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)] Questions for Aaron? Send 'em if you got 'em. Puck drops at noon. Thanks.
 
[Rob_(moderator)] Hi Porty. Ready to start the latest edition of "Playoff Fever?"
 
[Portzline] It Starts Now. Fire away!
 
[cbuscru] Hitch and the boys seem to really believe they are still in the playoff hunt. Stating they are only 8 points out (obviously, forgetting the little thing called "games in hand") So the hope is to go 8-2 over the next 10. Say they do. Does management share their same optimism and the CBJ transform from sellers to buyers at the deadline?

[Portzline] Management doesn't have to determine today if they are a buyer or a seller, but if the team goes 7-2 heading into the break, it might make the decision that much more difficult. The NHL standings are tricky. If you look at them from the perspective of "points behind", eight points looks doable. But if you look, as you said, at games in hand, and how many teams sit between the Blue Jackets' and eighth place, it's daunting. It would take a 24-3 finish, or something close to that. Prepare to be sellers.
 
[Moe Bartoli's Ghost] Too many men on the ice, three times in the last eight games. Aren't these skills supposed to be honed in junior leages? This is the NHL. Lack of focus, coaching, discipline...wha?

[Portzline] Last night's was a bit fluky. One player got banged up and was slow getting off the ice; the player who was switching in for that player, couldn't resist the urge to play the puck that was right at his feet. The previous two ... they happen. To me it hasn't been an epidemic.

[Lurker] Any idea what kind of money and term Torres may be after? Seems a waste to let him go for a draft pick instead of signing him.

[Portzline] Can't say for sure, and they won't go there in the newspaper ... yet. My guess is he wants three years in the neighborhood of $2.5 to $3M. But that's only a guess. I'm with you on signing him. I like the guy and the player. But a second round draft pick isn't anything to sneeze at. As long as you pick the right guy, of course.
 
[Baller] Why does Hitchcock still pretend this team has a chance at the playoffs. To ensure a playoff spot they'd need to go 25-3 or so the rest of the way. Not going to happen and everyone except Hitchcock knows it

[Portzline] Put yourself in the coaches seat for a moment. WHy on Earth would he proclaim daily that the season is over in January? What's to be gained by that? A coaches job is to bleed every drop out of his talent. Now, you can argue if that's been done so far this season. But you can't expect the coach to be a quitter. That would be rather distasteful, no? Leave it to the cynics in the media and the realists among the fan base to say it's over.
 
[struggling CBJ fan] Do you think we'll see any substantial trades before the break, or will they wait until after the Olympics to make moves?
 
[Portzline] I would not, no. My guess is the majority of the trades will be done between March 1 -3. The Kovalchuk deal could get done. He's the big piece this deadline, so teams might decide they can't risk waiting until March. As for the Blue Jackets, and other clubs in the gray area of in/out, I wouldn't expect anything before the break.
 
[Section 105] If Scott Howson believes this season is a write-off, what do you think he can and will do to help them draft as high as possible?

[Portzline] Honestly, I don't believe he sees 2009-10 as a write-off. Oddly, a season like this can be extremely revealing for a GM, as it has exposed the real picture of some of these players. If they continue at their current clip, they'll be in the lottery and have a really high pick.
 
[Steve09] Porty- Any sense that a team like the Rangers has interest in Raffi Torres?

[Portzline] There would be lots of teams interested. Pittsburgh seems an obvious spot, but the Rangers make sense, too.
 
[Red Dog] I just got my first glimpse of Jurcina's shot last night (maybe I'm just now noticing?). Has his slapshot been clocked? Holy cow! Compare that cannon to others in the league, if you would. Could it lead to more production on the blue line (even if it's someone else's come March 3rd), or is the placement too wild to be consistant?

[Portzline] It's a very hard shot and he's accurate with it. But he doesn't use it nearly enough. In his defense, he doesn't get that much ice time or power play time where he can really load it up. Shea Weber in Nashville has a blaster; Sheldon Souray in Edmonton ... give me those two.
 
[justaguy] any sense on wether Mase still has the confidence of the guys in the room?

[Portzline] Well, it's nothing compared to last season, that's for sure. Mason has been totally deconstructed this season, put up on blocks and taken apart. He hasn't won two straight starts since Oct. 17, so it's hard to say he's back. Do his teammates believe? I think they like him more this season than they did last season, but until he starts stacking wins on wins, you can't say the confidence is abundant.
 
