On Monday, the Blue Jackets revealed their season-opening roster. It includes 14 forwards, seven defensemen, and two goalies.
With that being said, here are the optimal lines for the upcoming season. All five-on-five data being used is according to naturalstattrick.com.
Forwards
1st Line: Johnny Gaudreau-Patrik Laine-Kirill Marchenko
This line was dominant in the preseason, and there's no reason it shouldn't be the team's top line to start the season. Now, as if all lines and pairings, if it doesn't work, it should be changed. The Laine at center experiment has gone well so far, as he scored three goals and added four assists in five preseason games. With Gaudreau's playmaking ability coupled with the goal-scoring prowess of Laine and Marchenko, this line has the chance to be one of the league's most dangerous trios.
| Time On Ice | Shot Attempts For/Against | Shots on Goal For/Against | Scoring Chances For/Against | High Danger Chances For/Against | Expected Goals For/Against | Goals For/Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28:25 | 33/13 | 20/7 | 15/5 | 9/1 | 1.5/0.37 | 3/0 |
2nd Line: Kent Johnson-Adam Fantilli-Justin Danforth
While this line wasn't as dominant as the first one, it still performed well. With Johnson as the playmaker, Fantilli taking the middle of the ice, and Danforth being a gritty net-front presence, this line has the ingredients of a productive unit.
| Time On Ice | Shot Attempts For/Against | Shots on Goal For/Against | Scoring Chances For/Against | High Danger Chances For/Against | Expected Goals For/Against | Goals For/Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18:39 | 19/13 | 7/9 | 9/4 | 5/2 | 0.82/0.34 | 2/1 |
3rd Line: Alexandre Texier-Boone Jenner-Emil Bemstrom
Jenner, the team captain and a 26-goal scorer last season, has to be in the top nine. While this line was outshot in the preseason, they produced respectable numbers in the expected goals department. This trio combined for three goals and 10 points in the exhibition games, and have plenty of skill. The big question is Emil Bemstrom. Can his preseason success translate into regular-season production?
| Time On Ice | Shot Attempts For/Against | Shots on Goal For/Against | Scoring Chances For/Against | High Danger Chances For/Against | Expected Goals For/Against | Goals For/Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21:52 | 18/23 | 11/14 | 7/10 | 4/5 | 0.83/0.82 | 1/1 |
4th Line: Eric Robinson-Sean Kuraly-Cole Sillinger
In limited preseason action, this group performed well. Not often do you get a 20-year-old No. 12 overall pick on the fourth line, but here we are. Sillinger had a solid preseason and probably deserves to be higher up in the lineup, but he could also provide an offensive spark that most teams don't have on their fourth line.
| Time On Ice | Shot Attempts For/Against | Shots on Goal For/Against | Scoring Chances For/Against | High Danger Chances For/Against | Expected Goals For/Against | Goals For/Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:49 | 11/6 | 5/3 | 6/5 | 2/1 | 0.33/0.35 | 0/0 |
Defensemen
1st Pair: Zach Werenski-Andrew Peeke
Werenski is one of the league's elite defensemen and has plenty of experience playing with Peeke in the past. Will that familiarity help them in the regular season?
| Time On Ice | Shot Attempts For/Against | Shots on Goal For/Against | Scoring Chances For/Against | High Danger Chances For/Against | Expected Goals For/Against | Goals For/Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13:22 | 27/27 | 10/5 | 5/4 | 3/1 | 0.64/0.38 | 0/1 |
2nd Pair: Ivan Provorov-Damon Severson
The two off-season acquisitions posted tremendous on-ice numbers in the preseason. They were brought in to bolster the Blue Jackets blue line, and so far, the early returns are promising.
| Time On Ice | Shot Attempts For/Against | Shots on Goal For/Against | Scoring Chances For/Against | High Danger Chances For/Against | Expected Goals For/Against | Goals For/Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29:00 | 36/18 | 15/7 | 18/6 | 9/3 | 1.40/0.65 | 5/2 |
3rd Pair: Jake Bean-Erik Gudbranson
For a bottom pairing, this group posted solid numbers in the two exhibition games they played alongside each other. Bean missed the final 68 games of last season with a torn labrum and missed the beginning of training camp with an abductor strain, so it'll be interesting to see how quickly he can return to top form. For Gudbranson, the hope is that a lesser role will boost his stats after a rough 2022-23 season.
| Time On Ice | Shot Attempts For/Against | Shots on Goal For/Against | Scoring Chances For/Against | High Danger Chances For/Against | Expected Goals For/Against | Goals For/Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24:06 | 21/20 | 9/12 | 10/7 | 3/0 | 0.69/0.49 | 1/1 |
Extra Skaters
Jack Roslovic, Liam Foudy, Adam Boqvist
Just because these three players are extras doesn't mean they don't deserve to be in the lineup. All of them were productive at times throughout the preseason, but they weren't consistent enough and there aren't enough spots for everybody.
The puck drops on the Blue Jackets season at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday as they host the Philadelphia Flyers.
