The Blue Jackets added more depth to the defensive corps by acquiring two-time all star Darryl Sydor from the Dallas Stars for center Mike Sillinger along with Columbus’ 2004 second-round draft pick. Dallas then dealt Sillinger and the draft pick to Phoenix for 15-year veteran Teppo Numminen.

Sydor, 31, brings additional size and skill to the defense, while being able to replace unrestricted free agent Ray Whitney, who played an important role as team captain and point man on the power play. Trying to build a playoff team, Columbus certainly been aggressive this off-season signing free agents Todd Marchant , Trevor Letowski and goaltender Fred Brathwaite. They added more to their payroll with Sydor, due to earn $3.5 million next season. This season’s payroll is estimated to be around $29 million. 

Last season, he recorded five goals and 31 assists with 40 penalty minutes and was plus-22 in 81 games with the Stars. He also has won a Stanley Cup with Dallas and has been a winner all throughout his career.

“We felt we wanted one more guy on the blue line, a puck mover. A guy that has great experience on the power play, and a guy that has won at every level.”

MacLean now has two good potentially steady lines for the power play with the addition of Sydor, Marchant and Letowski, who will join Knutsen, Cassels, Nash, Sanderson, Spacek and Klesla.

“He’s always been a 40 to 60 point guy in the NHL. He brings real good puck movement out of the zone,” MacLean said. He also brings a bit more grit during the penalty kill and was highly recommended by former Stars head coach Ken Hitchcock. “(Ken) Hitchcock said he was the best penalty killer while he was coach of Dallas.”

Fans and teammates alike will miss the steady hardworking Sillinger, but his playing time certainly would have diminished with the addition of Marchant. “Mike was a real good player for us. He had two real good years for us,” MacLean said. “I phoned him around 9 a.m. He was great. He is going to a good situation where he will get a chance to play. I think it’s (phoenix) a great fit for him.”

Marchant and a healthy Espen Knutsen should help take the burden off losing Sillinger, one of the better face-off men for the Jackets. “Marchant was one of the best face off men in the league last year, so we more than covered that area,” noted MacLean.

The Jackets are now stacked at defense. GM MacLean has spent the off-season shoring up any holes on defense (Brathwaite and Sydor) and putting is stamp on the team he will coach for a full season starting next month.

Defensemen Duvie Westcott and Derrik Walser were also re-signed. Walser played 53 games with the team last year recording three points at Calgary and scoring four goals in L.A. in January 2003. Westcott tallied three stints with the big club. “I expect him to take a real positive step (the next season),” MacLean said.

Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre, who would like to forget last year with a family illness, broken orbital socket and a knee injury, will finally be moved permanently to the right wing, probably on a line with Jody Shelley. That should prove to be a solid one-two punch, literally.

“My plan right now is to start training camp with Jean-Luc on the right wing with Shelley,” said MacLean. “I’m anxious to try him on the right wing with his speed and size and see where that shakes down.”

When asked if he was looking to add another big right-winger, MacLean was quick to respond, “No, I’ve got him. His name is Lasse Pirjeta. He’s 6-4, 225.”

More tough decisions and trades will happen prior to opening night. The Jackets currently have 9 defensemen on the roster along with just signed Alexander Gusjkov, selected by Columbus in the seventh round of the 2003 Entry Draft after spending the past four seasons in the Russian Elite League. Gusikov will fight for a job with the big club during training camp.

“LeChance and Westcott finished real strong last year,” MacLean said in discussing his potential defensive pairings. “I also like the pairings of Sydor-Spacek-Klesla and Spacek-Sedor-Richardson.”

Although he would not confirm or deny that he will do more trades, the addition of Sydor leaves defenseman Jamie Allison outside looking in as an unrestricted free agent. The teleconference was delayed for about five minutes while MacLean was receiving a fax at the summer home of the Blue Jackets, Prince Edward Island. Wonder who was making an offer?

In:
Marchant
Sydor
Linden
Brathwaite