Report: Carter requesting trade?
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Report: Carter requesting trade?
He has been there for just 8 games.
But does Jeff Carter want out of Columbus?
The hot rumor circulating throughout the NHL is that Carter has asked the Blue Jackets, who are in the midst of the worst start in team history, for a trade.
Renaud Lavoie, a respected French Canadian journalist from RDS, said he spoke to Carter’s agent, Philadelphia-based Rick Curran, who denied the report.
Here is a rough translation Lavoie’s report:
“By the American Thanksgiving (a week), several general managers will try to trade to improve their team. A name that is currently circulating is that of Jeff Carter.
Not that the Blue Jackets want to trade him, but because he is asking a trade.
Many GMs are aware of this fact.
But when I contacted the agent for Jeff Carter, Rick Curran, the latter told me that his client did not request a trade, contrary to rumors.”
How bad are things in Columbus?
Carter is still looking for his first goal in a Blue Jackets uniform. He missed 10 games - including a rematch here in Philly on Nov. 5 in which the Flyers whacked Columbus, 9-2 - but has collected just 3 assists in 8 games played. He returned to the lineup on Nov. 12 after missing nearly a full month.
There are only 5 teams in the NHL who have not won at least 3 times on the road this season. Columbus has just 3 wins total. They are 0-7-1 on the road after Thursday’s 2-1 shootout loss in Boston.
With that, they have all but eliminated themselves from the super tight playoff race in the Western Conference, though it is only the middle of November. Columbus is already 13 points back of 8th place.
The Blue Jackets have not made any big moves to try and shake things up. There have been no major trades, other than acquiring Mark Letestu from Pittsburgh. Coach Scott Arniel and GM Scott Howson still have their jobs.
In fact, former coach Ken Hitchcock - who was still under contract with the Blue Jackets this season - was hired in St. Louis on Nov. 6. Under Hitchcock, the Blues (4-0-1) have amassed as more points in 12 nights (9) than the Blue Jackets have all season (8).
Still, we have a hard time believing that the Blue Jackets have any interest in dealing Carter, even if he did request a deal.
Carter was one of their marquee offseason acquisitions, brought in to be the centerpiece on a line with Rick Nash. They haven’t yet had enough time to create any chemistry.
Besides, there were reports in the Columbus Dispatch that Carter and Nash - who are just a year apart - have become close friends and attended Ohio State football games together.
Then again, it’s not hard to imagine that it has been a miserable ride in Columbus for Carter, who was clearly not expecting to get dealt last summer. Not after signing an 11-year deal with the Flyers a few months earlier. Not after reportedly being told by general manager Paul Holmgren that he would not be traded in a face-to-face meeting.
After being sent from a perennial contender to a franchise in the middle of Ohio with a tepid fan-base that has seen the playoffs just once in 11 seasons, it is more or less a culture shock.
If you recall, it took Columbus sending Arniel and Howson to Carter’s shore house in Sea Isle City, N.J., a full 4 days after the trade before he would publicly address the trade. Carter said that he felt “betrayed” and “angered.”
Knowing Carter, it is hard to believe that he wouldn’t be willing to stick it out a bit longer to see how things play out.
At the very least, there would not be any shortage of interested general managers if Carter did indeed request a trade. Consistent 35-goal scorers with long-term, manageable salary cap hits don’t exactly grow on trees.
We’ll keep you posted.
REALIGNMENT TALK: One interesting bit of news regarding the upcoming vote on realignment by the NHL’s Board of Governors in the playoff format.
According to CBC’s Elliotte Friedman, who has been at the forefront of the realignment news, one of the topics is a playoff system that would feature the first two rounds of intra-division play. Once the division “winners” are determined, then the remaining 4 teams would be re-seeded regardless of conference.
That would allow, say, teams like the Flyers and Penguins to play each other in the Stanley Cup Finals if they were indeed to play in different divisions next season. It would also mean that teams from the East and West could square off one round earlier than usual.
What do you think?
BRING A JACKET: After topping Phoenix on Thursday night, the Flyers boarded their charter jet. Destination: Winnipeg, Manitoba - also known as the coldest city in the world with a population of more than 600,000 people.
The Flyers arrived at 1:31 am CST (2:31 am EST) and were scheduled for an afternoon practice at the MTS Centre.
