The Ohio Exile

I really like Columbus, Ohio. My best friend from college and his daughter, my godchild, were both born there. It's the hometwon of one of my favorite bloggers. It's a great college town, and Homecoming at Ohio State just has to be seen to be believed.

That said, being traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets these days is the moral equivalent to being dealt to Green Bay in the NFL circa 1978. And that's the reality that NHL veteran Sergei Fedorov, late of Hockeytown and the OC, will have to come to grips with, as Anahiem GM Brian Burke has done a heck of a job to clear some cap room by shipping Fedorov to the Blue Jackets.

Here's Burke as quoted in the CP:

"I couldn't sell this as a stand-alone hockey deal, and I won't," said Burke. "There were cap considerations. We like Sergei and it's too bad we have to lose a player of his stature, but this solves our financial problems and we're looking to reinvest that money.

"This isn't about saving money, it's about spending it in a different direction."

Am I the only person who can hear him cackling under his breath? Talk about getting rid of an anchor. Back before the 2003-04 season, Fedorov signed a five-year, $40 million contract with the Ducks (now complete with a 24 percent haircut and deductions for escrow payments, you do the math).

That's not Alexi Yashin-bad, but it's bad enough. And in the "new NHL" cap room may be a more valuable commodity than actual players.

As for Fedorov, well, he's now tasked to rescue a season gone wrong -- at least until Rick Nash returns, Good luck to Sergei, he's going to need it.

UPDATE: It's a bad day for Columbus GM Doug MacLean. There's more from James Mirtle and Tom Benjamin.

Eric 06:29 AM

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