Columbus Blue Jackets: Expectations for First Preseason Game

The Columbus Blue Jackets open their preseason Tuesday evening with a game against the Chicago Blackhawks at Nationwide Arena. Even though it’s not a very important game, Blue Jackets hockey is in the air and it is a beautiful thing.

Our first taste of the Columbus Blue Jackets this season will feature many players looking to make a name for themselves, as well as a few familiar faces.

Yesterday, the Blue Jackets announced the projected roster for the preseason opener. With the loss of a couple regulars in the lineup from last year, and the ongoing Josh Anderson situation, these games are crucial to see who could actually play in the NHL.

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Head coach John Tortorella is notorious for benching star players, meaning the on-the-fence prospects should feel enticed to play hard anyway. As far as tonight’s lineup is concerned, this is what we should expect to see, barring any last minute changes.

Tonight’s Lineup

Arguably the two best prospects the Blue Jackets have, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Vitaly Abramov, are playing tonight. Dubois will even be on the top line with captain Nick Foligno and Artemi Panarin.

Recently, Cam Atkinson spilled the beans about playing on the first line with Panarin and Alexander Wennberg, so Dubois probably can’t sneak into playing with Panarin. However, if Dubois and Foligno click tonight, it could be a preview of a duo we see in the regular season.

Vitaly Abramov has been gaining momentum throughout the offseason after he made it known that he doesn’t intend on returning to junior hockey.

If he plays the way he is capable of, it will be difficult for the coaching staff to keep him off the roster. He will be seen tonight on the second line with Alex Broadhurst and Carter Camper.

The Blue Jackets also have some guys playing their first game in a Blue Jackets sweater as Tyler Motte and Sam Vigneault are projected to be featured on the third line. Vigneault is likely heading to Cleveland this season, but look for Motte to be in Columbus. Motte has a chance to be a valuable depth player in the regular season after showing flashes last year in Chicago.

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Lukas Sedlak headlines the fourth line with Markus Hannikainen and Miles Koules on each of his sides. Though Sedlak established himself on the fourth line last year, expect him to play as hard as always.

The defensive pairings has only one player Blue Jackets fans may not know much about. Blake Siebenaler, a 21-year old who played in Cleveland last year, will line up alongside Zach Werenski in the second pairing.

David Savard, Seth Jones, Gabriel Carlsson and Dean Kukan will be the other defensemen playing in tonight’s game.

Focus on Play, Not on Result

John Tortorella always talks about the way his team played in post-game press conferences, regardless of a win or loss. This will be a key for tonight’s game, not necessarily the result.

If Vitaly Abramov is skating up and down the ice with the puck all night, it will probably be more noticeable to the coaches than whatever his stats end up being.

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Considering it’s the preseason, we should see some decent hockey played tonight. If nothing else, it’ll be entertaining to see the players we do recognize rather than the ones trying to showcase themselves.