Tyler Motte found himself on the outside looking in after training camp.
But like any hungry hockey player with a desire to make it to the NHL, he worked his ass off in the AHL to be among the first call-ups when opportunity knocked.
Since he’s joined the Blue Jackets, he has not looked back.
And his emergence has been well-timed; Columbus is dangerously thin up front and has lost some versatility with both Lukas Sedlak and Matt Calvert out of the lineup for extended periods. Motte has stepped in and shown John Tortorella that not only can he play regular minutes, he’s willing to show a little more. Tortorella said he would get a shot at a top-six spot, and he put him there, because he had earned it.
He has done nothing since to play his way out of the lineup.
Tortorella needs options. He had plenty of them a year ago and it helped keep everyone on their toes. That Blue Jackets team was as deep as we’ve seen in Columbus, but the current edition of the club is quite the opposite. Having a player like Motte doing everything he can to earn more minutes is the best of a bad situation for the coaching staff, which can’t afford to sit a forward based on performance — rather, those who earn it will just get more ice.
Motte is one of the players who has seized the opportunity, Tortorella said.
“He had give primary scoring chances in the last game — led our team,” he said. “He understands the blue lines as far as puck out, puck in. I’d like to see maybe, as he keeps going, killing penalties at times. But I think he’s played well since we brought him up.”
Motte is the type of player who can provide part of what the Blue Jackets want to be: fast, tenacious and unafraid. So far, it’s been a slog as far as finding their true identity, and it’s wearing on the coach.
“I’m frustrated that it’s taken us 20 games to really even think about, or try to get consistent with our identity. We’ve only played one or two games…we’re 20 games in. We’re at the quarter mark of our season. We need to figure out who we are and don’t talk about it — play it.”
STAR WARS: HOLDO & POE
Entertainment Weekly’s cover story series for The Last Jedi is too much to handle right now.
They’ve gone in-depth on the dynamic between Rey and Kylo Ren as we resume their story in the new movie. They’ve given us some intel on where the Resistance and First Order stand after their epic battle in The Force Awakens, and they’ve also shed some light on the new world that writer-director Ryan Johnson has built for his installment of the sequel trilogy.
That creativity involves bold new characters — and one I’m excited about is Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo, played by Laura Dern. Holdo is allegedly loyal to Leia and they’ve known each other for decades, but when Holdo steps in to help the Resistance, she’s subject to “new boss syndrome” and not everyone is on board with her leadership style.
Poe Dameron is a firebrand (he’s an X-wing pilot, come on!) and it’s going to be awesome to see these two clash. They both want the same thing, but how they get there is where they differ. Can’t wait.
YOU SHOULD BE READING
- Gabriel Carlsson heading to Cleveland for regular playing time is the right decision.
- Jeff Svoboda thinks the Blue Jackets are among the Metro's best. I tend to agree.
- Artemi Panarin is another weapon for the power play, but his 5-on-5 game is damn good.
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