The Blue Jackets have a lot of opportunity this year to get to the Stanley Cup. It is a tiny window before an even bigger window opens up.
Is everything going according to plan or do they need to change it up?
Just before the halfway mark of the season, do the Blue Jackets still go for it and keep Bobrovsky/Panarin?
Kyle Morrison: This team is so hot and cold that I think things could go either way. If they hit a prolonged cold streak? That’d make trades for both players more likely. Still, though, trades are hard, and the Metro is low key bad this year, so I see the Blue Jackets keeping both players and re-tooling or adding some veteran forwards and maybe another defenseman. From an asset management standpoint, I think it’s in their best interest to at least move one of them, but that would mean punting on this year, which I don’t see them doing.
Dan Dukart: At this point, there are too many unknown variables to answer with any certainty. I’ll say this: I’d be surprised if Bobrovsky is traded, and that’s mostly a function of the fact that he has a no-move clause, coupled with the fact that there just aren’t that many teams that will want a goalie in a rental capacity. Good teams typically have good goalies, and bad teams aren’t moving assets for players on expiring contracts. On Panarin, it’s more complicated. If Jarmo Kekalainen is convinced that Panarin may sign with the Blue Jackets, I could see why management would want to keep him for a playoff run. I know the Capitals and Penguins are looming in the way, but in a down year for the Metropolitan Division, trading Panarin could be a death blow to the locker room. I lean towards keeping him until I (Kekalainen) know more definitively what Panarin is thinking.
Chris Pennington: If either player is traded, the hopes of any sort of playoff run are gone. That’s not to say it shouldn’t happen, but it should be known that this season is essentially a wash if so. I’ve always had an unrealistic and stubborn outlook that Panarin is staying, and it definitely seems like he’s still keeping his mind open. I think Bob is as good as gone this offseason, but the return on him would be especially low for a trade now, as he statistically is not played great in the totality of the year. If I were Jarmo, I’d hold onto Panarin and do everything to convince him to stay. You’re never going to get a player like him in free agency, almost entirely because not many star players want to move their lives to Ohio. You only have a few opportunities to really go for a Cup run, so why waste it to just rebuild even more? However, if Bob picks up that pace, I wouldn’t be totally opposed to dealing him before the deadline when his value is high, get some defensive/forward depth, and bank on Elvis Merzlikins being a legitimate tendy next year.
Paul Berthelot: I think you have to keep them and go for it. With the ups and downs of their play this year they still sit second in the division and sixth in the conference. This is a good team and is one hot streak away from being right there with the Capitals. Trading either one of Bobrovsky or Panarin kills any hope of that and any chance the Jackets have of making a real run. Sure losing both as free agents is going to hurt but for this franchise trading that for a playoff run is worth it, in my opinion.
Who is the biggest surprise halfway through the Blue Jackets season?
KM: In a league that’s going more towards skill and speed, I certainly expected Alexander Wennberg and Oliver Bjorkstrand to break out this season and flourish on the second line, but neither player has been particularly good, with Bjorkstrand being benched for a long portion of this season. Another skilled player in Sonny Milano is still in Cleveland, too. Instead, beyond the top line, the Blue Jackets have relied upon a solid second line of Nick Foligno, Boone Jenner, and Josh Anderson, and the bottom six has been an ineffective revolving door of spare pieces. This puts the Blue Jackets in an interesting situation with Wennberg and Bjorkstrand – who likely still have solid trade value and could be interesting trade candidates if the Blue Jackets choose to re-tool. Imagine saying that before this season started.
DD: Zach Werenski, and not in a good way. A year after finishing third in the NHL in rookie of the year voting and a heroic playoff effort, he tied a franchise record for goals by a defenseman, doing so with a torn labrum that required off-season surgery. I think we all expected him to take a step forward defensively in his third year, and, while he’s been better in recent games, he hasn’t had the start to the season that many (myself including) were hoping for/expecting. He clearly has the talent to become a top player in the league, and with the season not even half over, there’s reason to believe he can still turn around his season. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves; a ‘down’ Werenski is still a quality NHL player.
CP: The defense has been below average as a whole, including the goaltending. The Jackets were ranked top-ten in the league in goals against last season, and have hovered in the high teens, and low 20’s throughout this season. Aside from Seth Jones and an emerging Ryan Murray, turnovers and below the goal-line play have been mediocre. Zach Werenski and Markus Nutivaara both had high hopes coming into this season but have been weak in their own zone. Bobrovsky as a whole has been fairly decent, but his numbers aren’t top-ten-in-the-league worthy, which would be okay, if he weren’t the only active two-time Vezina winner.
