Emil BEMSTROM – McKeen's Hockey

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD (March 11th to 17th) – Post-NHL Trade Deadline Impact – Favourable schedules and players to target

Ryan Dadoun — Sun, 10 Mar 2024 18:06:59 +0000

_{OTTAWA, ON - OCTOBER 14: Ottawa Senators Right Wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) after a whistle during second period National Hockey League action between the Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators on October 14, 2023, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)}

The trade deadline is behind us and it certainly was eventful. Although we didn’t get a lot of trades in the leadup to the final week -- just four deals in all of February -- general managers made up for lost time with six trades on Wednesday, 10 on Thursday and 23 on the final day.

This isn’t a winners and losers column, but if it was, Vegas would naturally be at the top of the winners list. The rest of the league might be annoyed at the Golden Knights’ seemingly unending ability to make blockbusters, but as a fan of one of the other 31 franchises, I suspect a lot of that is just because we collectively wish that our general manager had a bit more of Kelly McCrimmon’s boldness and the ownership for the teams we rooted for were a bit more willing to green-light whatever it takes to win.

Vegas added forwards Anthony Mantha and Tomas Hertl as well as Noah Hanifin on Friday. Clearly, the Golden Knights are gearing up for a defence of their Stanley Cup championships -- despite some lacklustre play of late -- but these aren’t exclusively win-now moves. Hertl is signed through 2029-30 and with the Sharks retaining part of his contract, he comes at a reasonable $6.75 million annually for the Golden Knights over that span. Mantha and Hanifin are on expiring contracts, but it is possible Vegas will be able to retain Hanifin’s services long-term.

Carolina also had a pretty interesting trade season with the additions of Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jake Guentzel. Kuznetsov, who has just six goals and 17 points through 43 games this season, is definitely a risk, but it will be interesting to see if a fresh start does him any good. If nothing else, the addition of Guentzel should bolster what was already a pretty solid offense.

Florida also upgraded its forward corps by adding Vladimir Tarasenko. After falling just short of the Cup last year, I’d at the very least say that the Panthers are the team to beat in the East. The only reason why I hesitate to call the Panthers the outright Cup favourites is that I love Vancouver and Colorado in the west.

The Avalanche in particular are looking strong after grabbing Casey Mittelstadt, albeit at the high price of Bowen Byram. Colorado’s offense is the best in the league at 3.70 goals per game, but the Avalanche have been extremely reliant on Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and defenseman Cale Makar to drive that scoring. If you were to have judged the Avalanche from their second line down, then you would have found a team that was wanting. Adding Mittelstadt does a lot to address that shortcoming, though Alexandar Georgiev’s less-than-stellar play is still a concern. The Avalanche might wish they had acquired a veteran backup come playoff time.

Of course, that’s all just scratching the surface of how the trade deadline has changed things. Let’s do a deeper dive while highlighting some of the best teams to utilize this coming week.

Anaheim Ducks - TUE @ CHI, THU @ MIN, FRI @ WPG (BTB), SUN @ STL

The Ducks don’t have much left to play for, but at least their upcoming schedule isn’t too bad. They’ll be on the road next week, playing in Chicago on Tuesday, Minnesota on Thursday, Winnipeg on Friday and St. Louis on Sunday. The Jets are the only of those adversaries in a playoff position.

Anaheim dealt away forwards Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick to Edmonton on Wednesday and acquired Ben Meyers from the Avalanche on Friday.

Meyers was in the minors before the trade, but he’s likely to remain with the Ducks for the remainder of the campaign. Don’t expect too much from him, though. He had six goals in 53 career contests over parts of three seasons with Colorado and is likely to serve primarily on the third line in Anaheim.

The loss of Henrique will be felt, though. He had 18 goals and 42 points in 60 contests with the Ducks this season, which was good for third in the team’s scoring race at the time of his trade. His departure might increase how much Mason McTavish is leaned on. We’ve also started to see a significant spike in Max Jones’ playing time recently -- logging over 15 minutes in each of his past three contests compared to his average of 11:43 over his first 44 outings -- and that’s likely to persist for the remainder of the season.

With the Ducks looking toward the future, Olen Zellweger is likely to stay in the NHL for the rest of the season. Although he has just two assists through his first eight contests with Anaheim, the 20-year-old defenseman has offensive upside and is getting power-play ice time, so he’d be an interesting pickup for the upcoming week given the competition.

Columbus Blue Jackets - TUE @ MTL, THU VS OTT, SAT VS SJS, SUN VS WPG (BTB)

Like Anaheim, Columbus doesn’t have any hope of making the playoffs, but next week’s schedule is still a favourable one for the Blue Jackets. They’ll play in Montreal on Tuesday before hosting the Senators on Thursday, the Sharks on Saturday and the Jets on Sunday. While Winnipeg is having a strong campaign, those other three teams are among the worst in the league.

Columbus was somewhat quiet at the deadline, but the Blue Jackets did part ways with Jack Roslovic and Andrew Peeke.

Their biggest move came earlier when they acquired Alexander Nylander from Pittsburgh on Feb. 22 in exchange for Emil Bemstrom. That wasn’t expected to be a noteworthy move, but Nylander has provided an incredible five goals and seven points in seven contests with the Blue Jackets. Nylander is likely to remain in a top-six role for the remainder of the season, so while he’s unlikely to maintain his point-per-game pace, the 26-year-old should continue to have fantasy relevance.

Roslovic was red hot too with four goals and 13 points in his last 12 games prior to the trade. He was serving primarily on the top line with Boone Jenner and Johnny Gaudreau, but now that he’s gone, Kirill Marchenko might be put in that role. Marchenko has 17 goals and 32 points in 60 contests this season, and the 23-year-old might see his offensive pace increase if he does lockdown that first-line assignment.

One player who didn’t move is goaltender Elvis Merzlikins. There was some suggestion back in January that he would welcome a trade because he was unhappy with his workload. Maybe that issue will get resolved over the summer, but Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov are likely to share the netminding duties fairly evenly for what’s left of the season.

Detroit Red Wings - TUE @ BUF, THU VS ARI, SAT VS BUF, SUN @ PIT (BTB)

Detroit will continue its fight for a wild-card berth next week. The Red Wings will start by playing in Buffalo on Tuesday before returning home to face the Coyotes on Thursday and the Sabres on Saturday. They’ll complete the week with a game in Pittsburgh on Sunday. None of those opponents are in a playoff position, so it’s important that the Red Wings take advantage by picking up at least six points.

The Red Wings were quiet at the deadline, though to be fair, they made their major move back in November when they signed Patrick Kane. The 35-year-old has gone on to provide 13 goals and 31 points through 31 games, so they have to be happy with that addition.

They’ll need to lean on Kane even more in the short term because Dylan Larkin suffered a lower-body injury Monday that’s expected to cost him at least one more week. While Larkin’s unavailable, Joe Veleno might see his workload increase and consequently should have more short-term value in fantasy leagues.

This could also be a good week for David Perron, who is on a roll with a goal and four points over his past four games. He’s up to 13 goals and 32 points in 56 contests in 2023-24. Defenseman Olli Maatta has looked good recently too, supplying two goals and four points across his last four outings. Maatta typically isn’t a significant offensive contributor, though, so he would be at best a short-term pickup option.

Los Angeles Kings - MON VS NYI, WED @ STL, FRI @ CHI, SAT @ DAL (BTB)

The Kings hold a playoff position, but their postseason berth is far from secure. They’ll need to play next week while hosting the Islanders on Monday and then playing on the road against St. Louis, Chicago and Dallas on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, respectively.

LA didn’t add anyone at the deadline, so if the Kings are going to get into the playoffs, it’ll have to be with basically the same group they’ve had for the entire year. However, injuries have made their task even harder. Viktor Arvidsson (lower body) has played just four games in 2023-24 while Mikey Anderson (upper body) and Adrian Kempe (upper body) also might not be available next week.

At least Kevin Fiala has been doing his part. The 27-year-old forward has a superb seven goals and 13 points over his last nine games. With his marker Thursday, Fiala reached the 20-goal milestone for the fifth consecutive campaign, but he’s also exceeded 25 tallies just once in his career (2021-22). In other words, don’t count on him providing goals at his recent rate for much longer, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he still ended up having a strong finish to the season offensively.

Drew Doughty has looked good lately too, providing three goals and 12 points over his last 11 outings. Six of those points came with the man advantage, which is noteworthy because LA’s power play has been middling this season with a 22.6 percent success rate. However, the Kings have converted on 32.0 percent of their power plays over their past 11 games, and if they can keep that up, it will do wonders for Doughty’s fantasy value.

It wouldn’t mean much to Matt Roy -- he isn’t typically used with the man advantage -- but the 29-year-old blueliner has three even-strength assists across his past three games. That has brought Roy up to 20 points (three goals) through 61 contests -- this is his third straight campaign with at least 20 points.

Ottawa Senators - TUE VS PIT, THUS @ CBJ, SAT @ NYI, SUN VS CAR (BTB)

Ottawa has a relatively easy start to the week with a home contest against the Penguins and then a road match versus Columbus on Thursday. Things do pick up after that, though. The Senators will play on the road against the Islanders on Saturday in a contest that matters for the Islanders in their pursuit of a wild-card spot. Ottawa will conclude the week by hosting the Hurricanes on Sunday.

The Senators made just one trade in the leadup to the deadline, shipping Vladimir Tarasenko to Florida in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round pick and a 2025 third-round selection. That’s a minimal return for a top-six forward, but Tarasenko’s full no-trade clause tied the Senators’ hands.

Either way, Ottawa’s offense is looking a little thinner between the loss of Tarasenko and Josh Norris potentially missing the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. The top two lines going forward will be combinations of Brady Tkachuk, Shane Pinto, Drake Batherson, Mathieu Joseph, Tim Stutzle and Claude Giroux. That will work fine, but the bottom six will be a collection of whatever Ottawa can cobble together.

For example, Boris Katchouk, who was claimed off waivers from Chicago on Friday, is likely to be a regular on the third unit going forward. The 25-year-old has five goals and nine points in 38 contests this season, so he’s not exactly expected to be a scoring threat in that role. Dominik Kubalik, who has averaged 12:30 of ice time this season while providing 10 goals and 14 points across 57 contests, might see his playing time increase too. Ridly Greig might round out that third unit despite recording just three goals and four points over his past 21 appearances.

For what it’s worth, Ottawa also has the option of calling up Angus Crookshank, who has 22 goals and 43 points in 47 contests with AHL Belleville this season. He was limited to a goal and an assist during a seven-game stint with Ottawa earlier in the campaign, but the 24-year-old averaged just 8:50 of ice time. He’d almost certainly get a bigger role if Ottawa promoted him now, so keep an eye out for that.

Pittsburgh Penguins - TUE @ OTT, THU VS SJS, SAT VS NYR, SUN VS DET (BTB)

Although the Penguins’ playoff hopes are all but gone, they still have an opportunity to at least make their final weeks of the campaign interesting. Pittsburgh will play in Ottawa on Tuesday before heading home to host the Sharks on Thursday, the Rangers on Saturday and the Red Wings on Sunday.

As already noted, the Penguins traded star forward Jake Guentzel on Thursday. Pittsburgh also shipped away defenseman Chad Ruhwedel, though the club did add Michael Bunting.

Bunting is an interesting option the rest of the way. He had 13 goals and 36 points in 60 games with Carolina before the trade, which is nothing special, but with Guentzel gone, Bunting might play alongside Sidney Crosby going forward. That’s an ideal assignment that should boost Bunting’s fantasy value.

John Ludvig is the other Pittsburgh player who was significantly impacted by the trade deadline. With Ruhwedel gone, there’s an opportunity for Ludvig, who was last in the lineup on Feb. 18, to play regularly for the remainder of the season. Ludvig isn’t much of an offensive threat with just a goal and an assist through 23 games, but he’s a physical force. The 23-year-old has 23 PIM and 51 hits in 2023-24, so he might have some value to certain fantasy managers now that he’s projected to remain in the lineup.

Beyond that, I’m really interested to see how Crosby performs for the remainder of the campaign. He’s been fantastic with 32 goals and 63 points in 61 outings but has supplied only one helper across his past five appearances. It’s probably just a slump that will end soon, but this is also a new position for the 36-year-old. Crosby is used to playing on a contender. Even last year when the Penguins failed to make the playoffs, they missed by just one point.

Personally, I expect Crosby to bounce back shortly and have a solid finish to the season, but we’ll have to wait and see if being out of contention impacts his motivation more than I suspect.

San Jose Sharks - TUE @ PHI, THUS @ PIT, SAT @ CBJ, SUN @ CHI (BTB)

The Sharks will play in Philadelphia on Tuesday, but that will be their only game next week against a team in a playoff position. After that, San Jose will continue its road trip with stops in Pittsburgh on Thursday, Columbus on Saturday and Chicago on Sunday.

