The Puck Drops Here 3.4.15: #BlueJackets & #NHLTradeDeadline

By @CLulovics

With February in the books the Columbus Blue Jackets are all but out of the playoff race. The month of February went like the rest of the season for the Jackets with players coming off and going on the IR list. Sergei Bobrovsky who was selected for the All Star game was placed on the IR with a groin strain but has since been activated on February 28th. Boone Jenner is still out due to back problems but is skating lightly. The team lost Brandon Dubinsky and Matt Calvert both to concussions during the last week of the month. The Blue Jackets have lost a league high of over 400 man games due to injuries.

The trade deadline was March 2nd and some teams were buyers hoping to get players to help them either make the playoffs or help them go deep into the playoffs with hope of winning the Stanley Cup Finals. Some other teams not in the race will be sellers with hoping to pick up young prospects or draft picks which will help rebuilding for the future. The Jackets did make a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs trading Nathan Horton who hasn't played a game in 2 years due to back problems for David Clarkson. Not only did the Jackets get a player who has the grit the Jackets are looking for but also got a player who unlike Horton, isn't injured. Horton did sign here and wanted to be a part of the rebuilding phase but unfortunately things just didn't work out with the back problems but hopefully he can recover and play hockey again. 

During the trade deadline multiple teams did make moves either helping them make or go deep into the playoffs while other teams like Buffalo unloaded players for draft picks or young prospects. The Blue Jackets did make a couple trades though but basically stood their ground neither unloading a bunch of players or acquiring "rental" players with hope of making the playoffs this year. In a deal with the Minnesota Wild, the Jackets traded defenseman Jordan Leopold for defenseman Justin Falk and a 2015 5th round pick. Also in a trade involving defenseman James Wisniewski along with a 3rd round pick which was from Detroit for forward Rene Bourque, forward William Karlsson and a 2015 2nd round pick.

Also on Monday March 2nd the Blue Jackets and forward Cam Atkinson agreed to terms on a new 3 year deal worth in the neighborhood of 10 million according to reports.

While the year didn't go according to plan with all the injuries at the start of the season and continuing thoughout the whole year, this team is still on the rise and I have faith in the organization that they have a plan and will become a playoff contender next year unless they go on a hot streak like they have the past couple of years.

As always We Are The 5th Line, Carry The Flag and Let's Go JACKETS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Leadoff with Lee 2.27.15 #AdrianPeterson #DezBryant #Browns #CBJ #EarlLloyd

By @cleeverizon

- A judge had overturned the NFL's ruling and reinstated Adrian Peterson Thursday afternoon. Within a hour of the ruling, the NFL has appealed the court decision and will keep open the option to go through the CBA appeal process too.  In the meantime, Peterson has returned to exempt list. Peterson could be traded to another team as soon as March 10.

- The Dallas Cowboys are expected to franchise wide receiver Dez Bryant if a long term deal can't be reached. But a alleged video tape has emerged between Bryant and his girlfriend in a Wal-Mart parking lot. Dallas police have said they have no video of what took place in the parking lot. But I have found out that ESPN has footage and is ready to roll with the package as soon as new infotainment is available. I do find it strange that a Cowboys owned media group was the first source to report this. But here is the police report. You be the judge. 

- Yesterday morning it seemed as if the Buffalo Bills were negotiating a contract for free agent quarterback Josh McCown . As of late last night, league sources indicated that the Browns are still in the fold to sign him. McCown is expected to make a decision sometime Friday.

- Buster Skrine is expected to command anywhere from about $5 to $7 million dollars a year in free agency. The Browns are interested in resigning the cornerback. Skrine will wait until March 10th when free agency starts to determine what his actual market value is . As a restricted free agent the Browns can match any offer made to him by any other team.

- The Falcons have released RB Steven Jackson, the move will save the Falcons 3.7m against the salary cap this season. Since the emergence of quarterback Matt Ryan, Jackson wasn't relied upon as the number one back as he was in St.Louis. Jackson should be able to make it to someone's training camp. But the question is, does he have what it takes to return to the fantasy football dominance he once had?  

- The Columbus Blue Jackets traded forward Nathan Horton to Toronto for forward David Clarkson. Clarkson, 30, signed a 7-year, $36.75 million contract with Toronto in 2013, but hasn't become the impact player that they expected. Horton, 29, has been on the Jackets non-roster injury list for most of the season with a threatening back injury.

- The Florida Panthers acquired Jaromir Jagr from the New Jersey Devils for two draft picks, one in 2015 and one in 2016. Jagr has 11 goals and 18 assists in 57 games for New Jersey this season. Jagr is sixth in NHL history with 716 gores, seventh with 1,068 assists and fifth with 1,784 points in 1,530 career regular season games. Over his 22 years in the NHL, he has played for Pittsburgh, Washington, New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Dallas, Boston and New Jersey.

- The winner of the Mayweather vs Pacquiao fight on May 2 will be given a new belt. WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman says he would like it "to have emeralds or platinum." If boxers are allowed to keep the belt, I would just retire after the fight.

- Finally and sadly, NBA pioneer and first African-American to play in the NBA Earl Lloyd died Thursday at the age of 86. Lloyd came into the league in 1950 for the Washington Capitals, debuting before Sweetwater Clifton and Chuck Cooper. Along with helping the Syracuse Nationals win the 1955 NBA title, Lloyd averaged 8.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in 560 games played, over nine season with Washington, Syracuse and Detroit. He served in the U.S. Army during the 1951-52 season, and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003 as a contributor. Thank you Earl Lloyd for EVERYTHING you have done.