The Hockey News: Ken Campbell's blog: THN.com Blog: Jackets playoff hopes vanish with Foote trade

THN.com Blog: Jackets playoff hopes vanish with Foote trade

Adam Foote was reacquired by the Avs on trade deadline day. (Photo by Gerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images)

Ken Campbell
2008-02-29 10:41:23

There’s a perfectly sound reason why Columbus Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock didn’t comment publicly when GM Scott Howson moved captain Adam Foote at the trade deadline.

It’s because he didn’t want to say anything he’d later regret.

With that one deal, Howson cut the guts out of his team and ensured it would remain the only one in NHL history to have yet to play in a playoff game.

Prior to the deadline Tuesday, the Blue Jackets were still in the hunt. By the time the day was over, they had missed out on Brad Richards and Howson made the decision to purge the roster.

There seems to be this sentiment among GMs in the league that players who stand to become unrestricted free agents must be dealt at the deadline in order to get something for them, rather than have them walk for nothing.

But what some of them don’t seem to understand is, just because a player is a potential UFA, it doesn’t mean he can’t still be an asset.

Is there not some merit in having a player such as Foote around for a playoff drive to help teach the likes of Rick Nash, Nikolai Zherdev and Rostislav Klesla what it’s like to be in a post-season race? Is that not an asset that has value? Would that not have been invaluable to their development as NHL players?

There’s nothing wrong with Howson not wanting to cave in to Foote’s contract demands. Truth be told, $4 million a year on a two-year deal is probably a little pricey for a guy that age.

But that doesn’t mean Howson had to effectively remove his team from the playoff race by trading its captain for a draft pick who might get around to helping them by about 2012.

Related Links

Screen Shots: Trade deadline winners and wieners

COURTESY CALL
After the dust settled post-trade deadline Tuesday afternoon, Tampa Bay Lightning GM Jay Feaster placed a call to Les Jackson, with whom he consummated the Brad Richards deal.

Feaster called to thank Jackson for his comportment during the Richards negotiations. Potential trading partners, sensing Feaster was desperate to unload Richards’ $7.8 million salary cap hit, bombarded him with a flurry of junk in return.

Not Jackson and Stars’ co-GM Brett Hull, who made it clear from the start the Stars wanted Richards and were prepared to step up with a legitimate offer that wouldn’t embarrass the Lightning.

And that’s a big reason why the Stars got Richards and won the day on Tuesday.

AND FINALLY…
Congratulations to Henri Richard, who celebrates his 18th birthday today.

The former Montreal Canadiens captain, whose 11 Stanley Cups are more than any other player in NHL history, is actually 72, but was born Feb. 29, 1936 and, as a Leap Year Baby, celebrates his actual day of birth every four years.

Ken Campbell is a senior writer for The Hockey News and a regular contributor to THN.com. His blog appears Tuesdays and Fridays and his column, Campbell's Cuts, appears Mondays.

For more great profiles, news and views from the world of hockey, Subscribe to The Hockey News magazine.

COMMENTS (10)

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Sheree Wisinger Posted
(2009-04-30 06:03:28)

I am a rabid Jackets fan but we were taken for a ride with Adam Foote on tuesday. He told the Canadian press last summer that it was a mistake to sign with Columbus then his home in Dublin went up for sale. Downsizing, Right!! We will miss his leadership but not that huge payroll of 10 mil between him and Sergei. Hopefully we will get the players we need with this money!!!

Tom Giles Posted
(2009-04-30 06:03:25)

You need to read the article in todays (3/1) Columbus Dispatch by Michael Arace to get the other side of the story and don't believe Footes version. Plain and simple Howson asked Adam "QUITTER" Foote to stay for a playoff push and the QUITTER refused. He demanded he go to Colorado, since his charter was waiting since the night before for his trip to Calgary, or he would divide the room. He quit on his teammates and the fans in Columbus. Foote=QUITTER

John Posted
(2009-04-30 06:03:23)

There is a whole lot of juicy stuff leaking out about this story but the fact of the matter is that is was not Columbus who didn't want to keep Foote; it was Foote who didn't want to keep Columbus. Columbus offered 6 mil over 2 year years; the Foote camp wanted 4 mil over 2. Columbus upped their offer to 7 over 2 while the Foote camp stayed at 8. Who was the one negotiating here? Once it became clear the Jackets were unwilling to to go 8 million Howson said he would like to keep Foote to finish out the season. At that time Foote made his play and said he could not stay if he didn't get a contract signed before the deadline and demaned a trade to Colorado. What kind of captain would make sure a rediculous statement? The bottom line Foote wanted out and he wanted to go back home. Howson then had no choice but to get what he could and did good by getting a first round pick out of the fiasco. Oddly enough Foote was on a privately chartered Cessna Citation X, the fast civilain aircraft that just "happend" to be in Columbus, within an hour of the trade and played for Colorado in Calgary that night. Bottom line Foote screwed the Jackets and I think there is just more than a slight chance there was some tampering going on here. This story is just going to get uglier. To say Howson gave up on anything is here just wrong.

