FINAL EXAMS

Jackets evaluating young players in remaining games

For the first time in four seasons, the Blue Jackets are sellers, not buyers, at the trade deadline.

After losing 6-4 to Tampa Bay on Thursday, the Jackets are firmly on the outside looking in of the playoff picture. Defenseman David Savard was held out of the lineup for precautionary reasons, a sign that a trade will come soon. Captain Nick Foligno is also expected to be available to teams ahead of Monday’s deadline.

This isn’t a position the Jackets are used to being in, but coach John Tortorella views it as an opportunity to evaluate the roster through the last 14 games of the season.

“It gives guys opportunity,” Tortorella said. “We’re evaluating. We’re evaluating how people handle these type of situations, the situation we’re in as a team right now. Evaluating players as far as what is the next step with the hockey club. These are all important games for a lot of people.”

Particularly with injuries to forwards Riley Nash and Boone Jenner, there’s no longer an opportunity for Columbus to shelter young players or hide a lack of depth at center. The lineup the Jackets have is the lineup they’ll have down the stretch. There may be subtractions, but there won’t be major additions.

Some of the young players may be competing for future jobs.

“Everyone wants an opportunity,” forward Cam Atkinson said Friday. “Now’s a great opportunity for a lot of these young guys that don’t have that much experience or haven’t played enough games. (They need to) take it and run with it. In typical times, you maybe wouldn’t get this opportunity.”

Those young players include forward Alexandre Texier, who is a restricted free agent after this season. Texier has 14 points in 38 games this year and is in his second full NHL season.

In March, Texier had a stint on the taxi squad and returned to the lineup at the beginning of the long road trip on

March 27.

Now, with injuries throughout the lineup, Texier is one of the players the Blue Jackets hope will step up at center. He has five points in eight games since returning to the lineup and centered Oliver Bjorkstrand and Patrik Laine on the first line in Thursday’s game.

Other players getting larger opportunities down the stretch include Eric Robinson and Jack Roslovic. Robinson has played on seemingly every possible line, most recently on the second line with Max Domi and Foligno. His speed is an asset, and he now has a chance to demonstrate point production to match.

As one of the few remaining centers,

Roslovic has an opportunity to cement himself as one of the Jackets’ top options at the position. His 27 points in 34 games is tied for second on the team, and he leads the Jackets with .79 points per game. When he was acquired from Winnipeg along with Laine in the Pierre-luc Dubois trade, Roslovic was viewed as a solid middle-six center, but the remaining games of this season give him room to make the case that he’s more than that.

Without much left to play for this season, it’ll be important for these players — and the rest of the roster — to keep working.

“You shouldn’t go out there and just go through the motions,” Bjorkstrand said. “If it comes to the point where you really have nothing to play for, you still have to go out there and work hard and show that you want to be out there and make a difference. I think it’s important. You can’t lose touch with that, given the circumstances.”

Werenski to have surgery, miss rest of season

Defenseman Zach Werenski missed Friday’s practice with what was described as a lingering injury issue. Friday afternoon, the Blue Jackets announced that Werenski will undergo surgery on a sports hernia next week and miss the remainder of the season.

“Zach has been playing through the injury for most of the season, and as much as we would like to have him in the lineup, having the surgery now is the right decision and will allow him to be 100% before the start of training camp in the fall,” GM Jarmo Kekalainen said in a statement.

Cannon fodder

Foligno was granted a maintenance day Friday and didn’t practice . ... Savard was a full participant in Friday’s skate. ... The Jackets assigned forward Zac Dalpe to the taxi squad and sent forward Liam Foudy down to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. bjohnson@dispatch.com @baileyajohnson_

PHOTOS BY ADAM CAIRNS, KYLE ROBERTSON/COLUMBUS DISPATCH The Blue Jackets’ Alexandre Texier, top, Eric Robinson, bottom left, and Jack Roslovic have a chance to show they can be building blocks for the team going forward.

ADAM CAIRNS/COLUMBUS DISPATCH With the Blue Jackets out of the playoff hunt, their young players, including center Jack Roslovic, second from left, and left wing Eric Robinson, center, have a chance to take on larger roles down the stretch.