With just over two months until the puck drops on the 2023-24 regular season, there are still plenty of questions to answer regarding the Columbus Blue Jackets' opening night lineup.
Ice time and player deployment were issues under former Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen.
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) July 26, 2023
What can we learn from Mike Babcock's career and how he uses his top players? #CBJ https://t.co/Y4wUeigRwX
However, at least one, if not two forward lines could be set for the upcoming season.
According to moneypuck.com, the Johnny Gaudreau-Boone Jenner-Patrik Laine combo was the team's only forward line with at least 100 minutes at five-on-five and a positive goals-for percentage. So, that could be penciled in as the team's top line. It worked last year, and there is no reason to believe it can't work at an even higher level this year if those three players stay healthy throughout the season.
There's no question the Blue Jackets have top-line talent, and that was before they drafted Adam Fantilli.
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) July 18, 2023
How might their No. 1 unit shake out in the fall? #CBJhttps://t.co/JfwOn3BEkR
For the second line, the young dynamic duo of Kent Johnson on the left wing and Kirill Marchenko on the right wing fills two-thirds of the line. The two played 177:12 at five-on-five together and had a goals-for percentage of 54.55%, per naturalstattrick.com.
#CBJ Marchenko (1) goal pic.twitter.com/tmBhU2pgcU
— Coby Maeir (@CobyMaeir) December 11, 2022
Last season, Cole Sillinger centered the two wingers for just over 76 minutes and they had a goals-for rate of 50%, per moneypuck.com, so he could be an ideal fit for the second-line center position. However, Adam Fantilli is also a fantastic option who could thrive alongside a pass-first player like Johnson and a shoot-first winger like Marchenko. Either Sillinger or Fantilli would be solid options, but for this exercise, let's give the edge to Fantilli, giving the Blue Jackets a potential top six of Gaudreau-Jenner-Laine and Johnson-Fantilli-Marchenko.
#CBJ Marchenko (5) goal pic.twitter.com/O6c2fitUh3
— Coby Maeir (@CobyMaeir) December 31, 2022
What the lines will actually be on October 12 will be up to new head coach Mike Babcock, but the idea of the top six listed above should excite Blue Jackets fans.
Who will be in the mix to play on the Blue Jackets' second line this season? #CBJ https://t.co/cMHYqo2mvM
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) July 13, 2023
Only one team scored fewer five-on-five goals than the Blue Jackets in 2022-23, according to nhl.com, but a revamped and healthy top-six forward group should bring more offense and wins in 2023-24.
