(Ed. Note: Welcome to Puck Daddy's August series, "Mount Puckmore," which will feature fans, bloggers and various media personalities of all 30 teams choosing the four defining faces of their franchise. These four people are who you remember most when you think of these teams - whether they be players, coaches or executives. We'll be running these daily for the rest of the month. Today, representing the Columbus Blue Jackets, Lee Auer from The Jackets Blog.)

By Lee Auer, The Jackets Blog

In the brief history of the Columbus Blue Jackets, some very famous hockey names have donned the Union Blue in what has been a seemingly endless struggle to bring recognition, and excellent hockey to Central Ohio.

From Sergei Fedorov to Alexandre Picard and Espen Knutsen to Lyle Odelein, from falling stars to utter-failures of a draft pick, the Blue Jackets and their fans have seen it all ... minus the whole "consistent success" thing.

Here's a look at the most important players in the (so far) disappointing nine seasons of the NHL in Columbus. (Ed. Note: Before 100 comments on 'where's Hitchcock?', keep in mind the focus was on players for this list.)

Tyler Wright(notes)

Of the original Columbus Blue Jackets, Tyler Wright is one of the few who will always have a home with this team. After being acquired from the Penguins in the expansion draft that birthed both the Blue Jackets and Wild, Wright stayed in Columbus to become one of the longest tenured Originals, and a favorite amongst many fans.

Wright's time with the Blue Jackets ended before any CBJ blog ever existed and largely doesn't get the credit as a player he deserves. With the Jackets, Wright was the type of player that excited fans and added enough scoring to keep things interesting. Wright was able to put up three hat trick's in five seasons with the CBJ -- second to scoring machine Rick Nash(notes).

Unfortunately, Wright was part of the blockbuster trade that sent Francois Beauchemin(notes) and Tyler Wright (and later Todd Marchant) to Anaheim in return for former Red Wings star Sergei Fedorov(notes) ... and we all know how well that worked out.

After his playing career finished Wright found himself back in hockey working as the Jackets development coach where he continues to be a huge part of the franchise. Wright has been huge in the community and this summer the Blue Jackets want everyone to join-up and be a part of Team Tyler as Wright participates in the 2010 Ironman Canada on August 29. The donation drivewill benefit the "Hatsfor Heroes" program of the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation. Please take a minute to consider donating.

Jody Shelley(notes)

Shelley has to be one of the longest surviving fan favorites ever. Even after being traded to the Western Conference rival San Jose Sharks, fans continued to cheer for him every time he enters Nationwide Arena, regardless of what team he plays for. Let's be honest here: Once a long-time player (five and a half seasons) is traded away, he is typically due a bit of recognition, but once that moment has passed, it's business time.

That being said, Shelley was a huge asset to the Blue Jackets in his prime and always stuck-up for his teammates. In his first three seasons in Columbus, Shelley amassed 206 (2001), 249 (2002), and 228 (2003) PIMs.

Those totals have only been challenged by the "new Shelley," Jared Boll(notes). While it is somewhat painful to type, it will be hard for any enforcer for the Blue Jackets to live up tothe character and class that Jody exemplified while he was in Columbus.

Shelley was moved out of Columbus during the 2007-08 season and the outrage was palpable, and still is among today's fans. As mentioned with Tyler Wright, Jody Shelley is a former Blue Jacket who, when his playing career is complete, will return to open arms in the Columbus organization.

David Vyborny(notes)

The last of the original Blue Jackets has clearly been the franchise's second best player in the 10 seasons of Blue Jackets Hockey. David Vyborny earned a special place among many in the Blue Jackets organization especially owner and founder, John H. McConnell. It had been mentioned many times that "Veebs" was JHM's favorite player and he was a great one for the young Blue Jackets franchise.

Veebs signed with the Blue Jackets prior to the Inaugural Season in 2000, and still leads the Jackets record books in the total amount of games played (543), and most assists (204). What is amore staggering statistic is how many categories Vyborny ranks second in: Total points, goals, power play goals, short-handed goals, game-winning goals, shots on goal and multi-point games. Vyborny's stats are impressive alone, but what I was always impressed by was his ability to tough out any injury. Vyborny owns two of the top four consecutive gamestreaks by a Blue Jacket, he put together streaks of 194 games and 155 games before ending his NHL career after the 2007-08 season.

