Welcome back to Columbus, Ryan Dzingel.
One day after swinging a trade for Ottawa star forward Matt Duchene, the Blue Jackets called up the Senators again and connected on a deal to send forward Ryan Dzingel to Columbus as well.
Unlike Duchene, Dzingel can’t just walk across the hall into his new dressing room, but he certainly has some familiarity with the city of Columbus. Let’s get to know the newest(er) Blue Jacket.
Dzingel was taken by the Ottawa Senators in the seventh round (204th pick overall) in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft after putting together a solid season for the USHL’s Lincoln Stars. From there, he made the trek to – you guessed it – Columbus, Ohio for a three-year stint with the Ohio State Buckeyes.
His game grew each year at Ohio State, going from 24 points as a freshman to 38 as a sophomore and finally, 46 in 27 games as a junior in 2013-14. That was good enough to get him recognized as a finalist for the 2014 Hobey Baker Award. Yearly improvement has been a common theme for Dzingel who has seen his production grow leaps and bounds every year of his pro career as well.
Now in his fifth full pro season, Dzingel is a legit top six NHL forward and a welcome addition to the Blue Jackets dressing room.
What To Expect
With 55 goals since the start of the 2017-18 season, Ryan Dzingel has become a really good goal scorer at the NHL level over the last two seasons. This year, he’s broken out in a big way, with 22 goals in 57 games – which would translate to 32 goals over a full season.
He’s also far more than a heavy shot. Dzingel also fits the identity that Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen is aiming for, bringing a ton of speed into the lineup.
Dzingel has all the tools to be a 30-goal scorer in the NHL, and for the cost (two second-round picks and Anthony Duclair) looks to be a great value for his production, especially if he signs an extension between now and July 1.
Here’s what his NHL.com bio says about him:
Dzingel, a forward from Wheaton, Illinois, had a breakout season in 2017-18, finishing with an NHL career-high 41 points (23 goals, 18 assists) in 79 games for the Ottawa Senators.
In 2016-17, his first full NHL season, Dzingel had 32 points (14 goals, 18 assists) in 81 games, then contributed three points (two goals, one assist) in 15 games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He scored his first playoff goal in a 2-1 victory against the New York Rangers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Second Round, and his goal with 5:19 remaining in the third period of Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins forced overtime, but the Penguins won 3-2 to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
The Senators signed him to a two-year contract on July 21, 2017.
Dzingel made his NHL debut against the Florida Panthers on Dec. 22, 2015, after being called up from Binghamton of the American Hockey League. He was returned to Binghamton, but earned another call-up and got his first NHL point, an assist, against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 6, 2016. Dzingel scored his first NHL goal 10 days later in a 2-1 victory against the Buffalo Sabres and finished with nine points (three goals, six assists) in 30 games.
The Senators selected Dzingel in the seventh round (No. 204) of the 2011 NHL Draft after he had 67 points (23 goals, 44 assists) in his second season with Lincoln of the United States Hockey League. He played three seasons at Ohio State; as a junior in 2013-14, he led the Big Ten in goals (22) and points (46), was named to the All-Big Ten First Team and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the top player in NCAA Division I.
