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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE MEDIA CONFERENCE

February 25, 2009

Scott Howson

DAVID KEON: Our final guest today is Scott Howson. Scott is in his second season as manager of the Blue Jackets but has been around for many trade deadlines having spent seven seasons in the front office with the Edmonton Oilers.
Columbus has posted a record of 30-24-6 for 66 points this season, and are vying for their first post-season playoff berth. Thanks to Scott for taking the time to join us and answer your questions. We'll open it up for questions with Scott.

Q. Not much of a secret that you might be a team looking to add players potentially at the deadline. Do you think the fact that that notion is out there, if it works against you at all when you're trying to make a deal?
SCOTT HOWSON: I think it could. I'm not sure that it does, though. The needs of our team have been clear since the beginning of the season. We were weak at center ice, then we got weaker when Derick Brassard was lost for the season. He was probably our second-line center at that point. We put Umberger in the middle. That's not an awkward fit because he can play anywhere, but we prefer to have him on the wing. We've been pretty clear that center ice is the position we're trying to add to, probably at the higher end. Although there doesn't seem to be a lot out there available at the higher end.

Q. We don't see many trades during the season any more. Did you try to address that at all earlier or did you pretty much figure you had to wait till the deadline to get something done?
SCOTT HOWSON: No, we talked about with some teams trying to address that need. There was just never the right fit. We weren't comfortable. I guess there were a couple deals we just weren't comfortable with. Felt like we were robbing Peter to pay Paul. We weren't going to do that at that time.

Q. Regardless if your team makes the playoffs, do you see a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel after many years trying to scrape through in that division?
SCOTT HOWSON: Yeah, I think we do. I think the division's getting stronger. It looks like St. Louis is really on an upswing. We feel we're on an upswing. Obviously Chicago and Detroit are already there, and Nashville always plays well.
Having said that, we really believe in our young group of players coming. It starts with Steve Mason and Kris Russell and Voracek and Filatov and Brassard. Nash is still a young guy. So we think we've got a bright future. We're certainly not going to touch that future in the next five days. If we can add something to make us better now without touching that future, that's what we're going to try to accomplish.

Q. You have a lot of experience working contracts. I wondered with the economy, I know it's not supposed to affect the salary cap next year but possibly the year after, what sort of impact does this have on the way you'll deal with the trade deadline?
SCOTT HOWSON: It has a big impact. We see what's going to happen with our team here. It's really an internal situation for us. We have those players that I mentioned, Voracek, Brassard, Mason, Russell, Nash needs a new contract the year after next. So that's where we're going to put our money.
We are not interested or are able to take on a significant amount of money going forward. That sort of limits what we can do in terms of trying to acquire a player.

Q. Brian Burke was on earlier said and he said some of the worst decisions GMs make historically are around the trade deadline. As a team that's kind of identified itself as a buyer, how do you protect yourself from mortgaging the future too much?
SCOTT HOWSON: Yeah, I think it's a balancing act. We went through a -- the coaching staff and I went through sitting around before the game going through the deadline trades the last two years. There's a lot of trades a lot of teams would take back. I kind of agree with Brian, a lot of mistakes are made on that day. We have a list of people here and assets that we're just not going to part with. If there's something that can be done outside of that list, that's what we're going to try to do. If there's nothing that can be done outside of the list, we'll stand pat and let the chips fall where they may for the rest of the year.

Q. When we talked a month ago, you said you were hesitant to give up something like a first-round pick because you didn't know where this team us. Where you're in the standings now, are you more willing to take that risk now?
SCOTT HOWSON: Not really, no. I think my thinking is that we would give up a first-round pick obviously for a really good player that's going to be with the Blue Jackets for a while. That's the one thing case where we would do it. The other case where we'd do it is if we really believe we had a shot to win the Stanley Cup and we were in the top three or four in the count. Those are the times I think you trade a first-round pick, not just to get in the playoffs, which is the place we're at right now, but in order to really win in the playoffs.
I'm not sure that our team is at that point. If we run off five or six in a row here or I guess three or four in a row, become a real solid playoff team, that's something you might consider. Just to get into the playoffs, I don't think you should trade a first-round pick.

