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Columbus Blue Jackets: Don’t Panic about Alexander Wennberg’s Start

By Tony Mazziotti

COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 21: Columbus Blue Jackets center Alexander Wennberg (10) looks on during the third period in a game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Los Angeles Kings on October 21, 2017, at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH. Las Angeles Kings defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-4.(Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 21: Columbus Blue Jackets center Alexander Wennberg (10) looks on during the third period in a game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Los Angeles Kings on October 21, 2017, at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH. Las Angeles Kings defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-4.(Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The Columbus Blue Jackets’ most promising center isn’t off to the hottest of starts, but 13 games into the season might be too quick to judge.

Alexander Wennberg is quietly tied for second place on the Columbus Blue Jackets with nine points. Despite this, many would say he’s not playing up to his abilities this year.

The Jackets are 9-4-0, and Nick Foligno has been getting the top line center minutes in recent games. Wennberg started the year with the role, having Artemi Panarin on his side, but now he has to earn it back.

Wenny is too good to not heat up eventually, and when he does, the Blue Jackets will elevate around him.

Confidence is Key

The mental aspect of sports is huge and the Blue Jackets need Wennberg to be confident. Watching Wennberg play, it seems like he’s thinking too much.

One play, in particular, where this stood out was during Thursday’s game when he was leading a 2 on 1. The puck ended up being stripped, so there was no shot or pass.

I wouldn’t suspect this result to happen as much as we march farther into the year. He’s obviously a pass-first guy, so playing his game will be critical going forward.

Luckily, the Jackets are playing well so it’s not the end of the world that Wennberg isn’t tearing it up just yet. He will get going one of these days, and the power play will get better when he does too.

At his best, Wenny is making great passes and chipping in with a few goals every so often. I think putting him back on a line with Panarin would be great for him to get his confidence where it needs to be.

This is the type of play I want to see more of from Wennberg. He just skates in and rips it home. Obviously, he won’t score every time, but he looks more poised than usual here.

Another thing is that I’d like to see him in the penalty box more.

You are definitely not wrong, Anderson’s Artillery, speaking on the Florida Panthers first goal on Thursday.

Last year, Torts praised Wennberg for playing more aggressively and getting to the box more often. I hadn’t even thought of the connection before Torts spoke on it.

Now, I realize that going to the box occasionally isn’t so bad, because it means that a player is staying aggressive.

Next: Advance stats paint a nice picture

Hopefully, Wennberg will do just that. He has it in him to be more aggressive and raise his overall level of play, he just needs to believe in himself a bit more.

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