San Jose traded away forwards Anthony Duclair and Tomas Hertl, defenseman Nikita Okhotyuk and goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen at the deadline. The Sharks did get Vitek Vanecek from New Jersey, but the goaltender might be done for the season due to a lower-body injury. Keep in mind, the Sharks were 15-40-7 even before those trades, so to say the squad is in a sad state now would be an understatement.

With Vanecek unavailable, Mackenzie Blackwood will likely be leaned on heavily for what’s left of the season…or at least he will be once he’s recovered from a groin injury. In the meantime, San Jose’s goaltending duo are Magnus Chrona and Devin Cooley. When Blackwood is healthy, Cooley might be sent to the minors. Regardless, none of them are good options in fantasy circles given the team in front of them.

Klim Kostin might have a little bit of value, though, to fantasy managers. The Sharks acquired him from the Red Wings on Friday. He was frequently a healthy scratch in Detroit and averaged just 8:43 when he did play, but in San Jose, Kostin might be a mainstay on the third line. That likely won’t lead to him getting much offense, but Kostin could be a good source of PIM and hits -- he has 38 and 60, respectively, through 33 appearances.

William Eklund might also be able to provide a bit of a silver lining. The 21-year-old hasn’t been as productive as hoped this campaign with 10 goals and 29 points through 60 contests, but he does have two goals and four points over his last four games, so perhaps he’ll end the season on a positive note. Certainly, the Sharks will give him plenty of opportunities at both even strength and on the power play.

Winnipeg Jets - MON VS WSH, WED VS NSH, FRI VS ANA, SUN @ CBJ

The Jets will start the week at home, hosting the Capitals on Monday, the Predators on Wednesday and the Ducks on Friday. They’ll conclude the week with a road game versus the lowly Blue Jackets on Sunday.

Winnipeg added Colin Miller and Tyler Toffoli in separate trades with New Jersey on Friday, which compliments the Jets’ addition of Sean Monahan on Feb. 2. The Jets have enjoyed an effective forward trio of Mark Scheifele (19 goals and 56 points in 56 contests), Kyle Connor (26 goals and 44 points in 46 outings) and Nikolaj Ehlers (19 goals and 44 points in 62 appearances), but the team’s scoring depth up front was lacking. With Monahan and Toffoli in the mix, Winnipeg can now roll two dangerous lines with ease.

This isn’t good news for everyone, though. Cole Perfetti has a respectable 14 goals and 31 points in 61 contests this season, but the 22-year-old has been cold for a while, providing just two assists over his last 21 games. With Winnipeg’s recent upgrades, Perfetti is projected to serve strictly in a bottom-six capacity without much, if any, power-play ice time. He might even be a healthy scratch in situations where everyone is healthy.

Vladislav Namestnikov has averaged 15:04 of ice time this season, but he might see work primarily on the third line going forward. He has been effective recently, though, with two goals and five points across his last five contests while seeing time with Connor and Scheifele, so perhaps the 31-year-old will be able to avoid that demotion in the short term.

Mason Appleton has done well lately too, collecting four assists over his last three contests, but the Jets’ additions will likely push him down in the depth charts too. Although he’s averaged 16:05 in 2023-24, he might play mostly in a bottom-six capacity going forward.

CULLEN: 20 FANTASY POINTS – Rookies getting a long look at camp – Vasilevskiy goaltending shuffle? – Laine switching positions plus much more

Scott Cullen — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 17:19:27 +0000

NEWARK, NJ - SEPTEMBER 25: Philadelphia Flyers Forward Tyson Foerster (71) skates with the puck during a preseason game between the Philadelphia Flyers and New Jersey Devils on September 25, 2023 at Prudential Center in the Newark, New Jersey.(Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire)

Each week, I dive into the numbers to help make decisions when it comes time to make fantasy hockey decisions.

This week, Tyson Foerster, Matt Coronato, Matthew Poitras, and Zach Benson are among the rookies getting a long look at training camps. The Lightning are trying to survive Andrei Vasilevskiy’s injury, Patrik Laine’s shifting positions, and more.

#1 Drafted 23^rd by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2020 Draft, Tyson Foerster has been steadily progressing and he tallied 48 points (20 G, 28 A) in 66 AHL games last season and added seven points (3 G, 4 A) in eight NHL games. The 21-year-old is getting a real chance to make the team this year. His most common linemate in the preseason has been Joel Farabee, followed by Morgan Frost and Sean Couturier. That might indicate that Foerster is not only going to make the Flyers, but he could get a look in a scoring role, which might give him the opportunity to be fantasy relevant.

#2 The past couple of seasons have been the most productive of Evan Rodrigues’ career and it looks like he will have a chance to continue producing with his move to Florida, where he is getting a chance to skate alongside Aleksander Barkov, both at even strength and on Florida’s top power play unit. Rodrigues has scored 35 goals and 82 points in 151 games over the past two seasons, playing for Colorado and Pittsburgh. Rodrigues has been a top shot generator, averaging 9.67 shots per 60 minutes of five-on-five play in the past two seasons, which ranks 33^rd. He also has a shooting percentage in those two seasons of 8.2%, so he is just waiting for a bust-out season with improved percentages.

#3 There are few goaltenders in the league as indispensable as Tampa Bay Lightning netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has handled a heavy workload throughout his career, allowing the Lightning to invest little in their backup goaltender. However, now that Vasilevskiy is going to miss at least a couple of months to start the season due to a back injury and that leaves the Lightning with Jonas Johansson, Hugo Alnefelt, and Matt Tomkins between the pipes. Johansson has been a quality AHL goaltender – he had a .920 save percentage in 26 AHL games last season – but he has a .887 save percentage in 35 career NHL games, which hardly screams ready to handle a starter’s role for a couple of months. Alnefelt is a 22-year-old who had a .904 save percentage in 33 AHL games last season. Tomkins is a 29-year-old who had a .909 save percentage in 65 games in the Swedish Hockey League over the past two years. On top of all of that, the Lightning have precious little cap space, especially until they get Vasilevskiy on LTIR.

#4 Tampa Bay is not the only team with goaltending concerns. It’s just that the Lightning have the biggest concern. However, for teams that might need goaltending, there are enough teams with quality number three goaltenders that the waiver wire or trades could be a path to stabilizing the situation between the pipes. Buffalo’s Eric Comrie, Calgary’s Daniel Vladar, Detroit’s Alex Lyon, Florida’s Anthony Stolarz, Los Angeles’ David Rittich, Toronto’s Martin Jones, and Seattle’s Chris Driedger or Joey Daccord are among the goaltenders with NHL experience that could be available as the season approaches.

#5 The Anaheim Ducks lost veteran left winger Alex Killorn for 4-6 weeks with a broken finger and his absence likely helps someone like Frank Vatrano, who is going to have a better shot at playing in the Ducks’ top six and skating on the wing with someone like Mason McTavish at centre is a good opportunity. Vatrano has some deep league fantasy appeal as a two-time 20-goal scorer who ranks 30^th in shots per 60 minutes over the past two seasons.

#6 An interesting development with the Blue Jackets is that they have shifted Patrik Laine to centre, between Johnny Gaudreau and Kirill Marchenko. While Laine’s skill set does not scream elite centre, if he can handle the role, he has the size to be a monstrous presence in the middle and with a playmaker like Gaudreau on the wing, Laine will still be able to fulfill his typical role as finisher. Laine has six points (3 G, 3 A) in four preseason contests. This development could be most interesting for Marchenko, who is getting a chance to skate with Columbus’ most dangerous offensive players, and it probably knocks down the value of Boone Jenner, who would potentially lose that spot on the top line.

#7 Some other players producing in the preseason, with a focus on players that might be exceeding expectations: Calgary rookie Matt Coronato has seven points (4 G, 3 A) in five games, Columbus’ Emil Bemstrom has six points (3 G, 3 A) in four games, Florida’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson has five assists in two games, Detroit’s J.T. Compher has five points (1 G, 4 A) in three games, and St. Louis’ Jakub Vrana has five points (3 G, 2 A) in four games. Small samples, obviously, but take the preseason production as an encouraging sign.

#8 A couple more rookies that are producing in the preseason and might just be forcing their way into NHL jobs: Bruins C Matthew Poitras, who has five points (3 G, 2 A) in five games and could at least get a trial as Boston’s No. 2 centre as the Bruins try to fill the gaping holes left by the retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. Buffalo’s Zach Benson, the 13^th pick in the 2023 Draft, has been getting quality looks in Sabres camp, playing on the top line with first unit power play time, and has five points (3 G, 2 A) in five preseason contests.

#9 When the New York Islanders acquired Pierre Engvall from the Toronto Maple Leafs at last season’s trade deadline, he was given a bigger role, playing an extra couple of minutes per game with the Islanders, and he contributed nine points (5 G, 4 A) in 18 games. It looks like Engvall could have a chance to stick in the Isles’ top six, as he is skating with Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri on the second line. Engvall has a career high of 35 points coming into the season and it looks like he will have a real shot to play a bigger role with the Islanders.

#10 Looking back at the past three seasons, the points per 60 minutes leaders tend to be expected names – Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, Matthew Tkachuk – but there are always some surprises that deserve more notice. Carter Verhaeghe ranks 12^th among skaters that played at least 500 five-on-five minutes, with 2.62 points/60. Nikolaj Ehlers is 19^th at 2.57 points/60, Jakub Vrana is 21^st at 2.56 points/60, Michael Bunting 26^th at 2.49 points/60, and Andre Burakovsky 34^th with 2.43 points/60. That’s the second note in favour of Vrana.

#11 Turning the focus to goals per 60 minutes, the leaders are mostly as expected: Auston Matthews, Jakub Vrana, David Pastrnak, Max Pacioretty, Filip Forsberg, Jared McCann, Daniel Sprong, Carter Verhaeghe, Roope Hintz, and Cole Caufield, all coming in ahead of 11^th-ranked Alex Ovechkin. There are some players who have missed significant time in the past three seasons, including Vrana, Pacioretty, Forsberg, Sprong, and Caufield, but that is a third positive reference for Vrana.

#12 Andrew Mangiapane is not only getting a look with Jonathan Huberdeau and Elias Lindholm on Calgary’s top line, but he is getting first unit power play time, too. Mangiapane went from a career-high 35 goals in 2021-2022 to 17 goals last season with his shooting percentage crashing from 18.9% to 9.3%, so he is a prime candidate to rebound and especially if he is going to get a shot with top offensive performers.

#13 When winger Sammy Blais returned to St. Louis at the trade deadline last season, he was given a new opportunity. He saw his ice time jump nearly five minutes per game, from 9:38 with the Rangers to 14:36 with the Blues, and Blais contributed 20 points (9 G, 11 A) in 31 games. He scored on 23.1% of his shots and that is not sustainable, but that increased role and productivity put Blais on the radar for fantasy managers because he also had 119 hits in 31 games. He is an injury risk as last season’s 71 games was the first time that he had played more than 40 games in an NHL season, but if opportunity knocks in St. Louis this year, Blais is going to be in position to chip in and offer fantasy appeal, at least in deep or banger leagues.

#14 An efficient depth player for much of his career, Ryan Donato is the latest to get a look on Chicago’s top line, skating alongside Taylor Hall and Connor Bedard. In the past two seasons, Donato has scored 29 goals at even strength, the same number as Pierre-Luc Dubois, and more than Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evgeni Malkin, among others. With 1.08 goals per 60 minutes of five-on-five play in the past two seasons, Donato ranks 46^th among skaters to play at least 1,000 five-on-five minutes. He may not last alongside Bedard and Hall but might be worth a late-round flier in a deep league just in case he sticks there and continues to score, only with more ice time, in Chicago.

#15 The second pick in the 2020 Draft, Quinton Byfield has been making slow progress, but has loads of potential and has an opportunity to break through as he skates on the Kings’ top line with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. Byfield had 22 points in 53 games last season, managing just three goals, but he did have some flashes. He had nine points (1 G, 8 A) during a 10-game stretch in the second half of the season and contributed four points (1 G, 3 A) in six playoff games against Edmonton. It would help if he could increase his shot rate, but it is also too soon to be giving up on a 21-year-old who is 6-foot-5 and can skate like Byfield, so this could be a pivotal season for his development.

#16 Sticking with the 2020 Draft, top pick Alexis Lafreniere has not fulfilled his potential yet, either and it leads to complicated discussions. In three NHL seasons, Lafreniere has produced 44 even strength goals, which ranks 81^st in the league. It’s the same number as Anze Kopitar and one more than Mika Zibanejad, which would seem like pretty good company, but Lafreniere has a total of six power play points in 216 games and that leaves him with uninspiring point totals. With a new coach, Peter Laviolette, behind the bench for the Blueshirts, it looks like Lafreniere should have a chance to play in the top six, but it also looks like he is not getting power play time, and that is going to put a limit on his fantasy appeal.

