Before I get to the news about Jan Hejda, allow me a moment for some personal matters. This is a new blog (DOB: 10/13/09), and as such our little corner of the interweb is undecorated and short on content. Hang in there with us and in the near future you will find that we will be providing some insightful thoughts on the NHL, the CBJ, and all things related. We gladly welcome thoughts and suggestions about what to include on the site. Please feel free to send us your suggestions via the Comments sections for now. In short order we will have links posted to contact us directly via email. We can all get to know each other better as time goes on, so for now let me just say hello and thank you for stopping in.
As for Hejda (sprained knee), what a tough break for the Jackets. With 1st pairing partner Mike Commodore already shelved on the IR with a strained groin, the loss of Hejda means the Jackets are now without their two best defensive defensemen for the next few games. Over the first five games of the season, Hejda was averaging 21:53 minutes of ice time. Last season, Commodore averaged 22:53 minutes per game. That means we just lost the two defensemen who chewed up more than a third of the game patrolling our blue line, and provided G Steve Mason with outstanding coverage in front of the crease. The good news is that the blow will be lessened due to the fact that the Jackets have more depth then ever before, but these are the two most solid defenders we've got. No other combination of players on this roster can provide the shutdown style like Commy and Hejda provide. Word out of Nationwide is that Commodore could potentially return within the next week to 10 days. That would project him to miss no more than 5 more games. Opponents in that stretch include the Kings (twice), Flames, Oilers and Ducks. Get well soon boys!
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No doubt about it - this is a serious situation. Hejda was one of the top for +/- in the LEAGUE. Definition of solid. I firmly believe that the reason we stayed in the playoff hunt last year was because Commie and Hejda were healthy. They provided the foundation and set the tone for all the pairings. That all being said, we are much stronger up the middle this year - and really just from getting Brass back from injury and adding Pahlsson. Brassard, Vermette and Pahlsson on the top three lines..big improvement. And you've got Weighty (Murray) for the fourth line, and he plays a consistent, physical style. I think we've already seen it's a solid core of centers committed to playing both ends of the ice and that can a huge role in team defense. Let's hope it's enough, and that Roy fills in admirably.
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