Trade Deadline

[Buzz]

THEY WILL LOOK LIKE A BUNCH OF 22 YEAR OLDS B/C THAT IS ALL THAT IS THERE...CANT BELIEVE THIS, VERY VERY FRUSTRATED WITH THE JACKETS RIGHT NOW

[CanadianJacketsFan]

**** SCOTT HOWSON!!!!!!!!!! what a piece of shit GM

WE NEED FOOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FUUUUUUUUCCKKKKK

I AM SO PISSED OFF RIGHT NOW IT'S NOT EVEN FUNNY

**** SCOTT HOWSON FUUUUUUCKKKK HIIIIIIMMMMMMMMM

[Nate]

Man I didn't expect this.  I really thought they would try to buy this year and make a run at the playoffs.  Jackets fans are tired of the wait till next year actions and I thought Howson would avoid it because of the reaction that is incurring because of what he has now done.

I understand it's his job to take everything into account and that getting Richards may have been a big gamble this year and the future.  I think the organization needed to show they wanted to go for it this year, even if they didn't make it.

I hope they don't complain when their revenue goes down next year.  The fans want a reason to be excited and spend money in a struggling economy right now.  The Jackets need to give them a reason to be excited about them and these moves were not it. 

Frustrating.

[Prestonn99]

Quite honestly, I didn't see this being the year that the Jackets made the playoffs to begin with. So I'm not too awfully upset with the situation were in.

That being said, I'm going to go ahead and assume that you guys had a different vision for us this year. So It's more understandable for you all to have the opinions you have on Howson.

The only thing that is remotely disappointing to me coming off the deadline is the trade for Feds. But from what I have read is that Ruth is a pretty solid stay at home dman (what else would Hitch want)? So it seems as if he will eventually be a nice fit for us. But the more I think, the more it makes since that we didnt get much out of Feds. He has been hurt as of late, and has not produced this year. I don't know that there was much of a market for him this year.

Im stickin with my guns in thinking that this summer is going to be huge for the Jackets and next year will be our year. There are no teams in the NHL in the position we are in right now going into the UFA market. We have draft picks goming out of our ears right now to make a trade for a #1 Center, and enough cap space to sign two seperate players at the league max salary ( I hope we dont do that, but we have the money).

Heres to the summer. Howson did what he could with what he inherited from Dougie Mac.

[CanadianJacketsFan]

Yeah we have like 20 mill of cap space going into the summer so I guess thats a positive.

Going into every season i've expected big things from the jackets, like most fans would.

I guess every year my expectations have dropped but the start of the year really got me stoked, 6 games 4 shutouts for paz.

But now I'll have another year of cheering for a team other than mine in the playoffs

go habs (without a vet goalie YIKES!)

[Nate]

Great points and I hope you are absolutely correct.  I think Howson is in a tough spot right.  He inherited this team that vastly underachieved since it's inception.  It does appear he has a great opportunity to help us turn the corner this year.

I did think we had a chance to make the playoffs.  I thought they might have had just enough to get in.  I figured they would be one of the lowest seeds if they made it and didn't expect a major run.  I did think the FO needed to show the fans they were going to go for it though.

[Buzz]

After thinking about what all has happened the last couple of hours, I am still upset but i believe the Jackets did the right thing of getting rid of Foote and Fedorov.  Listening to Howson on local radio station 1460 the fan he stated that he tried almost everything to get Richards and Tampa was not budging.  After they could not get Richards he quote unquote tried many other options that also did not work.  WHen none of his trades were working he decided to ship Foote so the Jackets could get something out of him rather than getting nothing at the end of the year.  WIth Feds I am kind of happy to see go, he will just be hurt in 4 games in Washington. 

My hopes are that in the summer they sign a big name center and D man to help this team win.  I know they are really close but the fans are starting to get frustrated.  Lets see how the young kids play the rest of the year and prayer for a good summer.

[jacketgirl25]

Yeah.  Yesterday was kind of a downer.

Like Prestonn99 I was not expecting playoffs this year.  We didn't go after big free agents last off season.  I told myself not to get my hopes up and that as long as we improved, and finished the season above .500, that would be a success, compared to where we've been before.  Don't get me wrong, after the start we had I was pumped and ready and thought this could be the year.

I have no doubt this offseason will be big - Scott will make up for the lack of movement at the deadline.  We've got money to spend and I hope we use it well.  I would much rather this than for him to have made deals at the deadline that weren't really what we wanted/needed.  One of the reasons I hated Doug so much was that he was greedy for and blinded by talent regardless of the price, or whether or not they would fit with the team.

