How Jackets’ search for center might go
Team wants middle men to anchor forward lines
Most NHL general managers feel that championship rosters are built the same way.
First, secure your own net with a quality goalie. Next, locate four strong defensemen to create two top defensive pairings. Finding viable centers comes next, especially a steady duo for the top two lines, and then fill out all four forward groups with wingers. Going into this season after a roster “reset,” the Blue Jackets are currently somewhere between rounding out their defensive pairings and settling on a cluster of centers.
Finding capable pivots for the top two lines is most pressing, but it's a search that might take a while.
“There's opportunity in the middle position,” said head coach Brad Larsen. “There's guys we're trying. We're going to try some different looks here in the preseason.”
Here is a look at how the Blue Jackets' depth chart might shake out at center ice.
First line
Candidates: Jack Roslovic, Alexandre Texier, Boone Jenner, Cole Sillinger
The Jackets don't have a prototypical No. 1 NHL center among the 67 players who began camp.
No. 1 centers in the NHL are typically the best players on the ice. Many have size, strength and impeccable skating to go with soft hands, heavy shots, dominant faceoff ability and eyes in the back of their heads.
Roslovic is the favorite to land this role, at least to start out. He improved on draws last season, but faceoffs may still be a challenge, along with defending away from the puck. Roslovic's offensive
skills are a match to a top center's role, so whether he gets the job will come down to his defense.
The hometown product worked hard on that aspect this summer, studying defensive coverages on video with Mark Letestu, a former Blue Jackets center now starting his coaching career with the Cleveland Monsters.
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Other options come with their own set of challenges.
Texier's most productive moments offensively in the NHL have happened at left wing. Jenner's foot speed is a major hurdle on the top line. Plus, he possesses a hard-nosed approach that is more suited to a checking line. Sillinger, an X-factor, is still 18 and could have a challenge matching up against older, bigger centers.
Sillinger got the plum assignment of centering star wingers Patrik Laine and Jakub Voracek to start camp, but Larsen said he'll try a number of combinations throughout the eight-game preseason slate.
Second line
Candidates: Roslovic, Max Domi, Texier, Jenner, Sillinger
The talent pool for this spot could be the same as that for the top spot, minus whoever is tabbed the No. 1 pivot. All four are better fits in this role than the top line, but give the edge to Roslovic, Sillinger and Texier over Jenner … in that order.
Jenner does a lot of good things in the middle, but his style of play matches up strongly with the third or fourth line. He creates a lot of scoring chances for himself, dragging pucks hard to the net, but struggles to finish enough of them off to be a consistent scoring threat on a topsix line.
That also applies to Texier. Roslovic played on this line for stretches last season and could wind up here again. Domi should enter the lineup motivated to prove himself whenever he returns from offseason shoulder surgery.
Sillinger is again an X-factor for this role.
Third line
Candidates: Texier, Sean Kuraly, Jenner, Domi, Sillinger
The Blue Jackets have no shortage of candidates for this role.
A fierce forechecking line with speedy Eric Robinson at left wing, Kuraly in the middle and Jenner on the right wing has the potential to become a problem for opposing coaches, but the same may be true with Domi at left wing, Sillinger in the middle and either Yegor Chinakhov or Emil Bemstrom on the right.
Fourth line
Candidates: Kuraly, Jenner, Justin Danforth, Kevin Stenlund, Josh Dunne, Sillinger
This will be another line where Larsen can mix-and-match, hoping to find a trio capable of flipping the ice with puck possession and making things difficult for the opponent.
A combination of Stenlund, Kuraly and Dunne would provide size for forechecking, while a line centered by Danforth — an undersized forward who racked up points in Finland and Russia — could use speed and skill to apply pressure in spurts. It wouldn't be surprising to see either Jenner or Sillinger log time on the fourth line too.
Jackets demonstrate resilience in preseason opener
It wasn't exactly pretty, but Larsen said the Blue Jackets got what they wanted from their first preseason game Monday at PPG Paints Arena.
They earned a 3-0 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins, which was a nice feeling in a building where that doesn't happen much, but more important was doing this despite being outshot 22-12 in the first two periods while taking four of their five penalties during that stretch.
bhedger@dispatch.com