The Blue Jackets are loaded with young talent on defence and at forward, making them one of the best teams in the league again this year. They also have good goaltending in Sergei Bobrovsky and they may have made the biggest splash this off season bringing in Artemi Panarin from the Blackhawks. If the young players continue to improve and Bobrovsky performs like he did a year ago, the Bluejackets could be on the road to their first Stanley Cup.
Arrivals/Departures
Arrivals: Artemi Panarin, Jordan Schroeder, Andre Benoit, Zac Dalpe, Tyler Motte, Cameron Gaunce
Departures: Scott Hartnell, Sam Gagner, William Karlsson, Kyle Quincey, Lauri Korpikoski, Anton Forsberg
Forwards:
The Jackets finally added a superstar to their already deep forward core in Artemi Panarin who will help a forward group that lacked a true dynamic player. Panarin dominated his first two seasons in Chicago and with an even bigger role in Columbus he could compete for the Art Ross Trophy. Alexander Wennberg is a very underrated play-maker who netted 59 points last year cruising past his career high and with Panarin on his line he should improve on that total. The other first-line winger will be Cam Atkinson who also had a career year scoring 35 goals. The first line is flashy and will score a lot of goals while the second line will be the shutdown gritty line. Two-way forward Brandon Dubinsky is the center of the line and he is always good for 40 points while shutting down opposing teams stars. Nick Foligno is the leader of the team and has turned into a good two-way power forward in his time with the Jackets. Boone Jenner took a step back last season after netting 30 goals the year before but he should once again push for 30 if he regains his top form. The third line could be full of young unproven players who could all be future stars. Oliver Bjorkstrand has shown flashes in two short tenures for the NHL squad and if he can crack the roster full time he could surprise with a 40-point season. Sonny Milano would be the other young winger on the line if he can crack the roster; Milano has wicked hands and could provide Columbus with secondary scoring. Pierre-Luc Dubois should center the third line as he was drafted third overall in 2016 and it is time for him to make the jump to the NHL. Matt Calvert has been a good third or fourth liner his whole career and will continue to be that. Josh Anderson had a good first full year in the league last season; he is more of a power forward who plays a physical game but he proved he can score with 17 goals. Jordan Schroeder was brought in from the Wild to be the fourth-line center. Lukas Sedlak and Tyler Motte would likely be the depth forwards if the young guys make the leap.
Defenceman:
With all the young talent on the blue line, the Bluejackets should have one of the best defences in the league for years to come. If Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine were not so good last year, Zach Werenski would have ran away with the Calder Trophy. If Werenski does not hit the sophomore slump he could soon be considered among the elite defenceman in the NHL. Seth Jones also had his best season as a pro and at only 22 years old, Jones and Werenski could be the best pair in the league for a decade if they can both stay healthy. Jack Johnson is the veteran shutdown leader on the defensive core as he no longer contributes offensively like he used too but he is still a good third defenceman. David Savard is the other top-four defenceman who has come out of nowhere and to cap off the top four. Ryan Murray is the other defenceman although he has not became what people thought he could be when he was drafted second overall in 2012 but injuries have caused part of his fall meaning he still has hope to be a top-four defenceman when Johnson retires. The last defensive spot will be a battle at training camp between Gabriel Carlsson, Scott Harrington and Markus Nutivaara.
Goaltending:
Sergei Bobrovsky might have been the best goalie in the NHL last season winning his second Vezina trophy taking the Blue Jackets to the playoffs. Bobrovsky struggled in the playoffs though so it will be interesting to see what Bobrovsky shows up. Joonas Korpisalo is one of the best up-and-coming goalies in the league and should help win some games as the backup.
Projected Lineup:
Artemi Panarin
|
Alexander Wennberg
|
Cam Atkinson
|
Boone Jenner
|
Brandon Dubinsky
|
Nick Foligno
|
Sonny Milano
|
Pierre-Luc Dubois
|
Oliver Bjorkstrand
|
Matt Calvert
|
Jordan Schroeder
|
Josh Anderson
|
Tyler Motte
|
Lukas Sedlak
|
Zac Dalpe
|
Zach Werenski
|
Seth Jones
|
Jack Johnson
|
David Savard
|
Gabriel Carlsson
|
Ryan Murray
|
Markus Nutivaara
|
Scott Harrington
|
Sergei Bobrovsky
|
Joonas Korpisalo
|
Matiss Kivlenieks
|
Top 10 Players:
10. Jack Johnson
9. David Savard
8. Brandon Dubinsky
7. Nick Foligno
6. Seth Jones
5. Cam Atkinson
4. Alexander Wennberg
3. Zach Werenski
2. Sergei Bobrovsky
1. Artemi Panarin
Projected Finish: 106 Points (1st in Metropolitan)
Last Year: 108 Points (3rd in Metropolitan)
Photo credit for Artemi Panarin goes to http://www.sportsnet.ca/. Alex Wennberg goes to http://www.foxsports.com/. Zach Werenski goes to http://www.thehockeynews.com/. Sergei Bobrovsky goes to https://www.nhl.com/.
No comments:
Post a Comment