Hitch is making this team what it needs to be.  Howson inherited a mess - and has done great things so far.   Let's face it - it's almost March and we're still playing meaningful games.  This is a vast improvement over any other year.  It's not the best possible situation to be in, but we weren't mathematically eliminated by January, and you never know - there are still some games to play.  Now's the time to keep doing what we've been doing and get ready to kick some ass next year.

[jacketsfan2002]

i agree with the people who said that howson inherited a mess with this franchise. I read something in the Columbus Dispatch that said Doug turned 5,000 season ticket holders away from the team. I'm glad that Howson got rid of Sergi and Foote. It freed up so much cap money so the Jackets can get the players that they want in the summer. I still have hope that the Jackets can make the playoffs this year. They're only 7 points out of the last playoff spot, in a conference where 9-11 are only separated by like 6 or seven points. I think that if the jackets could win half of their remaining games, then they have a really good shot of making it to the playoffs

[Nate]

I agree Howson inherited a mess.  I see where he's coming from with the moves he made.  If Tampa wants more than we  should pay for a player, there isn't much you can do about that.

I think a lot of fans are not as mad this morning as they were  yesterday but is still sucks.

We better make a lot of noise in the off season or the fans will turn on Howson.

[CanadianJacketsFan]

Here's an update on the departed from Radio Color Analyst of the Jackets

They Came... They Helped... They Left
Feb 28, 2008, 1:48 PM EST February 28

Trade day has come and past and now the future is ahead of us! For all it is disappointing to see such players move on, but there is no question about it, it is a business that renders some fact, some fiction and some things we have to accept. It is the business of players coming and going in the NHL. It has been said one shouldn't fall in love with a team today, because it will be gone tomorrow. So true, so true!

Sergei Fedorov was an unrestricted free agent who was not going to be resigned. The future Hall of Famer was moved to the Capitals for Ted Ruth, who is a freshman defenseman at Notre Dame. A move to insure an asset would be returned to the club was in the eye of hockey management. Make no doubt, in Sergei's days in Columbus we watched a super star slowly fade from his prime. He was a true professional.

Adam Foote was a rock. He was our captain. He loved the room and we all loved him in Columbus… but in honesty he still had a part of his heart in Colorado. He left with an emotional exit from NWA on Tuesday at 12:30 p.m., not accepting the latest offer the club had to offer.

He has since played two games with the Avalanche, both games were wins at Calgary and at Vancouver. It appears he has not missed a beat, especially with eight blocked shots in the shootout win over Vancouver. He would not move off of his first and final offer in his negotiations with the CBJ. The writing was on the wall for his exit in Columbus. His "no trade" clause was demanded for only one team, and that was his initial home of Colorado. The team wanted to make sure they were able to get some enumeration in the return of a key first rounder either this year or next, depending on if the Avs make the playoffs. They also got a conditional draft pick as well.

The CBJ also went to a "dance" with Tampa in an effort to attract center man Brad Richards, the highly paid and former Conn Smythe winner. The offer failed when there was no goaltender in the mix, a commodity Tampa requested only once in the initial talks. They liked the CBJ offer and found it intriguing, but did not allow us to "be part of the actual dance" as Dallas had the looks, the body and the moves to attract the hungry partner. Leaving the dance without even a kiss is what really hurts.

After a disappointing 4-2 loss to the Sharks with the return of Jody Shelley, the emotions ran dry as the game progressed. Three goals in the second period was the difference with two of the goals coming off change of direction shots.

Where do we go? We are still in the hunt with a hill to climb, so the climb is on!!!

The team as Hitch suggested is in a "fog" and rightfully so with the movement the last few days. It will take a plane ride of conversation, teaching, breaking down and the will and spirit of the players building it back up again. The trust, the desire and the want for perfection is still on the mind of the coaching staff. They will not let up and the communication continues as the team is still in the hunt.

The energy will soon need to be focused toward the task at hand on the three game road trip to Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary.

Now with the trade deadline far behind us we need to focus our concentration on making it into the playoffs. The loss to San Jose made us look like quitters but just yesterday an assuring 3 goal comeback win vs Vancouver brought me back to life. I've been skeptical about our chances of making the playoffs, especially after we switched from buyers to sellers, but now I can look at our team and picture them reaching their goal. Nobody has seemed to quit just yet and a quick team like ours has the special ability to cause upsets and create the scoring chances needed to win games. Rick Nash has been on Fire latley scoring at will, a aspect the Jackets will need to keep running.

Go Jackets Go!

[CBJfan14]

The vancouver win was a huge one to say the least!  To come back from 2 goals down in teh third against a goalie like Luongo really says somethin about the team. It could be a turning point, just in time for these guys. There are now 17 games left, plenty of time to make up 5 points. It is still an uphill climb, but the goal is still within reach. Lets do it!!!