After a rocky training camp that saw him scratched for the team's "dress rehearsal" game, Blue Jackets forward Jack Roslovic has had a strong start to the 2023-24 season.
Through the team's 3-2-0 start, the 26-year-old has 1-1--2 in four games including the overtime winner on Saturday in Minnesota.
#CBJ Roslovic (1) goal pic.twitter.com/ohyPxkWQrH
— Coby Maeir (@CobyMaeir) October 22, 2023
At five-on-five, Roslovic also leads the team in individual high-danger chances and is sixth in individual expected goals, per naturalstattrick.com.
Blue Jackets head coach Pascal Vincent isn't surprised by Roslovic's promising performance to begin the season.
"Well, I've seen that Jack before in Manitoba," Vincent said after Monday's practice, referring to the time he coached Roslovic for the AHL's Manitoba Moose. "He was just a dominant player and that's the pace he had. [He] and Kyle Connor back then, they were playing together and that's how he played. He was on the puck, above the puck, tracking hard, he wanted the puck, [and] cutbacks."
"I used him on the power play, on the [penalty kill] against top lines." Vincent continued. "So I've seen it before. I'm not surprised, he can do it. Now he's done it two games in a row. Now we have to see it consistently. But why not? If you can do it two games in a row, just keep doing it. We're just a better team when he plays that way."
According to the NHL EDGE puck and player tracking statistics, Roslovic's 22.68 mph top skating speed is in the 95th percentile and his 19 speed bursts over 20 mph are in the 97th percentile.
"When you see him bending his knees and he's skating," Vincent said. "Everything else comes easier when he's skating."
Vincent added that Roslovic's ability to skate and separate himself from coverage is well above the league's average, as displayed by the stats above. He also said that Roslovic has done well in the role he's received.
"So [I'm] really pleased with him," Vincent said. "And you know what? He responded well. He's a guy that didn't play much and [on the] fourth line and stuff and then that's how it works. He [had] a chance to play up with another line and more ice time and he took advantage of it. So good for him [and] good for us."
If Roslovic can continue to play as he has in the past two games, he's going to be an effective player for this team. However, that is a big if. Roslovic has struggled to play consistently well since arriving in Columbus.
As Vincent said, they need to see this type of play consistently, and that's even more apparent now that Patrik Laine is on IR with an upper-body injury. Roslovic, along with the rest of the players, need to step up in Laine's absence.
We've seen what Roslovic can do when he's on his game. He can be a high-level player at the NHL level that makes difference-making plays in key moments, as he did on Saturday.
In a contract year, it would behoove him to post his most consistent year yet, something the Blue Jackets would gladly welcome, because when he's playing well, the team usually performs well, too.
