-12 season in which they boasted a convincing, league-worst 65 points. 

They got off to a quick lead among their NHL counterparts with the selection of defenseman Ryan Murray.

His experience is unparalleled in his draft class. He arrived in the WHL in 2009 and has been a full-time player there ever since.

Murray's been a captain in virtually every level he's played in, and he's bringing those leadership qualities to the Blue Jackets. He's become a polished player and should be able to contribute immediately with little to no indication that he's in his first year in the league.

Perhaps the best indication of his skill and value is the fact that he was just one of two junior players invited to Canada's 2012 IIHF World Championships training camp. 

He was named a captain of his Everett Silvertips team of the WHL at just 18 years of age, and he didn't disappoint, as he put up 31 points in 46 games. 

While those numbers don't blow you away, they aren't meant to. Murray is a true defenseman who knows his role and doesn't put himself in bad positions by aggressively trying to score. 

That's just what the Blue Jackets need.

There were only two teams who allowed more goals than Columbus last season, and they gave up 23 more goals than any other Western Conference team.

He's an excessively dominant defensive presence and his skating and stick skills allow him to shut down offensive opportunities for his opponent better than many defenders currently in the league.

Columbus made their first strides toward better defending by addressing the biggest need: Goaltending. They acquired Sergei Bobrovsky from the Flyers earlier this week, who has shown flashes of greatness in the league before a disappointing 2011-12 campaign.

Bobrovsky is young and has proven to be a future franchise goalie in the league, so this move is a home run for Columbus' chances of building a playoff team sooner rather than later.

Adding Murray will only speed up that process, as they add him to an increasingly impressive defensive unit that already features Jack Johnson and James Wisniewski. 

All of the sudden, the Blue Jackets seem to be building a strong top defensive line and goaltender combination that has proven to be the biggest (and hardest) step toward becoming a good, and potentially great, team. 

It's not very often that teams are able to add a player with the full package of leadership skills, pure on-ice ability and experience that Murray possesses. 

As bad as these Blue Jackets have been throughout recent years, those days are now numbered with the moves they made this week.

Position: Defenseman

Height/Weight: 6'0", 185 lbs

Shoots: Left

DOB: September 27, 1993

Team: Everett Silvertips (WHL)

The best defenseman in the 2012 NHL draft class is Everett Silvertips star Ryan Murray, and he will be a No. 1 defenseman at the NHL level for a long time. He can defend the best players in his own zone, and his offensive production is quite impressive. 

His positioning on the ice is fantastic, and he understands when to join the attack and when to stay back and make sure the team won't get caught in an odd-man rush. Murray is a very good skater, which helps him take the puck up ice and help his team enter the zone cleanly. He can also run the point on the power play and use his big slap shot effectively with the man advantage.

Two of the best attributes about his game cannot be measured on the stat sheet, and they are his remarkable composure and leadership ability. When you look at many of the best leaders in the NHL right now, it's not surprising that many of them are defensemen. It wouldn't be surprising at all if Murray leads an NHL team as captain at some point in his career.

He's the complete package and has nearly all the qualities that a general manager could want when taking a defenseman high in the first round. He is the typical franchise defenseman that most great teams are built on.

Follow @NicholasGoss35

Nicholas Goss is an NHL Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and was also the organization's on-site reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Final in Boston.

The hockey world was abuzz today when it was reported by TSN on Thursday that Pittsburgh Penguins center Jordan Staal turned down a massive 10-year contract extension, worth $60 million.

After turning down the offer, Staal and his agent had no interest in re-entering negotiations and have no plans to sign one anytime soon.

Will DePaoli of Inside Pittsburgh Sports believes the reason the Penguins decided to leak the story is because the team plans on listening to trade offers for the 23-year-old this summer.

Will DePaoli ‏@TIOPS_DePaoli

There's a reason ‪#Pens‬ have leaked out word about Staal...Intend to entertain offers immediately but no guarantee he gets moved this weekend

There will be a lot of teams interested as Staal has shown a lot of promise at such a young age and has a chance to be one of the best centers in the league.

One team that could have some interest in the Ontario-native is the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweeted earlier that Staal wants to have the opportunity to be the star of his own team, no longer cast in the shadows of Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby,

 Tom Reed ‏@treedPD

Staal wants a chance to be star on own team. He's one of the better all-around players. ‪#CBJ‬ could make serious offer after dealing Nash

There is a high possibility that the Jackets will be in the market for a new star, as the team will most likely trade away their captain Rick Nash and may have serious interest in Staal.

Columbus has been in the market for a top-line center for quite some time and have been unable to find that missing piece.