Lawrence Serif Posted
(2009-04-30 06:03:22)

Best get your facts right. Howson offered Foote to stay until the end of the year, but Foote rejected that option. Foote then asked to be traded and only to Colorado. In light of the fact that Foote would be a lame duck, Howson had to make something out of this and a conditional and a fourth (should Foote resign) was genius on Howson's part.

Jay R Posted
(2009-04-30 06:03:20)

What is the junk you're referring to?? Got any names Campbell? I think Foote is injury prone and way past his prime anyway.Colorado should bring on a few more trainers.That is if they even make the playoffs!

Jim Day Posted
(2009-04-30 06:03:19)

I disagree with the comments that the Jackets were out of the playoff race with or without Adam Foote. The 5 games before the trade, they were 2-2-0-1. If they would make or not make the playoffs isn't the question. The question is were they still in the race. They definitely were. I agree with you that the experience would have been good for a young team like the Jackets.

Bethany Posted
(2009-04-30 06:03:18)

Being a huge Jacket fan I have to be honest with myself I don't think we would have made the playoffs this year but, it was tough to see Foote go. I am with you and feel that his leadership was priceless...but, then again, maybe we can sign someone in the off season. From what I heard there was about a million dollars difference on the contract, and well, we got Peca for a little over a million...so I just hope Howson made the right decision. It still makes me wonder though why wasn't Peca, Hainsey, and Vybs all gone at the deadline...I find it EXTREMELY hard dto believe that there was no interest in any of them.

Ed Cmar Posted
(2009-04-30 06:03:17)

Ken: I disagree - it's come out that Mr. Foote wanted to go to Colorado, all along - his house was on the market since this past summer, his tixs (to the Avs next game) had already been purchased, weeks ago. A "leader" would have taken the generous offer - I recall Tom Brady and Peyton Manning taking pay cuts to bring in players to help the team. Bottom line: He didn't want to be here, and wanted to see if Mr. Howson would have overpaid him, much like the last GM was so notorious for. And, to be honest, for the CBJ to make the last playoff spot, would have required a 13-3-1 finish - no one expected a team 3 games above .500 to flip the switch, like that. Thank goodness Mr. Howson got something for him. No sense having people around who don't want to be a part of the organization.

Craig Posted
(2009-04-30 06:03:17)

I'm a Homer, but I think the Canucks offer was very fair, and in the long term much better for Tampa, what it didn't do is allow Feaster to cover his butt, and since, unlike Fletcher his mandate is not to rebuild, but to win immediately, he didn't want draft picks and top flight prospects. Implying Nonis low-balled Feaster is inaccurate and unfair. On another note, my understanding is Foot was starting to pull a Fedorov and simply go through the motions, but his overall value teaching that team and it's young corps would have been invaluable. Messier, for all the disaster his tenure in Vancouver was, did leave one important thing behind, a real understanding of what it would take to consistantly compete for the Stanley cup with a talented young group of Vancouver Forwards and Defencemen (Bertuzzi, Morrison, Naslund, Jovanovski, Sedins, Ohlund), who for 4 years dominated the League. If Messier had known anything about stopping goals as well as scoring them, he might ahve imparted some wisdom on Dan Cloutier (who's charm and determination always outweighed his talent) and the Canucks might have made a real run at Lord Stanley's Chalice. No Foot in CBJ, doesn't just mean no playoffs, it means slowed development. Howson was acting scared, and Foot was acting selfish. Sorry Jacket Fan, you all deserved better.

Tim Wingifeld Posted
(2009-04-30 06:03:15)

Footer was the soul of the Jackets for much of the season, very true. However, trading him on Feb 26 isn't what sunk the Jackets in the playoff race. Their little 2-5-3 run in the 10 games after the all star break ended our chances of a playoff game in Columbus this season long before Foote was shipped to Colorado. The Jackets had roughly 6 losses to give over their last 18 games to have a shot. That was true before Foote was moved back home to Denver.