Here we are: halfway done, halfway to go.
The reality is that the Blue Jackets are 25-18-3 through their first 46 games. It's not a sparkling record but also nothing to sneeze at. They've entered their bye week in a playoff spot in the crazy, wild and unpredictable Metropolitan Division, but the standings are closing fast and there's an increasingly-small margin for error.
With that being said, we've assembled the 1st Ohio Battery staff – writers Sam Blazer, Kyle Morrison, Dan Dukart and senior editor Rob Mixer – for a panel discussion on what's gone well for the Blue Jackets, who needs to elevate their play, and a whole lot more.
Also: we embrace debate on this site, so drop a comment below and let us know what you think of our opinions.
Who is your first half Blue Jackets MVP?
SB: Artemi Panarin is my first-half MVP. You have great choices on the back end and in net but Panarin sticks out. He is everything that the Blue Jackets wanted him to be. He has stepped up when he has been needed and been the offensive catalyst all season long. Now if he could get some help.
KM: To me, MVP is more of a “best player” honor – and to me, that’s been Seth Jones. John Tortorella is right – Jones absolutely belongs in the thick of the Norris Trophy conversation. He’s out there for nearly 25 minutes a night, playing in all situations and making some highlight-reel plays. He’s a complete defenseman, with incredible hockey sense, great reach, elite skating and a hefty amount of skill – at just 23 years old.
DD: Sergei Bobrovsky. He’s tied for second in the NHL in shutouts and is sporting a clean .920 save percentage. He’s had his fair share of shaky moments this season, but when push comes to shove, it’s hard to imagine where this team would be without Bob.
RM: I’m with Sam on this one. Panarin has been MVP-caliber for a while now and has shown a commanding presence on the ice. His offensive skill is brought to the table every single game, and the more we see it, the more I’m convinced he’s the most talented player to ever play for the Blue Jackets. He’s a phenomenal player and, without him, the Blue Jackets would have even more issues scoring goals.
Whose performance has most surprised you?
SB: Markus Nutivaara. Just watching him play, you know what you get from him. He is a mobile player, a great passer with a sneaky shot. You knew it was going to develop and get better with time. His ability to join the rush gives the Blue Jackets a player similar to Jones and Werenski on the back end. He can be that dynamic at times. He can stick as a top-4 defenseman and the team shouldn’t have a worry about his ability to handle the role.
KM: Coming into the season, I expected the Jackets to quickly make a move for a center and send Pierre-Luc Dubois back to junior, or put him on the wing somewhere in the bottom-six. For him to adjust to center as quickly as he did was a bit surprising, but to emerge as the no-doubt number one center for the club was a shocker. In a year where the team’s had inconsistent play and some untimely injuries, Dubois’s emergence is far and away the best development, and the best sign for the future. He is a bona fide top-six center – and perhaps more – as a 19-year-old.
DD: Pierre-Luc Dubois, and it’s not particularly close. Before the season we wrote an over/under piece on Dubois hitting 35 points, and I took the under (28). Suffice it to say, he’s going to prove me wrong (as long as he stays healthy). He’s got 22 in 46 games, but after a slow start, has been producing well enough for the past few months. It’s surprising that he’s found success with Artemi Panarin, but it’s most surprising that he’s thriving as a first line center.
RM: You know I’m on #TeamDubois, so no surprise here. I had a hunch he would become a solid player this season, but like Jarmo Kekalainen told FOX Sports Ohio during an intermission segment last week, I figured it would come in the second half once he got acclimated to the NHL. Kid’s a quick learner, isn’t he? He reminds me of Ryan Getzlaf, and while he may not score as much as Getzlaf has in his career, Dubois is strong on the puck and looks more and more confident with it on his stick. He's not afraid to shoot, either, and he's getting himself into scoring areas to unleash it.
Whose performance has been most disappointing?
SB: Boone Jenner. He has play A LOT better his past few games but his season for the most part has been headache-inducing. You know what he is and what he is supposed to do on the ice. He wasn’t doing a lot of it to start the season. He would throw a hit but nothing else would come of his play. He has been offensively uninspiring and defensively a wreck; he needs to step it up if he wants to continue to earn a spot in the Blue Jackets' top nine. His recent play, however, says that he is ready to step up to that task.
KM: David Savard. For a couple of years now, he’s been seen as a steady, two-way, top-four defenseman who can play shutdown minutes. This year, he’s been a disaster out there, at least as far as the eye test is concerned. If it wasn’t for Jaromir Jagr coming back at age 45, Savard have gotten the dubious honor of being the league’s slowest skater, and he’s not playing with the intensity or smarts to make up for that.
DD: Cam Atkinson. Injury aside, it’s been a bizarre year for the 28-year-old. He signed his long-term extension with the club, then followed it up with perhaps the most dominant game of his career. But then it turned sideways. He’s tallied just 13 points in 32 games, including just six goals. Remember, this is a guy who scored 35 a season ago. While that may have been his career-high, it’s still worth noting that his goal scoring has gone up every year in the league (7, 9, 21, 22, 27, 35), so this is a major disappointment.
RM: Tough one here, huh? Damn. Put me down for Alexander Wennberg. He’s been banged up and it’s had an affect on his game, but we haven’t yet seen the dynamic playmaking from him that catalyzed the Blue Jackets’ offense a season ago. Maybe that comes around in the second half – I hope it does, because they need it – and perhaps it comes with the side effect of rejuvenating the power play, where the Blue Jackets have lost a ton of offense this season.
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