Here we go!

Is this finally the year the Jackets make the playoffs? The roller coaster ride starts today Columbus fans!

Today is physicals and paper work and tomorrow its time to get to work on the ice.

In case you haven't seen it yet there are a couple of good vids over on Jackets TV that preview the season. They have interviews with Howson, Hitch, Commodore, Umberger, Leclaire & Nash. Be sure to check em out.

THN.com's Adam Adam Proteau ranks the West. The Jackets check in at #11 on his list:

11. Columbus Blue Jackets
Always-Look-On-The Bright-Side Adam Says: Jackets GM Scott Howson didn’t mess around this summer in renovating Columbus’ lineup, first bringing Ohio State alumnus R.J. Umberger into the fold, along with former Flames sniper Kristian Huselius and ex-Oilers ball of energy Raffi Torres. That gives coach Ken Hitchcock and star winger Rick Nash some serious talent to work with up front.

Always-Assume-The-Worst Adam Says: For all the good he did to the forward unit, Howson failed to bring in an honest-to-goodness difference maker on defense. You might say Mike Commodore and/or Fedor Tyutin fits the bill; I might wet myself laughing in return. Until Rostislav Klesla is no longer this team’s top blueliner, it will continue to tread water.

THN also makes some wacky predictions for the 2008 NHL season and here is Portzline's:

COLUMBUS – Aaron Portzline
KHL czar Alexander Medvedev gets fed up and decides to buy the NHL for $2 trillion. No more quibbling over players. No more dealing with the IIHF. Say hello to the Kolomna Blue Jackets!

Looks like some New York media members aren't drinking the Zherdev kool-aid. Check out this rip job by Larry Brooks on Z:

Though his teammates competed for the puck, took the body and drove to the net as if this were a mid-season practice conducted by a seething coach Tom Renney - much like the one in Philadelphia last Jan. 30, for example - Zherdev displayed no urgency whatsoever.

The 23-year-old took short cuts throughout the charged morning scrimmage, once turning over the puck while dangling one-on-one three feet inside the offensive line, the giveaway leading to a goal-against, and consistently failed to move either the puck or his feet with any obvious purpose.

Indeed, Zherdev, whose pseudo star-like body language on the ice has by far eclipsed his performance the first two days on the ice, was so ineffective with linemates Scott GomezScott Gomez and Markus Naslund that Renney switched the combination for a handful of shifts.

But after a second day of camp in which No. 13 was the laziest athlete on the ice. Yes, it's just two days, but it took only one day in 1999 to expose Pavel Brendl - there's not much question why Zherdev, the fourth overall selection of the 2003 Entry Draft, was an underachiever for most of his four-year tenure with the Blue Jackets.

Yikes...I thought the diverse bright lights of New York would change Z? Its still early and who knows maybe he will indeed put that enormous talent to good use but what's the saying...you can't change a tiger stripes? ....you can polish a turd but its still a turd? ...something like that.

He may wish he was back in cow town sooner rather than later as if there is one thing you can say about the NY media and that is that they aren't known as a very forgiving bunch.

Some good news though for a fomer Jackets in NY:

Fritsche - a right-hand shot playing the off-wing - scored the day's highlight goal, burning Michal Rozsival with outside speed before cutting to the net to beat Steve Valiquette . . .

Rangers fans take heed, Fritsche is the anti-Z. Works hard every shift, good in the room, great off the ice...unfortunately he just doesn't have that elite talent.

Remember that single game tickets go on sale today (lets pack opening night!) and if your close to downtown there is a CBJ event down at Nationwide Plaza where Donatos is giving away free grub to the first 2000 folks in attendace. Tyutin, Hueslius, Filatov & Voracek will all be making an appearance at the event.

Wanted to take a moment to send a shout out to Bethany over at Bethany's hockey rants. She has changed homes to KuklasKorner (which is a great site I visit all the time) and will be a permanent CBJ blogger over there....which I think is fantastic. You can check out and bookmark her new home here.

Hope to see a packed house down at the Ice Haus supporting our boys tomorrow morning! Remember to stop on over to Boston Pizza after - I'll be getting heading over around 12:30.

Camp has finally arrived -- yes!!

-LTL