The Blue Jackets' first regular-season game is just eight days away. On Wednesday, they host the Sabres in their sixth of eight preseason games.
#CBJs roster for tomorrows game against Buffalo. pic.twitter.com/owWLGGII2F
— Coby Maeir (@CobyMaeir) October 4, 2023
With the preseason's end in sight, the Blue Jackets are icing nearly a full NHL lineup against Buffalo, with the only non-NHLers from 2022-23 being Adam Fantilli, who is slated to make the team, and Pavel Cajan, who still hasn't signed an NHL deal.
Here are the lines for the game, per BlueJackets.com's Jeff Svoboda.
#CBJ lines this morning ahead of tonights clash with Buffalo
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) October 4, 2023
Marchenko-Laine-Gaudreau
Texier-Jenner-Bemstrom
Danforth-Fantilli-Johnson
Robinson-Kuraly-Sillinger
Werenski-Peeke
Provorov-Severson
Bean-Gudbranson
Merzlikins/Cajan
Storylines Heading into the game
Elvis Merzlikins in Net
Can Merzlikins, who has struggled so far in the preseason, have a good start on Wednesday? In two games thus far, he's stopped 45 of 52 shots, which computes to an abysmal .865SV%, 11 points worse than his save percentage in 2022-23. The Blue Jackets need Merzlikins to be at least close to average this season for them to have a chance to make the playoffs. While his performance Wednesday, whether strong or poor, won't change the narrative surrounding him, it will at least show that he still has the ability to be a starting NHL goaltender.
Jake Bean's Debut
Bean, who missed the last 68 games of last season after suffering a torn labrum, returned to the ice on Saturday and is slated to play in an NHL game--albeit a preseason one--since November 15, 2022. In a crowded defense, can Bean crack the lineup?
Kent Johnson-Adam Fantilli-Justin Danforth line
This line was productive in Saturday's game in Buffalo and is back together for Wednesday's contest. They played 9:04 at five-on-five in that game, per naturalstattrick.com, so it'll be interesting to see how much they play this time against the Sabres.
| Chances For/Against | Shots For/Against | Scoring Chances For/Against | High Danger Chances For/Against | Goals For/Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7/5 | 2/4 | 4/3 | 2/2 | 1/0 |
With Johnson as the playmaker, Fantilli driving the play through the middle, and Danforth crashing the net, would this trio be an effective combination in the regular season?
"He just makes a lot of plays," Danforth said when talking about playing on a line with Johnson. "So I feel like when you play on a line with a guy like that, you've just got to compliment him and make sure you're always ready for the puck because you never know when it's coming. And he's definitely not scared to try things. So you just gotta keep that in mind."
With the lineup looking more like a finalized one, how much stock should be put into the line combinations?
Only time will tell.
