The Columbus Blue Jackets may not be actively participating in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but plenty of their alumni are being showcased.
Obviously, some of those are players that many fans are surely not actively rooting for, but there are plenty of cases of rooting interest.
Broadcasters Jody Shelley and Jean-Luc Grand Pierre were recognized for their outstanding work this season and were selected for national duties with TNT, where they covered the Boston Bruins-Florida Panthers.
2 GOATS REPRESENTING #CBJ pic.twitter.com/D6yqUz0Mim
— Sarah (@sarah____kent) April 21, 2023
Sticking in the Bruins-Panthers series, the Panthers GM is Bill Zito, and while netminder Sergei Bobrovsky has continued to struggle, Nick Foligno has carved out a nice role on the bottom six on the juggernaut Bruins.
Uncle Nick come THROUGH. @NickFoligno | #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/fFAzmgcIYt
— NESN (@NESN) April 22, 2023
Superstar forward Artemi Panarin represents the lone former player in the Devils-Rangers series, and he's been held relatively quiet through three games. Defender Ian Cole is similarly the only player in the Lightning-Maple Leafs series.
Out West, the Blue Jackets representation is perhaps even more pronounced.
Goaltender Joonas Korpisalo struggled in Game 4, but has the Los Angeles Kings squared at two games apiece with the Edmonton Oilers with an impressive .918 save percentage, while Vladislav Gavrikov is playing the as-advertised shutdown role.
Defender Jack Johnson is back for a second playoff push with the Colorado Avalanche, though he has yet to play a game. The Seattle Kraken are well-represented with forwards Alexander Wennberg and Oliver Bjorkstrand.
Kraken retake the lead!
— Emerald City Hockey (@EmeraldCityHky) April 19, 2023
Wennberg shoots(!!) and scores to put the Kraken up 2-1. pic.twitter.com/iaRWHiCNwQ
The Dallas Stars traded for Max Domi, who has been quiet on the scoresheet through four games. The same cannot be said for Minnesota Wild forward Gus Nyquist, who has four assists in four games.
And in Las Vegas, the Golden Knights have gotten two goals and an assist from William Karlsson, and a point apiece from Keegan Kolesar and Jonathan Marchessault. Last (and least?), Pierre-Luc Dubois has tallied a goal and two assists for the Winnipeg Jets, while depth forward Kevin Stenlund has added a goal.
WE LOVE WILLIAM KARLSSON!!! pic.twitter.com/Z4jujspctA
— z - Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) April 21, 2023
Many of these names bring a twinge of pain, to be sure, and lead to some mixed emotions. Ah, yes, what could have been...
