The Columbus Blue Jackets had been a kind of groups that individuals needed to look at this season due to their thrilling and proficient roster. Nonetheless, the Blue Jackets are making headlines for all of the mistaken causes. From Mike Babcock’s signing and taking pictures to Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine’s benchings, which led to Laine being scratched.
There’s plenty of noise surrounding the Blue Jackets. They have not actually recovered from the Mike Babcock fiasco this season. And whereas new head coach Pascal Vincent is attempting to set the tone by holding gamers accountable, he seems to be dropping area.
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And whereas it is as much as gamers like Laine and Gaudreau to be higher, the ways simply aren’t working. It appears to have fallen on deaf ears. Particularly for high gamers like Laine and Gaudreau, who the Blue Jackets pay some huge cash for his or her scoring prowess.
Neither has actually produced for the Blue Jackets since arriving in Columbus. Laine scored 60 targets in 165 video games throughout his time with the Blue Jackets. And the 30-goal plateau has but to be reached. He did that thrice because the Winnipeg Jets set a profession excessive in targets with 44 within the 2017-18 season.
Nonetheless, the Blue Jackets by no means put Laine to good use. The workforce tried him on the wing after which tried to get him began within the centre. Patrik Laine was referred to as up by Winnipeg as a scoring winger. Sure, he is one-dimensional, however most aim scorers are. However one thing is not proper for him in Columbus.
He was scratched earlier than the sport towards Philadelphia final Sunday, the place he referred to as it “probably the most embarrassing factor that has occurred to me.” Laine additionally thought he was blinded by the scratching.
There may be positively an issue as a result of the coach thought it was greatest for him to look at and study as an alternative of being on the ice. With probably the most skilled gamers in a hunch, they want confidence. The one strategy to get that confidence again is to play issues like we see with Jonathan Huberdeau in Calgary.
And talking of Huberdeau, he is linked to Johnny Gaudreau. Since leaving Calgary, Gaudreau hasn’t been the identical participant. In his last season in Calgary, Gaudreau scored 115 factors (40 targets and 75 assists). In a complete of 99 video games with the Jackets, he scored 23 targets. Not ok for a participant making $9.75 million per season.
Then once more, possibly Gaudreau is not the participant we expect he’s. Or did he actually need to go to Philadelphia so badly that he settled in Columbus and it did not work out?
Like Huberdeau, he misses different playmakers reminiscent of Elias Lindholm, Matthew Tkachuk or Aleksander Barkov. Columbus simply would not have these gamers. And possibly Patrik Laine misses a participant like Mark Scheifele.
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However one thing is not working in Columbus for these gamers. Is it the sound? The Flames wanted a participant to step up and block out the noise. Does Columbus have that? Effectively, that needed to be Boone Jenner. however we all know what occurred with Jenner and the group’s statements when it got here to Babcock.
So this workforce is in disarray. From high to backside as a result of one thing is not working. Are the Blue Jackets actually able to be that workforce once more or are they only a workforce?
As Ray Ferraro of the Ray and Dregs Podcast lately stated, “They are a workforce with no id and so they’re only a franchise and that place ought to be higher than it’s proper now.”
Both approach, the Columbus Blue Jackets want to seek out themselves earlier than it is too late and gamers are attempting to get out of there. However as we all know, will probably be tough to appreciate these transactions. So it is as much as guys like Laine and Gaudreau to show it round themselves.
Each gamers have the potential, however have they got what it takes contemplating they’re extra followers than leaders? Time will inform, however issues are a large number in Columbus proper now.
