Blue Jackets notebook: Howson waiting to hear the right offer for Nash
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Puck Rakers
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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
Sources say that the Blue Jackets have had trade inquiries regarding winger R.J. Umberger.
Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson continues to talk and listen. With the NHL trade deadline looming next Monday, Howson hasn’t heard what he wants to hear.
“We’re waiting for the right deals,” Howson said. “We’re getting closer. But we’re not there yet.”
The Blue Jackets have two of the higher-profile forwards on the market. They’re listening to offers for captain Rick Nash and openly shopping Jeff Carter.
Howson has met with Philadelphia GM Paul Holmgren and Toronto GM Brian Burke in the past week to discuss possibilities, but Boston, Los Angeles and the New York Rangers also are said to be interested in Nash and/or perhaps others on the Jackets’ roster.
The market is slow, Howson acknowledged, but all it takes is one deal to accelerate an arms race.
If the Bruins, second in the Eastern Conference standings, make a deal for a forward, the first-place Rangers or fifth-place Flyers could be forced to up the ante.
“We’d like that,” Howson said with a smile.
Edmonton’s Ales Hemsky and Ryan Smyth, Buffalo’s Derek Roy and possibly Tampa Bay’s Ryan Malone are available, but only a handful of teams are clear-cut sellers at this point.
Howson has said that no player is off-limits, other than those with no-movement or no-trade clauses in their contracts.
Sources told The Dispatch that the Blue Jackets have had inquiries regarding winger R.J. Umberger and center Derick Brassard.
Checking-line center Sammy Pahlsson can become an unrestricted free agent, so any reasonable offer likely will be accepted.
Goaltender Curtis Sanford, also an unrestricted free agent, could be a throw-in if the Blue Jackets strike a trade for a goaltender.
No distractions
The Blue Jackets had an optional skate yesterday — a chance to get away from the ice and growing interest in Nash and the growing trade reports.
Not that it has affected the Blue Jackets, interim coach Todd Richards said.
“Rick’s had to answer a lot of questions,” Richards said. “Other guys have had to answer questions, too.
“But I haven’t noticed much of a difference with the way the guys have been practicing or playing. I think they’ve handled all this pretty well.”
Nikitin expected back
Defenseman Nikita Nikitin, out since slamming into the end boards and suffering an injured left knee in Detroit on Jan. 21, is expected to return tonight against the Sharks.
He has missed 12 games.
“It’s big for us,” Richards said. “He’s a guy we’ve missed back there. He played big minutes right from the minute we brought him over in the trade (from St. Louis).”
Wiz wants to play
Defenseman James Wisniewski was ruled out of Sunday’s game against the New York Rangers late in the afternoon because of a groin injury, and he wasn’t happy about it.
“I know it was tough for him to sit out, having to sit there in the dressing room,” Richards said. “You could see it in his emotions after the game.
“His response right away is that he’s going to play (tonight). That’s not a for-sure thing; we’re going to have to see. But he’s trying. That’s his attitude. He’s lobbying hard to play.”
aportzline@dispatch.com
