Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella said recently he plans on slotting Nick Foligno on the left side of Pierre-Luc Dubois and Cam Atkinson. That, as you know, is the Blue Jackets' No. 1 line, and that spot was formerly occupied by Artemi Panarin.
Now, things always change...and we've recently seen Alexandre Texier get a chance with Dubois and Atkinson early in Week 2 of camp. We'll see where this goes.
While on paper it may not seem as though Foligno is the right answer on the first line (especially after signing Gustav Nyquist this summer), having the captain with those two players can work.
Here's how
The first step is realizing that Foligno is not a replacement for Panarin. It's obvious, of course, but we should also realize the production from this unit likely won't be the same. Foligno is a skilled player, of course, but he's far from the Blue Jackets' top offensive weapon. This doesn't mean he can't, or won't, make an impact.
The second step – and key for Tortorella – is using him properly. Since Foligno probably won't be generating a ton of offense, he needs to make room for Dubois and Atkinson on the ice.
This starts with his physical play, an area well-suited for Foligno as he hasn't had less than 150 hits in the last six seasons. Foligno needs to and wear down the opposing team's defense, which would allow Atkinson and Dubois more room to operate. When Atkinson has space to shoot the puck, he's a threat.
With the No. 1 line, Foligno won't lay claim to the high-danger areas on the ice, such as the slot area. He'll cede them to either Dubois or Atkinson, who are more offensively gifted, and he can also help by digging pucks out of the corner and along the walls. Since he never shies away from the dirty areas on the ice, this should work well for Foligno.
In front of the net, Foligno will be focused on deflections, screens and rebounds, while Atkinson and Dubois can focus on putting pucks on net. By making an impact down low and in the corners, it should (in theory) second and third chance opportunities for his line mates and increases the chances of the line producing a goal.
This can be an extremely effective strategy – think of Tomas Holmstrom in Detroit, as they have the exact same amount of points per game – if run properly. And if Foligno buys into the role, which shouldn't be difficult since he's always been a team-first player, there's a strong chance this trio will have success.
