5 early observations of Columbus Blue Jackets' training camp
The Blue Jackets got their first rest day of training camp Monday, a day after splitting two “split-squad” preseason games against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
More: 5 offbeat stories from Columbus Blue Jackets training camp
They haven’t practiced a full week yet, but some notable things have already emerged. Here are five early observations from the first week of Blue Jackets training camp:
Columbus Blue Jackets showing potential lineup combinations
Coaches often caution not to read too much into their forward lines or defense pairings to start the preseason, especially this early into it. Pascal Vincent has already issued that warning. Keeping that advice in mind, though, the Jackets have provided some food for projective thought.
Rolling out a top-six forward group Sunday night that included Johnny Gaudreau, Boone Jenner and Kent Johnson as the first line, and Alexandre Texier, Adam Fantilli and Patrik Laine as the second felt like a regular-season look. Likewise, Liam Foudy, Cole Sillinger and Justin Danforth playing together in the afternoon game had the look of a gritty third line.
Zach Werenski skating with Damon Severson as the top defense pairing in the nightcap also had a season-opening feel, not to mention a top power-play unit with Werenski at the point, Laine on the left wall, Fantilli in the middle (bumper), Gaudreau on the right and Jenner parked in front of the net.
It should be noted that Kirill Marchenko is out with a lower-back strain and could play his way into one of those top-six or power play roles. Defenseman Adam Boqvist is another strong option for power plays. As for 5-on-5, Texier, Fantilli and Laine started camp together and remained that way through Sunday’s night game. They’ve shown quick chemistry, which could be the reason Laine hasn’t gotten another look at center yet.
Adam Fantilli excelling in first Columbus Blue Jackets camp
Those looking for optimism and hope needn't look any further than Fantilli, who has done nothing but impress with every opportunity he gets.
He was the best player at the Jackets’ prospects showcase in Traverse City, Michigan, finishing with three goals, four assists and seven points in two games. He looks like a seasoned veteran, meshing with Texier and Laine as if they’ve played together previously. Fantilli’s skating is everything it was cracked up to be, along with his shot, and then there's his passing.
Fantilli’s hands and vision are high-end weapons, which wasn’t mentioned nearly enough by scouts prior to the draft. The only thing he may struggle with is winning faceoffs, but Fantilli has the size and strength to be a dominator at the dots some day. Should his trajectory remain this vertically steep, he could start as a top-six center, if not the top pivot.
Columbus Blue Jackets land solid assistant in Mark Recchi
The Blue Jackets announced the hiring of hall-of-famer Mark Recchi Monday as a new assistant coach.
The hall-of-fame forward will be in charge of forwards and coordinate the power play, not to mention adding a lot of valuable playing experience to a young team's bench. Considering the mess Mike Babcock’s resignation created a few days before camp, adding Recchi to Pascal Vincent’s staff seems like a home run hire.
The New Jersey Devils’ power play languished near the bottom of the NHL in his two seasons there (2020-2022), but the Pittsburgh Penguins were a top-10 power play team for two of three seasons under Recchi’s instruction (2017-2020), including No. 1 in 2017-18. They were 16th in 2019-20, which was right around league average.
The Penguins had Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on the top unit, but the Jackets' top group is also loaded with high-end skill players. There’s plenty for Recchi to work with in Columbus and rounding out the staff with a veteran voice is a win for Vincent.
"'Pazzy' (Vincent) and I hit it off really well," Recchi said. "I didn't know him before this. We both did our homework on each other and I told him, 'I can't find anything ... no one says anything bad about you,' and it's true. He's a great person and that excited me to be part of it. And then, obviously, you see the lineup and the young players, and with Johnny (Gaudreau), Patrik (Laine) and some of the veteran guys, as well ... it's exciting to be here trying to build something back and build a culture."
Columbus Blue Jackets have plenty of room for growth
Now it’s time to focus on things the Jackets need to clean up before hosting the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 12 in the season-opener at Nationwide Arena.
On the whole, neither of the first two preseason tilts against the Penguins was particularly impressive. Pittsburgh didn’t play their top stars in either game, facing Columbus twice with inferior rosters, and the Jackets didn’t have a commanding presence in either one. There were flashes of brilliance in both, but also some all-too-familiar struggles that vexed them last season.
Fumbled pucks, turnovers, losing too many puck battles plus inconsistency attacking and defending the slots areas were problematic each game. Granted, it was only the first two preseason games, but the Jackets would be wise to get their rust removal efforts into higher gear for the remaining six preseason games.
Key injuries may factor into lineup decisions
The Blue Jackets started camp with a handful of injuries to monitor, including Marchenko (lower back), defenseman Jake Bean (abdominal strain), forward Yegor Chinakhov (back strain), forward Mathieu Olivier (leg) and goalie Daniil Tarasov (knee).
It was hard to project an opening roster and without Marchenko, who returned to practice Tuesday, but the others still out are all in the discussion for NHL roles. Depending on how long those injuries last, Vincent’s opening lineup could be significantly altered from what was expected.
“It can (be a setback) and we’ve seen it in the past,” Vincent said. “If you miss training camp, you miss a step and if you can come back sooner, it’s going to help.”
There’s still an overarching plan though.
“Training camp matters,” Vincent said. “We’re setting the foundation for everything, but in my mind, there’s one date (that matters), and that’s Oct. 12. I want to make sure our team is ready for Oct. 12.”
Get more Columbus Blue Jackets talk on the Cannon Fodder Podcast
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 5 early takeaways from Columbus Blue Jackets' training camp
