The Blue Jackets set out this offseason to improve a defense that, along with an inordinate amount of injuries, derailed their chances of making a return trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Now about six weeks from the start of training camp, nothing has changed among the defense, which ranked 25th in goals allowed (3.02 per game) last season. One of the reasons for his optimism is third-year defenseman Ryan Murray, the second pick of the 2012 NHL Draft. Murray, who missed 70 games last season because of injuries, is healthy.
Kekalainen did upgrade the Blue Jackets offense in the offseason. Columbus acquired Brandon Saad, along with two minor leaguers, in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks for center Artem Anisimov and forwards Marko Dano, Jeremy Morin, and Corey Tropp. Saad, 22, helped Chicago to a second Stanley Cup in three seasons in June. He had 23 goals and 52 points in 82 games in 2014-15 and had eight goals and three assists in 23 playoff games. Saad likely will be on a line with center Ryan Johansen. The addition of Saad and the belief that the Blue Jackets can't possibly match their NHL-high 508 man-games lost has optimism high in Columbus, which finished 42-35-5 after ending the season on a 12-0-1 run and with wins in 15 of the final 17 games. Nick Foligno has recently been named captain. Second-year center Alexander Wennberg (four goals, 20 points in 68 games) should take on a bigger role in Anisimov's absence. Wennberg, Dano and fellow rookie Kerby Rychel (three assists in five games) were thrown into the fire prematurely early in the season because of injuries and weren't NHL-ready.
The Blue Jackets also lost versatile fourth-line center Mark Letestu, who signed a free agent contract with the Edmonton Oilers; center Gregory Campbell, who signed as a free agent, will replace him. Campbell (Boston Bruins, 2011) and Saad are the only Blue Jackets who have won the Stanley Cup. Two of the injured players were forward David Clarkson, who was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs for Nathan Horton on Feb. 26 but played three games before a season-ending torn oblique muscle, and forward Rene Bourque, who was acquired from the Anaheim Ducks for defenseman James Wisniewski on March 2 and had four goals in eight games but missed the final 10 games because of a stress fracture in his back.
Offense should not be a problem with Foligno (31 goals), Hartnell (28), Johansen (26) and Cam Atkinson (22) leading the way, but the Blue Jackets will need a big season from 2013 Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky (30-17-5, 2.69 goals-against average, .918 save percentage last season) and improved play in front of him. Murray, 21, will anchor the defense despite his youth and inexperience. Jack Johnson, 28, and Fedor Tyutin, 32, will provide leadership and minutes among a group that has six of eight defensemen 26 years old or younger.
Jarmo Kekalainen GM: "I'm not concerned at all if we have to start the season with this group."
Brandon Saad: "Whoever you end up with, you're going to be playing with good players. But I know playing against [Johansen], you notice him a lot, especially when he had the puck. He has skill. He can finish and create plays."
"I just want to go in and be myself. I'm going in to be a part of a team and I'm excited to join a team of young talent."
Nick Foligno: "It shows the character we have on this team and how close we are to being a great team. We easily could have gone a different direction. We were playing hard, trying to get better. That's going to bode well for the future."
"That's a huge thing. You look at the championship teams. They've grown together as the years have gone by. If we continue this mentality we have, and the understanding we're a real good team and come in here ready to take the next step, there's no reason why we aren't a Stanley Cup-contending team."
Scott Hartnell: "The confidence [Wennberg] got the last little while of the season was huge. Our D will improve. [Bobrovsky] is always pretty solid. I like what we've got going here. We've got very deep forwards. We need to have a good summer and get excited for this season and pick up where we left off."
"With an 'A' or a 'C' not on my jersey, I still think the guys look up to me. You can say that about most of the guys in the room, especially the young guys. You've got Boone and [Johansen]. Those guys are taking huge strides on the leadership side of it."
Todd Richards: "We need to find better ways to maintain and not have major dips. We might have injuries this year, and you've got to find ways to stay afloat instead of sinking."
