From the sounds of things, the Blue Jackets are not prepared to rest on their laurels after a franchise best 108-point season.
Nor should they, right? They were eliminated by the Pittsburgh Penguins (again), this time in five games instead of six. That’s nothing to celebrate.
Actions speak the loudest and management, led by John Davidson and Jarmo Kekalainen, have made it clear that they want to keep the core of the team intact and go for another run. They’ve lost a few players to free agency (Sam Gagner), buyouts (Scott Hartnell) and trades (Brandon Saad), but the bulk of their core returns for the upcoming season.
A big part of that core – both on and off the ice – is veteran center Brandon Dubinsky, who serves as an alternate captain to Nick Foligno and, shockingly, is one of the team’s longest-tenured players having arrived in July 2012. He’s been a productive player, too, having put up 40-plus points in each full season spent in Columbus.
In addition, he’s become a trusted player in crucial situations: penalty killing, late-game defensive-zone face-offs and more. In many ways, Dubinsky drives the team when he’s on top of his game. And in order to stay at a high level, the work never stops – particularly for a player who, now at 31 years old, isn’t getting any younger.
Davidson recently told 97.1 The Fan that Dubinsky has taken charge of his offseason training.
“I saw him the other day in the weight room and I didn’t even recognize him hardly,” Davidson said of Dubinsky. “He looks like Brandon Dubinsky’s younger brother. He’s really worked hard at his body and transformed himself.”
Dubinsky spends part of his summer training at the Blue Jackets’ facility, which is something the team cannot mandate a player to do. It’s strictly voluntary.
He hasn’t been alone, according to Davidson: several other Blue Jackets veterans (and young players, too) have come in and out of the Nationwide Arena weight room since the season ended, in preparation for training camp that now sits less than a month away.
“When you take that and multiply that throughout the lineup…I saw Seth Jones, Boone Jenner and Jack Johnson, and they’re fired up and ready to go,” Davidson said. “They’ve put the time in. I’m very impressed with our offseason.”
Follow 1st Ohio BatteryFacebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube
