The Columbus Blue Jackets have clinched the fourth-best odds for the first overall pick in the NHL draft. But after last off-season, when they got a potential star in the making in Adam Fantilli and added some defensemen, finishing this low in the standings didn’t seem to be part of the plan.
Despite struggling for most of the season, the Blue Jackets have been limiting playing time for their younger players. Cole Sillinger and Kirill Marchenko averaged just over 16 minutes per game, but Adam Fantilli (before suffering a skate laceration in January), Yegor Chinakov, Kent Johnson (before his shoulder injury in February) and Dmitri Voronkov have all averaged below that. And on defense, David Jiricek’s averaged only 14:36 per game while shuffling between the NHL and AHL.
As for Johnny Gaudreau, just two years since leaving the Calgary Flames for Columbus, has seen a career low in points per game.
That said, there’s still much Blue Jackets fans can look ahead to, as the GM search continues. Could Rick Nash be a fit in the position?
The Hockey News’ Blue Jackets site editor joined Ryan Kennedy and Michael Traikos on The Hockey News Pre-Game Show on April 6 to talk about all this and more:
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News Summary:
- Have the Columbus Blue Jackets Played Fantilli and Their Young Players Enough?
- Check all news and articles from the latest NHL updates.