I was among many clamoring for Scott Howson tore-sign Vyborny during the 07-08 season and as the season wore on, it became apparent why I, nor any fan, should be a GM. Vyborny's production faltered significantly and he has been playing with Sparta Praha of Czech Extraliga ever since the Blue Jackets chose to not re-sign him.

Rick Nash

The first franchise player and perennial scoring machine has been with the Blue Jackets since he was drafted first overall in 2002. Doug MacLean made one of the few smart moves during his Blue Jackets tenure and moved up to draft No. 1 and selected the future of the franchise, Rick Nash.

Nash has been Mr. Everything for the Jackets. He is the only player on the roster that any casual sports fan can name, and thus is the face of the franchise. Some people may criticize the consistency of his play or showing of desire but Nash is without a doubt the best and most important player to ever don the Union Blue.

When Adam Foote abandoned the Blue Jackets at the end of the 2007-08 season it was believed that the Jackets would play out the season without a captain until Rick Nash came forward to claim the Captaincy with no end in sight after last summer's mega contract extension Nash single-handedly made Independence Day 2009 the greatest holiday of my life. The Jackets were fresh off their first ever playoff appearance, Steve Mason had won the Calder Trophy, and Rick Nash showed that he is here to stay. It spoke volumes when it happened, and with recent circus acts like Lebron James and Ilya Kovalchuk, it makes me thankful each and every day for the attitude and respect Nash treated the fans and the Blue Jackets franchise with.

Rick Nash has had two moments that have helped put the Blue Jackets on the map.

The first one being "The Goal" against the Phoenix Coyotes on January 17, 2008.

Still gives me goosebumps to this day.

The biggest moment in franchise history came at the hands of Nash on April 8, 2009 in Chicago's United Center (3:30 mark). The game-tying goal led the Blue Jackets head first into their first ever post-season appearance.

What I want to see from Rick Nash is the Steve Yzerman moment. Anyone who has watched Nash play knows his ability to completely take over a game. Since the coaching stint of Ken Hitchcock, Nash has become one of the best two-way players in the entire league. Nash needs to have a stretch of games that propels the Jackets into the playoffs and beyond the first round to gain the truly elite status he deserves.

I believe in Rick Nash. We will all see this happen before his time in the NHL is over. Mark it down.

• • •

Every "best of" list has to leave somebody off. I spent many hours debating with myself and close friends to make my best effort and get this as right as I could. To this point in franchise history the most notable omission from this list is very close between Geoff Sanderson and Rusty Klesla.

Klesla is an "original" Blue Jacket, but had a very small part in the opening season, playing only eight games, and since then hasn't been the special defenseman the Blue Jackets brass hoped for.

There are a few players who would certainly find a place on this list if you asked me again in five years, among these I include R.J. Umberger(notes), Antoine Vermette, Jakub Voracek(notes), Derek Dorsett. This group of guys haven't been around quite long enough to consider but are on the right course to beforever remembered by the committed fans of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Go Jackets!

Mount Puckmore photo by B.D. Gallof of Hockey Independent

The latest: NHL 2K11 cover boy Ryan Kesler(notes) of the Vancouver Canucks and game spokes-player Jack Johnson(notes) of the Los Angeles Kings participate in some hijinks involving a 2K tour bus and a cramped shower. 

Dumb? Totally. But any clip that involves Ryan Kesler serenading Jack Johnson with the line "Terry Murray's his dad/but that ain't so bad" deserves at least a few moments of your time. Even if the game itself, a Wii-only title, doesn't exactly look like something you're sleeping outside of Best Buy to purchase on release day.

Remember that report claiming the Boston Bruins had discussions with the Philadelphia Flyers regarding 36-year-old goalie Tim Thomas(notes)? 

Or that TSN report that the Bruins had given Thomas's agent Bill Zito permission to speak directly with teams about moving Thomas? Or the rumors during the NHL Draft that he had waived his no-trade clause in order to escape a situation where he might open the season as a back-up keeper behind Tuukka Rask(notes)?

Inaccuracies! Misinformation! Poppycock, claimed Thomas in speaking with Boston media yesterday.

Not only that, but he's fully prepared to reclaim the starting gig for the B's.

Here's Thomas to the Boston Globe:

"There's so much misinformation out there that to go back and start correcting everything would be crazy," Thomas said. "Which is why I don't pay attention, not even in my own case, to much else that's said. It's interesting to read articles on TSN or whatever. You think you're keeping up on what's going on. But being at least somewhat in the inner loop, you realize that 75 percent of what's being written is wrong. Basically, it's more of an entertainment value to me than to think through the consequences of what's in the media."

And here's Thomas to The Bruins Blog, adding that he's barely spoken to the B's this offseason:

"Of course [I want to be here]," he said. "The fans have never turned their backs on me. And that's who you play for is the fans, and the fans of Boston have always been great for me."

And what about the organization? "They're my employers, they've paid my paycheck, so they've been doing what they're supposed to do," he said.

Thomas is a competitor, and a fierce one. He was relegated to a backup role last season, hobbled by a bum hip that was surgically repaired 11 weeks ago. He spent the last two months hearing about how his $5 million cap hit both made him a liability to the cap-strapped Bruins and nearly untradeable thanks to the market correction on goalies in the NHL.

But the ultimate kick in the pants is that the Bruins committed four years at $20 million guaranteed (being a 35-and-over contract), and gave Thomas a no-trade clause in the first three years. And Thomas signed that contract knowing that, playing on a trap team and with sterling numbers, he could have found it as free agent, too.

So believe the talk that Thomas wants to reclaim "his job" with the Bruins, because it's a point of professional pride. It's something Boston obviously won't mind, because it'll make Rask compete that much harder.

But neither Thomas nor the Bruins want him to be a $5 million-a-year backup goalie. If he doesn't win the gig or at least earn a split of the starts ... well, maybe then the work really begins to move him. Unless Thomas is like that old guy in your office who's content to look at his gold watch glisten under the fluorescent bulbs, knowing that his severance package would cost the company more than his continued employment.

Then comes the hard part: Finding a taker for an old, banged-up $5 million-a-year backup. From the Globe, here's Thomas:

"Chicago won a Cup with a goalie they hardly had to pay. Philly was in the final with a goalie who wasn't getting paid very much. So that's the pattern they'll take until someone else proves them wrong. The next time a goalie wins a Stanley Cup, they'll say, 'Oh, you've got to have that goalie. If you have to pay for him, so what? You've got to have that goalie to win the Cup.' At this particular juncture, especially with the salary cap, it seems like the goalies are next in line for the pay cuts."

Good thing some 36 year olds got in under the wire.

San Jose hasn't just established itself as the West Coast epicenter of Jersey Fouls; San Jose Sharks fans may also exhibit the most creativity in their crimes against hockey fashion.

(We still marvel at the Sharks fan with the numbers from "Lost," for example.)

From Puck Buddy Gary C., on "Nokurblokov":

Here's a stupid sweater from a pre-Shelley-trade Sharks game. I'm talking about that great Russian ruffian, Jody Shelley(notes).

Indeed he is. But this appears to be part of some larger trend at Sharks games of silly Russian-inspired puns ... if the jersey on the right from reader Tom is an indication.

From Tom:

This is just wrong on so many levels... is it a commentary on Nabokov's work ethic?

Well, that's the KHL's problem now. Meanwhile, we're left wondering if these Sharks jerseys are the work of many fans or one fan; and whether that one fan is, in fact, Yakov Smirnoff.

Coming Up: Yet another baffling Sharks Foul; font issues in Tampa; Sidney Crosby(notes) mocked; a Blackhawks fan on the cheap; how not to wear your sweater; and two pass-or-fails based on the movies.

And here ... we ... go.

Puck Buddy Roman T. sends in this DIY Chicago Blackhawks effort from the Stanley Cup Playoffs:

When the game got going, clips were used to hold banner he and his buddy had...Cardboard nameplate ended up underneath the seat.

If your message of support for the home team looks like a 'kick me' sign, it's a Foul.

Nice work from Puck Buddy Ben L. here, noticing that the Mattias Ohlund(notes) jersey on the left has what appears to be a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey font; whatever it is, it's not what Ohlund wore last season.

This Foul from 'emmamia' reinforces what we said at the top: San Jose is just bizonkers for the J-Fouls.

Honestly, we have no idea what this Foul is about. Honestly, we're not about to speculate, because Mr. Balbas looks like someone who could Nokurblokov.

And another from "emmamia," as Sharks fans have moved on from Russian puns to honoring the 50 states or the great show "Hawaii Five-O." Tragically, this fan was beaten to a pulp later in the evening by someone wearing a "Guam 51" jersey.

From Tom L. at a Pittsburgh Penguins game at the New York Rangers last season.  This Fails on several levels; but mostly because this snarky young man has created a jersey that can easily be read as "I Suck Crosby." Which, we're guessing, wasn't the intent.

