With the Columbus Blue Jackets season over it’s time for the Union and Blue staff to give their evaluation of each player’s year.
The Columbus Blue Jackets biggest organizational strength is their blue line depth. From Norris caliber guys like Zach Werenski and Seth Jones on the top pair to a plethora of defenseman who can play meaningful NHL minutes in the third pair, this team is stacked.
Scott Harrington is one of those guys who can hold his own at the NHL level and he showed that last season. Harrington played 32 games for the Jackets last year. He had a respectable year for the Blue Jackets and filled in as a third pair defenseman when needed.
Scott Harrington might be the only person on earth who enjoys a visit to Newark, New Jersey. Both of his goals this year came against the New Jersey Devils on the road. He added three assist this season for five total points in his 32 appearances.
Columbus Blue Jackets
On the possession side Harrington struggled. He only posted a 43.8% corsi for during this campaigns.
Harrington spent most of the season as a healthy scratch. He has a one-way deal and would surely be picked up on the waiver wire immediately if the Jackets were to try and send him down. That meant watching a lot of games from the press box as Harrington as Ryan Murray and Markus Nutivaara, when heathy were a lock as the third pair.
6th Defenseman for 2018?
With the departure of both Jack Johnson and Ian Cole, the Jackets have an opening in their defensive corps. Jones-Werenski will be paired to start the season and David Savard, Nutivaara, and Murray will all play in some combination to fill out the second pair. But that leaves a spot open on the third pair.
Dean Kukan and Scott Harrington are the early favorites to fill in the final spot. Both are left defenseman that will compliment any of the three right defenseman who are sure to start. But so is Gabriel Karlsson who the Jackets still have high hopes for. The 2015 1st round pick spent most of last year in Cleveland.
Next: CBJ Sign Anthony Duclair
Harrington will certainly have a chance to take the 6th spot next season. Next year is the final year in his contact. He will have to take big steps forward though if he hopes to become an NHL regular.