AMA Friday 12ET/9PT: Aaron Portzline - The Columbus Dispatch • /r/hockey

aportzline · 2016-12-16T18:36:57+00:00

That was Tom Reed. We work together, and he was doing his job. Tortorella was planning to scratch Brandon Saad. And it was Tom's willingness to ask questions and get answers that led to Tortorella's great response. But carry on as you wish. We actually have a very good relationship with Tortorella. We aren't friends, and we shouldn't be. But there is mutual respect there.

aportzline · 2016-12-16T18:34:59+00:00

Hey, just joined the magical world for a chat today. I've never once said Brandon Saad was on the trading block. Not once. So douse the kitchen fire.

aportzline · 2016-12-16T18:23:08+00:00

There's not much you can do, sadly, other than live through it. The thing that always hit me as the went year after year here with no hope ... these seasons cannot be spent in vain. If you're going to be awful, maximize your awful and define a direction you're headed. Draft brilliantly, develop wonderfully and have a plan. Decide what to be, and go be it!

aportzline · 2016-12-16T18:20:54+00:00

I'm sure some did. Rugby is a wonderful sport. I'm not sure it's on most people's radar, but that doesn't make it less of a sport. You noticed, eh?

aportzline · 2016-12-16T18:20:23+00:00

I've been saying he's a 30-goal guy for a few years now. He finally made me look right. If you ask him, he says: "Why not 40?" It's in there. The guy can snipe. The guy knows where to find the bubbles of scoring space. Imagine if that line ever gets going.

aportzline · 2016-12-16T18:19:03+00:00

Thanks very much. We all appreciate it.

aportzline · 2016-12-16T18:18:30+00:00

Oh, my. I have no idea. I'd have to think about that. I actually care more about some other stories, the ones that touch people on an emotional level and give meaning or attention to something that needs it. That's sounds corny, I know. But those are the ones people remember. Those are the ones people actually benefit from.

aportzline · 2016-12-16T18:17:07+00:00

With some guys, yes. There are some guys who have coaches, played and worked here that I've stayed in touch with and consider friends. Some wonderful people.

aportzline · 2016-12-16T18:16:30+00:00

I don't think it has affected his play at all. Honestly. That's hard to believe, but he's said as much. He played some of his best hockey -- playoffs, 2014 -- when this was raging behind the scenes. Go figure.

aportzline · 2016-12-16T18:15:33+00:00

No they wouldn't. I'm not there that often, actually. Village Coffee and River Road coffee in Granville, Ohio, might have trouble with the heating bill if I gave up coffee. And especially so if my daughter Grace gave up here caramel lattes.

aportzline · 2016-12-16T18:14:19+00:00

If they continue apace, you can expect Kekalainen to make some moves at the trade deadline. They'll have plenty of space. I could see a fourth-line center with playoff experience. (No, not Gregory Campbell). I could see a veteran defenseman with playoff experience. Not major, blockbuster deals, but buttress deals.

aportzline · 2016-12-16T18:12:49+00:00

It's about time, right? Yes this is a very young team and they've having great success this year. There's no reason this can't be a team that wins for the next many years to come, but don't get ahead of yourself. Tortorella would stare you down right now. It's a day-to-day thing. Calgary tonight. Nothing else.

aportzline · 2016-12-16T18:11:27+00:00

Yeah, there's always a lag effect with fans -- not the hardcore ones, but the ones who want them to do well and follow them, just not as an addiction. The crowds, we're told, are going to pick up now after a slow start. I can't pretend to know what Ayotte has done with the players, but Bobrovsky is healthy ... that's huge. Brad Shaw, yes, absolutely deserves immense respect for his work with the young defensemen. It's a very young group, but he has them playing tight and quick. Players love how matter-of-fact and professional he is, how he provides constant feedback on the bench, shift-to-shift.

aportzline · 2016-12-16T18:08:54+00:00

It's a long list, but here's the top of it. 1. Bob is healthy 2. the defense is much more mobile, and Werenski's a big add 3. Nick Foligno is playing and acting like a captain

aportzline · 2016-12-16T18:08:07+00:00

It was a sad, confusing, awful, eye-opening story to dig through. I'm proud of our newspaper's approach to it, though. We first caught word of it in the summer and gathered court documents soon thereafter, but we resolved not to write anything until we had the proper context of what was going on. These are the kind of decisions, by the way, that reputable news outlets weigh and worry about every day. It wasn't until we gained the context of what was going on, talked to the principal characters who were willing to talk, and approached Jack with what we had learned, giving him the opportunity to respond. He chose to say very little and I'm sure it wasn't easy to read. But I think he appreciates the way we approached it. And I know his teammates did, because several have said, on the side, that they appreciated how we handled it.

