Columbus Blue Jackets: Top Players Need to Produce
The Columbus Blue Jackets have had a decent start to the season, but they have not gotten enough out of many of their top talent.
Power Play
The Columbus Blue Jackets have so many talented players throughout their power play, but it has been completely abysmal. The power play has been taking the wind out of the Jackets sails, and there are a few fingers to be pointed at, including coaches.
Alexander Wennberg
Alexander Wennberg is one of the first players that comes to mind when it talks about a sluggish start. Wennberg has seemed to be indecisive on the power play which has slowed it down. Along with his power play struggles. Alexander has been hesitant to shoot the puck as well, only tallying one goal. He does have 8 assists on the positive side, but more is needed out of the centerman.
Brandon Dubinsky
Brandon Dubinsky has had a tough start to the season. He only has 1 goal in the first 16 games of the season, and he has only tallied 5 points. Dubinsky also has had the alternate captaincy taken away from him.
Along with Jenner, Dubinsky is a spark plug for the Columbus Blue Jackets, so he needs to get it going. Dubinsky is a leader in the Jackets’ locker room and if he is able to get his game going in the right direction, the team will follow.
Boone Jenner
Boone Jenner is one of the lifebloods of the Columbus Blue Jackets, but he has had a slower start than expected. Jenner started the season injured, but he needs to add goals. Jenner has 2 goals on the season, and 6 points total in 9 games.
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With the other players, Boone does get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to coming into the season slowed by injury, but Jenner has to be able to add a spark scoring wise. He can score in bunches and needs to get it going.
Jack Johnson and David Savard
Jack Johnson and David Savard came into the season as the second pairing on the Columbus Blue Jackets but have struggled at times throughout this season. Johnson and Savard have seemed slowed down which hurts the Jackets. This takes away the Blue Jackets depth defensively adding pressure to the other 4 defensemen.
The Blue Jackets may be able to gain a little bit more out of the defense if they split up their playerss. The Jackets may be able to pair Savard with Seth Jones and Johnson with Zach Werenski to add more consistency to their lineup.
Conclusion
The Columbus Blue Jackets have struggled recently, and some of their top talents have been lacking. With the Blue Jackets, Columbus has been hurting because of the lack of help from those that should be top producers.