The Columbus Blue Jackets were a veritable MASH unit in the 2014-15 season, every position suffered and seemingly everyone on the roster spent some time off the ice. What the Blue Jackets could have been and might very well be was seen in the latter stages of the season when they reeled off an impressive win streak and were suddenly moving up the ladder in the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference.
Despite their troubles with injuries they ended up seven games over the mediocrity line at 42-35-5.
Where the club suffered was on the penalty kill special teams early on with a 21st ranking at 80.2%; they did manage five shorthanded goals over the season.
On the power play, the Jackets were significantly better, ranked fifth in the league 21.7% with five shorthanded goals against.
Few would question the toughness of the Blue Jackets. After a season of fire brimstone, the roster would seem primed for a run in the 2015-16 season. There is plenty of heart and emotion on the team with Nick Foligno, Ryan Johansen, Jack Johnson, Brandon Dubinsky, and Jordan Leopold.
There is no shortage of core players in Columbus but as PHN’s Brent Clark has written, the 2015-16 season will be a make or break campaign for head coach Todd Richards. The core for success is in place in Columbus and with a healthy start to a new season there will be little room for excuses in Columbus where the fans have been patient but restlessness is never far away for any NHL club.
Sergei Bobrovsky was injured for a good portion of the season and Curtis McElhinney spelled him but was under .500 in the effort. McElhinney is up for contract negotiations and despite his less than stellar numbers he was backstopping a depleted squad in front of him.
Johnson led the defensive corps with 40 points and eight goals on the year and was a -13. Cody Goloubef had only nine assists through 36 games with the Jackets but was the best at +12.
A total of 43 goals came from the blue line. David Savard was the only d-man to play the entire 82-game schedule.
Offensively the Blue Jackets are terribly challenged even with the comings and goings from the MASH unit. They ranked 12th in the league with 227 goals and a 2.77 average where 3.16 was the high.
With the eighth pick in this year’s draft, Pro Hockey News believes the Columbus Blue Jackets will be looking at the blue line for support. There is talent in the area at the University of Michigan.
University of Michigan defenseman Zachary Werenski is eligible and talented, very talented.
“I can’t tell you how close he is to playing in the NHL, but I can tell you that for his age he’s definitely one of the top players around,” Michigan coach Red Berenson said on the Blue Jackets web site.
Werenski is everything the Blue Jackets want to be; he is 6’2” and 214 pounds and is 17-years old. In his first year with the Wolverines in the Big Ten, he picked up nine goals and 25 points through 35 games and was a +9.
Whether or not he is immediate or long-term investment strategy Werenski is a potential piece to the puzzle that the Blue Jackets and Richards may want in the eighth slot later this month in Sunrise.
Pro Hockey News expects to hear the following on draft day.
“With the eighth pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, the Columbus Blue Jackets are pleased to select, from the University of Michigan, defenseman Zach Werenski.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.