Tight races are brewing for final Jackets roster spots
It's almost time for the Blue Jackets to make a slew of roster decisions.
Starting the final week of the preseason Monday, there were 57 players remaining in a training camp that started with 68, which is far above the NHL'S maximum of 23 for the regular season. A large roster trim is expected soon, followed by another cut after the final two preseason games Thursday against St. Louis and Saturday at Washington.
That final reduction is shaping up to be excruciating for coaches, management and players. Up to nine forwards are vying for three projected openings, while as many as four defensemen are competing for the final two spots on the blue line.
“There's a lot of guys battling,” coach Brad Larsen said when asked about defensemen Jake Bean and Nick Blankenburg competing against each other while also paired together for the Jackets' 2-1 victory over the Capitals. “It's not just those two. Show me your best. I keep saying it. I can only dress six (defensemen) for opening night and we've got some good defensemen. I want my decision to be really hard. Make it hard on me.”
At forward, Justin Danforth, Yegor
Chinakhov and Carson Meyer have stood out, which makes the competition even tighter if all three make it, which appears likely. Those three plus rookie Kent Johnson, the fifth overall pick in 2021, might fill forward spots 9-12, leaving a maximum of two more for rookie Kirill Marchenko, Liam Foudy, Emil Bemstrom, Mathieu Olivier, Brendan Gaunce and Trey Fix-wolansky.
Marchenko is adjusting to North America, on and off the ice, so it would make sense to keep him in Columbus with fellow Russians Vladislav Gavrikov and Chinakhov. Olivier was acquired from the Nashville Predators in July for a fourth-round pick to fill the specific role of enforcer/power forward the Blue Jackets sorely lacked last season, so it's also hard to see him getting cut.
Foudy, selected with the 18th pick in 2018, Bemstrom, Fix-wolansky, Gaunce and Olivier must all go unclaimed in the NHL'S 24-hour waiver protocol to be assigned to the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League. Johnson, Meyer, Chinakhov and Marchenko are exempt from waivers.
Further clouding the picture, the Blue Jackets also have James Neal and Victor Rask in camp on professional tryout offers. Neal could add size, toughness and an experienced presence around the net while Rask is a versatile veteran.
Things aren't much clearer on defense, where six spots are taken and a battle remains for the seventh — and/or eighth slot — between Blankenburg, Jake Christiansen, David Jiricek (2022 sixth overall pick), Gavin Bayreuther and Marcus Bjork.
“Hopefully it's super tough,” Larsen said. “You make it easy on me, then you're on the outside looking in. It's just, ‘Play your game.' What are you good at? Don't do something that's way outside of your comfort zone, but every game matters for these guys. It's important. If you want to be on the opening night roster and playing, you've got to show me you want to be there and you've got to earn that space.” bhedger@dispatch.com @Brianhedger