[Scog] Have you checked Mason's splits on games that are on weekends versus day games recently? When I see that Mason is starting on a weekend now, I usually expect to lose.

[Portzline] I haven't split them between weekend days and weekdays, but I can't imagine the numbers are too good on any of the days.
 
[Baller] What are the chances Torres is traded at the deadline and then is re-signed in the offseason, ala Keith Tkachuk

[Portzline] Possible, but that's pretty rare. I wouldn't bank on it.
 
[cbjforever] can you give an update on the minor league progress of 'fan favorite' danny fritsche? as a bluejacket fan, i always have hope.

[Portzline] He's played very well in Syracuse, even represented the Crunch in the AHL All-Star Game. But he doesn't have an NHL contract right now, only a minor-league deal. My guess is he'll get a two-way deal somewhere next summer. Hey, why not here?
 
[aerophemera] More scouts reported at the game last evening; any names of players involved that would be "keepers" for next year?

[Portzline] Not quite sure I understand the question. If the Blue Jackets make trades, it would be for draft picks or prospects, not current NHL players ... unless a blockbuster emerges. Let me know if that's not where you were going.
 
[RobInNH] Porty, I enjoyed the afternoon game against the Blackhawks and it looked like a pretty good turnout. I know they only switched the night game to a day game because of NBC and it seems like the CBJ never have planned day games. Do they have something against it, I think it would b great to have more of them now that OSU football is over. What do the CBJ think?

[Portzline] Don't know what they think, but I can ask. I would think that turnout would have to open their eyes a bit. Good call on waiting until OSU football is over, too. They'd definitely wait to have afternoon games in December or later.
 
[Tom] When is someone in the room going to rattle these guys cages a little bit and wake them up? Too much lackadaisical play, and no one seems too upset by it. I for one, would be in their faces as a team leader..

[Portzline] Then come on down and grab the 'C', baby. We've written it before: this club does have a high boil point. You would have thought that during the two month plummet (is it over yet, by the way?) there would have been a blow-up or two. That's something that needs to be addressed in the off-season.
 
[justaguy] was Mase's recent outburst with the media a sign that heis atitude has soured or merely the lashing out of a young frustrated athlete struggling with his unmet expectations?

[Portzline] I wouldn't call it an outburst. I asked the question, he didn't care for it, so he got snippy. It was much closer to snippy than an outburst. I think it's more of the latter, a frustrated athlete. And that's OK, no?
 
[nikiross272] Do you see Boller going anywhere after this season or will he stay put?

[Portzline] I could see him on the move, but that's not based in anything I've heard from within the club. You have to admire what Boll did against Boogaard. It's almost an unfair situation for him. This club needs an enforcer. Everybody agrees on that, it seems, except Howson and Hitchcock. To me, Boll and Dorsett are redundant. Boll is an RFA. If his contract gets iffy, I could see him being traded, yes.
 
[Section 105] Did I read your response correctly? Were Mason's teammates not that fond of him last year? Were those names like Stevie Franchise actually in reference to his ego?

[Portzline] No. He was the franchise last season. I don't think Mason was disliked, necessarily, last season ... I just think he was a bit of a lone wolf. Look at this way: the kid had no training camp because of injury. He came up once the season was underway, and he knew very few people in the dressing room. He also had a ton of bricks put on his shoulders, and he had to deal with it however he could. He didn't have a goaltending coach, either, unless you count Perry Elderbroom. (By the way his goaltending school is currently accepting reservations, at 1-800 ... ) It wasn't an ideal situation for a 19-year-old kid.
 
[Patrick S.] AP, with the way this season shaked out how huge is it that the Nash deal got done during the summer?

[Portzline] It's massively, ridiculously, outrageously huge. Think Kovalchuk in Atlanta right now. It's a mess in ATL; and it would be close to the same here if Nash hadn't signed the extension.
 
[Kevin] Aaron, Question about Antoine Vermette and how he takes his faceoffs. Is it his style to go down so low, and often remove himself from the ensuing play? He seems to always end up on the ice, trying to play catch up. A lot of other centers in the NHL, seem to stay upright when taking faceoffs.

