It's been 5 days since Jackets GM Scott Howson picked up Ethan Moreau off of waivers.
It's been 5 days and I still just don't get it.
In fact, I have more questions than answers at this point. The biggest one surrounds former head coach Ken Hitchcock.
Hear me out for a second.
Raise your hand if you thought the Chris Clark trade for Jason Chimera last summer was a last ditch panic move type effort to get a "Hitch type" player to not only save Hitch's job but also the season?
*Raises hand*
Raise your hand if you thought Howson and the organization were being loyal to Hitch for all the work he put in to try to help rescue this franchise from the door mats of not only the National Hockey League, but pro sports leagues in general.
*Raises hand*
Raise your hand if you scratched your head over this Moreau waiver claim and thought to yourself -- why make this claim? This guy is a perceived "Hitch type" player but there is just one problem --- Hitch ain't the head coach anymore.
*Raises hand*
Here is something to consider.
What if all this "Hitch type" players stuff is bull? I was certainly a believer but now I'm questioning it. I'm questioning everything.
Perhaps Hitch wasn't pulling the strings behind the scenes at all? Perhaps it wasn't Hitch who wanted Clark but instead it was Scott Howson all along? Perhaps the Howson-Hitch relationship was not as strong as we thought from the outside looking in?
You're probably saying, wow - that is a lot to derive from a simple waiver claim LTL.
You may be right and I may be lookin for something that isn't there but here's my problem.
If Howson can pick up an aging 34 old former Oiler winger in Moreau post Hitch, whose to say Hitch had absolutely anything to do at all with the Clark pickup? On top of that whose to say Hitch had absolutely anything at all to do with any of the players that Howson has picked up?
Perhaps Hitch has unfairly taken a lot of fall for last year's craptacular season?
That is going from one extreme to another and the truth probably falls in the middle somewhere.
Quite honestly I have no idea what direction Howson is headed in with this team.
He says he wants a high tempo puck possession style of team yet the only move thus far is 3rd line winger in Ethan Moreau? It makes no sense. You need to have the horses to play that style and we just don't have em... At least not enough of em. At least not yet.
Just maybe we've all given Hitch credit for all that was wrong with the franchise and not enough for what was right? Just maybe it's been the exact opposite for Scott Howson?
Look, I'm not saying Hitch was perfect. He wasn't. I'm not perfect. You're not perfect. Nobody's perfect.
Like it or not, he was the man in charge during that whopper of a 23 game losing streak. He certainly doesn't escape blame. It's also much easier to change a coach than 23 players.
I get it.
What I am saying is this Moreau pickup has me second guessing every move that has been made under Howson's watch. It's got me second guessing the weight I've put on Hitch in terms of my perception of his influence on moves while he was here.
It makes me start to wonder what is the real story?
What really happened behind the scenes last season? How out of shape were the players for instance (recalling Noel's 3 out of 10 comment)? What was the real story with Commodore because I sure as hell don't buy this LA workout bit for a New York minute. What about the Filatov fiasco? Was that really all Hitch? Lots of questions that I'm sure we'll never know the answers to.
Howson has made some good moves (Umberger and Vermette) but he's also had some stinkers (Tarnstrom, Clark, Commodore and his general lack of filling the big hole to name a few). There will be no disputing who is pulling the strings now. He no longer has Hitch's shadow to hide behind.
I've been very disappointed with this offseason thus far - that is no secret for those that read this blog. I know, I know.. Offseason ain't over. We got a brand new coaching staff chalk full of former NHL players (who also have a grand total of zero years coaching in the NHL)... The kids will all "take a step". Mason will win regain his rookie form. It should be all sunshine and rainbows with pots of gold at the end.
Sorry. I'm just not there yet. Fool me once... twice... three, four, five times... well shame on me.
The fact has not changed that this roster still has holes big enough to fit Nash's pay check through. They are still a top puck moving dman and top 6 center away from being really competitive.
The two biggest windows to fill these holes have blown by in the draft and free agency and we've got Moreau to show for it. This for the 27th worst team in the league. This for a team who has missed the playoffs in a bad way 9 out of 10 years. I do anticipate some internal improvement, a nice bump from the new coaching staff and a trade for a defensemen. The question is should I really expect Howson to shop at Macy's or will he pay another visit to the Dollar Store to obtain that dman?
..and is that enough to turn things around?
I'm not the only one who has reservations. Check out this tweet from the Toronto Sun's Steve Simmons:
Great hiring by Columbus, bringing in BBoughner. But as past proves, great coaches (see Hitchcock) can't win with middle-of-the-road talent
To hear the word "patient" makes my stomach churn. This franchise cannot afford to be patient any longer. They need to be aggressive but smart.
To hear this or that player can't possibly have a repeat of the poor seasons from a year ago - yikes, shades of Doug MacLean there.
As a fan I want nothing more than to see this franchise succeed on all levels. I want nothing more than to see hockey in this city thrive at all levels. That all starts with the big team having some sustained success. I really don't care how we get there, but we need to be there like yesterday.
I'd love to give this team the benefit of the doubt but that tank is on empty. It's up to them to refill it. I really REALLY hope (there is that word again) they can refill it.
For now, there is no question as to who is running the show and that chair Howson is sitting on is starting to heat up.
It's year four for him, it's his team and it's clearly his ass on the line.
I "hope" he can deliver and that there really is a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow.
-LTL