#17 Nashville’s top power play unit is interesting. Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi are obvious veteran anchors for the unit, but Tommy Novak and Luke Evangelista are getting regular spots and then there is a spot for either Ryan O’Reilly or Cody Glass. If the Predators are trying to rebuild on the fly, giving young players like Novak, Evangelista, and Glass a real chance in prominent roles is a way to find out if they are going to be able to remain competitive through the process. For fantasy managers, that does elevate the appeal of those less proven Preds.

#18 With Vasily Podkolzin getting cut and Ilya Mikheyev’s health in question in Vancouver, that makes it look like Nils Hoglander and Phil DiGiuseppe will have regular spots in the Canucks lineup. Hoglander does offer more upside, scoring 24 of his 26 career goals at even strength, but he managed just nine points (3 G, 6 A) in 25 games before getting demoted to the AHL last season. Hoglander had 27 points (13 G, 14 A) in 56 games as a rookie in 2020-2021 but was going in the wrong direction, so this might be the opportunity he needs to get back on track.

#19 Looking back to the 2022-2023 season, there were a few players who really surged after the All-Star break. Many are the top players in the league, but some might come as a surprise. Arizona’s Clayton Keller, for example, ranked fourth with 45 points (19 G, 26 A) in 32 games following the break. Dallas defenceman Miro Heiskanen had 33 points (4 G, 29 A) in 31 games, Nashville’s Tommy Novak had 32 points (13 G, 19 A) in 32 games, Buffalo’s Casey Mittelstadt produced 31 points (8 G, 23 A) in 33 games, and Washington’s Dylan Strome had 29 points (12 G, 17 A) in 29 games. He missed some time, but Columbus’ Patrik Laine had 21 points (8 G, 13 A) in 19 games to finish last season.

#20 Finally, with the season just around the corner, beware of the injury bug. Last week, I wrote about how John Klingberg was getting a chance on Toronto’s top power play unit, and he hasn’t played since, as he nurses an upper-body injury. Roope Hintz and Wyatt Johnston have both been out for the Dallas Stars and while they appear to be making progress, it seems possible that they might not be ready for opening night. Mattias Ekholm has been out of the Oilers lineup, leaving a gaping hole on the Edmonton blueline. Ottawa centre Josh Norris is working his way back from shoulder surgery, but with Shane Pinto still unsigned, that leaves the Sens suddenly thin down the middle, at least for the time being. Pittsburgh’s Jake Guentzel was not expected to be ready for the start of the season, following offseason ankle surgery, but has been practicing with the Penguins so he may be getting close. San Jose’s Logan Couture does not appear likely to be ready for the start of the season. That probably gives Mikael Granlund a bigger role for the Sharks. Neck spasms have been keeping Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers out of the lineup, a huge absence for Winnipeg, and Winnipeg is being careful so he may not be ready for the start of the season either.

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 19:26:20 +0000

OTTAWA, ON - JANUARY 03: Columbus Blue Jackets Left Wing Johnny Gaudreau (13) before a face-off during second period National Hockey League action between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators on January 3, 2023, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)

Review: Columbus made a huge free agent splash in the summer of 2022 when they inked Johnny Gaudreau to a seven-year, $68.25 million contract and…then they got worse, dropping from a 37-38-7 record in 2021-22 to 25-48-9 last year. To be fair, that wasn’t Gaudreau’s fault. He did regress significantly from his 115-point showing in 2021-22 to 74 points, but he still served his role as the team’s offensive leader. There wasn’t much backing him though. Patrik Laine was the only other player to even hit the 50-point mark, and Columbus ranked 30th in goals per game with 2.60. The Blue Jackets also had the second-worst five-on-five expected goals against (213.18), which indicates that their defense was horrendous. Even still, goaltender Elvis Merzlikins shouldn’t escape blame for his 4.23 GAA and .876 save percentage in 30 contests, not that the alternatives in net other than Joonas Korpisalo (who was dealt to the Kings on March 1) were much better. In the end, it was a miserable season for Columbus.

What’s Changed? Not a change, but Zach Werenski is expected to be ready for training camp after missing almost the entire 2022-23 campaign because of a shoulder injury, so that will substantially bolster the blue line. He’ll be joined by defensemen Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson, who were acquired from Philadelphia and New Jersey, respectively. Columbus also selected center Adam Fantilli with the third overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, and he might make an immediate impact.

What would success look like? Making the playoffs is probably too much to hope for, but the Blue Jackets might be a bit of an underrated team. Their defense should be substantially better thanks to their summer additions and the anticipated return of Werenski. If they could get a solid rookie season out of Fantilli, who might get a serious look as the team’s second-line center, and some progression from sophomores Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko, then their offense will take a meaningful step forward too.

What could go wrong? Even if their defense improves, it won’t be enough if Merzlikins plays like he did last year. With Korpisalo gone, Daniil Tarasov is penciled in to be the backup, but his 4-11-1 record, 3.91 GAA and .892 save percentage in 17 contests with Columbus in 2022-23 did nothing to inspire confidence. The Blue Jackets might have the worst goaltending duo in the league this year. Combine that with the fact that their second line might cons

Forwards

Johnny Gaudreau – LW

Gaudreau’s first season with Columbus may not have led to a high impact in the league standings, but from a personal output perspective, Gaudreau’s offensive outputs eclipsed his peers on the team by significant totals. Most of his damage was done off of the rush, where he also led the Jackets in both controlled entries and shots off of those controlled entries. Gaudreau’s passing also helped to elevate his teammates as only Jakub Voracek had more high danger passes at even-strength last season. Gaudreau’s elite skating and hockey sense enabled him to consistently find time and space for himself throughout the course of the year. As Columbus continues their rebuild, finding top line talent that can provide a set-up element to Gaudreau’s game will be crucial. A lot of the creating that Gaudreau did was independent of a high-level of passes to the danger areas of the offensive zone. Given that he was a mere 13 points away from the Jackets franchise record for points, it’s not unreasonable to assume he could break that record if given a stronger supporting cast of characters in the near future.

Patrik Laine – RW

Laine again struggled with injuries and availability in an otherwise strong campaign. His production was down by three points in one less game than the previous season, but he saw increased returns in his defensive performance and his passing distribution in the offensive zone, giving a much more complete picture of what Laine can do when he’s available and showing engagement throughout the ice. He did a surprising, volunteer stint as a center last season and held his own in the process. He led all Blue Jacket forwards in shot-attempts by a wide margin and was just behind Johnny Gaudreau in quality scoring chance production by a tenth of a percentage point. Laine’s puck handling was also on display in a prominent fashion last year as he was second among Blue Jacket forwards in both chances created off the rush and shots created off of the rush. Laine remains a pure sniper with a high-velocity shot and above-average finishing ability. If he can continue to round out his game as he has the last two seasons, the only thing stopping him from being an impact player is his health and availability. His peripherals outside of scoring getting a bump last season has people interested in whether or not that trend can continue.

Boone Jenner - C

The Blue Jacket’s Captain saw a 2022-23 campaign where, despite a recurring bout of injuries to his hand and back, he was able to post high water marks in goals (26) and points (45) that he had not achieved since the 2015-16 season. Jenner was cemented as Columbus’ top line center and posted those totals in the face of some difficult deployments. The aforementioned injuries seemed to hit Jenner at the worst times and during periods of strong play. Only Patrik Laine attempted more shots than Jenner at even-strength last season. In addition, Jenner’s expected goal shares were a net positive relative to his teammates. As evidenced by his assist totals, play making and passes that created a shot-attempt were not a part of his strong suit last season. Jenner has some youthful challengers around him that can push for the top center spot for the Blue Jackets as the year progresses. Whether or not Jenner can stay healthy and maintain his place in the lineup will be the biggest question of the upcoming season.

Kent Johnson – LW

Johnson’s rookie season needs to be ingested with a heavy dose of perspective. This young member of the Blue Jackets ended his first full professional season on an echelon that he simply wasn’t close to when the year began. When it was all said and done, Johnson was a routine member of the Jackets top six forward group and he carved out 16 goals and 40 points in 79 games despite some raw youthfulness behind his performances. As his game became more refined, so did his ice time. Johnson was deployed heavily in offensive situations and started a higher percentage of his shifts in the offensive zone than any other Blue Jackets forward. Johnson’s finishing ability was on display throughout the year, and he showcased a wrist shot that possessed several deceptive elements. That being said, his ability to control the play at even-strength and contribute to longer offensive shifts will need to improve. Johnson’s share of expected goals was second to last on the team at just 41 percent. Moving into next year, Johnson will need to continue to refine his game and become more involved away from the puck. Drafted as a center, there’s a question as to whether he will remain on the wing or return to his natural position.

Kirill Marchenko – RW

Marchenko was called up in December and scored 13 goals in the first two months of the season before leveling out and cooling off later in the year. He finished the season with a total of 21 goals and had the fourth highest rate of scoring-chance generation on the team. Marchenko also posted some of the stronger defensive returns on a Blue Jackets team that struggled overall from a defensive perspective. Marchenko didn’t do a ton of heavy lifting with regards to zone entries, but he was a volume shooter, generating the fourth highest rate of even-strength shots among Blue Jacket forwards. Marchenko has shown a deep, unique set of offensive skills that he isn’t afraid to utilize. He’s very bullish with the puck on his stick and sometimes holds it to a detriment. He had the lowest number of high danger passes on the Blue Jackets roster and had none attributed to his name in the games tracked by the All Three Zones project. As Marchenko evolves, puck distribution will be a critical element of his game as he looks to further cement his spot in the top six.

Jack Roslovic – C

Roslovic’s season had a mix of successes and struggles but ultimately ended with a performance that is likely a little below the line of where he was deployed. With his time on ice reflective firmly of a second line player, Roslovic finished the season with just 11 goals and the worst share of expected goals among any Blue Jacket forward at this season with just 40.6 percent of the quality shots to his name at five-on-five. These results are perplexing when you consider that Roslovic led the Blue Jackets in zone entries per 60 and created more shots off of the forecheck than any forward on the team per the All Three Zones project. These loose ends make a little more sense when you also consider Roslovic had the second highest rate of giveaways on the team and generally made some low-percentage plays from the exterior of the high-danger areas with those possessions. Additionally, Roslovic’s defensive returns were in the 6th percentile among NHL forwards. The wow-factor that Roslovic can provide hasn’t been consistent enough or developed beyond what fans saw upon his arrival in Columbus. There is a large question around where his best deployment is moving into this upcoming season.

Emil Bemstrom – LW

Bemstrom played 55 games for the Blue Jackets last year as he spent a chunk of time in the AHL with Cleveland. The sheen of an exciting, sniper-based prospect has quickly dissolved off of Bemstrom’s game and there’s some question about where he projects for the current state of the Blue Jackets makeup. His defensive work has been his best attribute so far. While he exhibited an ability to take defensive zone deployments and flourish, he struggled in some critical areas of offensive support. Per the All Three Zones data, Bemstrom put had the lowest total of shots off the forecheck and the second lowest total of zone entries per 60 among Blue Jacket forwards. Bemstrom’s shot, arguably his best asset, hasn’t been used in enough high-danger areas to make an impact. As a result, Bemstrom had the second lowest even-strength shooting percentage on the team at just over four percent. Tying this back into Bemstrom’s lack of shots on the forecheck, and it’s clear that the challenge for him is to find ways to get to the front of the net and generate scoring chances from in tight on goal. There will be a battle for him to carve out his place in the bottom six for Columbus this season.

Cole Sillinger - C

Sillinger hit a lot of struggles in his second year in the league, including a run where he went on a nearly 50 game goal-scoring drought in the middle of the season before ultimately being sent down to the American Hockey League. That sophomore slump, combined with an average-at-best performance in the AHL, raises legitimate questions about where Sillinger will start the year for Columbus in 2023-24. A big problem for Sillinger comes from the results outside of his goal scoring. Goal scoring slumps can be tolerable when players are driving play and generating chances, but that truly was not the case here. Sillinger’s game seemed to develop a vanilla element and appeared to lack confidence. Sillinger’s hallmark in his rookie season was creating space and participating in zone entries. This season, he had the second lowest carry-in percentage of any forward on the Blue Jackets. I’d argue Sillinger’s path to returning to impactful hockey is centric towards putting the puck on his stick more this season. His confidence in carrying the puck and pushing the play forward garnered him a load of shots and chances in his rookie season that were simply missing from his game entirely last year.