[Portzline] He has a unique style in that he only has success by crossing over his right hand for maximum leverage. He's not a big guy, you'll notice, so every bit of muscle he has goes into the stick at faceoff. I'm writing for Thursday's paper about his maturation and comfort level at the center ice position.
 
[CBJ_61_93_16] With 8 healthy defenseman on the roster now, plus Klesla and Moore, what gives with the defense at the deadline and the offseason? Could there be a trade of a name we don't think about?

[Portzline] I've been pondering this for a while. Commodore is pretty much untradeable with his performance this season and his remaining contract. Hejda, Tyutin and Klesla all have reasonable deals and they're all fairly similar players. It would not be done easily by the front office, as they like all three of those players, but they might have to move one of them to open up the back end. Obviously Russell and Stralman are needed for their skating and offensive production, respectively. Don't bank on Moore being a full-time NHLer next season. He could be. But the plan right now is to start him in Syracuse and give him small tastes of the NHL for the first pro season. We shall see on that one.

[Josh] im super hungry. i cant decide between mexican, a sandwich, chicken and fries or pizza. what would hitch say?

[Portzline] I have it on good authority that Hitch would go with the sammich. turkey or tuna. no cheese. lettuce and tomato. no mayo. potato chips. This folks, is insider information from a very good source.
 
[Ryan] What grade would you give the organization for its draft picks, compared to other teams? It seems like there have been more busts (Zherdev, Filatov, Picard, Brule, etc) than booms (Nash, Klesla). I suppose Brassard and Jake were good (assuming they are allowed to develop here).
 
[Portzline] I'm guessing you mean first round draft picks. Zherdev and Picard are busts, sure. Filatov can't be called a bust yet; the kid's 19 years old. Brule was given too much too soon and is only now starting to emerge as a "plus" third-liner. Nash is obviously a home run. I think Voracek and Brassard will be, too. I would argue your suggestion that Klesla is a boom. He's been serviceable.

[Portzline] Oh, a grade. Give them a C-.
 
[Moe Bartoli's Ghost] Boll showed a heavy shot from out near the point last night. Where in the world has that been?

[Portzline] Boll rarely finds enough open ice to generate a shot like that. This is a kid who scored a lot in junior hockey, so he's not totally clueless with the puck. THere's just not a lot of room up here in the NHL.
 
[cbjfan61] Any progress on the affiliation agreement with Syracuse?

[Portzline] Not that I know of. Forgot about it, actually. I'll try to remember to ask Howson today. They have pro scouting meetings all week, so I'll try to remember to ask him later tonight.
 
[Lee] Any chance John Moore gets a call-up after the junior season is over? Even if its just to practice

[Portzline] Very good possibility, yes. The kid got off to a bit of a slow start with his offensive production, but he's been rolling lately.
 
[runandgun] What should our expectations for Brassard be? He has definitely stepped up his play lately. What should we expect this season? Next season?

[Portzline] The kid played a tremendous game last night and drew only 12 1/2 minutes of ice time. He needs to play and play a lot, 17-18 minutes. I think he's a No. 2 center with down-the-line potential to be a No. 1. Once this season is lost (I mean, officially), why not put him next to Nash and let them figure it out? Nash -- Brassard -- Voracek ... interesting.
 
[Section 105] Have we the fans been unrealisitic with our expections of this team? Clearly last year's modest success was based on: a goalie having what may have been a career year, several other players who might have had years they might never repeat. Does Scott Howson need more time to fix the damage from what I think was 7 years of poor drafting and horrible trades?

[Portzline] This club has clearly underachieved this season. The goalie gets a lot of the grief, which is part of the position. But lots of other players -- Commodore, Tyutin, etc. -- have underperformed as well. It all works together. As for Howson ... yes, he's still cleaning up the oil spill from the previous administration, but that's about over now. The whole roster has changed over. It would be a help if more of the No. 1 picks worked out, but he's been in charge long enough -- and spent enough money -- that this is pretty much his doing. He clearly erred in not replacing the veteran presence in the room that was lost when Michael Peca departed.
 
[Rob_(moderator)] Thanks, everyone. A transcript of the chat will be posted on Dispatch.com and the new-and-improved BlueJacketsXtra.com in a minute or two. That's a wrap.

[Portzline] Thanks very much. Have a good week.