Expect the Blue Jackets to be better than last year but still finish solidly outside the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference.
still exist and while they were asked to do far too much last season, it’s hard to imagine either can fit a depth role appropriately. Both are abysmal when it comes to moving the puck in any zone, contributing heavily to Columbus’ problems at both ends of the ice last season.
The issue is… that’s not very good either, not for projection purposes anyway where the expected range for goalies is naturally tighter due to uncertainty. It puts Merzlikins on track to be the league’s least reliable starter. Columbus doesn’t have much of a safety net either behind him inDefensive improvements across the board could have a ripple effect across the lineup, including in net. That’s the Blue Jackets’ best avenue toward improvement.
Columbus has some intriguing players who can score and some young players who can grow. But what those players are expected to do without the puck on their stick is difficult to trust until proven otherwise.Part of the reason Columbus hired Babcock in the first place, foolish and disastrous as it may have been, was to fix its defensive play. Last season, the Blue Jackets finished near the bottom in every major defensive category. We could list them all, but we’ve got a word count to worry about.
The Blue Jackets should be better this season by default. Adding Provorov and Severson will help, as would a healthy season from Werenski. Columbus was awful at exiting the zone last year and those three should help fix that. But it’ll take serious schematic changes on top of that to make a worthwhile dent toward the playoffs.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Chicago Blackhawks 2023-24 season preview: Playoff chances, projected points, roster rankingsChicago got the generational talent it hoped for. Now, it’s time to see what's next and what Connor Bedard actually brings to the table.
Read more »
Philadelphia Flyers 2023-24 season preview: Playoff chances, projected points, roster rankingsA combination of no star-power, anemic offense, okay defense and a whole bunch of losses will make for a difficult-to-watch season.
Read more »
Blue Jays win streak hits 5 as they fight to hold on to playoff spotLast week, the Blue Jays' playoff fortunes dimmed considerably. Now, they are back in control of their destiny thanks to a string of wins.
Read more »
Montreal Canadiens 2023-24 season previewThe Canadiens were a bad team last season, and they're on track to be bad again. But should they expect more from their young core?
Read more »
San Jose Sharks 2023-24 season previewNo team has less going for it this season than the San Jose Sharks, who unsurprisingly start the year projected to be the NHL's worst team.
Read more »
NHL season previews 2023-24: Counting down the teams from worst to firstThe Athletic’s 2023-24 edition of the team season previews, a deep dive into what to expect from each team.
Read more »