(Tyler's) Jacket Times Pick for Blue Jackets MVP

It's time for me to make a selection for this year's MVP. Selecting one player who is "most valuable" to the Blue Jackets is tough. After all, what does 'most valuable' even mean? Some would argue for the guy who scored the most points, others may vote for the hardest working player. But alas, I have made a few decisions for who I think deserves the top (and bottom) honors. Without further ado:

Least Valuable Player- Brian Berard is a solid choice for this (dis)honor. He spent the first half of the season injured and the second half on the bench or scratched. All that cost the Jackets $2.5 million, which makes it Doug's fault too. It's worth noting however, that in the 11 games he did play, Berard put up 3 assists. That puts him ahead of another LVP candidate, Jody "Two points" Shelley.

Most Improved Player- Dan Fritsche was outstanding. Despite having his season tragically cut (sorry) short, he put up more than double his point total from the previous season. This Parma native is turning into a clutch player for the Jackets. I'm happy to keep him in town and on the 'energy' line.

Most Valuable Player- A few other fans and the CBJ website itself posted a poll naming Fredrik Norrena as the MVP. I don't completely agree with that. Sure, Norrena played hard and managed an above .500 record, but he was often streaky, and was generally not a dominant force in why the Jackets were able to win a few. That said, I'm going to go with what some may say is a controversial pick and give the MVP to David Vyborny.

I've always thought that Vyborny is one of the most underrated, under appreciated players on the team. He's always in the corners coming up with a crafty play to either stimulate a scoring chance or stall on the penalty kill. And if you want numbers to support this award, look no further. Vyborny led the team in points (64), assists (48), and was second in plus/minus (+6). He was the only frequent starter to appear in the top 20 in the plus/minus category as well... a testament to the Jackets' struggles.

Vyborny is so often overlooked. He's quiet, doesn't fight, seldom talks to interviewers, and doesn't score a ton of goals. He simply goes out on the ice, does his thing, then waits on the bench for his next shift. #9 will continue to be a key player for this team as long as the front office can keep him around. There's been talk about Vyborny returning to the Czech Republic to raise his family, but I hope he sticks around Columbus as long as possible.

If you have an alternate selection for these honors, say so in the comments. I also invite my co-writers to post their selections.

CBJ 06-07 Stats on NHL.com

Berard and Westcott Join Leclaire and Fritsche on Bench for Remainder of Season

Berard's back pain has returned, despite two surgeries and sitting out 82 games. The former #1 draft pick (1995) has been instructed by his doctors to sit out the rest of the season. After being signed to a two-year $4.5 Million contract, Berard has only played 55 games in a Blue Jackets uniform, working out to roughly $82,000 per game. Ouch. Sources tell Aaron Portzline that Berard is very unlikely to be re-signed for next season. It's also possible that Berard's career is over, though we'll have to see what happens to him in the offseason.

Westcott has made it official that he won't be back this season either. Still suffering from a concussion that occurred months ago, there's no need to get him back in the lineup. His injuries pose to great of a risk, especially when the Jackets are out of playoff contention.

Adding these two to the already-done Pascal Leclaire and Dan Fritsche, we have four CBJ players who we won't see until at least next year, and in the case of Berard, won't likely ever see again at all.

I'd like to say that these guys would make a good golf foursome and would have the advantage of early season prices, but with their particular injuries it looks like the only golf they could play would be Tiger Woods PGA Tour on Playstation.

The Photo is of Berard and Wags and/or Elliot from QFM96. I think the two of them look like they're ready to kick someone's ass. Perhaps that of Wags or Elliot... whichever is not in the picture. And why is he leaning on Berard? He has a bad back!

Fritsche's Out, Modin is In, and Berard in limbo

Jackets winger Dan Fritsche is in rough shape following an incident on Sunday night. Just a few minutes into the second period, #49 took a slash- and not the kind that yields two minutes. While digging for the puck in a corner, a skate slashed Fritsche's wrist, which immediately bled profusely. Fritsche quickly made his way off the ice, into the locker room, then to Grant Medical Center.

Aaron Portzline's report in today's Dispatch tells of Fritche's tendon-severing cut and his two hours of surgery. The wrist and hand is expected to recover fully, but it will be some three weeks or longer before Fritsche returns to the ice.

In other news, Modin has been officially re-signed to a three year deal. #33 will be paid $2.75 mil for next season, then $3.25 million for the next two seasons plus a $250,000 bonus for each of those seasons. The contract does include a no-trade clause, so Modin is pretty much assured to be around for a while, whether you think the Jackets are overpaying or not. Modin has 15 goals for 30 points this season, a -2 rating (+9 career) and 42 penalty minutes.

Brian Berard is being shopped around for anything the Jackets can get. According to a Dispatch article, MacLean is putting Berard up for sale via fax machine- just like those lunch specials we used to get everyday at my old job. There's less than three hours left until the deadline, and the CBJ front office will take anything for him. Wouldn't surprise me if they sent MacLean an Applebees gift card or a pair of socks for the defenseman... But wouldn't that be better than 'future considerations'? After all, they make pretty good quesadillas at Applebees.