Alexandre Texier – RW

Texier returns to the NHL for 2023-24 after playing in Switzerland last year. In dealing with a personal issue, Texier opted to be closer to his family in France. He returns to the NHL with 49 points to his name in 129 career games. Texier’s returns defensively make him a good bet to feature as a winger on the third line. His penalty killing impacts have traditionally been strong as a direct link to his defensive performances at even-strength and it’s expected he’ll make a significant impact in that area as well. He’s coming off of a productive season in Zurich where he scored 35 points in 46 games and played a significant role on special teams. Hearkening back to his last time in the NHL, Texier played a massive role in forechecking per the All Three Zones data from that season. He recovered the third most dump-ins among team forwards that season. The expectation is that he’ll have a continued impact in that area as well as the other traditionally difficult areas of the ice. Expect Texier to be present in front of the net and creating issues for opposing defensemen with his forechecking ability.

Defense

Zach Werenski – D

Werenski’s campaign was cut drastically short after just 13 games last season. Werenski landed awkwardly on his elbow and ended up requiring surgery that would cut his season short. While there isn’t enough of a body of work to make any drastic evaluations from his prior year, what we can acknowledge is how strong he started the year offensively speaking. Through the first 13 games of the year, Werenski registered three goals and five points in that small sample, putting him well on his way to pacing towards a career high in points. With his health back, Werenski will be looked upon as the champion of the Blue Jackets backline. From taking on the most difficult minutes Mike Babcock and the coaching staff can drum up to being looked at to help drive zone entries and offensive contributions. Looking back at the All Three Zone data from 2021-22, Werenski averaged seven more successful zone exits per 60 than his next closest peer, further evidence of the massive role he plays in the Jackets ability to navigate out of the defensive zone successfully. For this year, Werenski will be looking for a continuation of his hot start from the previous year and a clean bill of health.

Ivan Provorov – D

Provorov arrived in Columbus from Philadelphia via a three-team trade. Coming off of a season where his offensive numbers plummeted and he was embroiled in controversy around his vocal decisions to opt-out of team-based social causes, he’ll move to the Jacket’s where his responsibilities in deployment should drastically change. In Philadelphia, he was deployed and used as a number one overall defenseman and the results were, quite frankly, disastrous. Provorov tied a career low in goals (6) despite playing in all 82 games and seeing an increase in minutes. His offensive outputs regarding shot and chance creation dropped to the 29th percentile in the NHL among defensemen. Provorov also struggled defensively and exhibited a few steps back in his decision-making processes. One strength he will certainly bring to the Jacket’s defensive unit is a strong ability to retrieve pucks and get them to safety. He led the Flyers last season and in previous seasons for defensive zone retrievals per hour of even-strength ice time. Overall, a change of scenery was necessary for both player and team in the case of Provorov. With Columbus having a new look, revamped blue line, it may allow him to take on a more friendly deployment that re-centers his performances both offensively and defensively.

Damon Severson – D

Severson arrives in Columbus via a sign-and-trade deal that will keep him with the Blue Jackets for a total of eight years. Severson is expected to be paired on the top pairing alongside offensive defenseman Zach Werenski. This duo should have no issue moving the puck up ice as both defenders have developed a strong reputation for doing so. Per the All Three Zones data, Severson had the second highest average of zone exits with possession per hour of even-strength ice time among Devil defenders. His offensive impacts last season with regards to driving shots and scoring chances put him in an elite company. At even-strength last season, Severson controlled 60% of the expected goals while he was on the ice, a gaudy number that should have Jackets fans excited for his debut. Severson’s performance defensively, while unremarkable, is notably consistent and reliable. The biggest question for this season is how his performance will handle a stark increase in quality of competition. His minutes are sure to grow, and his responsibilities are sure to increase. His mobility and vision should aid him in navigating that new environment with few issues.

Andrew Peeke - D

Peeke once again eclipsed the 80-game mark for the second season in a row. He’s evolved into a one-way, stay-at-home style defenseman who posted extremely respectable results in defensive buckets last season. For instance, among Blue Jacket defenders with at least 500 minutes played, Peeke had the lowest expected-goals against per hour of even-strength hockey on the team. The issue for Peeke is that despite his performance defensively, he’s a detriment to offensive performance. The All Three Zones data reveals a lot of failed zone exits and entries that lead to a scoring chance. Peeke’s skating can be an issue in situations where the game quickly transitions from offensive to defense or vice versa. As a result of some of these limitations, only Erik Gudbranson posted worse puck-possession and expected-goal share numbers than Peeke’s 43 percent in both buckets. His time on ice leads to a lot of low event hockey, but a new potential partner along his flank could assist in some of the heavy lifting around zone exits and offensive contributions to help level out what he does defensively. While the discussion around Peeke’s ceiling as changed, he still has utility when deployed correctly.

ist entirely of rookies and sophomores in Fantilli, Johnson and Marchenko while two of the three forwards on their projected first line – Boone Jenner and Laine – have significant injury histories, and there’s a lot that could go wrong up front too.

Top Breakout Candidate: At the same time, there is plenty of reason to be hopeful about Johnson. The 20-year-old had 16 goals and 40 points in 79 contests last season despite averaging a modest 14:31 of ice time. Selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, he’s got tons of upside and should play a bigger role this season. A 60-point showing in 2023-24 is far from guaranteed, but not out of the question.

Goaltending

Elvis Merzlikins - G

Few goaltenders have come onto the scene looking brighter – and with better fanfare – before falling as spectacularly from grace as Columbus Blue Jackets starter Elvis Merzlikins. Of all goaltenders in the NHL last season, no one struggled more than the Latvian netminder – who will turn 30 at the end of this upcoming season, making it harder and harder to imagine that his regression is something he can definitively bounce back from.

Merzlikins still boasts a lot of the characteristics in his game that made him so easy to root for when he first hit the ice in Columbus. He’s a lower-body powerhouse who plays using his skating and his edgework as a weapon, consistently capitalizing on needing less time to get from point A to point B than even the average NHL starter. He still has an arsenal of ‘fun’ saves to choose from that he’ll break out when fans least expect it, and he’s still capable of showcasing impressive depth management through stretches of mundane saves. That, when he was at the top of his game, set him apart from so many of the league’s other ‘athletic’ goaltenders; while he was capable of playing a fun and free-wheeling game, he could keep things under control in order to avoid being drawn away from his crease and opening up unnecessary holes. In theory, he has one of the best styles to plonk in net behind a transitioning Columbus roster – but even though he was able to deliver for his first few years in the league, he’s been an Achilles heel for Columbus for going on three seasons now and counting. Last year, his goals saved above expected was the worst in the entire NHL, his quality start percentage was below 30 percent, and he failed to record a shutout for the first time over a full season since he came to the NHL in 2019. It was more than just a smattering of really bad games that dragged his numbers down, too; he was only able to string together eight games with a save percentage above league average eight times all season. Game film makes it hard to figure out why, too; while his reads still looked good and his technique didn’t look like he was slipping, he just kept missing stops that he had gotten well into position for. It looked like a struggle defined in millimeters, making it that much harder to diagnose just why exactly he can’t put it all together anymore. That’s hardly a comfort for the Blue Jackets, who have to hope he’s able to finally return to his old form next year without throwing the younger Daniil Tarasov to the wolves as the team’s only clear-cut starting option. But without fellow tandem partner Joonas Korpisalo around anymore, maybe Merzlikins will finally be able to shake off the seemingly jinxed game he’s been playing for the last few years and reset his game as the team’s lone vet in net.

Projected starts: 50-55

NHL:CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Slow Starters Rounding into Form, Rookies Stepping into Spotlight

Scott Cullen — Sat, 19 Nov 2022 14:03:38 +0000

20 FANTASY POINTS

Each week I dive into the numbers and offer some insights that should help when it comes time to make fantasy hockey decisions.

This week, slow starters that are rounding back into form, including Ryan O’Reilly, Logan Couture, and Tomas Tatar, plus rookies stepping into the spotlight – Jake Sanderson, Jusso Parssinen, Jonatan Berggren and more!

OTTAWA, ON - OCTOBER 22: Ottawa Senators Defenceman Jake Sanderson (85) before a face-off during third period National Hockey League action between the Arizona Coyotes and Ottawa Senators on October 22, 2022, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)

#1 St. Louis Blues center Ryan O’Reilly is going to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, so if the Blues are not in the playoff picture, he could be a prime trade candidate. After a miserable start to the season, during which he scored one goal and zero assists through 10 games, O’Reilly started to find his game again. Skating on a line with Brandon Saad and Josh Leivo, O’Reilly has seven points (4 G, 3 A) and 13 shots on goal in the past six games. While I don’t normally tout a player of O’Reilly’s caliber, his slow start suddenly made him available in plenty of leagues, so he now offers value on the fantasy waiver wire.

#2 After managing 35 points (17 G, 18 A) in 79 games over the past two seasons, Pittsburgh Penguins left winger Jason Zucker came into this season healthy and ready to regain a scoring role. The 30-year-old winger has put up 14 points (4 G, 10 A) and 39 shots on goal in 15 games, earning a role alongside Evgeni Malkin on Pittsburgh’s second line. A five-time 20-goal scorer, a healthy Zucker offers secondary scoring that the Penguins need if they are going to be a playoff team.

#3 San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture started slowly this season, with four points (2 G, 2 A) and 12 shots on goal in nine games, but he has picked up his production since then. In the past 10 games, Couture has contributed 10 points (6 G, 4 A) and 25 shots on goal. He now has Alexander Barabanov and Matt Nieto skating on his wings, which might limit Couture’s offensive potential, but he is also getting first unit power play time for the Sharks.

#4 An injury to Thomas Chabot has accelerated the development path for Ottawa Senators rookie defenseman Jake Sanderson. The fifth pick in the 2020 Draft, Sanderson has eight assists and 23 shots on goal in the past 12 games. In two games since Chabot was injured, Sanderson is averaging more than 25 minutes of ice time per game and has moved to Ottawa’s top power play unit.

#5 A seventh-round pick of the Nashville Predators in 2019, Juuso Parssinen has developed quickly. In the past two seasons, Parssinen produced 74 points (17 G, 57 A) in 96 regular season games, adding 20 points (5 G, 15 A) in 31 playoff games for TPS in Finland. He appeared in the AHL playoffs last season and started this season with nine points (2 G, 7 A) in 10 games for the Milwaukee Admirals to earn his promotion to the NHL. Parssinen is not interested in returning to the AHL, it seems, as the 21-year-old center has three goals and one assist in his first three NHL games. He is not getting eased into the NHL, either, skating on Nashville’s top line, with Filip Forsberg and Mikael Granlund on the wings, as well as landing a spot on the Predators’ top power play unit.

#6 Drafted early in the second round of the 2018 Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, Jonatan Berggren had been steadily progressing towards the NHL. He put up 45 points (12 G, 33 A) in 49 games for Skelleftea in Sweden during the 2020-2021 season and had 64 points (21 G, 43 A) as an AHL rookie last season. After starting this season with seven points (4 G, 3 A) in seven games, Berggren earned his call to the National Hockey League, and he has contributed three points (1 G, 2 A) in his first four games. Berggren does not have a huge role with the Wings, yet, but he has recently moved up the depth chart to skate with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond, potentially a good opportunity for a rookie winger to put up some points.

#7 With Patrik Laine out of the Columbus Blue Jackets lineup due to a sprained ankle, Emil Bemstrom has stepped into Laine’s role on the first line and top power play unit. A fourth-round pick in 2017, Bemstrom had 19 goals and 17 assists in 136 career NHL games prior to this season. He has been renowned for his shot but does not have the all-around game to earn him a consistent place in the lineup. When injuries hit the Blue Jackets, though, Bemstrom’s 14 points (7 G, 7 A) in 10 AHL games had him ready for a call-up and, at least in the short term, he is in a position to score. He is apparently dealing with an injury, that left him questionable for Thursday’s win against Montreal, but opportunity is knocking for Bemstrom if he can stay in the lineup.

#8 Both Nikolaj Ehlers and Mason Appleton are injured for the Winnipeg Jets, so veteran Sam Gagner has moved up the depth chart to join Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele on the top line. Gagner has mostly been playing a depth role but has a couple of assists while averaging more than 18 minutes of ice time per game in the past two contests.

#9 Moving to Seattle in the expansion draft, defenseman Vince Dunn has taken on a bigger role in his second season with the Kraken. He is playing more than 23 minutes per game and has picked up his offensive pace with eight points (2 G, 6 A) and 19 shots on goal in the past 11 games. Dunn tied a career high with 35 points last season, but he is capable of scoring more and with the Kraken improving as a team, there ought to be more chances for Dunn to boost his point totals.

#10 New Jersey Devils winger Tomas Tatar opened the season with zero points in five games. He has put up 11 points (3 G, 8 A) and 25 shots on goal in 12 games since. With Ondrej Palat injured, Tatar has more security in New Jersey’s top six and, right now, has a good thing going alongside Nico Hischier and rookie Fabian Zetterlund.

