Each Wednesday at noon during the NHL season, Dispatch.com and BlueJacketsXtra.com readers can chat online with either Aaron Portzline or Tom Reed, The Dispatch's Blue Jackets beat writers. Here's a transcript of today's chat with Aaron:

[Rob_(moderator)] Hi, everyone. If you have questions for Aaron, start sending them now. We'll get started at about noon. Thanks.
 
[Rob_(moderator)] Hi, Porty. We'll get started in a few minutes.
 
[portzline] I'm stretching right now. Getting ready.
 
[Rob_(moderator)] Don't forget the cool down when we're done. Just as important.
 
[Rob_(moderator)] Ready to roll?
 
[portzline] Fire away, folks.
 
[Matt C.] NHL's Rule 45 states: "Clipping is the act of throwing the body, from any direction, across or below the knees of an opponent... If an injury occurs as a result of this "clipping" check, the player or goalkeeper must be assessed a major penalty... A game misconduct penalty must be assessed anytime a major penalty is applied for injuring an opponent by clipping." I can forgive the refs for missing the call, but wouldn't a minimum of a 1-game suspension to Scuderi be warrented?

[portzline] Handing out punishment is never easy, as there are so many gray areas. First off, the call never should have been missed. The NHL official was looking right at the play when it occurred. Further, in my opinion, the league is caught up in who is committing the infraction, rather than what infraction occurred. Look at the Steve Ott. By my eyes, that's easy as dirty or less dirty than the hit by Scuderi on Chimera. But because Ott has a nasty reputation, he gets hit with a two-game. Scuderi is not regarded as a dirty player, so he gets a miniscule fine. The fact is, Jason Chimera's career could have been ended right there by a reckless act, pure and simple. Scuderi, in my opinion, should have been penalized for clipping, given a 10-minute misconduct or a game misconduct, and made to sit out at least one game.
 
[ans52] Who is the odd man out of the top six defensemen when Hejda is healthy? With the number of the defensemen currently under contract how does John Moore fit in down the road?

[portzline] It's going to be very interesting to see who gets the bump. My guess is either Russell or Methot, but both have played relatively well. John Moore will likely be here next season, but lots can change in that time. If he's good enough to stick in the top six, a trade could be in the offing.
 
[Ryan31] Is Hitch an elite coach in this league as far as style?? Is his defense first style of play something that players buy into more than other coachs systems?

[portzline] Yes, he's an elite coach. Don't know exactly what you mean with the 'style' qualifier. Players don't always embrace his style because it's not an easy style to play. There are no "off" nights or "off" shifts. But most players like the fact that nobody gets away with dogging it, and there are no favorites. And the results speak for themselves.
 
[cbjfn] why did Hitch decide not to bring anyone up with Murray being out...is that to make room for Modin's return?

[portzline] They already have an extra forward -- Mike Blunden. When Fredrik Modin returns in a week or two (or more), they'll have two extras.
 
[FormerLeafsFan] What's wrong in Detroit? Obviously, the Wings won't be .500 at the end, and the Jackets can't win 'em all (or kill every penalty), but what do you think is wrong and how long before they return to form? (Don't say 11/11 - I've got tickets to the game!)

[portzline] To me, the Red Wings lost a sizeable chunk of their margin for error with all the free agent departures. Now, poor goaltending means a loss, whereas last year they got away with. Now, a slow start by Pavel Datsyuk hurts them more than it did last year. Now, Johan Franzen going down is a bigger deal. Still a good team, just not as good as in previous seasons.
 
[BJFan1] Lots of chatter about aquiring a big enforcer? Is it truly necessary? Dorsett is small but always willing, but brings a little offensive play to his game as well. But doesn't seem to be many players that consider him an impact player. Boll is typically willing to fight, but not too many players that are really "afraid" of Boller in a fight or with the puck. Who is out there that could fill the potential void?