Puck Buddy Jonathan R. sends in this Foul from a Red Deer Rebels game during the WHL playoffs:

Sgt. Zeek likes to tuck in his jersey when he's out with his buddies. Possible pocket-pool going on as well.

Moral of the story: No matter what your rank is, for the love of Wrangler please do not tuck your sweater in your jeans. Ever.

All right, now a couple of Pass or Fails for your approval or disapproval.

First is the Cam Neely "Sea Bass" Boston Bruins sweater captured by Eric P. We've seen these before, and we're thinking about making an exception to the No Nickname Rule because of the unique pop-culture aspect of this particular nickname.

So, Pass or Fail on the Sea Bass Jersey?

Finally ...

Puck Buddy Tim H. states his case:

Wondering what your stance is on movie-inspired hockey sweaters.

Here's the thing - last weekend I stood up with my best friend as he got married. We grew up on the Mighty Ducks movies, especially the first one. As a groomsman's gift, he got me a jersey from the movie, with my name embroidered on the back and everything.

It's pretty rad. He bought one for himself, too. If we wear these to an NHL game, will we see ourselves on the next edition of Jersey Fouls? Should we keep these for our rec league and pond hockey?

Pass or Fail: You can get your name on the back of a sweater for a team that never existed and have it not be a Foul.

And if it's a Pass, well get ready to see Wyshynski and Leahy Monroeville Zombies jerseys ...

Big announcement: We are doing another August project that is guaranteed to spark debate and marinate your brain muscle in hockey nostalgia. It begins on Monday, Aug. 2 and runs through the month. You're going to enjoy this one. It's ... uh ... monumental.

As for yours truly, I'm headed to the Jersey Shore's Monmouth Park racetrack for my day of horse-wagerin' on Friday; attending a Bachelor Party here in sweltering D.C. over the weekend (box of Graycliff G2 cigars on tap for that one); and, most of all, spending some quality time with Baby Wysh, who is nearing her three-month birthday and has yet to utter a single name from the 1995 Devils Cup team that I've taught her. Slacker.

Here's the part where I thank all of you for reading, participating on and spreading the word about Puck Daddy. Our traffic and impact continue to grow every month beyond our comprehension, and you're the ones that make it happen. Even when you're being a bunch of [TalbotOvies] in the comments. So thanks again.

I'll be chiming in on Twitter about various topics, and the news of the day. In the meantime, I'm trolling for suggestions: Movies still in theaters I must see, summer reading, beer I need to sample. Comments, please.

Email tips, feedback, guest blog suggestions and info to puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com. Jersey Fouls on Friday.

• Justin Bieber's shameful hockey past! (We just assume that would be the tabloid headline.) From Best Week Ever: "Photos have surfaced of the Biebs posing in his hockey gear in Canada back in 2005 and 2006, way before he became arguably the hottest teen lady commodity [since] Junior Tampax." [More photos from BWE]

• No, seriously, Ice Edge says there's nothing wrong with their bid for the Phoenix Coyotes or their negotiations with the City of Glendale. [Globe & Mail]

• Denis Grebeshkov(notes) may have wanted to remain with the Nashville Predators, but chose a 2-year deal with the KHL instead. [On The Forecheck]

• Don Brennan doesn't come out and say it, but he clearly wants to know if Carrie Underwood is going to be Yokel Ono and steal Mike Fisher(notes) away from Ottawa for Nashville. [Ottawa Sun]

• New Jersey Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek speaks to fans, believes the Ilya Kovalchuk(notes) case will go quickly and that there's been a spike in ticket sales because of the signing. [In Lou We Trust]

• Solving the Chicago Blackhawks cap crunch. [Paint It Blackhawks]

• A plea for Erik Johnson(notes) of the St. Louis Blues to get BizNasty on his Twitter feed: "Don't fall for the politically correct police, EJ. Stand your ground and Tweet whatever the hell you want to tweet. Tweet it big, Tweet it loud. Tweet it proud. Post some shirtless photos of Perron and Berglund." [St. Louis Game Time]

• Things we'd like to see the NHL steal from Russia: When Alex Ovechkin(notes) wins the Kharlamov Trophy award, he will then take calls on a live radio show from fans. [Alex Ovetjkin]

• Why the hell couldn't the makers of "Mad Men" get the rights to a Toronto Maple Leafs vs. New York Rangers hockey game from 1964 for the season premiere? And couldn't Don Draper have just sweet-talked the rights-holder into granting clearance and/or sleeping with him? [LA Times]

