Alfie playing Hot Dog Tag with his team team at practice
The Columbus Blue Jackets have struggled this season and currently sit 12th in the Western Conference. The main priority this year is to make the playoffs and to win the Central Division. These goals are very attainable but are more difficult now with the hot start of the St. Louis Blues. Backstrom has been putting up good numbers but hasn’t been getting the wins because the team in front of him has been having trouble scoring goals.
GM Penney pulled the trigger on a deal today that should help out. The deal not only gives the jackets some much needed depth, it gives them scoring! The jackets are one of the best defensive teams in the CPHL so shots against are no longer a big problem. If we can generate more scoring chances the wins should start coming.
Losing is NOT an option. We have some great youth but obviously lacked the veteran leadership to win games consistently.
To Nashville:
Cam Fowler, Benoit Pouliot, 1st (stl) 2011 and Ben Bishop
To Columbus:
Daniel Alfredsson and Thomas Plekanec
It was no secret that Cam Fowler was on the trade block because Penney doesn’t have the patience to wait for the young kids unless he really likes them. That says a lot for Colin Wilson who is no longer available and will remain a Jacket. GM Penney has always like forward prospects more than defensive prospects because he believes the forwards develop quicker. Penney feels that Cam Fowler is a franchise player down the road but with the current youth in Columbus he wouldn’t have been that guy here.
Pouliot is a guy we think is underrated and we feel he has a good chance to step it up in Montreal this year. With JVR already in the fold, it made trading Pouliot easier.
We welcome Alfie and Plekanec and look forward to see what they can do here!