Columbus rookie news

[ultrawhiteness]

Link

I have the suspicion now that, like me, Dobber must be reading the Columbus sports news every morning.

Adam Portzline and Tom Reed at the Columbus Dispatch do one of the best jobs of covering their team that I\'ve seen in any NHL market. Jackets fans are spoiled by these guys.

The article above basically talks about Brassard and Voracek\'s roles in the upcoming season, and how the coaches will try their best to protect them in the early going. There were two important points that I saw:

1. Both players will get significant powerplay time as it is a relatively safe time for them to display their skill.

2. Voracek was compared to Ales Hemsky, and in the same sentence it was noted that the Oiler had two 30 point seasons before he really started putting up significant points. I am beginning to temper my expectations for JV for this coming season. 45 points would be surprising.

[Dobber]

All teams should have this coverage. The only other ones that are this good are Tarik El-Bashir and Michael Russo (WAS and MIN)

[madiba72]

Sounds Like Brassard is progressing nicley. Should be and interesting year in Columbus.

[ultrawhiteness]

Yeah, I can\'t wait to see what Brassard can do.

My favourite part of that article, and what endears me to those writers, is when they list the three points that the rookies will have to work on if they want to increase their ice time.

Know where to leave the puck when going for a line change? That\'s priceless. I\'ve never seen that in a Calgary newspaper.

[wizworm]

The beat writers for the Dispatch are great! They have a podcast called Cannon Fodder and a blog too (Puck-rakers)to keep fans in the loop on news and notes.

I\'ve been a Jacket fan since they came into the leauge and the Dispatch has added more and more hockey content every season. It\'s a great resource for Blue Jacket fans.

Another great site to link to during the season for Jacket news/content is 1460 The Fan. They have two weekly podcasts called \"Breakfast with the Blue Jackets\" and \"The Coaches Show with Ken Hitchcock\". They also stream games live and you use to be able to download mp3\'s of past games to listen to on your podcast. That\'s how I survived without TV coverage before I got hooked on NHL Center Ice.

Edit: Here\'s the link to 1460 The Fan\'s Blue Jacket\'s coverage...

http://www.1460thefan.com/live/content/sports/cbj.html

[Garbage Goal]

I\'m a little curious as to what makes Voracek so much more \"NHL ready\" than Filatov?

I get Brassard because he has been playing in the A, but does a second year in Junior really prepare JV more than Filatov playing back home?

To me, any player that returns for his second year of junior should do better simply due to confidence. I realize that the QMJ has some of the worlds best young talent playing in it but how does a 20 point difference and a year of working out take a guy from where he was last year to (by reading this article) a lock on the roster?

I don\'t see a big difference in the \"readiness\" of JV to Filatov to assume either is anymore ready. If anything, and as all reports have said, Filatov was the most skilled player in the draft, and what better readiness than to have ridiculous skill.

I know there is more than skill that makes you ready, like training and maturity and blah, blah, blah. In most cases I would agree. However, was Kane highly skilled, young, and 100 lbs soaking wet? Yes. And did that work out? Sure seems like it. Not saying it will be the same, but why would JV be a lock and Filatov a long shot?

Rambling...sorry...and obviously I\'m bias (see my sig)

[ridinryan44]

I just wanna see Nash riding with an actual setup man. I don\'t think Umberger is that guy. He may suffice for the year, but Brassard and Nash duo is gonna DAZZLE!

[frost]

Why is everybody so down on umberger? He is just about to enter his prime (26 years old), and has never been given the chance to be a top line player before.

Now before he has even taken a shift he is already being replaced on the top line.

[wizworm]

Garbage Goal wrote:

I\'m a little curious as to what makes Voracek so much more \"NHL ready\" than Filatov?

One thing that may make Voracek more \"ready\" is the fact he\'s apparently put on 25 pounds of muscle since last year. I\'ve read he\'s now 6-2, 212lbs. I imagine the same is probably true about JVR. They have phsycially matured more at this point that Filatov has where they can hold their own against men for an 82 game grind.

[mapletreemarty]

Also, just to add to that, Voracek was one of the last cuts last year in training camp and almost made the team as an 18 year old. He definately impressed and I think his two way play and defensive responsibility on the ice is what makes him ideal and ready in Hitch\'s defensive responsible system.