NHL Season Primer: 29th Columbus Blue Jackets
29TH IN NHL - 8TH IN METROPOLITAN - 16TH IN EAST
WHY?
Columbus Blue Jackets fans have not had a lot to get excited about since their playoff exit in 2014. Since then, the team has lost Ryan Johansen (arguably a franchise centre), second line centre Artem Anisimov, James Wisniewski and Vezina winner Sergei Bobrovsky. Wait? They still have Bobrovsky? Oh, I guess they do. That being said, Bobrovsky has put up extremely sub-par numbers since winning the Vezina trophy as the league's top goaltender back in 2013-14. The Blue Jackets have to be better in 2016-17, but I have a hard time believing they will be, and it's all down to three reasons.
3. Bobrovsky can't stay healthy, nor can he regain the form he had shown in 2013. 2. The team is lead by head coach John Torterella who coaches an old style of hockey that is outdated and NHL players don't buy in to. 1. They do not have a number one centre.
Yes, Alexander Wennberg is a good centreman, and will be for the Jackets for a long time - but the team was left with a huge gap down the middle when Johansen was moved to Nashville last season. Outside of Wennberg, there doesn't seem to be anyone in line to take hold of that No.1 centre role, and that is a big problem. If one of the Jacket's younger players can step into that first line centre role, it would help the team immensely. That doesn't seem like it's going to happen until their first round pick, Pierre-Luc Dubois develops into the middle-man they want him to be.
Free Agency
D - Seth Jones (RFA, 6 years, $32.4M, $5.4M AAV)
C - Sam Gagner(UFA,1 year, $650K, $650K AAV)
Draft
3rd overall - LW - Pierre-Luc Dubois, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, QMJHL
34th overall - D - Andrew Peeke, Green Bay Gamblers, USHL
65th overall - RW - Vitaly Abramov, Gatineau Olympiques, QMJHL
155th overall - G - Peter Thome, Aberdeen Wings, USHL
185th overall - C - Calvin Thurkauf, Kelowna Rockets, WHL
Trades
Columbus Blue Jackets acquired D Scott Harrington and a conditional 5th round pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs for LW Kerby Rychel.
OUTLOOK
While the Blue Jackets did take strides to improve their team, I still believe that have a serious problem behind the bench. Tortorella has a history of mistreating his players which leads to an entire team that dislikes playing for him. Outside of Tortorella, management seems to have a good idea of the direction they want for the team to go in. Drafting Dubois ahead of Jesse Puljujarvi was a bold move, but Dubois looks like he will be a better fit for the organization. It is still early to judge this young Jackets team, but the moves they've made this summer suggests them taking a step-backwards next season.
DEPTH CHART
Offence
-------------------------------------------
#-- Pierre-Luc Dubois #-- Jordan Maletta - #-- Vitaly Abramov
-----------------------------------------
Defence
-----------------------------------------
#-- Zach Werenski - #-- Scott Harrington
-----------------------------------------
Goaltending
Columbus Blue Jackets - 2016-17 Projected Statistics
(*In order - Player, Projected Games Played, Projected Goals, Assists, Points.)
Brandon Saad -80GP -33G-28A-61Pts
Alexander Wennberg - 82GP - 15G-35A-50Pts
Nick Foligno - 75GP - 16G-33-49Pts
Boone Jenner - 82GP - 25G-23A-48Pts
Seth Jones 81GP - 9G-33A-42Pts
Scott Hartnell - 77GP -14G-28A-42Pts
Cam Atkinson - 82GP - 27G-15A-42Pts
Brandon Dubinsky - 74GP - 13G-25A-38Pts
Oliver Bjorkstrand - 77GP - 10G-24A-34Pts
Sam Gagner - 80GP -9G-24A-33Pts
David Savard - 82GP - 5G-27A-32Pts
William Karlsson - 81GP - 15G-15A-30Pts
Sonny Milano - 65GP -13G-17A-30Pts
Matt Calvert -78GP -13G-15A-28Pts
Ryan Murray -79GP -3G-25A-28Pts
Jack Johnson -75GP- 5G-20A-25Pts
Zach Werenski -70GP - 2G-18A-20Pts
David Clarkson - 66GP -6G-11A-17Pts
Cody Golubef - 71GP -2G-13A-15Pts
Scott Harrington - 63GP- 3G-7A-10Pts
Gregory Campbell -74GP - 4G-5A-9Pts
Josh Anderson -38GP - 3G-5A-8Pts
Goaltending Statistics
(Projected - *In order Games Played, Record, Shutouts, Goals Against Average, Save Percentage.)
Sergei Bobrovsky - 55GP - 23W-28L-4OTL - Shutouts: 3 - G.A.A: 2.63 - SV%: 0.919
Joonas Korpisalo - 23GP - 9-9-5 - Shutouts: 1 - G.A.A: 2.40 - SV%: 0.913 2 2.77 0.915