[portzline] They can had pretty cheap. Usually a mid- to late-round draft pick would bring a serviceable goon the other direction. I don't think the Blue Jackets are an easy club to play against, like they were a few years ago, but they don't have an answer for Ivanans, Parros's, Boogaards, etc. Yes, Boll is willing, but he's not an enforcer in the truest sense. Dorsett is always willing, but he's almost always fighting up a weight class, too.
 
[twisted wrister] Question from a real beginner...There seems to be an awful lot of left-handed shots on the team. Is this by design, chance or is there an advantage to having a left-handed shot which make natural right-handers learn early to shoot lefty?

[portzline] There's no design here, but typically young players are more comfortable with their dominant hand supporting the top of the stick, and most folks are right-handed. That's not a hard and fast rule, just how it tends to shake out.
 
[Tuggernutz] Do other teams in the league change their lines around on a game-by-game basis the way the Jackets do?

[portzline] Yes. Two losses in a row usually throws the whole group of 12 into chaos. NHL coaches, like all coaches, are a little crazy. And I mean that in a nice way.
 
[degoodman] So, anything new to report with Nik Filatov? Another week goes by, another couple scratches and a 5 minute ice time game. If he needs ice time to develop, its becoming painfully obvious that he's not going to get in Columbus, and Freddy isn't even back to make the log jam worse. Are they considering a move?

[portzline] Nikita Filatov is playing left on the Blue Jackets' second line tonight vs. Phoenix, which is right where he started the season. See the answer to the previous question, but ... four days ago, Filatov was a long way away from catching up to speed. Two days before that, he was more comfortable on the right wing than left. So it goes. He played pretty well in Los Angeles, so now he gets another shot at prime time.
 
[WFNY-5-Hole] Does there come a point where Hitch is almost hurting the team with the lineup changes? How valuable is continuity versus generating a spark?

[portzline] I don't think the defensive woes on the trip had anything to do with linemates, pairs, etc. I'll defer to the coach on this one. Yes, there's lots of tinkering. But the club has looked disorganized and disjointed in its own zone the last 10 days or so.
 
[Brick_Mason] The article this morning about mason helped answer some questions for me but do you think this is the "sophomore slump" that everyone talks about or was the defense just doing thier best impressions of swiss cheese on the road trip?

[portzline] It was a combined effort on the road. In the three games he played, there's probably at least three goals he would like to have back, which is not good. But he's seeing different shots right now than he did last season. Typically, it's good to be a goaltender in a Ken Hitchcock system, but what the Blue Jackets have put forth the last 10 days or so has not been that system.
 
[mike] Hiya Porty....What is it that Hitch sees in Boll that I am missing? IMO, an average AHL grinder with little skills who seldom wins a fight? As always, thanks for the weekly chats!

[portzline] Thanks for taking part in the chat. Truly appreciate it. Hitchcock see's a big, tough forward who gets in on the forecheck and can be very disruptive when he's playing at the top of his game. He had one really good game early this season, but otherwise I don't think he's been the same since the Krys Barch fight on opening night 2008. The "edge" to his game hasn't been there.
 
[darren] Any news on Stralman's knee? Commie still doing OK? How soon on Hejda?

[portzline] Don't know a thing about Stralman's knee, but he's playing tonight. Commodore is almost up to speed. Hejda maybe this weekend.
 
[erikmania] i always liked ron hainsey in columbus...compare anton strahlman to hainsey...is he an upgrade?

[portzline] Good question. Stralman is a right shot and he's making WAY less money than Hainsey. I also think Stralman is more dangerous with the puck at the blue line. He's more patient with it and has better luck getting his shot on net. He might be more of a true offensive defenseman, whereas Hainsey is more of a mobile defenseman, able to transport the puck.
 
[Wally] I know it's early in the season, but how about that BIG BAD Central Division?

[portzline] And they haven't really even started playing each other yet. Nashville has really struggled, Detroit looks human and St. Louis looks unsteady. So far, it hasn't been that impressive, you're right.
 
[Matt C.] Given the recent fervor over injuries and questionable hits, do you anticipate the NHL making any rule changes in the off-season? Are we finally going to see no-touch icing?

