Blue Jackets notebook: Blues streak into Columbus
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Gene J. Puskar | Associated Press
The Blues are 28-7-7 since Nov. 6, when ex-Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock took over behind the bench.
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One Signed, Two Set Free
The Blue Jackets have agreed to terms with defenseman Austin Madaisky on a three-year, entry-level contract, and the official deal should be announced shortly. Madaisky was a fifth-round pick (No. 124 overall) in the 2010 NHL entry draft.
Two other picks - right winger Petr Straka (2nd round, No. 55) and defenseman Brandon Archibald (4th round, No. 94) - have been informed by the Blue Jackets that they won't be signed, sending them back in the pool of draftable players for next month's draft in Pittsburgh.
Of those two, Straka is the mild surprise.
He had 28-36-64 in 62 games with Rimouski (QMJHL) during his draft year, but tailed off badly the last two seasons. In 2010-11, he had 10-15-25 in 41 games. This season, he had 18-19-37 in 54 games. That's fewer points the last two seasons -- 62 in 95 games -- than he scored as a 17-year-old.
However, Straka made a pretty good last-best argument for a deal with his performance in the QMJHL playoffs. He had 10-12-22 in 21 games, becoming a point-a-game player once again. The bet here is that he gets drafted his June, but certainly on Saturday (2nd through 7th rounds) and probably later in the day.
The Blue Jackets acquired the pick used on Straka with the 2010 trade deadline deal that sent winger Raffi Torres to Buffalo.
Madaisky, meanwhile, blossomed this season in his fourth year of juniors, the last three spent with Kamloops (WHL). He had 13 goals, 37 assists, 50 points and a plus-20 rating, all career highs. He also had 87 penalty minutes. He could play a fifth year of junior next season, or begin his pro career, likely with AHL Springfield.
Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson and the hockey operations department face one last difficult decision as it pertains to the 2010 draft class. Goaltender Mathieu Corbeil remains unsigned, and the Jackets still aren't sure if they want to keep him in the fold.
"We'll evaluate him in the Memorial Cup and make a decision," Howson said. "Not sure right now."
Corbeil is 50-11-2 in the last two seasons with Saint John of the QMJHL, which won the Memorial Cup last season and is a favorite to repeat. Corbeil, named the QMJHL's goalie of the year, is 16-0-1 in this year's playoffs, with a 2.18 goals-against average and .917 save percentage.
Those numbers will cause many readers to scratch their temples and wonder: "How could they possibly not want this guy?" What the Blue Jackets are trying to determine is if Corbeil is a product of a powerhouse hockey club or a goaltender with legitimiate NHL potential. These are the questions that keep scouts up late at night.
Two weeks ago, the Blue Jackets seemed to be leaning away from signing Corbeil. These days it seems to be leaning back the other direction, though no decision has been made.
-- Aaron Portzline
twitter: @aportzline
In the Bizarro World in which the Blue Jackets would be a playoff contender, the next seven games — five at home and all but one against teams in playoff position — would be crucial.
In reality, the final seven games of February are nothing more than exhibitions of pride and perhaps chances to play spoiler, beginning tonight against the St. Louis Blues.
The Blues, who have won four consecutive games, have 75 points, three fewer than Western Conference leader Detroit. St. Louis (34-14-7) has become a Stanley Cup contender since former Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock replaced Davis Payne behind the bench on Nov 6.
The Blues are 28-7-7 under Hitchcock, who wants his team watching the out-of-town scoreboard tonight, and every night.
“Once you start climbing the ladder, I want you to look up,” Hitchcock told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “Every person in (our) locker room knows the importance of first in the division. That’s still the focus here, first in the division. We’re not prepared to let Detroit run and hide on everybody.”
The Blues have rallied in front of goaltenders Brian Elliott (18-5-2) and Jaroslav Halak (16-9-5). Both have been superb and are among the NHL’s best. Elliott, a Western Conference All-Star, leads the league in goals-against average (1.63) and save percentage (.939).
Halak has five shutouts in his past 10 starts, including a 3-0 victory over San Jose on Sunday. He has a career-best 1.97 goals-against average and .922 saves percentage.
Richards: Mason did OK
Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason allowed five goals on 35 shots in a loss to Anaheim on Sunday, less than 24 hours after starring in a 3-1 victory at Minnesota.
But there wasn’t a great drop-off in his performance, interim coach Todd Richards said.
“I thought he played well,” Richards said. “I thought he gave us a chance. There are only certain things he can control. He can’t control things in front of him. I liked his play. He made some big saves for us.”
Slap shots
The NHL will not further discipline right winger Derek Dorsett for an illegal check to the head of the Ducks’ Jason Blake on Sunday. Dorsett called the penalty “brutal” and said Blake “flopped around like a dead fish.” … Defenseman Nikita Nikitin (left knee) and Mark Letestu (right hand) might return to the lineup tonight.
smitchell@dispatch.com