• The NHL's top 20 defensemen. Agree? Disagree? [Kurtenblog]

• "Islanders Sales Team hosted several prospective clients at their Golf Outing." No story about golf should ever appear on the New York Islanders' website. [Islanders]

• Mirtle's list of the still-available free agents on the market, including ones he figures are "signing soon." [Globe & Mail]

• Another look at the free-agent pool from Sports Lifestyle Network. [SLN]

• Interesting bit about a Florida Panthers draft pick who is joining the WHL after some questionable behavior at Minnesota. [Buzzing The Net] 

• The Devils avoid arbitration with Mark Fraser(notes). [NJ.com]

• Pascal Leclaire(notes) has someone new to help him with his inevitable injury rehab. [Silver Sevens]

• Scott Hartnell(notes) on Simon Gagne's(notes) departure from the Philadelphia Flyers: ""It won't be fun playing against him. Pucks will be in the corner and he and I will be going after it and hopefully I will be able to come up with it instead of him." [Philly.com]

• This Steve Dangle "Leaf for a Day" video is hilarious for many reasons, but mostly because he filmed it with his laptop. Which is like carrying a boom box to record interviews. [YouTube]

• All four Staal brothers attended the world junior baseball championships at Port Arthur Stadium in Thunder Bay, where an off-leash dog park over the outfield fence has been transformed into "The Bike Staal", where fans can "park their bicycles free of charge." Cool. Now about that Bathroom Staal ... [Sports Network]

• Ryan Dixon on the Alex Frolov signing by the New York Rangers: "Frolov is a lighter version of another he-loves-me, he-loves-me-not player the Rangers used to employ, Alex Kovalev(notes). The latter, in his prime, possessed more game-changing ability than Frolov, but they're still cut from the same maddening cloth." Oy. [THN]

• Stars General Manager Joe Nieuwendyk: "We've had a long tradition here of having premium goaltenders. Marty Turco(notes) has been a solid goaltender here for over a decade now and has done great things on and off the ice. But I just felt for the long-term success of our franchise, we needed to acquire Kari Lehtonen(notes)." Needed to? [Stars]

• Apparently, avoiding arbitration with Gilbert Brule(notes) isn't the end of Steve Tambellini's jobs for the summer. [Copper & Blue]

• Very interesting (and, warning, Capitals-centric) look at what makes a 5-tool player in hockey. [Japers' Rink]

• 'Battle of the Blades: Season 2' cast, so far: Kelly Chase, Russ Courtnall and Theo Fleury(notes). [Blues]

• Minor League Hockey star, for whatever that's worth, Darren Haydar(notes) returns to the Chicago Wolves. [AHL]

• Finally, here are Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby(notes) taking the first skate at the new home of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Observation No. 1: The locker room is about 300 times larger than the one at Mellon. Observation No. 2: Isn't it adorable that they both touched their blades to the ice at the same time?

Please join Lyle "Spector" Richardson of Fox Sports, David "Dave" Pagnotta of The Fourth Period and the usual gang of knuckleheads for our weekly chat at 1 p.m. ET. Bring your questions, bring your speculation and, above all, bring the funny. We'll supply the cynical answers and abrupt shifts in tone. And maybe an appearance by The Mayor, if you're lucky.

It's also arguably the most controversial incident of player-on-player mockery since Sean Avery's(notes) "sloppy seconds" barb aimed at Dion Phaneuf(notes). Luckily, commissioner Gary Bettman shouldn't have any problem explaining Talbot's crack to his daughter, so we aren't likely to see a suspension/lobotomy like the New York Rangers pest received last year.

In you missed it, Talbot told 105.9 The X in Pittsburgh (transcript here) that he was happy Ovechkin wasn't attending Tuesday's Winter Classic press conference at Heinz Field because "I just hate the guy."

On the ice? No, overall; like when he met Ovechkin for the first time at the NHL Awards in Las Vegas last summer and discovered that what he had heard about  Ovechkin was accurate, at least in his mind: That the Capitals star was "a real douche."

That was the highpoint of this dust-up. Here are the five most ridiculous things about DoucheGate, not counting the fact that we referred to it as DoucheGate.

1. Max Talbot talks a big game ... over the phone

Talbot made the comments before the Winter Classic presser, which afforded media in attendance the chance to ask him to clarify or expand on his statements. The result: Talbot backtracked so forcefully it's a miracle the Earth didn't rotate off its axis. From the Washington Post:

Given the chance to explain himself at Tuesday's news conference, Talbot downplayed his comments.