[portzline] I'm not sure how many of these injuries have anything to do with no-touch icing. It's hits to the head that have been the issue. People talk about how different games looked 20 years ago because of the goaltending. That's very true. But look how much bigger the players are now. The ice looks so much smaller now because the bodies are hugemongous. Part of the issue is everybody has a different take on all of these hits, even the Scuderi-Chimera low-bridge.
 
[WFNY-5-Hole] Is Hejda really that important to the defensive-zone play and PK? They've looked lost without him. More troubling is that other teams' top lines are doing the damage. I don't feel like the long pass/goal from Kopitar, for example, happens if Hejda is on the ice. Am I way off?

[portzline] Maybe not that goal in particular, but most of the defensive zone gaffes have been by forwards. And skilled forwards. And veteran skilled forwards. Throw Huselius' points away, he has not been very good with the puck in his own end. The captain isn't without blame here, either.
 
[Dark Blue Jacket] How much time has Rook actually spent with Mason and Garon, and what might we fans look for to gauge his effectiveness? (Wins/losses, and GAA excluded - those are obvious...)

[portzline] Rook has been around quite a bit, just like most goaltending coaches. It's not a full-time gig. He doesn't always travel with the club. He's around when he's needed, otherwise it's scheduled in advance. I'd say look for poise and body language. When Mason is dialed in, he looks so big, so fluid, like he barely ever moves quick. He was guessing a lot on the road trip. The was offtrack, especially after Dion Phaneuf floated the eephus pitch past him.
 
[Jacketsbum] Mason has looked very ordinary as of late. He'll make an great save and then let in several weak ones, especially slap shots. Has he been over rated and the CBJ are depending on him too much? Have other teams figured him out? He really hasn't been "outstanding" since he had mono last year.

[portzline] I'd say that other teams have figured him out except that he's allowing goals in all different manners. The book, supposedly, was high-glove, which, incidentally, is the book on every butterfly goaltender. Get them to go down and shoot high is the best way. Mason has just been wildly inconsistent, and his body language after a bad goal is not good. He's carrying it with him, which he didn't do last season.
 
[JSav22] A huge bright spot so far this season has been Jake Voracek's play. The added muscle has obviously helped his game at the NHL level. Talk is that he's a funny guy to be around in the room, got any Jake Voracek anecdotes?

[portzline] In San Jose, I step on the hotel elevator and there's Jake. We exchange pleasantries -- he's a very nice guy -- and Jake starts singing to himself: "Playing with the queen of hearts ... " I said, "Jake, that songs gotta be 30 years old." He says: "Yeah, yeah. Juice Newton." I saw him the next day and he was singing B.J. Thomas' "Hooked On A Feeling." He's a little nutty, that Jake Voracek.
 
[Brick_Mason] As great as it was to see Adam Foote and the Avalanche at the bottom of the NHL last season it pains me just as much to see them at the top now. Surley this is just a fluke and they will plummet soon right?....right?

[portzline] Yes. Craig Anderson can't possibly stay this hot for the entirety of the season. However, unless they go in a 0-12-1 tailspin, they'll be in the mix for quite a while.
 
[darren] Okay I'll bite what's an "eephus pitch"? Excuse my literary disabilities please.

[portzline] And old baseball trick where the pitcher lobs a softball speed pitch over hand, like 35 miles per hour. I makes a change-up look like a fastball. Pretty rare now, but google it or look it up on YouTube if you want some yucks.
 
[Ryan31] even if the jackets were wanting to make a move to relieve a winger, what will they get? a dman that will make an even bigger log jam on that end? Are the blue jackets running out of spots on the team?

[portzline] Yeah, but they could move move multiple bodies for one player in return.
 
[Section 105] Yesterday a certain radio personaility in Toronto made a statement the Jackets would need to sell 25,000 seats to every game to break even. Do you know whether or not that is accurate at all? Also, do you know how many current season tickets the team has sold?

