Stralman's worth is open to debate

There are some obvious holes in Anton Stralman's game. The Blue Jackets defenseman, who turns 24 on Aug. 1, is neither big enough, strong enough nor smooth enough at this point to be an effective player in his own zone, or to win many one-on-one battles. On a good team, he's a third-pair defenseman.

But there are obvious holes in the Blue Jackets' roster, too, and Stralman — one-dimensional though he may be — is very important. It's indisputable that he has the skill to run a power play and accumulate points in the NHL, truly a rare commodity in Columbus.

Such divergent viewpoints are precisely why the Blue Jackets and Stralman's agent, Marc Levine, have been unable to reach terms on a new contract and appear headed toward an arbitration hearing at 9 a.m. Wednesday in Toronto.

NHL free agency

 

What's the latest on NHL free agency? We've got you covered.

• Thin market hampers needy teams
• Deal lengths issue for RFAs
• Latest from Spector's blog

With three days left to negotiate, the two sides are believed to be nearly $1 million per year apart on a contract that would avoid a date with arbitrator Margaret Brogan.

"Sometimes you need somebody else to give you a number," general manager Scott Howson said. "You prefer to avoid it, but arbitration can be a useful tool."

What happens this week could have a profound impact on how Howson approaches the rest of the summer, and it could reshape part of the Jackets' roster heading into the 2010-11 season.

It's unclear if the Blue Jackets will request a one- or two-year finding from Brogan, but they'll likely choose a one-year ruling that gives them the right to "walk away" from Stralman's contract if the ruling is deemed too steep.

But if they walk away, making Stralman an unrestricted free agent, Howson would almost certainly have to step up his attempts to land a defenseman who can run a power play.

Even with Stralman on the roster, Howson wants to add a mobile defenseman. But if Stralman goes, it becomes a desperate need, perhaps forcing Howson to up the ante in his attempts to get a defenseman via trade, such as Vancouver's Kevin Bieksa, Toronto's Tomas Kaberle or Edmonton's Sheldon Souray.

Or perhaps Howson would have to delve into the free-agent market.

One name to keep in mind is Marc-Andre Bergeron, 30, who made $750,000 with Montreal last season and had 13 goals and 21 assists. He is perhaps even weaker in his own zone than Stralman, but he has one of the hardest shots from the point in the NHL.

Other free agents to consider should Stralman depart: Denis Grebeshkov, Mike Mottau and Andy Sutton.

The Blue Jackets would like to keep Stralman and play him on the third pair this season. But first a question must be answered: What is Stralman worth?

Neither Howson nor Levine would publicly discuss the contents of their briefs, which will be exchanged Monday, or which NHL players they see as being comparable to Stralman. But two starkly different pictures will be presented.

Levine's camp will argue that Stralman — with eight goals, 26 assists and 20:29 of average ice time — is one of the NHL's emerging offensive defensemen.

"We certainly feel Anton can and will be a top defenseman in the NHL," Levine said. "Now that he's with the Blue Jackets, he's getting significant time. He's still a young D-man, and he's still learning."

Stralman's 34 points led Blue Jackets defensemen and were tied for 37th among NHL defensemen. His playing time was third among Blue Jackets blue-liners.

If Levine can hammer home those numbers, Stralman — who made $731,666 last season — will get a huge raise.

The Dispatch looked at the 15 defensemen both directly above and below Stralman in points last season. Only players with contracts heading into 2010-11 were considered.

Of those 30 players, 21 will make $2.75 million or more this season, according to www.capgeek.com.

Among the names Levine might use as comparables to Stralman: Vancouver's Alex Edler ($3.25 million), Colorado's Kyle Quincey ($3 million) and Chicago's Niklas Hjalmarsson ($3.5 million).

The Blue Jackets will likely return fire with a comparison to Phoenix's Keith Yandle ($1.3 million), among others.

Further, the Blue Jackets will likely argue that Stralman's minus-17 rating — tied for worst on the club and 15th worst in the NHL — is a counterbalance to the points he puts up.

If not for an injury-ravaged blue-line — Rostislav Klesla missed 56 games, Mike Commodore 25 and Jan Hejda 20 — Stralman would have seen far less ice time, particularly at even strength.

The Blue Jackets, who have never been through arbitration with a player, would rather keep that streak intact.

But in this case, with no alternative in sight, it will help the Blue Jackets get on with their summer.