iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 14h

Not the best effort from the #CBJ. A back-to-back, sure, but a really tepid game after the Olivier guess-i-have-to fight that seemed to really juice up the #stlblues pocketcbj.substack.com/p/cbj-vs-st-...

pocketcbj.substack.com

CBJ vs St. Louis 10/10 Chance Report

The Blue Jackets started hot, Mathieu Olivier fought and then all for naught.

010

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

I think I agree! Feels like he's rounded out a lot from last season and is close to really providing a spark but the team might need to gel a little more for him to find it.

000

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

The return of Damon Severson for #CBJ meant the return of ice-tilting (and a very sweet link-up with Zach Werenski! The team will need to convert on chances much better, but it's at least a step in the right direction. pocketcbj.substack.com/p/cbj-vs-pit...

pocketcbj.substack.com

CBJ vs Pittsburgh 10/9

The Blue Jackets pull one out in the shootout.

030

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

2 games.... Voronkov and Garland are frequently line swapping both getting 4th line TOI. Very excited to see Mateychuk with Soucy, might get a better idea of how much he can control a game by himself.

110

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

#CBJ vs #TusksUp CBJ need to stay out of the box!!!!! A closer than expected 5v5 game considering what it felt like. Lots of work to be done for Bowness' CBJ. pocketcbj.substack.com/p/cbj-vs-uta...

pocketcbj.substack.com

CBJ vs Utah 10/3: Chance Report

The Blue Jackets’ penalty woes continue, and struggle to put together a cohesive game once again.

020

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Had some time to do extra #CBJ video work today, check it out! Will also post the youtube videos in the thread if you hate me and don't want to click through. pocketcbj.substack.com/p/cbj-vs-buf...

pocketcbj.substack.com

CBJ vs Buffalo Film Room

Knies Highlights and Goal Breakdowns, Charlie Coyle Dominance, Room for Improvement from Sillinger and Knies, Carson Soucy Puck Moving and Playmaking

150

Reposted by Eric Schumacher

NHL (Bot) @notnhl.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

MATTHEW KNIES' FIRST AS A BLUE JACKET!! 💥

0103

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

(joking) I am tremendously sad I won't get to watch such a fun player, sad that the org seemingly can't tolerate someone having fun instead of being angry. Hangover is a good way to describe it honestly! Panarin and Marchenko really do help provide some perspective on enjoying it while it's here!

010

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I appreciate Toronto's excitement but they haven't even seen a good version of Marchenko yet

100

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

On Marchenko, CBJ players shot 5% on passes that came directly from his stick, league average is around 9.3%! He had the most direct setups and absolutely not the most primary assists. If he plays with better play finishers.... Good PP integration and you could be looking at 90 points.

000

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The types of playmaking are critical, Knies is heavy on volume and importance, which aren't bad. The Blue Jackets need a lot more connectivity (true facilitation) and betweenness (condition improving playmaking). If his below dots playmaking takes off, fantastic Fantilli complement.

110

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Great time breaking down the trade, getting into the nitty gritty on the players and fits! Mentioned some perhaps supporting charts on the pod, would attach these and more! LB-Hockey playmaking and play-through-contract tell a ton of the story!

141

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

If Marchenko has a million fans, then I am one of them. If Marchenko has ten fans, then I am one of them. If Marchenko has only one fan then that is me. If Marchenko has no fans, then that means I am no longer on earth. If the world is against Marchenko, then I am against the world. #CBJ

070

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

What a beautiful day to work outside, did I miss anything?

000

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

#CBJ have two options: send Heinen or Christiansen down. Then, sign Soucy for the remaining cap surplus to get close to LTIR-optimized. None of this matters if: Miles Wood is claimed, Mikael Pyyhtia is healthy come roster set (Monday 5pm EST). If Wood is claimed: Soucy makes $1.2ish million.

000

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Jake Christiansen makes $975k. He can be sent down and also requires waivers. That puts the Blue Jackets at only 5 D and $940k under the cap. Enter: Carson Soucy. Veteran minimum for this season is $850k. This number is greater than the LDBB-down cap surplus.

100

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Sending down Heinen or LDBB put the Blue Jackets under the cap but they must also be down alongside Pyyhtia. Both are waiver eligible. Both result in no press-box, LDBB results in $825k under the cap, Heinen $965k. These numbers are important.

100

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

this isn't exactly a problem but does make getting closer to "cap perfect" for in-season LTIR optimization more difficult. There are plenty of options to get under the cap but it looks like someone will be risked to waivers. CBJ have options: -Luca Del Bel Belluz -Jake Christiansen -Danton Heinen

100

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

#CBJ might still need to do more to get under the cap, but we'll know more depending on whether Miles Wood clears waivers. Due to an unlucky injury to Mikael Pyyhtia, the Blue Jackets have a minor cap charge that puts them $30k over the cap instead of the projected $20k under.

120

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

#CBJ Pre-season comes to an end. Never wise to read into these things. Nichushkin and Jet really the only players who look particularly good. Skill players don't necessarily look like they took steps. Fantilli, a few practices and proper game motivation could well cure all that ails!