#11 Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin busted out last season, scoring a career high 48 points (10 G, 38 A). He followed that up by not recording a point through his first eight games this season, but that has turned around. Not only does Hanifin have five points (1 G, 4 A) in the past seven games, but he has put 24 shots on goal and defensemen that can put more than three shots on goal per game are rare commodities. Hanifin is one of 13 defensemen averaging at least three shots on goal per game this season.

#12 Buffalo Sabres goaltender Eric Comrie is set to miss multiple weeks with a lower-body injury, prompting the Sabres to recall 23-year-old goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen from Rochester of the American Hockey League. Luukkonen has a .895 save percentage in 69 career AHL games, which does not exactly jump off the page, but he also has a .913 save percentage in 13 NHL appearances. With Comrie out, the Sabres can split time between veteran Craig Anderson and Luukkonen, a decent audition to see how close he is to being ready for the NHL. Comrie had a .887 save percentage in 11 games for the Sabres, not an ideal beginning to his opportunity to be a starting goaltender.

#13 Minnesota Wild netminder Marc-Andre Fleury on the injured list due to an upper-body injury, backup Filip Gustavsson is looking at more consistent playing time for the Wild. The 24-year-old Gustavsson, who was acquired in a trade for Cam Talbot before the start of the season, has a .901 save percentage in six games this season, .904 in 33 career NHL games.

#14 The Philadelphia Flyers are dealing with a number of injuries up front and that has helped create an opportunity for 23-year-old right winger Owen Tippett to play a prominent role. Tippett is not afraid to put pucks on net and in his past six games, he has produced five points (2 G, 3 A) and 19 shots on goal, while averaging more than 18 minutes of ice time per game. A highly touted scorer coming out of junior, it never really clicked for Tippett in Florida, but the rebuilding Flyers can offer a better situation for his development and Tippett is making the most of it.

#15 Adam Ruzicka did not play in October, a healthy scratch for the Calgary Flames, and then played just 5:33 in his first game of the season. An injury to Jonathan Huberdeau opened up an opportunity for Ruzicka to play and he has made the most of it, taking the left-wing spot on the top line for the Flames. In the past five games, Ruzicka has chipped in five points (2 G, 3 A) and nine shots on goal. He is always at risk of falling out of the lineup but keep an eye on him. If he continues to produce, Ruzicka might just force his way into being a regular in the Flames lineup.

#16 Injuries have decimated the blueline for the Columbus Blue Jackets and that prompted the team to promote 24-year-old Marcus Bjork. A 6-foot-3 right shot defenseman Bjork had five points (2 G, 3 A) in 11 AHL games when he got the call. He has two points (1 G, 1 A) and five shots on goal in his first three NHL games, and he is now quarterbacking Columbus’ top power play unit.

#17 One of the stats to track when trying to predict future goal-scoring rates is how many shot attempts a player is getting. The forward leaders in five-on-five shot attempts per 60 minutes, minimum 100 minutes, are Tage Thompson (24.7), Timo Meier (23.9), David Pastrnak (23.2), Auston Matthews (21.5), and the recently injured Evander Kane (20.8). Just outside the Top 5? Denis Malgin (20.8) and Nazem Kadri (20.8). There might have been some sentiment coming into the season that Thompson was going to be a flop after his breakout season in 2021-2022, but if he is generating this many shots, the goals are going to follow. Thompson has 11 goals and 53 shots on goal in the past 10 games.

#18 When it comes to defensemen, the leaders in five-on-five shot attempts per 60 minutes are Brent Burns (21.1), Michael Stone (20.8), John Carlson (19.9), Dougie Hamilton (19.7), and Roman Josi (17.5). Stone is known for his heavy shot from the point, but he does not have quite the same offensive pedigree as the other leaders in this category.

#19 As for the defensemen that are shooting most on the power play, here are the defense leaders in shot attempts per 60 minutes of five-on-four play, minimum of 20 minutes at five-on-four: Aaron Ekblad (38.5), Miro Heiskanen (35.8), Noah Dobson (34.7), Jacob Trouba (32.0), and John Klingberg (31.9).

The defensemen that are most reluctant to shoot on the power play, or just not getting the opportunities, minimum 20 minutes of five-on-four play: Chris Wideman (7.0), Juuso Valimaki (7.5), Rasmus Sandin (8.0), Owen Power (8.3), and Mikhail Sergachev (8.4).

#20 The players that have exceeded expected goals by the widest margin early in the season (and are likely due to run into some goal-scoring regression): Erik Karlsson (+8.05), Nick Suzuki (+7.39), Connor McDavid (7.33), Bo Horvat (6.26), Mark Scheifele (5.64), and J.T. Miller (5.61).

On other end of the spectrum, these are the players with the largest deficit of goals relative to expected goals (and are probably due for more pucks to go in the net): Mathew Barzal (-5.49), Matthew Tkachuk (-5.26), Erik Haula (-4.81), Oliver Bjorkstrand (-4.41), Sam Reinhart (-3.73), and Stefan Noesen (-3.72).

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick.

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS – NHL Player Profiles

Ryan Dadoun – Forwards and Defense, Catherine Silverman - Goaltending — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 23:16:12 +0000

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 16: Columbus Blue Jackets Right Wing Patrik Laine (29) warms up before a Los Angeles Kings game versus the Columbus Blue Jackets on April 16, 2022, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Rob Curtis/Icon Sportswire)

FORWARDS

Johnny Gaudreau

Gaudreau is a rare talent. His lack of size made many initially question his viability in the NHL and he certainly has never been a physical threat. He hasn’t needed to be though. His speed, stickhandling, high hockey IQ, and playmaking ability make him one of the most dangerous players offensively in the NHL. By Gaudreau’s own admission, he likes to pass the puck and he excels at setting up his linemates, but he’s fully capable of taking the shot himself. He did so with more frequency last season, averaging 3.2 shots/game compared to just 2 in 2020-21 and an average of 2.69 over his career. That increase in shots led to him setting a career-high of 40 goals. That jump in goals was in addition to him having one of his best seasons overall, leading to him scoring 115 points and finishing fourth in Hart Trophy voting. He’s growing defensively too and excelled from a puck possession perspective with 5v5 Corsi and Fenwick’s of 57.1% and 56.9% respectively. All that being said though, he was put in an ideal situation. He spent 76% of his even strength ice time alongside Elias Lindholm and Matthew Tkachuk. That trio was amazing with all three of them finishing with at least 40 goals and 80 points. Gaudreau was a huge part of that success to be sure, but will he be able to do just as well after moving to the Columbus Blue Jackets? Perhaps and the key to that could be how well he meshes with Patrik Laine. Laine has one of the best shots in the league. He’s had an inconsistent career, but he’s also still young and playing with someone of Gaudreau’s caliber should be mutually beneficial.

Patrik Laine

Early in Laine’s career, it looked like he might be the next Alex Ovechkin. Laine scored 36 goals as a rookie and 44 in his sophomore season. Trouble is, he’s been a mixed bag since then with some amazing stretches and prolonged cold streaks. The 2020-21 campaign was a brutal one for him. He performed poorly under then Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella, scoring 10 goals and 21 points in 45 contests after being acquired by Columbus. He did rebound in 2021-22 under new bench boss Brad Larsen though, recording 26 goals and 56 points in 56 contests. In terms of points/60 minutes that was his best season to date, though his goals/60 still lagged behind the pace he set in his first two seasons. The Blue Jackets’ addition of Johnny Gaudreau over the summer could change that. We’ll have to see how the two mesh, but at least on paper combining one of the best shots in the league with one of the NHL’s top playmakers seems like a match made in heaven. The Blue Jackets need to hope so because they signed Laine to a four-year, $34.8 million deal and outside of his offensive skills, he doesn’t bring a lot to the table. He’s a defensive liability and his puck possession numbers have been underwhelming. He’s had a negative 5v5 Corsi and Fenwick relative in every single season to date, which means that from a puck possession perspective, the teams he’s played on have done better when he’s off the ice compared to when he’s on it. So there are clear risks associated with Laine, but he’s an exciting player and the prospect of him playing with Gaudreau makes him one of the must watch forwards of 2022-23.

Jakub Voracek

Although it had been roughly a decade since Voracek last played for Columbus, when the Flyers traded him to the Blue Jackets in the summer of 2021, he settled right back in. Voracek had six goals and 62 points in 79 contests, making it the 10th straight season he recorded at leas 0.74 points-per-game, which translates to about 61 points over 82 games. In other words, while Voracek has only finished in the top-10 in points once, he has been a reliably good forward throughout his career. He used to be an okay, though not spectacular goal scorer too, but his game has changed with age. At his height in 2016-17, he averaged 3.09 shots-per-game, but he hasn’t crossed the 2 shots-per-game mark over his last three seasons and in 2021-22 he dropped to just 1.86 shots-per-game. Fortunately, the 33-year-old can still generate those scoring chances with most combinations of linemates. He lacked anything close to consistent linemates at even strength last season and he was still a consistent contributor with his longest point drought being only three games. That flexibility is important because he’ll likely serve in a second-line role while offseason addition Johnny Gaudreau along with Patrik Laine will occupy the top unit’s wings. For Voracek, the more important factor will be his role on the power play. He was a mainstay on the top power-play unit, averaging 3:13 minutes and he contributed two goals and 25 points in that role. If Voracek sees his power-play time diminish then that, more than having him on the second line, could meaningfully reduce his point total. He’s still more likely than not to find success this season, but it’s the one thing to keep in the back of your mind while watching how the Jackets are assembled around Gaudreau.

Gustav Nyquist

Nyquist is a pretty good, but unexciting forward. When his career began, he looked like a solid goal scorer, but the last time he recorded at least 25 markers was 2014-15. Nowadays he doesn’t fire the puck nearly enough (just 1.49 shots-per-game last season) to be anything more than a secondary gaol scoring threat. He’s skilled offensively, but he’s more of a good second-line option than the kind of elite talent teams want to lean on heavily. Not every player is going to be a headlining act though and he’s pretty much everything you’d want in a complimentary forward. He does a lot right, is sound defensively, and gets sent out on both the power play and shorthanded situations. He also wore an ‘A’ last season, highlighting his worth to the Blue Jackets as a team leader. The 33-year-old (as of his birthday on Sept. 1) has aged well so far and he likely has at least a couple more good seasons in him. It helps that he’s enjoyed a fairly healthy career with the obvious exception of 2020-21 when he missed the full campaign due to a shoulder injury. He bounced right back last season though, scoring 18 goals and 53 points while playing the full 82 games. There’s just plenty to like here and he’s a good bet to record around 50 points again in the final campaign of his four-year, $22 million contract.

Jack Roslovic

After breaking out in 2019-20 with 12 goals and 34 points in 48 games, Roslovic’s production was all over the place last season. He had a couple nasty cold spells, including a season-opening stretch of three assists in 13 games, a run from Dec. 16-Jan. 27 where he scored a goal and three points in 13 contests, and an 11-game stretch from Mar. 17-Apr. 7 where he was limited to three assists. Those droughts were balanced out by some great stretches, the most notable of which was his run of 10 goals and 13 points in 10 games to cap out the season. It’s worth noting that sometimes the problem was circumstances. In that final hot stretch, he was averaging 20:24 minutes, in large part because top center Boone Jenner was injured. Contrast that with his aforementioned season-opening slump where he logged just 12:03 minutes per game and the issue becomes apparent. He ultimately had 29 games in 2021-22 where he was given under 12 minutes of ice time, and he had just two goals and five points in those contests. In games where he got over 12 minutes, he had 20 goals and 40 points in 52 contests. Clearly, he can step up offensively when put in the right position. Whether or not he will get that opportunity is the key question going into the season, but the odds are in his favor. After signing him to a two-year, $8 million contract over the summer, Roslovic is projected to start the campaign as the second-line center. He will have to battle Cole Sillinger for that spot, but at least going into the campaign, that top-six role is likely to be held by the more experienced Roslovic.

Sean Kuraly

Kuraly has size and he will use that to his advantage defensively, but his offensive game has never been great. Even in 2021-22, when he averaged a career-high 15:52 minutes, he was still limited to 14 goals and 30 points in 77 games. Those numbers are strong when measured against the rest of his career, but still nothing to get excited over. Without the puck though, he had a very busy season. He was credited with 51 blocks and tied for 11th in the NHL with 240 hits. He also led all Blue Jackets forwards with an average of 2:22 shorthanded minutes, further highlighting his defensive role with the team. There’s not much else to praise him for though. After winning 57.4% of his faceoffs in 2020-21, he dropped to 49.4% last season and his career average is 50.3% so he’s not a real asset there and in terms of 5v5 Corsi and Fenwick he was an underwhelming 47.4% and 46.3% respectively. His goal and point totals were career-highs for him, but he’ll probably regress in 2022-23. The issue he faces in that regard is that the Blue Jackets are looking solid up the middle between Boone Jenner, the maturing Jack Roslovic, and the up-and-coming Cole Sillinger. That leaves Kuraly as potentially the fourth line center and a shorthanded specialist going into the season. It’s a role he should do well in, but not one that leads to much in the way of points.

