So You Want to Draft a Jacket?: Your 2017-18 Columbus Blue Jackets Fantasy Hockey Preview
Dennis Wierzbicki - USA TODAY Sports
Fantasy hockey is fun. Winning at fantasy hockey while playing your favorite players is even more fun.
So of course you want to own Columbus Blue Jackets as you try to capture bragging rights in your league. Which ones are the best bets to draft?
It's always a tough balance, but 1st Ohio Battery has the answer. We looked at five fantasy hockey projections (those by ESPN, Yahoo!, CBS Sports, Dom Luszczyszyn and Daily Faceoff) and averaged them to let you know what the experts expect from the Jackets this year.
In addition, we take a look at each player's average draft position (standard) to let you know if you're getting a good deal, and we also focus on some key places where Jackets players can shine.
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G sERGEI BOBROVSKY
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Avg. Draft Position: Yahoo 22.8, ESPN 11
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Average Projected Stats
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WINS
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GAA
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SV PCT
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35
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2.38
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.920
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NOTES: Bobrovsky represents a bit of a gamble for some simply because of health. Some projection systems wonder if he'll be able to play a full season, but all expect exemplary stats even if they don't quite match last year's 2.06 GAA and .931 save percentage. He should be able to add a strong number of shutouts as well.
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LW Artemi Panarin
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Avg. Draft Position: Yahoo 31.3, ESPN 29
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Average Projected Stats
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GOALS
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ASSISTS
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POINTS
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30
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43
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73
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NOTES: If you're a Blue Jackets fan, Panarin is probably the player you're most excited about owning. Not only does he fill up the stat sheet at just about every spot (expect power-play points and shots on goal as well), he's been a model of consistency in his first two NHL seasons.
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D ZACH WERENSKI
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Avg. Draft Position: Yahoo 56.4, ESPN 55
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Average Projected Stats
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GOALS
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ASSISTS
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POINTS
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13
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37
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50
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NOTES: Looking for a scoring D? Look no further. Of course, you already knew that, but Werenski is expected to better last year's impressive rookie numbers (11-36-47). He should also be elite among defensemen when it comes to power-play points as well as shots on goal. Just don't expect penalty minutes.
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RW CAM ATKINSON
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Avg. Draft Position: Yahoo 73.4, ESPN 69
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Average Projected Stats
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GOALS
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ASSISTS
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POINTS
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30
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27
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57
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NOTES: Atkinson is another who shines when it comes to consistency, having upped his goal total every season of his NHL career each year to a career-high 35 last year. Most models have him finally taking a slight dip, but 30 goals is certainly a pretty solid target for the sharp-shooting forward. Atkinson is also a major part of the power play.
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D SETH JONES
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Avg. Draft Position: Yahoo 99.6, ESPN 150.6
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Average Projected Stats
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GOALS
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ASSISTS
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POINTS
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10
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33
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43
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NOTES: Jones is no Werenski, but he's still a defenseman who can get you above 40 points. He should also boast a solid plus/minus and plenty of shots on goal, though penalty minutes are not his forte.
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C ALEXANDER WENNBERG
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Avg. Draft Position: Yahoo 163.6 ESPN 117.5
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Average Projected Stats
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GOALS
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ASSISTS
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POINTS
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14
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44
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58
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NOTES: Wennberg is an intriguing option who requires a bit of projection. He had 59 points last year and is young and skilled enough to jump forward, especially playing on a line with Panarin. At the same time, he's a flawed fantasy player in that his goals and shots totals will likely be pretty low compared to some others. If you loaded up on goals early and need assists, this is the man to go for (you might even make that your strategy with an eye on taking Wennberg in the middle rounds, though your CBJ friends might be doing the same).
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LW/RW NICK FOLIGNO
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Avg. Draft Position: Yahoo 157.1, ESPN 124.7
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Average Projected Stats
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GOALS
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ASSISTS
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POINTS
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24
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28
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52
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NOTES: Foligno is one of those later-round choices who can provide well-rounded points. He'll likely put up solid goal and assist numbers, he works on the power play, and he isn't afraid to drop the gloves meaning he'll rack up some penalty minutes as well. Plus/minus is a concern on a lot of models, but Foligno does a lot well and can fit in either winger slot in many leagues.
