Blue Jackets News NHL: Columbus Blue Jackets 2016 first round pick Pierre-Luc Dubois scored twice in 4-3 loss in the NHL Preseason. The third overall pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft is showing why he may warrant a roster spot on Columbus.



Columbus Blue Jackets 2017 Season Preview



Columbus has the talent to win a series in the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The only question is do the Blue Jackets have the heart to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs as a sleeper after making the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs.



Chris Ransom follow @DraftUtopia Posted on 9/24/2017.




Columbus Blue Jackets Line 1 Forwards


Player
Position
Games Played
Height
Weight
Goals
Assists
Points
Artemi Panarin
Left Wing
82
6-foot-0-inches
210-pounds
31
43
74
Alexander Wennberg
Center
80
6-foot-2-inches
196-pounds
13
46
59
Cam Atkinson
Right Wing
82
5-foot-8-inches
182-pounds
35
27
62

Columbus Blue Jackets Line 2 Forwards


Player
Position
Games Played
Height
Weight
Goals
Assists
Points
Nick Foligno
Left Wing
79
6-foot-0-inches
210-pounds
26
25
51
Brandon Dubinsky
Center
80
6-foot-2-inches
216-pounds
12
29
41
Boone Jenner
Right Wing
82
6-foot-2-inches
208-pounds
18
16
34

Columbus Blue Jackets Line 3 Forwards


Player
Position
Games Played
Height
Weight
Goals
Assists
Points
Matt Calvert
Left Wing
65
5-foot-11-inches
187-pounds
10
5
15
Pierre-Luc Dubois
Center
48
6-foot-3-inches
209-pounds
21
34
55
Oliver Bjorkstrand
Right Wing
20
6-foot-0-inches
175-pounds
6
7
13

Columbus Blue Jackets Line 4 Forwards


Player
Position
Games Played
Height
Weight
Goals
Assists
Points
Sonny Milano
Left Wing
4
6-foot-2-inches
197-pounds
0
0
0
Lukas Sedlak
Center
62
6-foot-0-inches
203-pounds
7
6
13
Jordan Schroeder
Right Wing
37
5-foot-9-inches
184-pounds
6
7
13


Columbus Blue Jackets Forwards Review: Columbus has 4 quality lines of depth on offense this season at left wing, center, and right wing. Artemi Panarin had 74 points in Chicago before Columbus traded for his rights by sending Brandon Saad back to Chicago. Panarin is going to be the key addition for Columbus, but a lot of quality players are back as well.


The Blue Jackets ranked 6th in the NHL in goals scored and 12th in the NHL on the power play in 2016-2017. The Blue Jackets can get 3 goals per game on a consistent basis. The defense has to work on allowing less than 3 goals per game if this team wants to win.




Columbus Blue Jackets Defensive Lines


Player
Line
Games Played
Height
Weight
Goals
Assists
Points
Seth Jones
Line 1
75
6-foot-4-inches
220-pounds
12
30
42
Zach Werenski
Line 1
78
6-foot-2-inches
218-pounds
11
36
47
Jack Johnson
Line 2
82
6-foot-1-inches
238-pounds
5
18
23
David Savard
Line 2
74
6-foot-2-inches
219-pounds
6
17
23
Ryan Murray
Line 3
60
6-foot-1-inches
208-pounds
2
9
11
Markus Nutivaara
Line 3
66
6-foot-1-inches
186-pounds
2
5
7


Columbus Blue Jackets Defense Review Columbus has a deadly first line with Seth Jones and Zach Werenski. They also have Jack Johnson and David Savard two former line 1 defensemen on the second line. This gives Columbus two deadly lines of defense. The third line features Ryan Murray and Markus Nutivaara.


Columbus has three good lines of defensemen that can keep the opposing team from scoring goals while generating quality play on the offense by creating scoring chances. The Blue Jackets ranked 2nd in goals allowed and 9th in penalty killing in 2016-2017. Columbus can finish top 8 in both of these categories in 2017-2018.




Draft Utopia Between The Pipes Goalie Tracker


Starting Goalie


Player
Team
Games Played
Record
Shutouts
Save Percentage
Goals Against Average
Sergei Bobrovski
Columbus Blue Jackets
63
41-17-5
7 Shutouts
.931
2.06 GAA

Backup Goalie


Player
Team
Games Played
Record
Shutouts
Save Percentage
Goals Against Average
Joonas Korpisalo
Columbus Blue Jackets
13
7-5-1
1 Shutout
.905
2.88 GAA


Columbus Blue Jackets Goaltender Review: Sergei Bobrovski played like an elite goaltender in 2016-2017. Joonas Korpisalo their 2012 third round pick has developed into a nice NHL backup as well with this deadly blue line in front of him.




Columbus Blue Jackets Prospect Pool: Gabriel Karlsson of Linkopings HC was selected twenty ninth overall by Columbus and he's returning to Linkopings HC in 2015-2016 as well. Karlsson is someone who will develop on the Columbus Monsters.


If the second overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft suffers his third season ending injury in four years then you have to flirt with the idea of bringing Werenski up while assigning Karlsson to the AHL on the Lake Erie Monsters.


After double dipping at defense in the first round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, the Blue Jackets landed 3 more quality players. Paul Bittner of the Portland Winterhawks could have gone as high as 17, and Columbus got the highly touted left winger in the second round to develop. Kevin Stenlund has good face off ability and defensive awareness. Stenlund can remain on HV71 and develop. Keegan Kolesar a line 1 right winger on the Seattle Thunderbirds who played with Ryan Gropp and Matthew Barzal was selected by the Blue Jackets in the third round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft and is now on Cleveland in the AHL. These guys will have their rookie contracts in effect until 2020-2021 meaning they cannot request a one-way contract that guarantees them a spot in the NHL until at least 2021.




Columbus Blue Jackets 2017-2018 Prediction


The Blue Jackets have the talent to return to the playoffs. At the same time, I'll say they get back as a wild card rather than a top 3 team in their division only to lose in the opening round of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Columbus has an extremely bright future if they can keep what they have together. They need home ice to beat a team like Washington or Pittsburgh plus with Philadelphia emerging I think they are fourth in the Metropolitian Division behind those three teams. I can see them defeating Washington if they get home ice versus the Capitals though.



Click the link below to get information on Columbus's AHL partner, the Cleveland Monsters.










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