Cole Sillinger

His father, Mike, played for 12 different NHL teams, but the Blue Jackets see Cole Sillinger as a potential cornerstone player who will hopefully stick with their team for a long time. The younger Sillinger’s rookie season wasn’t spectacular, but for a teenager who jumped straight from the USHL to the NHL, he did well. Sillinger had 16 goals and 31 points in 79 games while averaging a modest 13:42 minutes. His role included a little power-play ice time (0:51 minutes per game), but just two of his points came with the advantage. The 6-foot-0, 201-pound forward also had a bit of a physical aspect to his game, contributing 98 hits while accumulating 37 penalty minutes. It’s also worth noting that he blocked 43 shots, which was the fourth most among Blue Jackets forwards. Those are important aspects of his game for him to build on, but in the long run it’s his offensive instincts and in particular his wrist shot that figure to be his bread-and-butter. Looking ahead, he’s projected to open the season as the Blue Jackets’ third center, though he could challenge Jack Roslovic for the second slot as the season goes on and of course there’s always the potential that injuries will present Sillinger with an opportunity. We might not see him breakout in 2022-23, but we should see him take another step forward by reaching the 20-goal and 40-point milestones.

Boone Jenner

While Jenner couldn’t play beyond March 11 last season due to a lower back injury, everything that happened before that was good. He struggled in 2020-21 with eight goals and 17 points in 41 games, but bounced back nicely last season, scoring 23 goals and 44 points in 59 games. He established himself as the Blue Jackets’ clear number one center and led all their forwards with an average of 20:28 minutes per game, including 2:58 power-play minutes. He was also won 53.6% of his 1,198 faceoffs, which isn’t amazing, but it was better than Columbus’ other primary options: Sean Kuraly (49.5%), Jack Roslovic (43.5%), and Cole Sillinger (46.5%). In addition to that, the Blue Jackets also felt comfortable regularly sending him out in shorthanded situations. With his importance to Columbus in so many aspects of the game, he’s been a good captain for them since getting the job at the start of the 2021-22 campaign. This coming season could be his best yet though. Columbus signed Johnny Gaudreau over the summer, which might lead to Jenner’s linemates being him and Patrik Laine. At least on paper, that looks like a potent combination and Jenner should benefit from being part of that trio. He’s come close to reaching the 50-point milestone before but has fallen short. There’s a good chance that this will be the year he breaches it.

Alexandre Texier

Anyone looking for promising forwards who have flown a little under the radar a bit might want to consider Texier. He got off to a quiet start in 2021-22, recording two goals in nine games, but his game started to come together after that. He had nine goals and 18 points in 22 contests from Nov. 6-Jan. 13. Had he been able to continue from there, perhaps he wouldn’t be entering this campaign as an underrated forward, but he didn’t play beyond Jan. 26 due to a fractured finger and later personal reasons. He’s ready to play now though after scoring three goals and five points in seven games while representing France in the World Championships. Getting that extra work in after the season should help given how much time he’s missed not just in 2021-22, but in general. Between injuries, time spent either unavailable or on the taxi squad, and the pandemic shortening campaigns, Texier has logged just 121 NHL games plus 10 playoff contests over the last three seasons. That’s not exactly ideal for the 23-year-old’s (as of his birthday on Sept. 13) development, but he’s nevertheless come along nicely. He’s responsible at both ends of the ice and impressive speed. He’s also versatile, capable of playing as either a center or on the wing. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him start the season on the third line, but he has top-six potential.

DEFENSE

Zach Werenski

Since Werenski first entered the NHL in 2016, he has played primarily alongside Seth Jones. In fact, a staggering 87.6% of Werenski’s even strength ice time was shared with defensive partner Jones in 2020-21. With Jones now in Chicago though, how would Werenski do? As it turns out, just fine. Werenski scored 11 goals and a career-high 48 points in 68 games while averaging 25:40 minutes. Rather than have a consistent defensive partner like he had a year prior, Columbus tested out a bunch of different partners, most notably Jake Bean and Andrew Peeke, who shared 36.9% and 36.5% of Werenski’s even strength minutes respectively. Werenski adjusted nicely to that new normal. Defensively, Werenski wasn’t anything impressive, but he also wasn’t a liability. His 5v5 Corsi and Fenwick stood at 49.7% and 48.6% respectively, which doesn’t sound good, but it’s worth noting that’s better than the Blue Jackets overall. Columbus was one of the worst teams defensively last season and that more than anything kept the squad out of the playoffs, but it’s important to remember that wasn’t Werenski’s fault. He’s not a perfect defenseman or the league’s top blueliner, but he more than held up his end of the bargain last season and at the age of 25, he should continue to do so. He’ll once again enter the campaign as Columbus’ undisputed number one defenseman and will consequently be deployed liberally in all situations. That will only serve to reinforce Werenski’s offensive numbers and if he stays healthy, it’s entirely possible that we’ll witness his first 50-plus point campaign.

Adam Boqvist

Acquired from Chicago in the summer of 2021 as part of the Seth Jones trade, Boqvist entered Columbus with plenty of potential, but also significant question marks. He’s an offensive defenseman through and through. He loves having the puck and he has the speed and shot to justify his style of play. When it comes to his defensive work though, he’s lacking. He doesn’t have size and won’t play a physical game, nor does he block a ton of shots. He really does seem to be developing into a purely offensive defenseman, though he is still just 22-years-old, so some further growth is to be expected. In fact, some further growth is practically required, because while Boqvist made some strides in his first season with Columbus, he also left something to be desired. He had 11 goals and 22 points in 52 games while averaging a modest 17:03 minutes. With offensive contributions being his bread-and-butter, how hot-and-cold he was in that area of the game was somewhat disheartening. He had six goals and 13 points in 14 games from Nov. 24-Jan. 8, but his numbers before and after that are underwhelming. As he matures though, that’s something that is likely to be addressed and we might see more regular production out of him as early as this season, which would lead to him comfortably surpassing his 2021-22-point total. Columbus inked him to a three-year, $7.8 million contract over the summer. If he can continue to develop offensively, then that should prove to be a very good signing.

Vladislav Gavrikov

With Seth Jones gone, the Blue Jackets didn’t have anyone who could step in and assume the full burden he left. Instead, Columbus needed multiple defensemen to do more and Gavrikov was one of the key players to help fill that void. He finished second on the Blue Jackets with an average of 22:17 minutes, up from 19:24 minutes per game during his 2020-21 sophomore season. Gavrikov also made strides offensively, scoring five goals and a career-high 33 points in 80 contests. He was a great blueliner for Columbus with a bargain cap hit of $2.8 million, but he wasn’t a pure stand-in for Jones. In contrast to Jones, who was a key part of the Blue Jackets’ power play during his tenure there, Gavrikov got almost no ice time with the man advance in 2021-22. That’s not likely to change either. While Gavrikov did make solid offensive contributions last season, he’s a two-way defender who leans a bit more to the defensive side of the game. He finished second on the team with 138 blocks and third with 124 hits. He also was leaned on heavily in shorthanded situations, averaging 3:05 minutes per game. He’ll turn 27-years-old in November, so he’s well past the point of being a prospect and it’s probably too much to hope for him to grow his offensive game significantly more. But even if he stays exactly as he is, he’ll carve out a great career for himself as an important top-four defenseman.

Jake Bean

Bean established himself with Carolina in 2020-21, logging 42 games, but he only averaged 14:32 minutes. When Columbus acquired him from Carolina in July 2021, he was put in a situation to succeed. The Blue Jackets had just dealt away Seth Jones – in fact they used one of the draft picks they got in the Jones trade to acquire Bean – so there was a big hole left to be filled. Bean couldn’t replace Jones of course, but did play a big role, scoring seven goals and 25 points in 67 games while averaging 20:34 minutes. In terms of average ice time, Bean was the third most commonly used player in Columbus at even strength (18:22 minutes). He got a bit of power play and shorthanded ice time too, but he wasn’t a key part of either special team unit. He also was far from a physical threat, accumulating 41 hits. When measuring puck possession though, he did okay. He had a 48.4% 5v5 Corsi and 46.4% 5v5 Fenwick, which is roughly in line with how Columbus did as a team. All-in-all, it wasn’t a bad season for Bean, but it wasn’t anything special either. He was simply fine and for a player with a $2,333,333 cap hit, that’s acceptable. Bean does have some untapped offensive upside though and after a year adjusting to his bigger role and life in Columbus, it will be interesting to see how he does in 2022-23. Don’t expect him to overtake Zach Werenski as the team’s main offensive threat from the blueline, but Bean has the potential to finish in the 30-40 point range.

GOALTENDING

Elvis Merzlikins

It was hard not to feel for Merzlikins last year, as the fun-loving 28-year-old Latvian netminder navigated a season playing in a building boasting a cannon just months after losing his teammate and friend to a fireworks accident on the Fourth of July. His numbers were far from the main focus for many as they considered what his year would look like – but that will likely change this year as the Blue Jackets make a big push to return to contention. The addition of Johnny Gaudreau in the off-season made it clear that the playoffs were an objective for the Metropolitan Division club – and they’ll look to Merzlikins to be the goaltender that gets them there.

At 28, we likely know what Merzlikins is going to be for the Blue Jackets. He’s best known for his eye-catching stops that take the influence of free-wheeling Slovakian goaltending coach Dusan Sidor, Sr. and enable Merzlikins to pull the trickiest techniques without it affecting the rest of his game. If anything, he sometimes looks a little too eager to make the stops no one else can; while he’s equally capable of playing the waiting game in the blue paint and holding his positioning against approaching offense, he prefers the chances he gets to pull out all the stops. No one seems to love putting on a show more than Merzlikins, and the Blue Jackets have been able to feed off that energy in the past as they adjusted to a world after Sergei Bobrovsky’s departure for the Florida Panthers. There’s a chance that Merzlikins will see a changing of the guard as his number two halfway through the year, with prospect Daniil Tarasov set to return from hip surgery and Joonas Korpisalo’s name still bandied about the ever-rumbling trade market. If Columbus does opt to move Korpisalo out to make room for a younger talent, expect Merzlikins to take on a heavier workload to help the newer Tarasov adjust. But for now, this is a team that has thrived with their tandem battalion over the last handful of years – so there’s little reason to be worried that they’ll stray from that course any time soon.

Projected starts: 50-55

Joonas Korpisalo

The goaltending conundrum faced by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the summer of 2021 – when the team seeed poised to seriously consider jettisoning one of either Elvis Merzlikins or Joonas Korpisalo to pave the way for the other to be the clear number one – has quite noticeably resolved itself. While the 2021-22 season wasn’t one that anyone on the Blue Jackets likely wants to spend much time reminiscing about, Korpisalo’s very apparent struggles stood out and lent favor to Merzlikins to be the team’s clear number one moving forward. It’s not likely that Korpisalo will be able to turn the tides in his favor again, short a miraculous season that revitalizes his game entirely. While Korpisalo has always been the more consistent entity for Columbus, his game’s weaknesses – including his struggles with angles and getting properly centered to shots in close – became predictable enough that teams were able to take advantage. He still had a few heart-stopping highlight-reel moments throughout the year, and it’s entirely possible that the constant spectre of a trade hanging over his head made it hard for the Finnish-born netminder to keep his focus. But with Columbus focused on taking a step back forward and returning to contention, it seems hard to picture Korpisalo being given anything but a short leash.

Projected starts: 25-30

Columbus Blue Jackets 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 11:04:14 +0000

On the one hand, the Blue Jackets have a respectable top eight to their prospect core. Those eight players represent the full spectrum of positions needed to ice a team, with a pair of goalies, a pair of blueliners, and four forwards. On the other hand, the rest of the system is incredibly shallow, with very little value-wise to differentiate the ninth ranked prospect with the 21^st ranked prospect.

As we all know by now, the Blue Jackets went all in last season. Not that were concerned (likely not internally either) as legit Stanley Cup contenders, but the top two players on the NHL roster were both pending unrestricted free agents and neither seemed likely to re-sign. So they doubled down, trading more prospects and picks to Ottawa to pick up another two pending UFAs in Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel.

All of those moves were just enough to get Columbus into the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, setting up the infamous first round tilt against the best team in the regular season, the Tampa Bay Lightning. I’ll spare you the umpteenth recap of what happened there, but I will note that for GM Jarmo Kekalainen and every other executive in the organization, winning the franchise’s first ever playoff round far outweighs the large step back taken by the prospect pipeline.

