Speaking at their end-of-season press conference Monday, Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen and president John Davidson expressed admiration that for the fact head coach John Tortorella makes his players earn their ice time.
With that being the case, figuring out who Tortorella will put on the ice next year along the team’s blue line could be quite the task.
Back will be Zach Werenski and Seth Jones, the high-ceiling wunderkinds who both announced themselves to the NHL this past season. The Blue Jackets also have their second pair, the steady and dependable Jack Johnson and David Savard, under contract.
Then there’s Ryan Murray. And Markus Nutivaara. And Scott Harrington. And Gabriel Carlsson. Possibly Kyle Quincey. And even Vladislav Gavrikov.
You get the picture.
It should be a delightful problem to have for the Blue Jackets, who watched their young defensive corps blossom into one of the strengths of the team during the record-setting campaign.
“Of course we’re thrilled,” Tortorella said of the depth within the organization. “They’re all so young, as far as what we can build there. I’ve said it to you guys all along, I think that’s going to be our engine as we go through here and keep on working at the process of trying to get where we ant to be and who we are.”
Tortorella tasked those defenseman this year with a simple mantra – safe is death. Defenseman to defenseman passes, a staple of the NHL, were discouraged, with the focus on moving the puck up the ice quickly.
There likely wasn’t much resistance met, especially among the young puck movers. Werenski is just 19 and Jones 22, making that duo one of the most exciting units going forward in the entire NHL. But youth wasn’t limited to that pairing with Carlsson (20), Nutivaara (22), Murray (23) and Harrington (24) all with more growth likely to come – and that list doesn’t even include the 21-year-old Gavrikov, a 2015 draft pick who spent the season in his native Russia.
“We think he has a very good chance if he wants to sign with us now that has a very good chance of stepping in and playing with us,” Kekalainen said. “He obviously has to earn the ice time, but we went to watch him this year in the KHL and he’s 220 pounds, 6-3 defenseman who is very mobile and can move the puck.
“If he gets the World Championships under his belt this spring, I think there’s a very good chance he could be close to playing for us next year.”
That would increase what already has been good competition among the young core. Of course, little more needs to be said about Werenski and Jones, a pairing that earned plaudits throughout the season and showed the ability to both create shots in their offensive zone while stifling chances going the other way.
Werenski posted 47 points in his rookie season to earn a Calder Trophy finalist nod, putting him in rarefied air when it comes to under-20 blueliners on the NHL’s all-time scoring chart. He also earned the love of the fans for how he responded to the blocked shot that busted open his face in Game 3 of the playoffs, and Werenski has earned rave reviews from Tortorella for the way he stepped into the locker room.
Jones, meanwhile, made his first All-Star team this year and had 12 goals and 42 points. Together, they made Columbus just one of two NHL teams, joining Nashville (P.K. Subban and Roman Josi), with a pair of defensemen with at least 40 points.
“I know both of those guys are hungry,” Kekalainen said. “Both of those guys are driven, ambitious, and they’re anxious to get going again. I also think both of those guys have tremendous potential as leaders and they’re going to take more of a responsibility on that front as well.”
The veterans in the room at 30 and 26, respectively, Johnson and Savard turned in a solid season in both zones and were each key cogs of the team’s special teams units.
“David Savard is a zero maintenance guy,” Davidson said. “He played well. This was the best season I’ve seen Jack Johnson have since I’ve been here. He was steady.”
Quincey, 31, also added a veteran’s touch in the postseason after being a deadline acquisition, though he seems unlikely to return as an unrestricted free agent.
Then there’s the youngsters. A rookie, Nutivaara showed the ability to get the puck up the ice and was impressive in a short playoff stint, while Carlsson went from the Swedish League to the AHL to Columbus all within a month and played in each postseason game, impressing Tortorella with his calm demeanor.
Harrington’s grit also made him someone the coaching staff could trust as a bottom-pair defenseman, while Murray again was hit by injuries. Still, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 draft was far from a defensive liability even while spending much of the campaign on the third pair.
Time will tell what will happen when the Blue Jackets’ front office shapes next year’s roster. The expansion draft looms, trades could beckon and free agency is still off in the distance. But there seems little doubt that when October comes, the Jackets will have plenty of depth to choose from on the blue line.
“I am so excited about our defense,” Kekalainen said. “They have to be a big part of it.”
