New-Look Jackets Gear Up for 12-13 Season

[Virtual Jarmo]

NEW FACES, NEW PHILOSOPHY
By: Tito Crawford

Following another disappointing postseason, Columbus Blue Jackets General Manager Adam Burke took to Twitter to express his frustration. In a rare showing of truth and honesty from a key front office member in professional sports, Burke tweeted, "Blowing the whole [expletive] thing up."

Detractors of the Blue Jackets' front office had been disappointed with the attempts at minor fixes and perennial re-shuffling. The team fell short with Marian Gaborik, so they traded him for a stronger two-way player in David Backes. They traded youth for experience with Nikita Filatov and Scott Niedermayer. They re-signed young players, expecting better performance but got little return on their investment. Things were going to be different entering the 2012-13 season. And they are.

It will be a difficult season for a fan base who now expects to win, having three straight playoff appearances since Burke took over as the GM. With a mix of young and younger, there are going to be some growing pains, some of which may start on Saturday night when the Blue Jackets take the ice for the first time against the rival Chicago Blackhawks. In terms of creating an identity, the Jackets will have some work to do.

"We're young," Burke told the media in his weekly Tuesday press conference. "It's not a bad thing. We're focused on the bigger picture now. As a front office, we felt that the team had reached its ceiling. There was no room for improvement with the personnel that we had. They weren't going to get any better, so neither were we."

Among the new faces making their Blue Jackets debut on Saturday are Maxim Kitsyn, Ryan Stoa, Colby Armstrong, Pekka Rinne, and Mattias Ohlund. Waiting in the wings in the AHL is Joel Armia. Waiting in the wings on injured reserve is Erik Gudbranson. Other players have been returned to their junior teams but should make an impact in the future.

"With these acquisitions, we addressed present and future needs," Burke continued. "Max [Kitsyn] and Ryan [Stoa] give us more skill on the wings than we've ever had. Army [Colby Armstrong] gives us some sandpaper. Rinne and Ohlund are experienced guys who can help mentor the youngsters. We already saw Ohlund's impact in training camp with the young guys and he lobbied for us to keep Connor Murphy on the team. He's a selfless leader and we're thrilled to have a guy like him."

When the Blue Jackets are fully healthy, they will have Jakub Voracek and Erik Gudbranson to add to the lineup, giving the team tremendous balance and a lot of offensive skill up front. Voracek, who was lost just before the playoffs last season, wound up being a big blow for the team and one that they couldn't overcome.

Burke mentioned Connor Murphy, a player that most fans aren't very aware of yet. Murphy, the team's first-round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, has developed much faster than the front office anticipated and he pushed hard for a roster spot, along with 20-year-old 2010 second rounder Daniel Krejci. Phillip Danault, the team's 2010 second-round pick, just barely missed the cut, but is expected to be back up by Thanksgiving.

"Phil just needs to work on getting stronger. We felt he got pushed around a little too much at this level," head coach Ken Hitchcock said shortly after telling Danault about the team's decision. Hitchcock has yet to make a decision regarding Murphy and Krejci. "We can't keep both. Well, we can, but Gudbranson is working very hard to get back and he'll be ready to go in a couple of weeks. We may give both guys a look during the regular season and see who should stay."

Besides Danault and one of the defensemen, the Blue Jackets won't get a lot of prospect help this season. Heikki Liedes improved immensely over the offseason and could be an impact player near the postseason, but besides that, the Jackets' prospects are very young and very green.

When asked about the team's projected finish, Burke was candid. "We're not a playoff team. We're very young, very inexperienced, and the Western Conference is very strong. If we happen to sneak in, it would be great for our guys to experience that atmosphere, but I don't think we're at that point."

That may be a hard sell for a fan base that has enjoyed playoff hockey for three straight seasons, but the team is far more equipped for the future than in seasons past.

[Calgary.Flames]

Great read. It actually made me go out and take a look at the young guys brought up in this article.

Good job, Adam.

[Virtual Jarmo]

LE: Rinne, Danault, Murphy.