The funny thing is that the system was not that deep to begin with. Matt Duchene cost Columbus Vitali Abramov, Jonathan Davidsson, and their 2019 first round pick. The two prospects has ranked second and tenth in the system respectively last year, while the first rounder would have ranked in the team top 10 this year. Dzingel came at the cost of two future second round picks and bottom six NHLer.

On draft day, the Blue Jackets could have skipped the even altogether for as much as they were active. They made only three picks throughout, one of which was acquired in trade at the draft, to give the team scouts something more to gloat about.

An additional problem connected to their lack of depth as well as the lack of new blood to the system, was the fact that very few of their holdover prospects made positive strides last year. Trey-Fix Wolansky and Veini Vehvilainen both had impressive seasons, and Emil Bemstrom broke out, but the rest of the core merely held serve. On the other hand, a lot of their more seasoned prospects, players who should be in line for NHL recalls, stagnated, or took steps backwards.

With the lack of players in the prospect pool, I had been expecting Columbus to be active among undrafted free agents, including CHL, European and NCAA talent. I had even earmarked Ohio State star forward Mason Jobst as a key target who would not have to even move to join his new team. Alas, Jobst signed with the New York Islanders, and as of the time I sat down to write these words, the Blue Jackets had not signed a single free agent prospect to an NHL contract.

First round playoff victories don’t come with pennants to raise to the rafters, but it might have to suffice for the next few years as the Blue Jackets look like the next team primed to tear it all down for a painful rebuild.

-Ryan Wagman

Columbus Blue Jackets Center Alexandre Texier (42) (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)

1 Liam Foudy, C (18^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 1) A former high school hurdles champion, Foudy is an electric athlete on the ice. He is electric when operating off of the rush because of how quick and explosive he is. He also possesses good hands and can make moves while at his top speed. Where his game is still growing is in his ability to attack and work the middle of the ice, in addition to improving his shot. At best, Foudy can develop into a second line playmaker who can push the pace with his speed and open up the ice for his linemates. At worst, his offensive skill set fails to develop and he settles into a 4th line and penalty killing role. Either way, it seems unlikely at this point that Foudy does not become an NHL player in some capacity. - BO

2 Alexandre Texier, C (45^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 3) Texier had a terrific season on an otherwise poor KalPa team in the Liiga and impressed during a late-season stint in the AHL and NHL. He had a slow start but really improved and produced at a high level towards the end of the Liiga season as well. Texier is a talented goal-scorer with a quick release on both his wrist snap shots. Thanks to the high velocity and accuracy on his shot, he can score from further out and beat goalies cleanly. He has very good puck skills and nifty hands which help him make plays in traffic and tight quarters. His skating and strength have been areas for improvement, however he has improved greatly in both aspects of the game lately. He has the potential to be an effective middle-six winger with scoring ability. - MB

3 Vladislav Gavrikov, D (159^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 4) It is hard to consider Gavrikov as a real prospect, considering that he already skated at three IIHF World Championships and won an Olympic Games gold medal in 2018. He has also already skated in two NHL playoffs games. Gavrikov has excellent skills at both ends of the ice, but he is more of a shutdown defenseman. His game is rock-solid, and he uses his excellent skating and strong legs to actively chase puck carriers, block passing lines, and make forwards feel his body along the boards. He can be very dangerous when he joins the rush as he reads the game very well and has good touch with the puck, but it happens rarely. In the NHL, he will need to shoot more and participate more to the offensive side of the game. He has all the tools to develop into a first-pair, shutdown defenseman who can be iced in key situations for his defensive awareness and responsibility. - ASR

4 Kirill Marchenko, LW (49^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 5) After moving to SKA St. Petersburg, Marchenko didn’t have the best season, having outgrown junior hockey but not getting enough icetime in a stacked system. In the end he lined up for four different teams, and if we exclude his trip to the WJC, the season wasn’t really great for him. That being said, the second-rounder will receive more chances this year as the system is less stacked and he now has some experience under his belt. Marchenko is a very good player around the net, who can finalize his chances and create opportunities for his partners with his ability to read the ice. Next year, he will need to play more, bulk up, and further hone his offensive skills, which are abundant. He is a very dangerous offensive player when the ice opens up or he can be a finisher for positional-based offensive plays. - ASR

5 Emil Bemstrom, C/RW (117^th overall, 2017. Last Year: Not ranked) A left circle right-handed goal scoring specialist. Bemstrom had a strong uptick in his development last season, and was the best junior playing in Sweden. In his first SHL season, he scored 23 goals in 45 games. To be fair, 10 of his goals came on the power play and his 25% shooting percentage is something he almost certainly won’t be able to duplicate. His shot is a strong weapon though and he will most likely be a high percentage shooter in his career. Bemstrom also plays a shifty offensive game and has good playmaking and deking skills as well. His puck control and offensive smarts have NHL written over them. He will try to take a spot on the Columbus roster this fall, and he will have a good chance of playing in the NHL this upcoming season, with middle six upside. - JH

6 Elvis Merzlikins, G (76^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 7) Merzlikins impressed while playing for HC Lugano in the Swiss NLA for several years. He has also been the cornerstone in net for the Latvian national team at the World Championship tournaments. His athleticism stands out, and he is capable of making acrobatic and athletic saves. His net coverage is good, he covers the upper corners of the net particularly well, and he consistently squares himself to the shooters. He is highly competitive, he always competes hard regardless of the score, and shows a lot of drive. Despite his young age, he has shown the ability to perform at a high level in big games. Merzlikins will move to North America for this season and has the makings of the future starter for the Blue Jackets. - MB

7 Veini Vehvilainen, G (173^rd overall, 2018. Last Year: 16) Vehviläinen had two excellent seasons for Kärpät in the Liiga, earning the Urpo Ylönen Award for the best goalie in both seasons and winning the championship in 2018. He now looks more than ready to play in the AHL this upcoming season. He is a very quick goalie. His lateral quickness and post-to-post movement are both high end and he can recover loose pucks quickly. He is also highly athletic and flexible. During the last two years, Vehviläinen has become much more mentally stronger. He rarely allows a soft goal and if he does, he is able to bounce back quickly. His consistency and play in pressure situations have also improved a lot. He has what it takes to be a number one NHL goalie one day. - MB

8 Andrew Peeke, D (34^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 8) A solid stay-at-home defensemen through his time in the USHL and as an underclassman at Notre Dame, Peeke looked like a nice, bottom-half of blueline piece. During his junior – and final – season with the Fighting Irish, he turned things on and raised his projected ceiling. Much of the change was added assertiveness in the offensive zone, as he would jump up from the point with regularity as he grew more comfortable reading defenses and reacting accordingly. His defensive work did not suffer one iota from his new habits, as he still kept tight gaps, excelled in his positioning and stick work and was mobile enough to keep up with most attackers. Peeke is moving on to the professional ranks with reasonable hopes for a future second pairing defender. - RW

9 Trey Fix-Wolansky, RW (204^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 19) Fix-Wolansky is a player that has really grown over the past couple of seasons. Despite being productive early he looked overmatched and lacking in intensity to keep in the play. That has improved substantially in this regard as has his foot speed. His playmaking and shooting skills have always been there but now he has the pace and the drive to impact every play. He has a real shot at being a success story as his offensive tools are very good. His path will be long as he will need to prove that his offensive game will translate at the AHL level before he ever gets a chance, but he has top six potential with power play minutes if he keeps on his current development path. - VG

10 Kevin Stenlund, C (58^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 6) Stenlund plays a gritty and hard on the puck type of game, he wins battles and uses his size to his advantage. Although Cleveland struggled this year, he stood out as a solid and hard-working forward. With experience in the Swedish Hockey League he came to North America with several years of pro already under his belt which made his adjustment to the North American professional game smoother. Stenlund may have used his size as an advantage but his size is also what made him stand out despite being one of the slower players on the ice. He is strong on the puck but it sometimes appears to be an effort for Stenlund to maneuver easily in tight spots. He will need to work on his stability and edgework much more to play at the next level. He has the potential to be a bottom six center as he is skilled enough but his skating will certainly need to improve before moving on. - SC

11 Paul Bittner, LW (38^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 13) If there is one thing to be said about Cleveland this past season is that they lived up to their “Monsters” name as many of their players had good size, Bittner being one of them. He is a good forechecker and uses his size to help him find space and gain position in front of the net with ease. He has a tremendous shot despite only finding the back of the net nine times in the past two seasons. The main problem is his lack of shot productivity and missed opportunities. Bittner finds good position but then has difficulty on the execution of quality shots, a shame for a player with a shot as powerful and accurate as he has. He has the means to make it as a bottom six winger at the next level but offensively he will need to push himself harder to get that far. - SC

12 Kole Sherwood, RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Jul. 7, 2015. Last Year: 9) Sherwood has had a tougher go at it than other prospects on this list with bouncing from the AHL and ECHL last season. After netting 16 goals last season it is safe to say that he is a natural goal scorer with a good shot and the ability to get to the net. The rest of his play however needs polishing and cleaning up especially in neutral zone and defensive end. Sherwood spends a lot of time chasing the puck when he should have outgrown the bad habit of drive-bys. He needs to better his awareness on the ice and work on having a better presence during breakouts and regroups. Despite his struggles, his work ethic and drive have improved and may be just enough to get him a bottom six spot especially if he works on his timing and reading the play better, which will make his potential much more visible. - SC

13 Tim Berni, D (159^th overall, 2018. Last Year: Not ranked) Still only 19 years old, Berni might have more potential upside than anyone else in the back half of Columbus’ top 20. He already has two full seasons playing against men in his native Switzerland and he was named one of the top three players on Switzerland’s WJC entry last year, his second go-round at the tournament. He is patient with the puck and is a commanding figure from the blueline. Berni also has a high panic threshold when it comes to guarding his own end. He gaps well, has a knack for forcing turnovers, and can use his body when necessary. If he can show more confidence playing the puck he could find himself a potential second pairing defender down the road. - RW

14 Eric Robinson, LW (Undrafted free agent, signed Mar. 26, 2018. Last Year: 12) Robinson’s performance last season could have been better. For a naturally skilled player with a good set of hands and good hockey IQ he seemed somewhat hesitant with the puck. He will need to work on gaining back his confidence in the coming season in order to be looked at as a bottom six contender for the Blue Jackets. Robinson is yet another forward with the luxury of size to easily protect the puck which he does a good job at, however he then struggles to make confident and more daring plays with the puck. His creativity has been masked by his lack of overall confidence and the best players have some form of unpredictability, therefore if Robinson wants to succeed he will need to play with more confidence to be able to open up the same bag of tricks he used during his college days with Princeton. - SC

15 Marcus Karlberg, RW/LW (80^th overall, 2018. Last Year: Not ranked) Karlberg is a fast skater with good puck skills. He is a good playmaker and has a dangerous shot. He is small (5-8”) in size which prevents him from being the same productive player in senior hockey as he has been as a junior. Karlberg uses his speed as his biggest offensive weapon but plays a lot on the outside of his opponents and fails to be dangerous on the inside when his skating isn’t strong enough to give him room. He hasn’t found a way to use his skills at various pace either. Karlberg is still a teenager and has one season in Allsvenskan under his belt and will play in SHL this upcoming season. He works hard and plays with intensity and can contribute defensively as well. With his skating and tenacity, he is a good penalty killer. He is a long-term prospect. - JH

16 Tyler Angle, C (212^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Angle is a hard-working playmaker who excels below the hash marks and along the wall, despite not being the largest player on the ice. He consistently keeps his feet moving and his non-stop motor really helps to open up the ice for his linemates. What Angle is not, is the most dynamic offensive player and that may make him a long shot to be more than a 4th line option at the NHL level. His skating and hands will need to improve, and as a late 2000-born, he will get two years in the OHL (including an overage season) to progress as a player before Columbus will need to decide on his future. - BO

17 Doyle Somerby, D (125^th overall, 2012 [New York Islanders]. Last Year: Not ranked) A massive defenseman with a strong shot and a good edge to his game, Somerby has definite NHL potential. He is an equally smart player, with a good sense of timing. He is a skilled passer and can make tape to tape stretch passes efficiently which makes him an asset. At times however, his patience can get him into trouble as he can tend to wait a little too long to move the puck which can lead to turnovers. He will have to stay aware and work on moving the puck faster if he wants to be a bottom four defenseman and in Somerby’s case, less thinking and more doing would be a motto he should be keen to play by. His natural skill speaks for itself but his hockey smarts will need to be refined and his straightforward game will need an additional dusting of creativity in the future. - SC

18 Daniil Tarasov, G (86^th overall, 2017. Last Year: Not ranked) Last year, goalie Tarasov was in a situation somewhat similar to what Marchenko found in St. Petersburg. He didn’t have much space in the system, and as a result, he didn’t play a significant number of games in the season. Perhaps the reason behind his below-average performance at the WJC was a lack of game practice. He absolutely needs to gather experience – also due to his past injuries that limited his chances of playing in previous seasons, thus his move to the Finnish league can be a positive one for his career, since in Russia he would hardly receive much game time due to the situation of his current team. He is a very athletic goalie, calm between the pipes, but he needs some good conditioning, practice and, as said, more game experience. Tarasov’s worth will be gauged with more precision after his stint in Finland. - ASR

