So…who the hell is going to play center now?
The Blue Jackets' center depth took a hit when Lukas Sedlak went down with an ankle injury. He’ll be out for the foreseeable future, leaving a void on that fourth line. Beyond that, though, it takes what was already the club’s weakest position and makes it even weaker.
After all the hoopla around the Jackets and Matt Duchene, a trade with Colorado never materialized. We touched on other candidates a while back – specifically, Kyle Turris and Vadim Shipachyov – but neither of them are on track to be dealt any time soon, if at all. If Turris moves, it’ll be a deadline deal. Shipachyov inexplicably got sent down to the AHL (again) today – thanks to George McPhee’s unwillingness to risk putting a marginal defenseman on waivers – but Vegas is 7-1-0 and Shipachyov is still their most skilled forward.
The Blue Jackets simply don’t have the center depth.
Not too long ago, they had Ryan Johansen, Artem Anisimov, Brandon Dubinsky, Alexander Wennberg, William Karlsson and Mark Letestu on the roster at the same damn time. Now? It’s just Wennberg, who’s getting bumped down to the second line, Dubinsky, who has just one point in eight games so far and… well, that’s it.
Nick Foligno is a winger by trade and a center out of necessity. The best version of this team probably has him on the wing. Sedlak’s out for six weeks.
So, what do the Blue Jackets do now? The best answer may lie outside of the organization, but we’ll take a look at the internal candidates who will likely get the first crack at it.
Boone Jenner
The best forward on this list may not necessarily be the best center, but alas, here we are.
Boone Jenner was a renowned junior player at center. He was drafted as a center, but he’s played wing almost exclusively since he started his professional career. He and Foligno have been shifted to the middle when necessary over the last few years – like the last time Sedlak got hurt – but it’s clear that his skillset is better suited to play along the boards.
He’s got a nose for the net and a chip on his shoulder – a prototypical power forward – but he’s not the skilled playmaker or shutdown defender that thrives at the center position. His experience there might make him the best candidate, but, as is the case with Foligno, he’s a different – and far better – player on the wing.
Playing Jenner at center may be a necessary evil, but the Boone Jenner Center Experiment has never lasted long, and it’s had plenty of trials.
Pierre-Luc Dubois
Pierre-Luc Dubois’ career may follow a similar trajectory to Jenner, but Columbus needs him down the middle in the future. They believe he can thrive as a center.
Remember, this is a player who was drafted as a center despite playing wing for most of his junior career. He made the jump to center full-time last season, when his play was ballyhooed by pundits as his point totals dropped off dramatically in the first half of the season. Team Canada’s disappointing World Junior performance didn’t help matters, either, but he bounced back and had a strong second half of the season after being dealt to Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.
Still, there have always been voices in the hockey world saying Dubois is a natural winger. While that remains to be seen, that’s where the Jackets have broken him in so far. Since his opening night goal (that Thomas Greiss probably should have stopped), he hasn’t been on the point sheet yet, although his possession numbers have been encouraging.
Getting Dubois some NHL experience at center could be great for the future, but it may be better for the player’s confidence to let him get his sea legs on the wing first.
Jordan Schroeder
Over the past week, Jordan Schroeder's been directed to move more times than someone dancing to the Cha Cha Slide. Sorry, that’s the worst joke ever written. Still, here’s a rundown of the roster moves he’s been a part of recently.
October 3: Placed on injured reserve.
October 12: Activated, loaned to Cleveland for conditioning
October 23: Recalled from Cleveland, placed on waivers
October 24: Cleared waivers, assigned to Cleveland
That list will get longer if the Blue Jackets call him back up today to fill Sedlak’s spot, but he’s a strong candidate. The 27-year-old Minnesota native has 144 games of NHL experience and is a natural center who’s used to playing a bottom-six role.
He’s not a star or even an NHL regular, but it’s clear that the Jackets see some kind of role for him, having traded Dante Salituro for him earlier this offseason and then inking him to a two-year deal. Last year, he posted 13 points in 37 games for Minnesota and bounced between the AHL and NHL.
Zac Dalpe
Another 27-year-old role player acquired in the last year from Minnesota, Zac Dalpe’s played in six of the Jackets' first eight games. He’s been on the wing for the entirety of that, averaging just under nine minutes of ice time per game, putting up zero points and 11 penalty minutes.
Those numbers are… well, not great. He’s been a really good AHL player throughout his career, though – 190 points in 270 games – so he could be a perfectly adequate replacement for Sedlak in the interim.
Obligatory “Also he went to Ohio State!” comment here.
Tyler Motte
Obligatory “the last guy was a Buckeye, here’s a Wolverine!” segue.
Most of Motte’s experience is at the wing, but he’s also played center and came over as a part of the Artemi Panarin trade. Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen called him a “significant piece” in that deal, so the club thinks highly of him. He’s a gifted skater too, bringing some more speed to the bottom of the lineup.
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