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LW/C/RW BOONE JENNER
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Avg. Draft Position: Yahoo 172.0, ESPN 169.6
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Average Projected Stats
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GOALS
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ASSISTS
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POINTS
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23
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19
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42
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NOTES: Well, this one might come down to which league you're in. Jenner is listed as a right wing in ESPN's game but a center and left wing on Yahoo. The latter gives him more flexibility, and Jenner also figures to score well in shots as well as penalty minutes. Assuming Jenner is healthy, there are worse mid- to late-round flyers considering he had 30 goals two seasons ago.
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C BRANDON DUBINSKY
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Avg. Draft Position: Yahoo N/A, ESPN 164.3
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Average Projected Stats
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GOALS
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ASSISTS
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POINTS
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15
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29
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44
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NOTES: The first caveat with Dubinsky is that he has been working back from a broken wrist and has yet to play in any preseason games, though the team said on media day he could be ready by opening night. The second is his offensive production dropped last year, and Dubinsky is on the wrong side of 30, which is the age those numbers don't usually perk back up. He's likely to be a second-line center when healthy, so the opportunity will be there, and you know you'll get penalty minutes, too, if you pick him up.
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D DAVID SAVARD
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Avg. Draft Position: Yahoo 165.4, ESPN N/A
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Average Projected Stats
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GOALS
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ASSISTS
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POINTS
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7
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20
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27
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NOTES: Savard is what he is, but he proved to be a fantasy commodity last year when he finished plus-33, lapping the previous franchise record. It's hard to expect him to do that again, but if the exhibition season is any indication, he'll still be a pretty good player. He's not offensively elite but he'll pop in a few goals and add some penalty minutes, too. He's a reasonable depth option.
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RW JOSH ANDERSON
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Avg. Draft Position: Yahoo N/A, ESPN N/A
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Average Projected Stats
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GOALS
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ASSISTS
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POINTS
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18
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16
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34
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NOTES: If all was well in contract world, Anderson would be a truly interesting option after his 17-goal rookie campaign. Of course, he's not in camp and who knows if he puts pen to paper before the start of the campaign. It's hard to advocate a choice right now, but if he signs, the upside is strong for a talented youngster who also drops the gloves occasionally.
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D JACK JOHNSON
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Avg. Draft Position: Yahoo N/A, ESPN N/A
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Average Projected Stats
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GOALS
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ASSISTS
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POINTS
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6
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19
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25
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NOTES: Johnson is basically Savard but a little older and with a little less projected production, but if the two remain on the same pairing, they could again put up similar numbers. At this point, Johnson isn't due for some major offensive breakout, but he'll likely be around late if you need defensive depth from someone who fills up a fair number of categories.
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LW OLIVER BJORKSTRAND
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Avg. Draft Position: Yahoo N/A, ESPN N/A
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Average Projected Stats
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GOALS
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ASSISTS
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POINTS
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17
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20
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37
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NOTES: If you want a sleeper from the Jackets and are playing against a bunch of non-Columbus fans (CBJ supporters would, after all, be thinking exactly the same thing as you), this might be a good place to look. Bjorkstrand looked like a legitimate top-six talent when he returned to the team in the second half of last season, and 20 to 30 goals isn't out of the realm of possibility. One would also expect him to earn power-play time, and NHL.com lists him as the team's "deep sleeper."
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Best of the rest
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At this point, there's one player you likely noticed is missing: Pierre-Luc Dubois. What of the 2016 first-round pick who has a great chance to make the team and make an impact this season? Well, the reality is he showed up on only two of the five projection metrics, with one pegging him for an 18-25-43 line and the other at 9-14-23. The truth might live in the middle of the two, but if you're a Jackets fan who just has to rack up Columbus players, he's worth a late-round choice simply because he could end up on a top-six line at some point and has the talent to shine.
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Much of the same could be said for Sonny Milano, though there's still no guarantee the creative forward makes the squad. It likely doesn't make much sense to draft him now, but if you can put him on a player to watch list, he might be worth an early-season pickup if he makes the roster.
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Finding Ryan Murray on most of the projection lists was tough. He did, after all, miss the end of last year with injury, and when he has played he hasn't been a major contributor on the offensive end (11 goals and 60 points in 220 career games). Still, he could be a late-round flyer considering he's likely facing a decisive year in his Jackets career and has impressed in camp.
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You love Matt Calvert. I love Matt Calvert. But the reality is he's just not a great fantasy player. You should name your team after him, though.
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Joonas Korpisalo? Not unless everyone has five starting goalie spots, or Bob gets hurt. If the former is true, you need to get out more. If the latter is, you can probably pick him up as soon as you stop sobbing.