"It's always a big rivalry and whatever you say the other team is not going to like," Talbot said. "He's a great player but he's not fun to play against. What can you say, stir up a little intensity?

"It was more about on-the-ice stuff than off the ice," Talbot added. "You hate to play against him. That's what I meant."

Uh, sure you did. He also said that as a French-Canadian, he wasn't sure what douche meant. Irony, thy name is Max Talbot. 

2. Sometimes, naughty words need context

When TSN picked up the story Tuesday, it presented Talbot's most infamous slam on Ovechkin like this: "a real (expletive deleted)."

Look, any big media company has to be careful about crossing boundaries of good taste and adult content, unless you're doing a Photoshop contest. (Example: We had "DoucheGate" in our headline originally; guess where it is now?)

But in not even explaining what the "expletive" was, TSN either trafficked in bad journalism or cheap sensationalism, because (expletive deleted) makes it sound like Talbot called him something a hell of a lot worse than what you find on the bottom shelf at the pharmacy.

 3. "Real Douche" > Winter Classic

You know what was amazing Tuesday? That Capitals president Dick Patrick predicted 20,000 Washington fans will invade Heinz Field for the game, which promises to make the 2011 Winter Classic the most intense rivalry experiences in the gimmick's short history. Consider that the rivalry has included Caps owner Ted Leonsis using computer programs to bar Pittsburgh fans from buying Caps playoff tickets, and it's a hell of a story.

Too bad you probably haven't heard it, because Max Talbot hates Alex Ovechkin.

(Kudos, by the way, to Leonsis for his subtle dig at Talbot on Wednesday.)

4. The incident led to an intense examination of the qualifications for douche status, and whether Alex Ovechkin is, in fact, a douche

Life is too short to list all the scholarship done on this matter in the last 24 hours, so we'll simply ask you to read No. 1 from this SB Nation post (s/t Pensblog) with the knowledge that it's legally permissible to assault another American citizen should they ever compare Alex Ovechkin to Don Draper of "Mad Men."

5. Finally, "douches" are now an unavoidable props in this hockey comedy

Since the Crosby vs. Ovechkin rivalry started, the prop comedy has favored Capitals fans. They show up with pacifiers and babies to Penguin/Caps games. One even dressed in a full SCUBA diver's outfit to mock Crosby's calculated tumbles to the ice.

Now, in a post-Talbot world? Let's just say it wouldn't shock us to hear sales of Summer's Eve spiked to record highs in the hours leading up to the first Caps/Pens game at CONSOL Energy Center next season.

The Columbus Blue Jackets were looking at a little bit of Column A, a little bit of Column B in their hearing with defenseman Anton Stralman(notes), who had the nerve to lead the team in defensive scoring (6-28-34) before entering restricted free agency.

There was a very good chance his $731,666 base salary last season could have severely ballooned in arbitration; the Columbus Dispatch reported that of the 15 defenseman directly above and directly below Stralman in points last season, "21 will make $2.75 million or more this season."

Which is why it was imperative for Columbus, who isn't exactly throwing money around this summer, to head this thing off before it went to arbitration. GM Scott Howson did just that this morning, a few minutes before the hearing, getting Stralman in for 1 year and $1.95 million.

Puck-rakers has a great look at Howson's tactics in settling this thing:

"Talking to Anton this morning, we both agreed that if we have to go through the process, we have to go through it," Howson said. "I made sure he knew this was part of the business and that whatever was going to be said in that room, we still like him as a player. But the danger in going through it is, it gets very personal.

"It helped to have the player there this morning, to look him in the eye. It helps you get a deal done."

Stralman stood a strong chance of making more than $1.95 million had he gone through with the arbitration. But by signing the deal in advance, he avoided the risk that the Blue Jackets would exercise their right to "walk away" from Brogan's ruling if they deemed it too high. In that scenario, Stralman would have been an unrestricted free agent, joining a market that is currently saturated with players. The chances of him making more than $1.95 million as a free agent in late July early August appear slim.

Smart, effective hardball, with no hurt feelings. Good on Howson.

Is it wrong that we don't have the utmost faith in Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Steve Mason(notes) as a comeback player?

When you think "bounce-back players," he'd be high on the list: A 22-year-old goalie who won the Calder with a 2.29 GAA and 10 shutouts, and whose sophomore slump is the stuff of hockey infamy. You want to believe the kid can rebound, that he won't be another name in the long, painful history of young NHL goalies that never delivered on their promise.