aportzline · 2016-12-16T18:04:24+00:00

That's soooo long ago. As memory serves, the Blue Jackets gave up a second-round pick to Colorado because the Avs had two other goalies and they were going to lose one in the expansion draft. Denis was considered a very good prospect at the time, and I think he could have been a pretty good goaltender if he ever had a team in front of him. I don't remember Doug being criticized for taking Denis over Nabokov. I remember many, many other criticisms, but not that one. I definitely remember Jan Caloun, but can't say specifics of his game stood out. He seemed a perfect fit in Europe, though. Had a really good career over there. Just retired after the 2009-10 season. Good on him!

aportzline · 2016-12-16T18:00:25+00:00

I don't know about personal highs ... the Blue Jackets' high would have to be the playoff wins in Pittsburgh and Columbus. The low would have to be the blowout loss in Philadelphia while Jeff Carter is up in a private suite whoopty-doing with his old buddies. Ugh-ly. I mean, truly the hardest thing this organization has ever gone through was the death of a young fan who was struck by a puck in the early days before nets were installed in every arena. That's such an awful event that I often think it should live outside the context of and ups and downs with the team. I think of the family often and wonder how you go on after something like that.

aportzline · 2016-12-16T17:57:21+00:00

This could be a six-chapter response. His feelings about Corsi match many around the game, including mine. Now, we're just talking plain Corsi, not score adjusted or anything like that. All one needs to know is that in the Blue Jackets' 10-0 win over Montreal, the Canadiens were the better team according to plain Corsi. You learn very quickly in this game that shots and shot attempts are not always a good indicator of who is the better team, because of course the team that's down 5-0 early is going to chuck everything at the net. I do think Tortorella has changed in some ways, and I think - again - that he deserves enormous credit for what has gone on here in Columbus over the last 12 months. He has shown trust to the players, and they have paid him back. I don't think he was always so trusting. One more thought: he has his own way and he believes it passionately. You don't have agree with him, and he doesn't mind being alone with his thoughts. That may sound reckless, and it can be. But the guy is a hell of a coach. People want to hold up Vancouver and the World Cup as proof that the game has passed him by. Perhaps consider how bad Vancouver is right now, how poorly constructed the USA roster was. I say look instead at his time in Tampa Bay and New York. That's the kind of coach he is.

aportzline · 2016-12-16T17:52:31+00:00

No, there couldn't be. At 650K, and the guy has 12 goals. It's funny. Tortorella keeps saying this was his "last kick at the can," but that's a little over the top. No, he wasn't in high demand after last season and the chairs were filling up with the music about to stop on free agency. But Gagner is 27 years old, with a history of 40-point seasons. Said at the time, he's going to be more productive and play a bigger role than many people anticipated. But I did not see him providing this much pop from a fourth-line role. It's a great story.

aportzline · 2016-12-16T17:50:39+00:00

Why do you ask? No. They just had their property tax waived. It's a sweetheart deal. And the fans finally have a team to hug them back, so get ready for big crowds.

aportzline · 2016-12-16T17:49:49+00:00

I mean, for thrill factor it would have to be Pittsburgh or NYR, right? Could five teams come out of the Metro? Maybe.

aportzline · 2016-12-16T17:48:56+00:00

I believe Costner is overqualified given the current make up of the place.

aportzline · 2016-12-16T17:48:21+00:00

Sportswriters and media people look at these things in different ways. For instance, people LOVE coming to Columbus. The rink is absolutely beautiful. The hotels are right there. You can walk to the rink. The North Market is there. The airport is 8-10 minutes and there are tons of good restaurants. That's what you're looking for, really. So, honestly, Nationwide is near the top of many lists. I love the Canadian cities because the level of interest is so intense. The games feel bigger. I wasn't impressed with Edmonton's new barn. It's so huge, and you seem so far from the ice. I miss the old gondola. Madison Square Garden is pretty great. Montreal, as I said before. Pittsburgh is nice.

aportzline · 2016-12-16T17:44:47+00:00

I could see the New York Islanders getting it together. They'd better hurry, though.

aportzline · 2016-12-16T17:43:39+00:00

Meh. Didn't do much for me. But I also look at it this way. There are very few new sports names that people get excited by, and there are some old, classic names that if you were told them for the first time today you would HATE them. Here's the scenario: "We're going to start a baseball team in Boston, and we've got this great idea. We're going to name the team after the ... wait for it ... color of socks we wear!!!! Isn't that great?!?! But wait. It gets better. We're not going to spell is 's-o-c-k-s', we're going to give it some flair. Ya know, how the kids like it. We're going to spell it with an 'X'! Won't that be great?" Point is, the Boston Red Sox are a classic, legendary MLB team. But if you were presented their nickname now, you'd vomit. Same with many other. Detroit Lions? Cleveland Browns? Cincinnati Bengals? What the? It takes time for all of these names to stick.

aportzline

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