Folks, we're closing in on the finish line on what has been a long and eventful offseason.
Tomorrow night, the NHL drops the puck on the 2023-24 season, and the Blue Jackets host the Philadelphia Flyers in their first game on Thursday night. Here are three questions that the Blue Jackets will look to answer immediately:
Is The 'Patrik Laine To Center' Experiment Working?
Patrik Laine has never been known for his defensive prowess, so I'll be the first to admit that I was skeptical of last season's 'Laine-to-center' experiment. But I've come around on the idea, namely because the team is in need of another top-six center and, frankly, there is so little downside to the move.
And as the Blue Jackets' Jeff Svoboda articulates, the early returns - with the obvious stipulation that it's just preseason - have been very positive.
With the caveat that it was just preseason, the Patrik Laine at center move couldn't have gone much better on the ice so far.#CBJ at 5x5 with Laine on the ice in his four games at C, per @NatStatTrick:
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) October 8, 2023
Goals: 6-0 CBJ
Shot attempts: 47-25 CBJ
Shots on goal: 29-12 CBJ
At this point, it seems almost a certainty that we'll see Laine playing center on Thursday night, likely between Johnny Gaudreau and Kirill Marchenko. How will he perform?
How Comfortable Does Adam Fantilli Look?
Speaking of centers, Adam Fantilli could be the organization's solution to its two-decades-plus hunt for a franchise center. No pressure, kid! Again, with the obvious caveat that it's preseason, he's looked great.
He responded to an open-ice hit from T.J. Oshie with the game-winning goal in Saturday's dress rehearsal in Washington. If Laine is the club's first-line center, Boone Jenner is probably the club's second-line center, meaning Fantilli would likely slot in as the club's third-line center.
Adam Fantilli's third period goal is your @FanaticsBook GOAL OF THE GAME pic.twitter.com/rvVPvKwbOJ
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) October 8, 2023
That's an appropriate way of easing the kid, who turns 19 on opening night, into the lineup. Still, all eyes will be on him to see how he handles the NHL.
Does The Defensive Side Of The Puck Appear Markedly Better?
While many fans will be (rightly) clamoring to see Laine at center and Fantill in the NHL, plenty more will be keying in on the defensive structure. This isn't targeted at the defense, specifically, either. The forwards will have to play a disciplined forecheck and complement the defensive players in the neutral zone. In the defensive zone, the forwards and defense have to be on the same page about reads and coverages. All that, plus the blatant improvement needed from the goaltending position, is part of the equation.
That's no small task for any team, let alone one with a new head coach, at least two new defensive players (Damon Severson and Ivan Provorov), and at least two new centers (Laine and Fantilli). That's a lot of moving pieces, and I don't expect to have a clear answer on this one after just a weekend's worth of games. But the early developments will set the table for the rest of the season.
