Game Preview: Blue Jackets Travel To Michigan For Battle With Red Wings

DETROIT RED WINGS

28–34–9 (65 points; .458%)

7:00 P.M. – SATURDAY, APRIL 9TH LITTLE CAESARS ARENA DETROIT, MI

Bally Sports Ohio ESPN+ (Out of Network)

If only the Michigan Wolverines had been eliminated a game earlier.

The Columbus Blue Jackets travel to Detroit for a Saturday night battle with the Red Wings, just one game before the expected debuts of star Wolverines' skaters Kent Johnson and Nick Blankenburg for the Blue Jackets.

Johnson, the fifth overall pick in the 2021 draft, signed his entry level contract Friday. Blakenburg, a defenseman and the (now former) captain of the Michigan hockey team, also signed a contract that will put him with the club through the end of the season in what is a glorified tryout. Both players agreed to join the Blue Jackets following the Wolverines' elimination in the NCAA's men hockey tournament.

But neither player will make his debut Saturday night just up the road from their college home. Johnson is still in the process of clearing immigration to be eligible to work in the United States, and Blankenburg will join the team in Columbus for practice Monday.

The additions of Johnson and Blankenburg mean that two recent regulars in the lineup could be playing one of their final games of the season when the puck drops Saturday night from the Little Caesars Arena. Look for players like Brendan Gaunce and Emil Bemstrom on offense and Gabriel Carlsson and Jake Christiansen on the blue line to play with a little extra oomph Saturday, knowing that they'll need to impress to not be the odd man out in the coming days.

RE: RED WINGS

The Red Wings have been wildly inconsistent this season, and that hasn't changed in recent games. Back on March 27th, they gave up 11 goals to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a nine-goal loss. That was the beginning of a four-game slide that saw Detroit get outscored 26-10 by the opposition, including consecutive 5-2 losses to the Ottawa Senators.

But in the last three nights, they've picked up home wins over the Boston Bruins (5-3) and Winnipeg Jets (3-1). The Bruins are one of the best teams in the eastern conference and in a tight division race, and the Jets are fighting for their playoff lives — so both teams were in need of the two points when they were usurped by the Red Wings.

Detroit's better-than-expected season has been largely in part to the play of two rookies: Defenseman Moritz Seider and winger Lucas Raymond. Current Vegas betting odds have them at 1-2 in the race for the Calder Trophy, which goes to the NHL's best rookie. Raymond has 22 goals and 31 assists and has played in all 71 Detroit games this season, and is second amongst rookies in scoring behind Michael Bunting. Bunting, though, is 26 — eligible for the award, yes, but is probably hurt by his age.

It's Seider, though, who is the odds-on favorite to win the award. His 45 points ranked 11th amongst defensemen, and he's fourth in rookie scoring — but first amongst defensemen. He's also the team-leader in time on ice, at over 23 minutes per game, and has a plus/minus of only -5; an impressive feat for a 21-year-old rookie who is playing on a team that's been outscored by 67 goals on the season.

STORYLINES

• A LITTLE DANFORTH LOVE
  Pay attention to #17 on Columbus. He's scored three goals in his last five games and has eight in 35 games this season with the Blue Jackets. That would be 18 goals over an 82-game season. He's quick, elusive, and makes smart plays that don't show up on the scoreboard. Columbus signed him to a two-year extension earlier in the season, and it's easy to see why. 
   
• FINISH STRONG, LAINE
  Laine's last five games: no goals, one assist, one point, plus/minus of -8, 15 shots. That's not an ideal end to the season for Laine, who seems eager to sign long-term with the club but whose restricted free agency status means Columbus can play the waiting game, if they choose to. If Laine can impress in the last three weeks of the season — especially if there's a little chemistry with Johnson — the end of the season could be the best part of the whole year for the Blue Jackets.

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