Fedor Tyutin: "It's pretty obvious you have to have a good start to have a successful season. That's going to be our team goal. We don't want to use injuries as an excuse. We still have good players here. That's something we're searching answers for, why we're having bad starts to the season."
Ryan Johansen: "With a little more work and a little more consistency in my game, I feel 100 percent I can be up there with those guys."
Brandon Dubinsky: "There were a lot of inconsistencies [Columbus failed to make the playoffs], whether it was a losing streak and not being mentally strong enough to find a way out of it. Or, to not preparing the right way for the next game to find a way to get two points. We need to change that."
Knowing what's wrong and fixing the problems are two different stories for the Blue Jackets. They have gotten off to miserable starts the past four seasons, a significant factor in them qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs once (2014) during the span. The Blue Jackets opened last season with four wins in six games, then injuries ravaged their roster; Columbus lost an NHL-high 508 man-games. By the end of November, they were 6-15-2 and didn't make up much ground until it was too late. A 12-0-1 finish left them 42-35-5 and nine points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference. In the previous three seasons, the Blue Jackets started 2-12-1, 5-12-4 and 5-10-0.
The Blue Jackets view Ryan Murray, 21, as a potential all-star and backbone for the defense when he's healthy. But he missed the last two-thirds of his final junior season for Everett of the Western Hockey League with a shoulder injury. Then he had knee surgery near the end of his rookie season with the Blue Jackets in 2013-14, when he played 66 games. The knee continued to bother him last season. Combined with an ankle sprain and a lower-body injury, he played 12 games. Make no mistake, the Blue Jackets need a healthy Murray because the defense is suspect.
The Blue Jackets had gone without a captain since Rick Nash in 2011-12 before Nick Foligno was given the honor in June. The Blue Jackets have an eclectic mix of veteran players such as Brandon Dubinsky, David Clarkson, Jack Johnson and Scott Hartnell who speak their minds, and youngsters such as Boone Jenner and Ryan Johansen who are being groomed to be the next leaders. Then there are Stanley Cup winners Gregory Campbell, 31, and Brandon Saad, 22, brought in for their playoff experience.
The Blue Jackets finished nine points back of the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference after their season-ending, 13-game point streak (12-0-1), but it left them eager to get back on the ice in October.
Here are four reasons the Blue Jackets are optimistic:
Columbus has made the playoffs twice in its history, including 2013-14, but the core group that has been around the past three seasons has finished better than .500 in each of them.The Blue Jackets also have confidence they can finish strong. They are a combined 21-6-2 in April the past four seasons.
Even though the Blue Jackets were out of playoff contention the final month, their opponents weren't. During the point streak, which is a Columbus record, they went 8-0-1 against eventual playoff qualifiers, who were either fighting to make the postseason or seeking better seeding.
23-year-old forward, Ryan Johansen, last season increased his points total by eight to 71 (26 goals, 45 assists) from the previous season and played in the 2015 NHL All-Star Game in Columbus. Not bad for a player who missed the preseason because of a contract dispute. Johansen played all 82 games for a second straight season. He finished 16 points behind NHL scoring champion Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars but feels he can challenge for the top spot. He may get the chance with the addition of left wing Brandon Saad (23-29-52 in 82 games last season) from the Chicago Blackhawks. Add Foligno, the Blue Jackets' leading scorer last season with 31 goals and 73 points, and the potential is there for a powerhouse line.
Bad news, NHL. Sergei Bobrovsky, according to Blue Jackets goaltending coach Ian Clark, is "bigger, faster, stronger." After winning the Vezina Trophy in 2013, Bobrovsky has been saddled with injuries the past two seasons, particularly to his groin. Clark and Bobrovsky have devised a different offseason conditioning program and planned adjustments in his in-season routine. In 18 games after returning from a groin injury in early March, Bobrovsky went 14-2-1 with a 2.39 goals-against average and .927 save percentage.
Both Brandon Dubinsky and Boone Jenner missed considerable time because of injuries last season (Dubinsky, 35 games; Jenner, 51). When they were in the same lineup last season, the Blue Jackets were 11-0-2.