19 Gabriel Carlsson, D (29^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 17) Carlsson is a very smooth skater and capable of skating with the puck and creating space for himself unlike any of the other defensemen on this list. He covers his ice well and is a smart passer who can quarterback a breakout with ease. He can make plays under pressure and does not get easily swayed as he always seems so composed. That said, Carlsson needs to up his physical game and avoid standing still too much. He will have to be more aggressive and handle the players in front of his net better if he wants a chance at grappling for a bottom four spot with the Blue Jackets. With his skating and passing ability at his size, he has what it takes to be a dependable defenseman in the NHL, but he needs to get out of the rut he found himself in last season. He will need to find another gear and become more aggressive to prove he wants a spot. - SC

20 Eric Hjorth, D (104^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Columbus went off the board in picking Hjorth with their first pick in the draft this summer. Okay, they didn’t have their first pick until the fourth round, so it wasn’t completely off the board. Hjorth is a big (6-3”) right-handed defenseman with good vision and puck skills. He plays with his head up and has good puck control. He was injured almost the whole of last season and played in only four games. At the J18 level he put up an impressive six points in three games. There is still much uncertainty with Hjorth due to the limited viewings so far. For the upcoming season, he will play for the Sarnia Sting in the OHL and we will get more evidence of what he can become as a player. - JH

2019 IIHF World Junior Tournament Review: Sweden

Jimmy Hamrin — Sun, 20 Jan 2019 16:18:44 +0000

Ah, what a disappointing finish to a promising start! Sweden started the tournament, like they always seem to do, by winning all preliminary games. This year they had both Finland and USA, later shown to be the two teams in the final, in their group and beat them both with impressive performances. Sweden were clearly the better team in both those games. Maybe there was some evidence of weakness when they drop a 4-0 lead to a 4-4 tie late in the third period versus USA after having outplayed the Americans for almost two and a half periods. Or, that’s just junior hockey being junior hockey.

After the win over USA, Sweden got in trouble when five players were hit by a stomach flu and needed to be quarantined, including some team leaders. In the last group game Sweden had an unimpressive win over Kazakhstan playing with only three lines. It set them back prior to the quarterfinal and they played poorly against Switzerland. The underdog Swiss didn’t just win with a heroic defense and goalie, they also created the best scoring chances and even led the shot clock after two periods. Sweden played better in the third but could not score, losing 2 – 0 in their first quarterfinal loss since 2006, which also happens to be the last time the tournament was held in Vancouver. In my preview, I was concerned for the offensive chemistry given that the defensemen are much more skilled than the forward group. That proved to be the case and that may be a more telling answer than the stomach flu. Swedish forwards only scored seven goals in five games and four of those goals were scored by Emil Bemstrom. In the deciding game against Switzerland it certainly showed in the third period when Sweden got desperate in their attack being down by two goals. The Swedes just couldn’t create enough down low and almost every good attack came through the top defensemen. When defensemen are in on the attack often all ten players are in one end of the rink which makes it harder to score with shots high from d-men having a lower percentage of success. The forwards simply did not show enough creativity or skill. That said, 19 shots on goal in just the third period surely could have bounced better, but with more skill and creativity from forwards the quality of those shots would have been better. Individually over the five games (four wins) there were obviously some good performances. I’ll slide the players into three different categories, the good, the okay and the poor (good, bad and ugly didn’t seem fair to use). Let’s start with…

The poor

As I mention, there were many forwards that did not provide enough on the scoreboard. Jacob Olofsson (MTL), Rickard Hugg (undrafted), Fabian Zetterlund (NJD) and Pontus Holmberg (TOR) were the biggest disappointments. Olofsson hasn’t had a good season so far and it did not get better by putting him on the wing while also playing defense(!) against Kazakhstan. He is a natural center and clearly showed that he isn’t strong enough in his board play and needs to improve his ability to cover the puck and to use his frame. His skating is looking better this season though and his best performance came when he played defense, which shows that the hockey sense is there. Skating is an issue with Zetterlund. He is a goal scorer that didn’t score and couldn’t create enough on his own due to his skating not being strong. To his defense, he just came back from a tough knee injury. Hugg isn’t a flashy player by any means but he produced well in the summer showcase and has been a leading player for this age group and was given a big role but wasn’t a difference maker at all in this tournament. Holmberg was supposed to be a creative force with smart plays, but he didn’t put up a single point in the tournament getting more and more invisible offensively over the course of the tournament. He has had a good season in Vaxjo though, and still looks like a promising late round pick by Toronto.

The okay

Samuel Fagemo (undrafted) has had a good season in Frolunda and looks like a player that is a sure bet to be drafted this summer, in his second year of eligibility. In this WJC he showed flashes and created chances with offensive drive but didn’t score. Isac Lundestrom (ANA) was okay in his 200-foot game and put up four points but he wasn’t as dominant as a player that has played in the NHL should be at this level. In the quarterfinal, he was no-show. Lucas Elvenes also scored four points and actually showed creativity with the puck but needs to play less on the outside and to shoot more, always seeming to seek a pass. The forwards who were deployed in defense-first roles were also okay. David Gustafsson (WPG) had the most impact, the big center worked hard at both ends of the ice and won big faceoffs among his contributions as a defensive role player in the making. Filip Hallander (PIT) also performed his role well, although I didn’t agree with the way he was deployed. He had about 80% defensive zone starts and played all the penalty kills and none of the power plays. As one of the top junior scorers in the SHL he should have been used more offensively, being strong on the puck and around the net. Other defensive role forwards were Johan Sodergran (LAK), Filip Svenningsson (CGY) and Oskar Back (DAL). None of those three stood out, neither for good nor bad. Philip Broberg (2019 eligible) was the seventh defenseman but got ice time in every game. He played well but couldn’t shine in that role. Nils Lundkvist (NYR) was a bit up-and-down in his performance. He was given a defensive role and played on the penalty kill although his strongest game is making smart plays with the puck. He was over-shadowed by the bigger names on the blueline. Adam Ginning (PHI) is a defensive defenseman and he was also inconsistent in his performance. He is big, strong and poised but was not as strong with the puck as expected - like he can be at his best. Filip Westerlund (ARI) had a somewhat quiet tournament but played simple and well.

The good

The best point producer on the Swedish team was Emil Bemstrom (CBJ) with six points. He showed that his success in SHL this season and his strong development is real. He was the best forward on the Swedish team. Bemstrom had better puck skills that I had previously given him credit for. His shot has always been strong but the way he controls the puck in tight areas is impressive. He looks like a solid top six prospect. Erik Brannstrom (VGK) is a very good hockey player. When he played, he tilted the ice for Sweden, pushing and driving the play. He had one of the more dominant performances I have seen in the first game against Finland. In total he scored four goals and got picked to the All-Star Team. Rasmus Sandin (TOR) is also starting to look like an NHL player already. Not as flashy as Brannstrom but very smart with the puck. He also drives the play well and doesn’t tend to over create. Adam Boqvist (CHI) was a stud in the game against USA. He is playing smarter both with and without the puck this year. He is an offensive force who also can tilt the ice for his team. His performances weren’t as strong after the USA game though. In the quarterfinal he got a bit over creative. Samuel Ersson (PHI) was my pick for net and he got the chance and took it. He had an all-over strong effort and couldn’t be blamed for those four quick goals by USA. He showed calmness, good hockey sense and puck control. He actually kept the Swiss lead down in the quarterfinal during the first two periods of that game to give Sweden a chance.

2017 NHL Draft Grades: Metropolitan Division – Columbus

Ryan Wagman — Sun, 02 Jul 2017 12:04:03 +0000

Shortly after 1:00pm CST, on Saturday, June 24, 2017, the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins selected William Reilly, a defenseman from RPI as the 217^th player selected, bringing the 2017 Entry Draft to an end. With a few days of hindsight between me and the bowels of the United Center, the urge to spew out hot takes flushed away, it is time to analyze the strategies and selections employed by the league’s 31 teams.

The analysis will focus on the first five rounds, as it is clear to most long-time observers that the final two rounds are often taken up with long-shots, favours to regional scouts, among other reasons. I will, of course, call out some astute late picks, but will not judge a team for the names called in the final hour. The apocryphal story of Pekka Rinne, drafted as an eighth round after-thought in 2004 based mostly on his play in game warm-ups. Few other scouts would have seen him at all, and he has had a very good career, which is not yet over. For the most part, though, those picks have little statistical likelihood of having NHL careers and teams should not be judged there.

Each draft class will be graded using the 20-80 scale that we use in our player specific scouting reports throughout the site. In this context, a 50 is essentially an average grade in light of the picks the team had on draft day. A 20 would mean the draft is an unmitigated disaster while an 80 would be the best draft class of all time. As those things can only be truly seen in retrospect, most classes will trend towards 50 at this point, so pay attention to those we see as outliers.

Finally, all grades are incomplete. Actual winners and losers in this draft class will not be known until 2023 at the earliest, after those who will have “made it” will have played out their entry-level contracts. What I am looking at here is whether, knowing what we know now, the drafting team got good value.

RD	#	CS	MCK	PLAYER	P	AGE	HT/WT	TEAM
2	45	16-E	92	Alexandre TEXIER	C	18	6-0/190	Grenoble (Fra)
3	86	10-EG	hm	Daniil TARASOV	G	18	6-3/175	Tolpar Ufa (MHL) - DNP Inj
4	117	42-E		Emil BEMSTROM	C	18	5-11/180	Leksands (Swe Jr)
5	148	128-N		Kale HOWARTH	LW	20	6-4/200	Trail (BCHL)
6	170	105-E		Jonathan DAVIDSSON	RW	20	5-11/185	Djurgardens (Swe)
6	179	151-N	hm	Carson MEYER	RW	20	5-11/185	Miami (NCHC)
7	210	88-N	hm	Robbie STUCKER	D	18	6-3/180	St. Thomas Academy (USHS-MN)

RD	#	PLAYER	P	TEAM	GP (W)	G (L)	A (T)	PTS (GA)	PIM (Sv%)
2	45	Alexandre TEXIER	C	Grenoble (Fra)	40	10	9	19	69
3	86	Daniil TARASOV	G	Tolpar Ufa (MHL) - DNP Inj
4	117	Emil BEMSTROM	C	Leksands (Swe Jr)	28	21	12	33	35
4	117			Leksands (Swe)	5	0	0	0	0
5	148	Kale HOWARTH	LW	Trail (BCHL)	51	30	29	59	46
6	170	Jonathan DAVIDSSON	RW	Djurgardens (Swe)	44	3	9	12	16
6	170			Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	11	5	7	12	0
6	179	Carson MEYER	RW	Miami (NCHC)	32	10	16	26	14
7	210	Robbie STUCKER	D	St. Thomas Academy (USHS-MN)	25	8	32	40	20

Columbus Blue Jackets – Draft Grade: 40

One of two teams to surrender their first round pick to Vegas in exchange for considerations in the Expansion Draft, the Blue Jackets were forced to sit on their hands on day one. Then again, a few hours before the clock started ticking, they completed a bombshell trade with Chicago bringing Artemi Panarin to Ohio in exchange for Brandon Saad. For a team looking to compete now, keeping their core together was more important than a pick in the mid-twenties, no matter how useful that player might one day be.

When they were finally able to make a selection, they selected the first native of France too be drafted since 2012 and the highest drafted prospect who was actually developed in France in the blindingly fast Alexandre Texier. While it is fair to call into question Texier’s quality of competition up to now, it is impossible to argue against his production. He is expected to move to the QMJHL next year, to play for Baie-Comeau. Columbus was one of the few teams to completely bypass the CHL leagues at the draft.

Of their seven selections, four were out of Europe, one is already playing NCAA hockey and the other two are heading in that direction. One of their more interesting picks was Kale Howarth, a massive, double overager center who put up a strong season with Trail of the BCHL and then crushed at the Prospect Combine. He is expected to spend one more year with Trail before heading off to the University of Connecticut.

Best value: Carson Meyer, RW, Miami (6/179) – A local player who performed very well as a freshman with Miami University, Meyer is undersized, but has impressive puck skills. If he can add more bulk without slowing down, he could be a sleeper prospect in two or three years.

Biggest head-scratcher: Daniil Tarasov, G, Tolap Ufa (3/86): Before last year began, Tarasov was a highly touted goaltending prospect, who had a very impressive U17 season split between the Russian U17 and junior ranks and topped off with strong play at the WU18 tournament. He missed all of the 2016-17 season to injury. He could be a home run, but until further notice, this was a very risky pick.