The Blue Jackets regular season is just one day away, as the club will take on the Philadelphia Flyers at Nationwide Arena on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.
Here at 1st Ohio Battery, we are introducing The CBJ 10, and listing who we think are the top 10 Blue Jackets entering the season. Six ballots were submitted ranking each person's top 10 members of the team. If a player was ranked first, they received one point, second place received two points, and so on. If a player wasn't ranked on all lists, they were given an 11 ranking for the lists they were missing. The list is 10-lowest average rankings. We will be updating these rankings throughout the season.
Here is the first edition of The CBJ 10.
1. Johnny Gaudreau, LW
Gaudreau received five of six first-place votes, and for good reason. He was the team's leading scorer by a wide margin in 2022-23, posting 21-53--74 in 80 games. Just two years ago, he finished tied for second in scoring with 115 points.
#CBJ Gaudreau (9) goal pic.twitter.com/QyoKPVSkLZ
— Coby Maeir (@CobyMaeir) December 7, 2022
2. Zach Werenski, LD
The recipient of the other first-place vote, Werenski played just 13 games last season before suffering a torn labrum. Werenski is one of the league's elite defensemen and should give the Blue Jackets a huge boost now that he's back healthy.
#CBJ Werenski (3) goal pic.twitter.com/MRbqAZbPlX
— Coby Maeir (@CobyMaeir) November 11, 2022
3. Patrik Laine, C/RW
Arguably the biggest storyline entering the 2023-24 Blue Jackets season is Laine's transition to center. Despite missing 27 games due to injury, he was nearly a point-per-game player in 2022-23, registering 22-30--52 in 55 games. If he becomes an elite center, it changes the entire makeup of the Blue Jackets lineup.
Patrik Laine switching to center is a major storyline for the Blue Jackets entering the 2023-24 season.
4. Boone Jenner, C
The team captain scored a team-leading 26 goals in 2022-23, and was on pace to reach the 30-goal plateau for the first time in his career. Like with all players on the Jackets, health will be key for Jenner, but when healthy, he's been an important contributor.
#CBJ Jenner (11) goal pic.twitter.com/CwIsuXee1R
— Coby Maeir (@CobyMaeir) December 17, 2022
5. Kent Johnson, LW/RW
The No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 Draft scored 16-24--40 in 79 games in his first full NHL season. However, it appears that he will be a healthy scratch to start the season. Entering a contract year, can Johnson have a breakout season?
#CBJ Johnson (8) goal pic.twitter.com/S8vHhnumOO
— Coby Maeir (@CobyMaeir) December 21, 2022
6. Damon Severson, RD
The Blue Jackets acquired Severson and signed him to an eight-year, $6.25M AAV deal in the off-season to help bolster their defense. He had a solid career in New Jersey, but he may need to take a larger role in Columbus.
#NJDevils Severson goal pic.twitter.com/5SudV4kWm3
— Coby Maeir (@CobyMaeir) April 7, 2023
7. Kirill Marchenko, RW/LW
No rookie in Blue Jackets history scored more goals in a season than Marchenko did in 2022-23 when he posted 21 goals in just 59 games. He displayed the ability to be a perennial 30-goal scorer in the NHL, but will he achieve the same success in 2023-24 as he did as a rookie?
#CBJ Marchenko (5) goal pic.twitter.com/O6c2fitUh3
— Coby Maeir (@CobyMaeir) December 31, 2022
8. Adam Fantilli, C
Although he has yet to suit up in an NHL regular season game, Fantilli is one of three freshmen to win the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey's best player. The other two freshmen winners were Jack Eichel and Paul Kariya. Leading his team to the Frozen Four, Fantilli led the nation in points and was tied for first in goals, registering 30-35--65 in 36 games.
Adam Fantilli has impressed in the preseason ahead of his highly anticipated rookie campaign.
9. Ivan Provorov, LD
Along with Severson, Provorov was another major blue-line addition the Blue Jackets made, sending a first-round pick to the Flyers to acquire him. Provorov has scored at least 13 goals in two different seasons but hasn't eclipsed double digits since 2019-20.
Big shot. Bigger celly.
— NHL (@NHL) December 7, 2019
Ivan Provorov coming up huge for the @NHLFlyers today. pic.twitter.com/vBUblUXVmn
10. Cole Sillinger, C/RW
After scoring 16 goals in 79 games as an 18-year-old rookie in 2021-22, Sillinger posted just three goals in 64 games in his second campaign. This is a big year for him, and if the Blue Jackets want to make the playoffs, they'll need him to be a solid contributor.
#CBJ Sillinger (1) goal pic.twitter.com/i4qe42t5VD
— Coby Maeir (@CobyMaeir) November 13, 2022
Honorable Mentions
- 11. Justin Danforth, RW/LW
- 12. Jack Roslovic, C/RW
- 13. Alexandre Texier, LW/RW