[portzline] That certain radio host once deemed Manny Malhtora untouchable, said he wouldn't trade the Blue Jackets' 2005-06 roster for that of the Detroit Red Wings and took Nikolai Zherdev over Dion Phaneuf and Tomas Vanek. Very few people still take him seriously?

[portzline] As for season tickets, I believe Mike Priest had them around 12,000 during training camp. Let me check.

[Wally] Defensively, the CBJ started out awesome. The younger guys seemed enthusiastic about filling in for Jan--if only for a game or two. Did that god-awful "swaggar" get into their heads, or what? A complete melt-down can not be attriubuted to one goalie's bad outing or one defenseman's injury, can it?

[portzline] No, it's not all the goalie or the defensemen. There is a cumulative effect to Hejda's absence, for sure. But, again, the larger issue has been the sloppy play of the forwards. Way to many turnovers from the neutral zone back and way too much careless play with the puck. Too much hoping and guessing, and too little doing.
 
[jacket-redwing] Do you think Nash will ever get more of a mean streak?

[portzline] No. I don't. I think what you're referring to is the hit on Chimera, and his lack of an attack on Scuderi. Honestly, I haven't spoken to Nash since getting back from LA, but it's unclear to me if he even saw the hit on Chimera or if he was looking the other way. Typically, he jumps in on stuff like that. Nash does haev a mean streak. He gets royally peeved now and then. Typically, he responds with a massive effort in the offensive end. But to answer your question, the Rick Nash we've all be watching since 2002-03, is the Rick Nash you're going to get. And that's pretty darn good.
 
[PD] Do you expect Boll to drop the mitts w anybody tonight? perhaps vandermeer?

[portzline] Sure, why not? The better bet, in my opinion, is Dorsett vs. Upshall. But I would expect some fights tonight, sure.
 
[plong] How is Brassard's confidence? I would assume it's taken a hit after being demoted from 1st to 4th lines, but he seems like the type of kid that will use it as motivation.

[portzline] I don't think it could be worse now than it was when he was struggling on the No. 1 line. He'll be fine. I thought he played pretty well in Los Angeles, along with Filatov. The coaching staff is still giving him power play time, which helps, too.
 
[aquaman] $10 million to be split between the owner of PHX and The Great One. The Great One is owed $22 million+-. How far does Bettman go till he pisses off Gretzky and it becomes a PR nightmare

[portzline] The Great One is said to already be more than a little angered, but it's hard to imagine this being more of a PR nightmare than it already is.
 
[Lori Schmidt's Hat] Does the NHL truly think that fining Scuderi is going to keep the Jackets from seeking some justice of their own the next time they play the Kings?

[portzline] No. I don't think the two are related. But you can bet the NHL will be watching on Jan. 28 when the Kings and Blue Jackets meet again, in Nationwide Arena.
 
[Rob_(moderator)] By the way, that question was getting posted for the user name alone.
 
[Lee] Why has the team fared so differently at home and on the road? Obviously Mason is a big part of that, but is there something we're missing? It's not like Nationwide has a raucous crowd.

[portzline] At home, the Blue Jackets could get away with one line checking -- the Pahlsson line -- whereas on the road, the home team made sure to get their top scorers out against Vermette or (then) Brassard's line. That's a big part of home ice advantage in the NHL, getting to put your lines out on the ice after the visiting team does so.
 
[PD] Porty. How ugly was that plane ride trip , La to Cols? I would think that Hitch has been tough to be around the last couple of days...

[portzline] He has been elbow deep in film. Keep in mind, this is a guy who is rarely finds the checking level to be sufficient, and his club gave up 22 goals in four games. Back in his old stomping ground Alberta, no less. He ordered the boys in Monday -- a scheduled off day -- to do off-ice workouts. He's not a happy camper right now.
 
[Rob_(moderator)] Thanks, everyone. A chat transcript will be posted on Dispatch.com and BlueJacketsXtra.com in a minute or two. Same time, same place next week. That's a wrap.

[portzline] Thanks for all the questions.