But are you convinced he'll find his game again in 2010-11?

Other players who struggled mightily last season have a better shot at redemption. As you'll see on the following list, many of them couldn't handle a change behind the bench or the weight of their own contracts in 2009-10.

Now, they're 10 players primed for a comeback season.

Niklas Backstrom(notes), G, Minnesota Wild

When the Wild were philosophically dedicated to smothering (and tedious) defensive hockey, Backstrom's numbers were stellar: Three years in which his GAA didn't rise above 2.33 and his save percentage never dipped below .920.

Out goes Jacques Lemaire for 2009-10. In comes Todd Richards. His Goals Against Average balloons to 2.72 in 58 starts, his save percentage plummets to .903 and he manages just two shutouts.

There are reasons to believe that Backstrom was a trap-aided keeper who was exposed last season. But if anything, he's just like every NHL goalie: He found it hard to be good when the team in front of him (a) has training wheels on for a new coach's system and (b) it's very good, despite costing more than the gross national product of Liechtenstein.

From State of Hockey News:

I know that there certainly were a few goals he more or less was powerless to stop but he also gave up more 'soft' goals than Wild fans are accustomed to seeing.  Backstrom also faced more traffic near his crease and at times it seemed to bother the normally calm Helsinki-native.  Unfortunately, an inconsistent Backstrom sometimes spelt doom for the Wild even when they seemed to be capable of creating offense. 

Can he rebound? The conditions are favorable: Second year in the system, a team that should be better than last season (by default) and one year making $6 million annually under his belt. He's not worth that money in a downgraded goalie market, but he should regain form this season if he's healthier than last year.

Jay Bouwmeester(notes), D, Calgary Flames

Bouwmeester's contract looks preposterously antiquated next to those signed this offseason; hell, even Sergei Gonchar(notes) was under $6 million against the cap on a 3-year deal. His offensive output last season -- 3 goals and 26 points, a point below his previous year with the Florida Panthers -- led to widespread labeling of J-Bouw as J-Bust.

Of course, that doesn't take into account how underwhelming Calgary was and the intangibles Bouwmeester brought to Calgary in his considerable ice time. He wasn't terrible; just disappointing, as Coach Brent Sutter told FanHouse:

"Jay has to be better, like all of us do. Last year was his first with us and his first getting accustomed to my style. He is an outstanding all-around defenseman. Everyone knows the level of talent he has. I'm confident he is going to have a great year for us."

The Flames figure to be better offensively than the team that managed just 204 goals in 2009-10. Bouwmeester should trump his goal and point totals from last season ... even if he still won't live up the contract.

Victor Hedman(notes), D, Tampa Bay Lightning

You could argue the No. 2 overall pick in the 2009 NHL Draft wasn't one of the top 3 rookie defensemen in the League last season. But he averaged 20:50 TOI per game, with time on special teams, and was only a minus-3 for the season -- best on the team among regulars.

Twenty points in 74 games showed his offensive potential. The Lightning bolstered their blue line with the likes of Pavel Kubina(notes), so Hedman might have the luxury of both a year under his belt and additional support on defense.

In the meantime, he might be the NHL's foremost authority on books written by porn stars, which should count for something.

Scott Hartnell(notes), F, Philadelphia Flyers

Harntell's goal output dropped considerably from an average of 25.3 over the last four seasons to just 14 last year for the Flyers, failing to replace what left with Mike Knuble(notes) in free agency. From Broad Street Buzz, the Fartsmell Conundrum:

I'm all mixed up because of what we saw in the playoffs. He was hungry, he didn't take stupid penalties, and he scored timely goals. But can he sustain that type of play for an entire regular season, and have a repeat performance in the playoffs? He should have it in him.

Based on his career averages, he should have a bounce-back in him. Hell, even Serena Williams is ducking Sideshow Bob during his road to resurgence.

Martin Havlat(notes), LW, Minnesota Wild

Alas, the most noteworthy action for Havlat as a member of the Wild probably occurred on Twitter before the season. Otherwise, his season was exactly as his critics envisioned it: Injury-plagued and ineffective, as his offensive numbers dropped from this outstanding season with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2008-09 (from 77 points down to 54) and he sported a dismal minus-19.

It was Havlat's lowest points-per-game total (0.74) since he was a 20 year old with the Ottawa Senators (0.69), and it came in the first year of a massive free-agent contract. Like his Minnesota goaltender Backstrom, a year in Todd Richards's system and living with the contract hype will ease the pressure for Year 2.