010

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Got this out earlier today, explains why this move makes the most sense! #CBJ

020

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

i agree! then just feels like metagame is loose and also used in other ways. i was thinking about the early states of game play where no one really "understands" what they're doing. this also feels like "figuring out the game" or "establishing a metagame", perhaps orthogonal to "rules as play"

000

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

yeah certainly overlap! reading guides feels like "engagement with the media" that doesn't necessarily feel like play, but "rules as play" and "deck-building" do feel like "intended play" in a way that isn't also necessarily what people mean when they say play 🍻🍻🍻

210

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

are there words for this sort of "outside of active" play? I am thinking of things like deck-building for Magic, similar "builds" for video games like Path of Exile or World of Warcraft. I wonder if this is also connected to some sorts of "extra curricular" engagement like reading guides, etc.

210

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Certainly better than it seemed like it was going to be. Let us hope we can put a rancid off-season behind us and only good on-ice things will happen!

050

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Getting back to the point of agreeing 😅 Seems we very consistently underestimate or misunderstand the richness/complexity of the environment and of our (animals) awesome capacity to operate dynamically within it.

010

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Melanie Mitchell also wrote about the nature of misunderstanding what LLMs are, many people using "AI" instead which ignores, specifically, the "large" aspect. These are unfathomably large data operations (built on displays of intelligence) and, as such, have the capacity to seem intelligent.

100

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Bernstein defined dexterity similarly as you did intelligence (capacity to solve motor problems in unpredictable environment) though he did emphasize that it was uniquely human and not an aspect of all animals. This seems erroneous to me, and seems abandonded in EcoPsy, but interesting!

100

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Animals, then, are aspects of the environment whereas computers don't really have one at all. Animals are active participants in their interfacing with reality, perception-action, whereas computers are incredibly passive actors and because of/along side this only have heavily constrained interfaces

100

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I wonder if people have a hard time seeing the "bat" as "doing math" because they often consider math to be "operations conducted on symbols" (abstract, perhaps, and like a computer) whereas the bat is behaving in "the real" and not necessarily doing anything abstract.

100

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

very interesting thoughts, many of which are apparent in the debate w/r ecological psychology v cognitivism. Certainly many ecological psychologists took issue with the abberant environment of lab puzzles. Computers, likewise, always exist under an "observer" (they are created)

110

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Soucy-Fabbro and Christainsen-Gudbranson probably the only relevant "battle". I like Soucy-Fabbro more but presume CBJ vets like Gudbranson's "nasty" as well as his significant PK role.

000

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

KJ, Fantilli, Marchenko all want the puck. Not sold it works. Monahan with Beef is best way, not sure who does the scoring tho. Dislike Wood getting more of a role. Fourth line has the potential to be as volatile as possible. All of those guys can be very "all gas no brakes".

110

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I am sure things will change. Not sure what to make of sequestering the scoring talent on one line, and I tremendously hate the way the "bottom 9" is homogenized. Not sure how you create a deployment advantage. Bowness really loved heavy offense for one line last season, imo it was to detriment.

100

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

We are getting back into actual hockey!! Implied lines from #CBJ Camp Rosters: F - Marchenko - Fantilli - Johnson - Voronkov - Monahan - Nichushkin - Wood - Coyle - Olivier - Lomberg - Sillinger - Garland D - Werenski - Severson - Provorov - Mateychuk - Soucy - Fabbro - Christiansen - Gudbranson

120

Reposted by Eric Schumacher

Louis Boulet @louisboulet.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Time for the lb-hockey.com Standings Projections!! Like last season, team point contributions are broken down by forwards, dmen, goalies, chemistry, and injury risk. But new for 2026-27 are scheduling effects: strength of schedule (SoS) and rest. Who do we have too low or too high?

6123

Reposted by Eric Schumacher

Aaron K @ladyotreesyrup.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

We should really be using @louisboulet.bsky.social / @lb-hockey.com 's SPAR model more when talking about individual player contributions. Better year-to-year repeatability at the player level and prediction of future team results than other public spreadsheet-based models

Scatter plots of evolving hockey's WAR/xWAR, HockeyStat's WAR, and LB-Hockey's SPAR models converted to per 60 minutes and z-scores with year 0 on the x axis and year+1 on the y axis. NHL regulars (top 384 forwards/192 defensemen by ice time) only, 2022-23 to 2025-26

Scatter plots of the sum of the previous season's SPAR/60 rates (regulars only, top 384 forwards/192 defensemen across both seasons) multiplied by next season's ice time (x-axis) compared to standings points won by their team in the next season with contributions from goalies and non-regulars removed (y-axis) comparing Evolving-Hockey's WAR/xWAR models and LB-Hockey's SPAR model.

0156

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Watch this mixtape and then consider this fact: on passes directly from the stick of Kirill Marchenko, recipients of those passes shot 5.5% at 5v5. (reposted because the table had some incorrect xG values)

030

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

well he's officially not leaving, so seems spot on!

100

Eric Schumacher @pockecbj.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

I think you are entirely correct! CBJ front office is making a mess of this either way

010