The Columbus Blue Jackets are going to be a completely different club when both forwards, Jack Roslovic and Patrik Laine take the ice for them. Until they are cleared and are trained properly, it is only going to be speculation. Both have plenty of potential and we're all excited to see how they will do when they finally get on the ice.
Let's open up the mailbag to see what 1st Ohio Battery fans want to know.
Also, do you think Patrik Laine will ever score 50 in Columbus?
— Adam Laskaris (@adam_la2karis) January 27, 2021
First, lets answer the question that a lot of fans want to know about. How much will Patrik Laine score in a Blue Jackets sweater and could it possibly even be historic?
If you look at the first lockout of the 2000s, the modern era after that has a limited amount of players that have hit the 50 goal-scoring mark. It is the Alex Ovechkin show with a couple of others sprinkled throughout. During the 2018-19 campaign, Leon Draisaitl joined Ovechkin on the 50 goal list. Laine got close with 44 goals but he also did it on a 16%+ shoot percentage. In the past two seasons, Laine has hovered around 12% for his shooting percentage.
He will need to get back to his first two seasons to even touch it. That is going to be about service to him and it is also going to be about time on ice. He is definitely going to get the time on ice, the service is yet to be known. Max Domi is a good passer and that may be a nice pairing.
It could happen. The likelihood of it happening is low. If you want to bet on anyone to do it though, Laine would be one of the safer bets around the league.
Have you ever had a decision that was tougher than Torts decision about who to play in the bottom 6?
— Robinsons Renegades (@cbj50robinson) January 26, 2021
Have I ever had a decision as tough as Tortorella's with the bottom-six? No. I've had a pretty straightforward life when it comes to decision making. I am a simple guy. Don't try to overthink too much.
While you're here though, what are the Blue Jackets going to do with the forwards there. They need to think about how they are going to use Riley Nash, Mikko Koivu, Kevin Stenlund, Eric Robinson, Mikhail Grigorenko, and Emil Bemstrom. For me, anyone who is not going to be hereafter this season should be automatically disqualifying.
You should begin to see what you have and make decisions based on the upcoming expansion draft. The case against it is the competitiveness that may suffer. Given the long term ramifications of the expansion draft, it would be more compelling to get those answers now rather than later when they're playing for another club.
When will they let us into the building?
— Adam Thomas (@adamthomas623) January 26, 2021
Might be the wrong person to answer this question. While I'd like to be in Nationwide Arena ASAP, it doesn't seem like it will happen any time soon. Teams are having trouble corralling the virus within their own locker room. Expanding that to fans and possibly more staff feels like a recipe for disaster.
Whens the Laine tattoo happening?
— Davis MacCartney (@d_maccartney) January 26, 2021
Funny enough, when Pierre-Luc Dubois got traded I remembered that I said I would get his name tattooed on me after the Blue Jackets came back against the Leafs in the bubble. Thank goodness I didn't go through with it. I am normally a man of my word, if the Blue Jackets make the playoffs again, I'm sure my mouth will once again be running. A Laine tattoo could be closer than you think.