The high daytime temperature in Winnipeg on Saturday is a balmy 16 degrees Fahrenheit. The puck drops in the prairie town at 3 o’clock.
It is the Flyers’ first trip to Winnipeg since March 22, 1996.
The Jets walloped Washington, 4-1, on Thursday night, as they notched their first back-to-back home wins since moving to Winnipeg from Atlanta last summer.
“A lot of my friends and family are excited to get back to Winnipeg,” said Chris Pronger, who is one of just two Flyers to have played in the old Winnipeg Arena. For Pronger, a 4-hour drive to Winnipeg from his hometown of Dryden, Ontario, made it easily his closest NHL city. “I know the fans are real excited to have a team back. You’ve seen the sold out crowds. They’ve gotten off to a rough start but they’re playing better of late. We’ve got to be focused and prepared. It should be a good game. It will be a lot of fun.”
QUOTABLE:
“Honestly, I think I have, but I don’t even know what it is. You’d know if I was starting a riot out there.”
-Forward Zac Rinaldo, who was given a 10-minute misconduct for “inciting,” was asked whether he had ever been called for the penalty before.
For the latest updates, follow Frank Seravalli on Twitter: @DNFlyers
If Jeff Carter wants to be traded, I can almost guarantee that he will want to go to L.A. to be with Richards. Those two were inseparable here.— Gord Grimmier- Hard to be the only guy in Columbus with highlights in your hair.....— Mark1npt
- Once you've been rich, you don't want to go back to being poor.....same with winning and losing. He has got to be depressed as all get out....and in Columbus to boot.— Mark1npt
- Let's not forget, the Columbus front office had to fly out to Sea Isle to get him to come out of his cave when he was traded there in the first place.— JSaq
- hard to forget when it's actually in the article ... — ekw555
- Yeah, I accidentally deleted the rest, which should have said...He may well have asked them to trade him at that point in time. — JSaq
- The article title is misleading. Frank quotes a French-Canadian journalist (someone he identifies as "well-respected") who reported that Carter's agent stated the rumor wasn't true, yet the Frank or his editors decide to create the illusion that Carter asked for a trade, despite no evidence supporting that claim. Was the point of citing the "well-respected" journalist to show the poor professional quality at the Inquirer? It's clear that the purpose of mentioning the interview with Curran was to get a response to the rumor from the Carter camp, but again, the title is misleading. This group needs to be spoon-fed, not allowed to figure things out on their own. — sklandog
- Sorry Columbus, no refunds or exchanges.— gob1234
- Frank, saw you last night on Bryz's post-game interview. You really need to lay off the hairgel. The 'spikes' hairstyle and your baby face combine to make you look 12.— emoser
- The Tonner's job took him to Columbus frequently a few years ago. Some small cities are second rate but they don't know it, in Columbus, they're second rate and they know it. Once OSU's season is done, the Tonner hopes Jeffy enjoys bowling.— hunglikeaton
- No way do I like the idea of reseeding the teams regardless of Conference.— mikeyhigs
- Hey, "Cartsie" - seems to me that had you and your running buddy "Richie" had anywhere near the commitment to winning the Stanley Cup that you two allegedly had for partying in Sea Isle City and Philly nightspots, as detailed in the press, Uncle Edeie Snider, who green-lighted your 11 year deal, wouldn't have had to then reverse himself a mere 1.5 years later and green-light your trade outta here!— RightSaidJeff
- Look I'm all about the trade for the Flyers sake. I was never a big Carter fan and after he choked with the open net aginst the Blackhawks I was done with him in Orange and Black. With that being said I actually feel for him a bit......He's a World Class professional hockey player that worked his tail off to get to achieve his dream of playing in the NHL, then to be shipped from a franchise like the Flyers to Columbus has to be flat out depressing.— Phinally
- it is kind of messed up that homer lied to carter that he wasnt being shopped, though. haven't seen any quotes by homer to dispute carter's point of view on that, so i assume there is some truth to it.— zwarte piet
- Holmgren is a shameless liar.
Hey "rightstuff," take a look at what Richards is doing in LA before you spout off that nonsense. (Hint: its the same game-in-game-out, unflashy consistency that went unappreciated by Holmgren and Snider). Detailed in the press? What, like 2004? You probably booze more than Richards did.