PB: The play of Josh Anderson. I never really saw Anderson as more than a grinder bottom six player. His emergence this season as a goal scorer has been a pleasant surprise. He showed some of this last season, but as really taken a big step forward this year. His size and skill have a been a load for teams handle. He’s a real throwback player and one of few Jackets who will drop the gloves. He has become one of the more relied upon players outside of the top line, and as the stakes get higher, I’m looking for him to continue to be a impact player.
Where are the Blue Jackets current weaknesses and strengths, are they able to be fixed?
KM: I want to say #SweaterTorts is the strongest (because seriously, that man is a fashion icon) but that top forward line has been as good as advertised. The obvious weakness is the power play, but the team’s largely uninspiring play on home ice also stands out to me.
DD: Until proven wrong, the power play is still a nightmare. While the Penguins and Capitals use power plays to turn the tide in games, the Blue Jackets just don’t seem to have the killer instinct. Some games, it looks like they’re better off declining the penalty. I think it can still be salvaged, and to me, it starts with putting Werenski and Seth Jones on the same unit. Power plays thrive on breakdowns, and one of the best ways to cause a breakdown in front of the net is to put the puck into traffic and create a 3-2 or 2-1. Their biggest strength is probably the depth of the lineup. This is likely the deepest roster the Blue Jackets have ever iced, and it should bode well for them as the schedule ramps up in the second half of the season.
CP: Aside from their defensive play (this includes forwards) that’s riddled with turnovers and opposing team odd-man rushes, the power play continues to hold their name back from entering into the list of legitimate league contenders. They are currently ranked 27th in the league for power play opportunities on a face-palming 15.09%. Their penalty kill is right about in the middle of the pack. I hate to say this, but John Tortorella may need to just pick a power play unit and stick with it for a few weeks. He’s shuffled the group a frequent amount which is good for motivating better work, but chemistry is crucial. If it can’t get much worse than now, what do they have to lose? As for their strengths (except as of late, ironically), they’ve been a top-scoring team in the NHL. Their already-108 goals is ranked 11th in the league, a noticeable improvement from their 242 that they ended last season with in 16th place.
PB: Not to pile on but the power play, with the talent on this roster, there is no reason for their power play to not be at minimum, in the top half of the league.
Layout the rest of the 2018-19 season for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
KM: The Blue Jackets will continue their Jekyll and Hyde act of looking like worldbeaters one night and then coming out full of malaise the next, but I think they’ll make the playoffs. Also wouldn’t be surprised to see them make a trade for another middle-six forward and re-tool a little bit. Remember how much Thomas Vanek helped spur Wennberg and Jenner last year? The Blue Jackets could certainly use a player like that. I foresee a third-place finish in the Metropolitan, a first-round matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins and another early playoff exit. Would love to be wrong, though!
DD: The Blue Jackets continue at their current pace up to the trade deadline. The team holds onto Bobrovsky, who benefits from an all-star break. Kekalainen adds depth on the blueline in preparation for a playoff run. Regardless of what sweater Panarin is wearing post-trade deadline, the Blue Jackets finish in a playoff spot due to a down year in the Metropolitan Division, where they must exercise demons of yesteryear in a playoff matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
CP: The Blue Jackets will continue to ride waves of inconsistency but will finish in the top-two in the Metropolitan Division by season’s end. I think they keep Panarin the whole year, and likely will hang onto Bob as well (his no-trade clause will help with that). I could see them dealing away a bottom-six forward to get a third-pair defenseman and push in all their chips for a playoff run (or, just a series win). Here’s a lukewarm take: If the Blue Jackets matchup with anyone in the first round of the playoffs that’s not named the Washington Capitals, they will win. Yes, including Pittsburgh.
PB: I think the Jackets hold on to Bob and Panarin and make an addition at the trade deadline. Not a major addition but a third pair defencemen similar to the Ian Cole trade last season. As much as I’d hate to see it, I think they deal Sonny Milano to a rebuilding team like a Vancouver or Detroit who can give him a long look without consequences at the NHL level. They make the playoffs and finally, finally win a round.