Smart money's on him regaining form, unless he becomes Gaborik Part Deux with the wonky groin. 

Shawn Horcoff(notes), F, Edmonton Oilers

As with other players here, there's no getting around the fact that Horcoff is woefully overpaid for his production, to the tune of $5.5 million against the cap and $6.5 million in base salary next season. For what? Thirty-six points and a minus-29 last season, after a 53-point campaign the previous year.

He can rebound from last season if he's given something to work with; last season saw him skate primarily with Fernando Pisani(notes) and someone who used to be Ethan Moreau(notes). If not, then Lowetide may be right in its great assessment of Horcoff last season: "If Horcoff's offense continues to erode and the club ends up with a 30-point C making $5.5M then we have our 'Bobby Holik(notes) is a Ranger' centerman."

Derick Brassard(notes), C, Columbus Blue Jackets

Brassard signed a 4-year contract extension to start the season. It was all downhill from there.

His first full season produced 36 points in 79 games with just nine goals; he scored 10 in 31 games in the previous campaign. He's a vital offensive weapon on a team that doesn't exactly have an arsenal. New Jackets coach Scott Arniel told The Sporting News he's already chatted with the young pivot:

I just wanted to hear what he had to say about what he sees himself as. I'm not one to live in the past, I was more concerned about moving forward. He said his shoulder is feeling a lot better. He's got himself physically better and felt more comfortable as the season wore on. I just wanted to listen to how he spoke, how he felt. He really seems to care about the success of the team and cares about where we are going.

David Krejci(notes), C, Boston Bruins

Yet another player who signed a free-agent deal and then crapped the bed. His point total dropped by 21 from his previous (contract) year, and his ineffective play helped dig a hole for the B's. From Sportsnet:

He'll be looking to rebound from an '09-10 season that saw him post 17-35-52. While still decent stats, those totals represented a drop from the 22-51-73 tallied in his breakout '08-9 campaign. The Globe notes that he went into last season recovering from hip surgery, which, he said, contributed to his slow start.

"My first half of last season was slow. I wasn't producing,'' said the 24-year-old native of the Czech Republic. "A few weeks before the Olympics I picked up my game and my second half of the year was very good.

"I need to start the way I finished last year. It's not easy. I believe if I've done it two years ago all season, and if I've done it last year for the second half, I don't see any reason why I shouldn't start the same way.''

His second-half performance and a surgically repaired right wrist offer hope that Krejci's numbers will improve this season.

Mike Ribeiro(notes), C, Dallas Stars

The thing to know about Ribeiro and the Dallas Stars is that they tried to make him an ex-Star this summer. He was on the block, but the jammed up transaction market didn't produce a trade. Or maybe the allure of a 53-point center with declining numbers and impact ain't what it used to be.

If he's going to bounce back into a player flirting with 80 points, he may need to do it elsewhere. Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News had a terrific psychological profile of Ribeiro and his place on the Stars:

Dave Tippett loved Ribeiro's style of play, and Tippett helped foster the best years of his career as the team's No. 1 center. Marc Crawford loves Brad Richards'(notes) play and has helped foster Richards' ascension. And that has been difficult for Ribeiro. Crawford pushes 45 second shifts where you get on the ice, get on the attack at high speed and then turn it over to the next line. He loves to get his lines in a flow and wants to use that flow to try to find the best match-up, not only against the other team but between his forwards and defenseman. Ribeiro likes a slower pace where he can sort of meander around the ice and pick spots. He has said before that he believes the end of a long shift is often when he can strike because the defense is tired and loses its focus. He is an extremely patient player in an impatient system.

It's a great read, pointing to one bit of speculation: That Riberio will be a Dallas center to start the season, and that it's on him to fit Marc Crawford's needs rather than the other way around.

Christopher Higgins(notes), LW, Florida Panthers

He's on a 1-year, $1.6 million contract with the Panthers to prove his value as an NHL player after bouncing from the Montreal Canadiens to the New York Rangers to the Calgary Flames then down to Florida in the last year. (Talk about the law of diminishing returns.) His career high 27 goals in 2007-08 linger on the brain, but the hockey vagabond had just 8 in 68 games last season.

He'll have a chance to win a second-line winger slot with Steven Reinprecht(notes) as his pivot. It'll come down to that chemistry and Higgins's work ethic, but he could be a pleasant surprise.

And if this hockey thing doesn't work out, there's always Olympic swimming relay races with Mike Komisarek.