Columbus Blue Jackets Case For Stanley Cup
By Trin Potratz
Gearing up for the playoffs, our team here at Puck Prose will be looking at each potential NHL playoff team as they clinch their playoff spot. We will be discussing why each club can win the Stanley Cup. This time, we’ll look at the surprising Columbus Blue Jackets.
EXPECTATIONS AT BEGINNING OF SEASON?
The Columbus Blue Jackets had a very quiet off-season. The group didn’t make any drastic changes in the off-season with the biggest acquisition coming in the form of Sam Gagner. Nobody expected the Columbus Blue Jackets to even make the playoffs, let alone challenge for the President’s Trophy.
Many sighted the Blue Jackets lack of a bonafide top line centre and an unproven “D” group as reasons why the franchise wouldn’t blossom. Couple that issue with an unheralded doubt toward head coach John Tortorella and you can see why many didn’t see a franchise season coming.
BIGGEST STRENGTH: OFFENSIVE DEPTH
The Blue Jackets may have traded their top centre Ryan Johansen to the Nashville Predators for Seth Jones, but they have not had any trouble putting the puck in the net.
The Blue Jackets have received breakout performances from the likes of Alexander Wennberg, Cam Atkinson, Josh Anderson, William Karlsson and even the bargain Sam Gagner. 11 players have scored over 10 goals, and Matt Calvert has nine on the season. Nick Foligno has bounced back from his underachieving 2015-16 season and has been a great poster boy for the club he captains.
The Jackets can hit you from every angle and have the ability to run four lines that can score.
BIGGEST QUESTION MARK: STRONG DIVISION
If the Jackets end up ahead of the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins, it will be not only rewarding but the best case scenario. If the Jackets finish in the second or third seeds of their division they will need to defeat one of the Penguins or Capitals in the first round. Even if they get past the first round, they will need to go through one of those clubs to make the conference final.
The Jackets have surprised many throughout the entire season and they may have a few more surprises up their sleeves. Still, it’s hard to imagine them being able to defeat both the Penguins and the Capitals.
WHY THE BLUE JACKETS CAN WIN THE CUP
The Blue Jackets may be the biggest surprise in the NHL, but their inexperience in pressure games may be their only notable shortcoming. GM Jarmo Kekelainen added veterans Kyle Quincey and Lauri Korpikoski at the deadline in hopes the players will add some playoff experience. Korpikoski has played in 30 NHL playoff games, while Quincey has played in 54.
Brandon Saad does have a cup ring, meaning the group isn’t going to be without playoff experience. Still, this will be Cam Atkinson, Alex Wennberg, Zach Werenski and Markus Nutivaara‘s first taste of the playoffs, so the Jackets will need to be able to adapt to the playoff atmosphere.
The Jackets are relatively healthy, with only Ryan Murray and Oliver Bjorkstrand suffering injuries as the playoffs loom.
The Jackets have a reliable starting goaltender in Sergei Bobrovsky, and a surprisingly effective top four “D” group consisting of 19-year-old Zach Werenski, 21-year-old Seth Jones, 25-year-old David Savard and 29-year-old Jack Johnson.
Next: Making A Case For A Minnesota Wild Championship
Josh Anderson, Lukas Sedlak, Zach Werenski, and Oliver Bjorkstrand also played roles in the Calder Cup Championship team from last season, so these guys have won a championship before.
DEPTH CHART
Boone Jenner – Brandon Dubinsky – Josh Anderson
Brandon Saad – Sam Gagner – Cam Atkinson
Nick Foligno – Alexander Wennberg – Oliver Bjorkstrand
Lukas Sedlak – William Karlsson – Matt Calvert
Scott Hartnell – Lauri Korpikoski
Zach Werenski – Seth Jones
Jack Johnson – David Sacard
Kyle Quincey – Scott Harrington
Markus Nutivaara – Ryan Murray (inj)
Sergei Bobrovsky
Joonas Korpisalo