Huge week for the Columbus Blue Jackets!!

By: Bethany

Bethany's Hockey Rants

This week was HUGE for the Columbus Blue Jackets, we had Development Camp, we gave Hitch an extension, and we made some key signings.  As I said Development Camp was this week, and the big names that were participating were of course, Jakub Voracek, Stefan Legein, Maxim Mayorov, and Cody Goloubef.  I was unable to attend Development Camp, but from what I heard Voracek was amazing, at least according to Aaron Portzline who had this to say:

-- Voracek is having a very good camp, too. On Day 1, his passing really stood out. On Tuesday, for whatever reason, he was more of a shooter than a passer. One thing I've noticed: Voracek hits the net with his shot. Most Blue Jackets practices are very loud because the players can't hit the net and end up drilling the glass behind the net. (A cynic would call them Shots On Glass). Not Voracek. He was drawing net from all angles.

It has been said that Jake is pretty much a shoe in to make the squad come training camp, so it doesn't really surprise me that he had such a great Development Camp.  Also, Jake is in Columbus working on his training, getting bigger, and stronger day by day. 

Stefan Legein, since the day he was drafted has been a favorite player of mine.  In the very few times I have been able to watch him play you get an idea of what his personality is, he really shows it off on the ice.  He reminds me a lot of Jared Boll.  The Blue Jackets website had a great piece written on both Jakub and Stefan and showing their different personalities.  Also, they have a great interview with Stefan.

Maxim Mayorov had an extremely impressive Development Camp.  Mayorov gave his notice to his Russian team and will be able to negotiate a contract with the Blue Jackets on August 1.  Mayorov is determined to play in North America this coming season whether that is Juniors, or for Syracuse.  My guess is he makes Syracuse.  Here is what Scott Howson had to say about Maxim:

"It's been really good for us to have him in this setting, to see how he plays against and interacts with players his own age," general manager Scott Howson said. "I saw him play in Russia last year, but the competition was not very good."

"What we're seeing here this week is a player with really good hands and a really strong skater. It's been really good."

Nobody really had a lot to say about Cody Goloubef's camp, they seemed to be more impressed with Teddy Ruth or Baby Ruth, as I call him.  Ruth was acquired at the trade deadline for Sergei Fedorov and is going to school at Notre Dame. 

In the world of signings, we have finally officially signed center Michael Peca to a one-year deal.  This was a big signing for us, not because of the scoring he does, but because of the leadership he brings.  We have an extremely young Captain, in Rick Nash, and Michael Peca brings leadership and experience every single time he steps onto the ice.  We have also signed center RJ Umberger a RFA that we acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers at the draft.  We signed RJ to a four-year $15 million deal.  The Blue Jackets also signed first round draft pick, Nikita Filatov to an entry level deal.  Filatov has the potential to make the Blue Jackets out of training camp, which is extremly exciting for us...at least for me, because, I have heard him compared to Ovechkin and Crosby...that couldn't be a bad thing right?

The biggest signing of all was of course the signing of my favorite member of the Blue Jackets organization, Ken Hitchcock.  He agreed to a contract extension, and will lead the Blue Jackets until the end of the 2011-2012 season (or longer).  Hitchcock has given the Blue Jackets something they had never had until he came along...an identity.  We are just now seeing what this new identity entails, but I am looking forward to the following season where we will grow as a team on and off the ice.