The prospects cupboard is far from bare for the Blue Jackets thanks in part to six first-round picks in the past three NHL drafts. The abundance of young talent enabled the Blue Jackets to make a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks to acquire forward Brandon Saad on June 30. Rookie forward Marko Dano (No. 27, 2013 NHL Draft) was sent to the Blackhawks along with three other players for the two-time Stanley Cup winner. The Blue Jackets still have a wealth of prospects at forward but aren't as deep on the defensive side. That's why they took defensemen Zachary Werenski (No. 8) and Gabriel Carlsson (No. 29) in the first round this year.
Goaltender Anton Forsberg (No. 188, 2011) was an American Hockey League all-star last season but struggled (0-4-0, 4.69 goals-against average) for the Blue Jackets when injuries struck goaltenders Sergei Bobrovsky and Curtis McElhinney. With McElhinney under contract for two more years, Forsberg will be given time to develop.
Sonny Milano, C
How acquired: 1st round (No. 16), 2014 draft
Last season: Plymouth, OHL: 50 GP, 22-46-68; Springfield, AHL: 10 GP, 0-5-5
Everyone has seen the crazy stick tricks on YouTube and slick moves on the ice, but Milano is out to prove he's much more than a video attraction. His time is coming, but the 19-year-old from Massapequa, N.Y., is still maturing. He is listed at 6-foot, 183 pounds but said this summer that he's nearly 200 pounds.
Milano will likely start the season with the Blue Jackets' AHL affiliate in Cleveland, but he should be on the short list for call-ups.
Oliver Bjorkstrand, RW
How acquired: 3rd round (No. 89), 2013 draft
Last season: Portland, WHL: 59 GP, 63-55-118
The Western Hockey League's player of the year from Denmark scored 144 goals the past three seasons for Portland. He will be given a good look by the Blue Jackets during training camp but is likely a year away from a permanent spot. Bjorkstrand, 20, is like many young players in that he needs to add more bulk; he is 6-foot, 170 pounds.
Kerby Rychel, LW
How acquired: 1st round (No. 19), 2013 draft
Last season: Blue Jackets: 5 GP, 0-3-3; Springfield, AHL: 51 GP, 12-21-33
Rychel (6-1, 205) is NHL-ready at age 20. The son of former NHL player Warren Rychel, he played well in his brief stay with the Blue Jackets but sustained a season-ending concussion while playing for Springfield in February. He has size, grit and good hands.
Josh Anderson, RW
How acquired: 4th round (No. 95), 2012 draft
Last season: Blue Jackets: 6 GP, 0-1-1; Springfield, AHL: 52 GP, 7-10-17
Anderson, 21, is the type of player the Blue Jackets covet. He is big (6-3, 212), skates well and plays a heavy game. He needs to work on his finishing but is on the fast track considering he was drafted in the fourth round.
Zachary Werenski, D
How acquired: 1st round (8th), 2015 draft
Last season: Michigan, NCAA: 35 GP, 9-16-25
When University of Minnesota defenseman Mike Reilly opted in June not to sign with the Blue Jackets after being drafted by them in 2011, Columbus needed a replacement. It will take a couple of years, but Werenski (6-2, 206) could be the answer. He turned 18 on July 19 and is expected to return to Michigan, where he was the top scoring defenseman for the Wolverines despite being the youngest player in college hockey last season. Werenski told NHL.com at the U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, N.Y., on Aug. 5 that he will return to Michigan for his sophomore season. London of the Ontario Hockey League owns his rights, and there was speculation he was going to play in the OHL this season.
Predicted Lines
71 Foligno - 19 Johansen - 20 Saad
43 Hartnell - 17 Dubinsky - 38 Jenner
11 Calvert - 41 Wennberg - 13 Atkinson
18 Bourque - 9 Campbell - 23 Clarkson
7 Johnson - 58 Savard
51 Tyutin - 27 Murray
4 Connauton - 47 Prout
72 Bobrovsky - 30 McElhinney
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