A defensive 2nd line

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Created by: Hockey_Soul

Team: 2023-24 Columbus Blue Jackets

Initial Creation Date: Aug. 17, 2023

Published: Aug. 18, 2023

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Description

With lines based on 5v5 minutes, I think the 2nd line should look like this.

Tex, Jens, and Danny are all very responsible two-way players that could be a really great defensive matchup line. Points-wise, they'd be the 3rd line, but minutes-wise, they'll be the 2nd.

This will take some pressure off KJ, Ros and March, allowing them to play a little more freely and hopefully provide a dynamic scoring punch to the lineup.

Fantilli is going to be an absolute stud from the jump, so I'm giving him the green light to run with the top group, both at 5v5 and on the PP1.

I know Babs really values lefty/righty pairs on defense - and I generally agree - but I really think Gudbranson and Peeke should both play over Bean. Their physicality will be more useful on the 3rd pair and PK than Bean's handedness and puck moving.

Blankenburg has a real shot to supplant Boqvist at 2RD, but I'm going with Boq to start the year due to his offensive upside and ability to run the PP2. Considering both of their injury histories, they should each get at least 40ish games and be able to cover the 2RD job collectively for the full 82. If there is a time where they're both out, Jiricek will get his chance to step in.

Voronkov and then Sillinger should be the first two forward callups from Cleveland, and I think once that happens, Robinson and/or Roslovic will lose their job.

Free Agent Signings

RFA		YEARS	CAP HIT
Berni, Tim		1	$775,000

UFA		YEARS	CAP HIT
Bérubé, Jean-François		1	$775,000

Buyouts

Alexander Wennberg: $891,667

Draft	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Round 6	Round 7
2024
2025
2026

ROSTER

LONG-TERM OUTLOOK

EMBED

TEXT-EMBED

ROSTER SIZE	SALARY CAP	CAP HIT	OVERAGES	BONUSES	CAP SPACE
23	$83,500,000	$75,870,833	$0	$5,900,000	$7,629,167

Roster

Left Wing	Centre	Right Wing
Gaudreau, Johnny $9,750,000$9,750,000 LW NMC UFA - 6	Fantilli, Adam $950,000$950,000 ($3,200,000$3M) C RFA - 3	Laine, Patrik $8,700,000$8,700,000 C, RW, LW M-NTC UFA - 3
Texier, Alexandre $1,525,000$1,525,000 LW, C, RW RFA - 1	Jenner, Boone $3,750,000$3,750,000 C, LW M-NTC UFA - 3	Danforth, Justin $975,000$975,000 RW, C UFA - 1
Johnson, Kent $925,000$925,000 ($1,850,000$2M) LW, C RFA - 1	Roslovic, Jack $2,000,000$2,000,000 C, RW UFA - 1	Marchenko, Kirill $925,000$925,000 ($850,000$850K) RW RFA - 1
Robinson, Eric $1,600,000$1,600,000 LW UFA - 1	Kuraly, Sean $2,500,000$2,500,000 C, LW M-NTC UFA - 2	Olivier, Mathieu $1,100,000$1,100,000 RW UFA - 2

Left Defense	Right Defense	Goaltender
Werenski, Zachary $9,583,333$9,583,333 LD NMC UFA - 5	Severson, Damon $6,250,000$6,250,000 RD NTC UFA - 8	Merzlikins, Elvis $5,400,000$5,400,000 G M-NTC UFA - 4
Provorov, Ivan $4,725,000$4,725,000 LD UFA - 2	Boqvist, Adam $2,600,000$2,600,000 RD RFA - 2	Tarasov, Daniil $1,050,000$1,050,000 G RFA - 2
Gudbranson, Erik $4,000,000$4,000,000 RD M-NTC UFA - 3	Peeke, Andrew $2,750,000$2,750,000 RD UFA - 3

Scratches	Injured Reserve (IR)	Long Term IR (LTIR)
Blankenburg, Nick $825,000$825,000 LD/RD UFA - 1
Foudy, Liam $762,500$762,500 LW, C RFA - 1
Bean, Jake $2,333,333$2,333,333 LD/RD RFA - 1

Special Teams

Power Play 1
Laine, P.		Fantilli, A.		Gaudreau, J.
	Werenski, Z.		Johnson, K.

Power Play 2
Marchenko, K.		Jenner, B.		Roslovic, J.
	Texier, A.		Boqvist, A.

Penalty Kill 1
	Kuraly, S.	Danforth, J.
	Werenski, Z.	Severson, D.

Penalty Kill 2
	Jenner, B.	Texier, A.
	Gudbranson, E.	Peeke, A.

Aug. 18, 2023 at 9:43 a.m.

squashmaple

not a he )

Joined: Apr. 2022

Posts: 3,231

Likes: 4,410

I could see the end of the year lineup looking a lot like this.

Hockey_Soul liked this.

Aug. 18, 2023 at 10:07 a.m.

Hammerwise

Joined: Aug. 2018

Posts: 6,335

Likes: 2,234

Maybe, I still see one of Boqvist, Peeke or Gudbranson being moved...and prior to season. Based on no desperate injury needs of another team.

Gudbranson has the least value, Boqvist because of his age has the most, whi leaves Peeke probably the candidate and then needing a LD, and using Blankenburg as 7th behind a pretty veteran bunch.

Given their needs at RD, could a Sanheim, (who's more likely to rebound from 22-23, then stay the same or regress), vet backup goalie Sandstrom, and the 2024 CBJ 2nd work for Peeke, Bemstrom ?

Aug. 18, 2023 at 10:19 a.m.

Bluejackets2000

Joined: Aug. 2017

Posts: 2,400

Likes: 866

Somehow I get the sense that Blankenburg will find his way in the lineup ahead of Gudsy.
Voronkov, Sillinger & Chinakov probably do start the year in Cleveland since they are waivers exempt.
I would expect to see all 3 early enough when injuries start to kick in, and Voronkov has the size, grit and a bigger ceiling than Olivier, I'm hoping he has a Johnson/Marchenko kind of year.
The biggest lament I have is Elvis and that contract. I just cannot see him being the "long term" guy, even with a better team in front of him.
It will be fun watching things play out during camp.

Aug. 18, 2023 at 10:56 a.m.

CaseyFlyman

Joined: Sep. 2018

Posts: 2,096

Likes: 1,777

As is usual for you, really well reasoned and not just the same regurgitated stuff we see on here.

I'd have no issues with sheltering the kids a little, whether on the 3rd line or in Cleveland. I think that top line and 4th line are basically set in stone, and I'd much rather see Johnson and Marchenko play with Roslovic (who's a little more creative) than Jenner (who may not be able to keep up). Let Voronkov, Sillinger, and Chinakov get a ton of minutes as Cleveland's top line, and bring them up as injuries/trades happen.

If Roslovic stays consistent and Danforth stays healthy, both could be TDL targets for contenders in need of some depth. I doubt both are on the roster end-of-year, but their spots should be filled by two of Sillinger, Chinakov, or Voronkov relatively seamlessly.

Considering we played 14 D-men last year, I don't mind keeping Jiricek in the AHL for the start of the season, carrying a 7th and 8th D-man with the NHL roster, and letting our two most durable defenseman hold down the bottom pair (although sphincters will be clenched when they're on the ice!).

Hockey_Soul and squashmaple liked this.

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