Wisniewski's Rights To Blue Jackets
by HeartOfARanger on Jun 29, 2011 3:24 PM EDT
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PrintWell, after Christian Ehrhoff's rights were traded to the New York Islanders yesterday, it seemed that the top remaining defenseman on the market were James Wisniewski, Tomas Kaberle, and Ed Jovanovski. You can now scratch one of those off the list.
The Montreal Canadiens have traded Wisniewski's rights to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a conditional 7th round pick in the 2012 NHL Draft. If the Jackets complete the signing, two things immediately come to mind. One, the Blue Jackets are bringing serious hockey to Ohio after their recent trade to secure Jeff Carter from Philadelphia. Two, the defenseman who will still be available via free agency are becoming slimmer in quality and quantity. Although the Rangers have a solid defensive corps, a veteran presence would not hurt especially in the event of a rookie not living up to expectations (i.e. Erixon) or the failure of another defenseman (i.e. Sauer, McDonagh) after a good year. This is not impossible, as we all saw what happened with Michael Del Zotto, as well as Matt Gilroy to a lesser extent.
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I don’t mean to seem argumentative, but trading for Jeff Carter and getting the rights to Wiz does not suddenly make the Jackets a contender. IF they are able to lock up Wiz (and that’s a huge if seeing as few people want to play there), yes the team gets significantly stronger. But the Blue Jackets have a long way to go before they start scaring anybody. It’s a step in the right direction though, for sure.
They did make the playoffs two years ago, with Carter and Wisneski (and especially if Steve Mason returns to his all star form) theyre not a bad team at all.
I know your not suggesting that Sauer and McD will regress, only that theres a possibility, but those two seemed entirely too ready, poised, and physical to do anything but improve IMO.
by Zuppa Di Pesce on Jun 29, 2011 4:13 PM EDT up reply actions
True, if Steve Mason can be the goalie he was a couple years ago then the Blue Jackets can crack into the top-8 in the West again.
I know what you mean about Sauer and McDonagh, they really showed some great play and seemed to be legitimate blueliners. However, after Del Zotto’s stellar rookie campaign, would the vast majority of people felt the same way about him? He was a candidate for rookie of the year, a powerplay maestro, and a breath of fresh air as a offensively-skilled defenseman that the Rangers had been yearning for. I believe in Sauer and McDonagh, but it is not outside the realm of possibility that one of them may falter or struggle. Such is the mystery of the “Sophomore Slump.”
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by HeartOfARanger on Jun 29, 2011 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions
The ‘sophomore slump’ often comes from a couple things:
1) a change in roles that a player is unready for. MDZ went through it because he was a 3rd pair guy playing 2nd pair minutes. The extra defensive responsibilities he certainly was not ready for.
2) A regression of unsustainable percentages, or being less lucky as it were.
McDonagh, given the competition levels faced and production therein, should avoid #1 unless Staal/Girardi get hurt, and even then, I think he’ll be fine.
Sauer, OTOH, is unlikely to repeat his +20 (because it’s unlikely he gets a .944 sv% on ice again), and faced considerably weaker competition for the year (because he started 3rd pair, whereas McD basically walked in playing 2nd pair). He’s the more likely one to experience the ‘slump,’ but because he’s more of a defensive minded guy, it won’t be noticed as strongly.
Both should be fine. Maybe some bumps in the road, but otherwise I don’t expect that big a downfall for either.
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by George E. Ays on Jun 29, 2011 5:20 PM EDT up reply actions
I understand why MDZ faltered, and your points are valid as always George. I completely agree with your assessment of both Sauer and McDonagh. The primary point of this post was that Wisniewski had his rights traded. The secondary point was that the big-name free agent defensemen (Bieksa, Markov, Ehrhoff, Wisniewski) were being scooped up or targeted quickly. The tertiary point, if even a point of the post at all, was to mention that the Rangers could stand to benefit from a veteran blueliner if a reasonable and viable opportunity presented itself. I do not think it is a necessary addition, as I mentioned “the Rangers have a solid defensive corps.” I think the majority of Ranger fans feel the same way about the defense. Go with what we have, but if the chance to get Jovanovski at a bargain arises then I would not be against it.
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by HeartOfARanger on Jun 29, 2011 6:53 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree...
I did not mean that the Columbus Blue Jackets would suddenly become a contender and challenge the elite of the West. I said that they were bringing “serious hockey” to Ohio after years of finishing in the bottom of the West and only making one playoff appearance. They were a stagnant team, never making dramatic changes and seemingly without a plan for the future. Now, they have showed some improvement in their roster after nice trades at the deadline a few months ago. Now, with Carter and possibly Wisniewski, their team is definitely going in the right direction and the mentality has seemed to change. They are getting serious. Much like Pegula in Buffalo, the Blue Jackets want to be seen as a quality team and are taking the appropriate steps toward that.
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by HeartOfARanger on Jun 29, 2011 4:14 PM EDT up reply actions
All kidding aside
But imagine how nuts it will be if the Jackets do great this year
I have always liked the Blue Jackets, mostly because of my affinity for most expansion teams and my love of Rick Nash. I would love to see them reach the playoffs again, and hopefully watch them achieve more than a first round sweep at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings. I certainly don’t think it is impossible. If Steve Mason can play the way he did when he won the Calder, then I think they have a well-rounded team that could put up a fight against most of the teams in the NHL. Is it likely? Not particularly. Is it possible? Yes.
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by HeartOfARanger on Jun 29, 2011 6:58 PM EDT up reply actions
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