They attempted to do so last summer when they acquired Philadelphia Flyers center Jeff Carter during the NHL Draft, a move that, as we all know, did not pan out for Columbus, as he was later traded to the Los Angeles Kings.

If the Blue Jackets do in fact trade Nash this summer, Staal would have the opportunity to come in and be one of the team's most dependable leaders, alongside defensemen Jack Johnson and James Wisniewski.

While with Pittsburgh, Staal ranked as the team's third center behind the two stars of the team. If Columbus were to acquire him, he would undoubtedly be the team's most talented center.

The big question, if Columbus is in fact interested, is what they would offer in return for the six-year veteran?

The Jackets would most likely have to give up their second-overall pick in this weekend's draft and a few other picks, as well as one or two talented prospects and another player.

If the trade does not occur this weekend, the Pens would ask for one of their two first-round picks in next year's draft, including the one acquired in the trade for Carter.

The one thing that could be standing in the way of the Jackets possibly making an offer is the result of being aggressive last offseason.

Columbus general manager Scott Howson went out of his comfort zone last year in trading their first-round pick for an immediate impact player and may be hesitant to do the same this year.

However, this season is make or break for Howson, and he may have no choice but to show the front office he is willing to do what it takes to make this team a winner.

Regardless, this summer is shaping up to be quite an interesting one as it seems several new faces will be joining the Union Blue.

Plenty of teams in interested in the services of Rick Nash, but if the Columbus Blue Jackets truly want the best package in return, they will deal the right winger to Philadelphia.

ESPN's Pierre LeBrun recently reported that the Flyers "are part of the 'in' crowd" surrounding the Nash talks, and Frank Seravalli of the Philadelphia Daily News mentioned that the Flyers could be forced to send James van Riemsdyk, Sean Couturier, Sergei Bobrovsky and possibly their first-round pick to Columbus if they want to make the dream combo of Nash and Claude Giroux a reality.

While I would hesitate to do this deal if I was Philadelphia, Columbus should jump all over the opportunity if it presents itself.

They won't be able to easily replace Nash's incredible playmaking ability, but this mix of youth and talent would be a perfect haul for a team that clearly has their sights set on the future.

Van Riemsdyk missed 39 regular-season games with a broken foot, but the 23-year-old left winger was still able to score 11 goals and dish out 13 assists in 43 games. He should be fully healthy next season and he would certainly help ease the loss of Nash.

Ditto for Courturier, who was one of the most impressive young players in recent memory. The 19-year-old center was second on Philadelphia in plus/minus at plus-18, and he was brilliant in their postseason run, particularly against Pittsburgh in the first round.

He would be an incredible asset for Columbus to build around, giving the Blue Jackets some major hope for the future. Throw in the promising young goalie Bobrovsky and another first-round pick, and this deal would be a no-brainer for Columbus.

Entering this offseason, the Columbus Blue Jackets were yet again on the search for a new head coach.

The head coach entering the 2011-2012 season, Scott Arniel, was fired in January after the team got off to a horrid 11-25-5 start.

Todd Richards, hired as the assistant coach last offseason, took over behind the bench as the team's "interim" head coach and would finish out the season.

After Richards took over, the Jackets' play improved and the team finished the season 18-21-2, including an 11-8-0 record in the month of March and winning five of their last six games.

Richards was able to do this amid several distractions in the locker room that included captain Rick Nash requesting a trade, Jeff Carter's attitude on the ice, and several injuries to the team's key players.

Under Richards, Columbus looked like an entirely different team to end the season, which had a lot to do with the play of youngsters Cam Atkinson and John Moore, as well as the leadership brought in by defenseman Jack Johnson, who was acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings for Carter.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, Jackets' general manager Scott Howson talked with "eight to 10 qualified external candidates" since the season ended, but decided on Richards two weeks ago.

Howson stated that the team needed a coach who would challenge the players to raise the bar, as the Jackets find themselves in one of the toughest divisions in the Western Conference.

“We have to become more competitive,” Howson said. “We need higher expectations and standards internally, and I believe he (Richards) can do that. We saw some of that in the final 41 games.I have every confidence that he can get us moving in the right direction.”

Richards becomes the Jackets' sixth full-time coach in only 11 seasons since becoming a franchise, and will look to be the first Jackets' coach to start and finish a season in three years.

“We’re all looking for a more stable environment. I think Todd has had a very good short-term effect on this club and I think he has the right personality, the right balance to have a very good long-term impact, too. He has experience. He’s a better coach now than when he first came into the league.”

With the coaching situation taken care of, the Jackets will now shift their focus to the draft and free agency. They will also be forced to deal with the biggest question surrounding the team, which is what will they do with Rick Nash.