Q. Realistically right now, if you were to go into the playoffs without making any moves, where do you think you stand in the Western Conference that looks very top-heavy obviously?
SCOTT HOWSON: Yeah, I think our team, first, you start with goaltending in the playoffs. I think we've got a great young goalie who is going to have his bumps as he goes through the young part of his career. But we have a lot of faith in him. So I think you start with goaltending. That gives you a chance.
Our team is big, has some size, has a little bit of quickness, too. So I think we would be a handful for any team. But the challenge for us is going to get there because, as you guys all know, it's so tight right now. We went on a little run there last week, gave ourselves a four-point cushion. I think we were in fifth for a while. Now it's back to the same old, same old. We're right in the middle of the 7 through 12 or 6 through 12 bunch.
That's going to be our biggest challenge to get in. If we get in, we think we can present a challenge for any of the top four teams.

Q. Do you have a sense from the people that come to the building to watch your team play, even around the city, there's a buzz brewing about the Blue Jackets because maybe finally playoff hockey could be coming to Columbus?
SCOTT HOWSON: There's certainly excitement in the building and in the city right now. We've had three or four sell-outs in the last seven or eight games. We've had really strong crowds that haven't been sell-outs yet. The people are excited. I'm a relative newcomer to the community. People told me all last year and the beginning of this year if the team gets in the race, then the community's really going to step up to the plate. You can see that in the buzz in the building. The building is different now than it was two months ago.

Q. Looking ahead to the summer's free agency period, do you anticipate there will be more or fewer lucrative long-term contracts, especially for veterans like Wade had last year?
SCOTT HOWSON: I would expect there would be fewer for that type of player, the older player. I think you're still going to get long-term deals for young players, that are either restricted or unrestricted, players in their mid or late 20s. I think players into their 30s, you're going to see less long-term deals.

Q. You went against the trend of avoiding Russian draft picks last year with Nikita. With his success, do you think this trend may change at the upcoming draft?
SCOTT HOWSON: I'm not sure. I think it always depends on the talent pool available. We've had a good experience with both Nikita and a player we drafted two years ago that fell down, Maksim Mayorov, who is in Syracuse, too. But there's always the threat out there. It's a different threat. They've got the league over there, the KHL, I understand is having some problems. That's going to continue to exist.
I always thought with Nikita, the challenge based on my conversations with him, it wasn't going to be able to get him over right away, but it was going to be the next contract or the contract after, where if he became a really good player, he was going to be offered a lot of money to stay in Russia. I think there's always that threat out there, that challenge.
I think to answer your question, it may change a little bit, but I don't see a drastic change.

Q. The history of these deadline deals, the rental deal, someone gives up the farm, a draft pick, a prospect, another player, history has shown us thus far that the team giving up all the talent in the draft picks doesn't seem to win this thing. Do you think this history, the GMs are watching this, and will it impinge upon the ability to trade that rental guy this year?
SCOTT HOWSON: Well, I think the pool of rental guys this smaller this year. I think that will affect it more than anything else.
Again, I think it depends on the situation you're in. If I think of those types of deals that I've been involved with, one was Ryan Smyth two years ago, and one was Adam Foote last year. Certainly I was on the end of taking the younger players back. I can tell you right now, I'll still do those deals now. I think they worked out for both teams. But it was tough to do at the time.
So I think, to answer your question, I think teams are leery of it. But I think if you're in the right situation with a real chance to win the Stanley Cup, you can get a really, really good player, I think you still have to do it.

Q. For instance, the Ryan Smyth deal is a perfect example. The Islanders did make the playoffs. Not to criticize the Islanders, but looking back at that deal, it was a costly deal for the organization. Those deals long-term are not siding on the other side that you stood. Are GMs ever going to learn?
SCOTT HOWSON: I don't know. It depends on your market. There were market-specific reasons for those deals at that time. The people running those teams at that time obviously felt it was the right thing to do. I'm not sure they would take it back. I don't know if they would or wouldn't. They both got in the playoffs. Atlanta and the Islanders got in the playoffs. Maybe that was more important for them in terms of their long-term goals as a franchise with their fans.
But it's a dangerous game for sure. Again, it goes back to my philosophy that I don't think you should give up a lot just to get in. If you look at last year, Pittsburgh made that Hossa deal. I don't think either team would take back that deal because I think it worked for both teams. It can certainly work if it's the right player with the right team.
DAVID KEON: Thanks very much, Scott, for your time.
SCOTT HOWSON: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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