When the Columbus Blue Jackets drafted Cam Atkinson in the sixth round of the 2008 NHL draft, a few things were clear about the Connecticut native.
He could score goals. And he was small.
If he was bigger, after all, the 5-8 winger wouldn't have been a sixth-round pick. After starring at the prestigious Avon Old Farms school in his home state, Atkinson went to college power Boston College, where he posted back-to-back 30-goal seasons. His ability to put the puck in the net was never questioned, but there are lots of guys in hockey who are short on size and high on skill. Not all of them make it.
Atkinson made it, and he got better, too. Seven goals his first season of 2012. Nine a year later in the lockout-shortened campaign. Then 21, 22, and 27 leading into this year. Big things, after all, do come in small packages.
What did we expect?
Looking at Atkinson's career numbers, you could say it was fair to expect him to break the 30-goal plateau this season. After all, the goal-scoring numbers were inching steadily upward each season of Atkinson's career.
Of course, 30 goals is a bit of an arbitrary number, celebrated because of its round nature, but Jackets fans did seem to know what they would get out of Atkinson – a lot of goals, the ability to drive offense, and a lot of games out of a player who has put together a strong reputation for being dependable and durable despite his size.
What did we get?
Atkinson delivered what was expected and more. The winger set a career high with 35 goals, good not only for the team lead but for also a tie for eighth in the NHL with Montreal's Max Pacioretty. Add in 27 assists and Atkinson turned in a 62-point season that served as a career high, and nine of his goals were game winners, including three in overtime.
Now, everyone knew Atkinson could score, but what might have been most impressive about his play was how he earned head coach John Tortorella's trust in all situations. He was no stranger to defensive zone starts, and for the second year in a row he was a key piece of both the team's power play and penalty kill. The only real negative? If you're into puck possession, his Corsi and Fenwick numbers were below 50 percent at 5-on-5.
| GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PPG | PPP | SHG | SHP | GWG | OTG | S | S% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REGULAR SEASON | 82 | 35 | 27 | 62 | 13 | 22 | 10 | 21 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 240 | 14.6 |
| PLAYOFFS | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14.3 |
Memorable Moment
With Atkinson, picking just one moment can be difficult.
Again, he scored 35 goals. Nine of them went down as game winners, and three more were in overtime. And then there was the moment when he ignited Nationwide Arena with a pair of goals in the opening moments of Game 3 of the playoff series vs. Pittsburgh.
So what's our most memorable moment for No. 13?
Again, we had a buffet of choices here, but this one showed so much of what Atkinson is all about. He showed great anticipation to pick up the puck off the boards and chase it down leaving the zone. From there, he used great hands and patience to freeze the Ottawa goalie before stuffing the puck – and then himself – into the net.
The overtime winner allowed Columbus to win the 7-6 game at Ottawa in January, and perhaps the wildest Jackets game of the year deserved such a good winner. Atkinson was just the man to provide it.
Contract Status
According to CapFriendly.com, Atkinson has just one year remaining on his deal with a cap hit of $3.5 million before becoming an unrestricted free agent. It is expected the Blue Jackets will approach the high-scoring forward this summer about a contract extension as the soon-to-be 28-year-old has showed he's in the upper echelon of pure goal scorers in the NHL.
| GRADE | A- |
