Columbus Blue Jackets: Alexander Wennberg 2018-2019 Season Expectations

The Columbus Blue Jackets second-line center Alexander Wennberg is coming off a streaky season in 2017-2018. Will the young Swede finally show the consistent offensive production worthy of his lofty draft status?

Coming off an admirable 59-point performance (13G, 46A) in 2016-2017, Alexander Wennberg posted an underwhelming .53 points-per-game in 2017-2018. Coming off a career best of .74 PPG the previous season, Columbus Blue Jackets fans and brass alike want to know what happened to #10?

The young centerman scored only 35 points (8G, 27A) and played 14 less games (66) than he did the prior season, but his average output speaks honestly to his lack of production. After signing a bulky six year contract on September 1st of last year, the Blue Jackets were certainly hoping “Wennie” would either repeat or exceed his 2016-2017 performance.

Without sounding like the excuse committee, I try to provide some insight into Wennberg’s underwhelming fourth season with the Blue Jackets.

1. Constant Line Shifting

Say what you want about line shifting, but there’s a reason why most Stanley Cup champions leave their lines alone. Consistency and chemistry in a game built on nuance shouldn’t be understated. Wennberg, like many of his teammates seemed to finally find some steady footing after the February 26th trade deadline. Locked into a line with wings Boone Jenner and Thomas Vanek, the pass-first center .

2. Slow Start

Like many of CBJ’s more prolific forwards, #10 came out of the gates painfully slow. Wennberg scored just 10 points in his first 22 games for an abysmal .45 points-per-game. Before injuring his back against the Penguins on December 21st, he was starting to show signs of life by posting six points in his next eight games.

It would take Alexander almost three months to find that momentum again. Some players come out of injuries rejuvenated, but the rust is real for the average skater.

3. The Whole Team Wakes Up

Remember the importance of chemistry? Seemingly in sync with the rest of the club, Wennberg came alive after the aforementioned trade deadline, increasing his scoring production and ice presence. Fluttering through a wave of injuries through the winter months, the entire Blue Jackets team woke up as February came to a close.

Wennie was not exempt to this explosion. Other key players too found revival in the spring months as the team finished 14-4-2 in its last 20 games.

4. Power Play Struggles

As the power play struggles, often so does a team’s offensive producers. Not only did the Columbus Blue Jackets’ power play struggle (26th in the league), but Wennberg’s role on the power play shifted every other week. I understand trying to find a rhythm, but I also consider how difficult it is to establish your offense when everything is constantly changing.

Maybe the most telling statistic here is Wennie’s assists drop-off on the team’s power play. In the 2016-2017 season, he posted 21 power play helpers. Contrarily, #10 would only go on to score two last season. That’s a 19 point differential, just on special teams.

So What Can We Expect from #10 in 2018-2019?

A lot of this depends on his role on the power play, and his wing pairings. I might have just stated the obvious, but only because I have laid out the centerman’s production logic above.

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Whether he plays between Boone Jenner or captain Nick Foligno to his left, I think Wennberg starts off 2018 with Josh Anderson on his right. This would give Alex at least one consistent goal-scoring threat. If Foligno can find his old scoring form by playing consistently at left wing, Wennberg could potentially be sandwiched between two legitimate scorers.

Not much of a shooting threat himself, expect the Swede to accumulate the bulk of his scoring through assists. His goal scoring high is the diminutive 13 he posted in 2016-2017.

Too if Wennie can find a more substantial role on the power play, his scoring number could climb back towards the 60-point range. Unfortunately for his stat sheet, the Jackets power play finally showed its head last year once Alex found a home as a screener in front of the net. This is not going to contribute to his points total.

Best Case Scenario

A good defensive center, I could see Wennberg’s plus-minus of +22 continue to climb. Just one point behind the Jacket’s team leader (Artemi Panarin) in 2017-2018, Alex can still stretch this number if his line finds regular offensive output.

Even though the Swede is likely to retire as a non-goal scorer, I expect him to get back in the double digits next year as coach John Tortorella will continue to beg him to shoot the puck. Columbus Blue Jackets fans are probably exhausted of hearing this.

A healthy season and consistent line mates I think bring Alex’s assist totals back into the high thirties. Best case scenario, he taps back into the forties which could mean bigger things for the Blue Jackets.

Worst Case Scenario

If we’re strictly focused on points scoring, being the full-time screener on the power play is about as detrimental to Wennberg’s scoring potential as anything. The problem is, he does it so well, and that’s why Torts slots him there.

It is possible Wennberg could also suffer from constantly seeking to establish chemistry with new line mates. As a devout hater of line shuffling, I hope he finds a lucrative home between Foligno and Anderson. If everyone’s healthy, this is the most likely outcome in my opinion.

Last but not least, heaven forbid #10 gets injured again this year. Few things would be more encouraging for Columbus Blue Jackets fans than an 82-game season from Wennie. Having missed at least 13 games for 3 out of his 4 NHL seasons, Wennberg will try to avoid being labeled “injury prone”.

Final Prediction

Games Played: 78

Goals: 14

Assists: 39

Total Points: 53

Plus/Minus: +28

Unfortunately for Wennberg he is a player whose worth won’t always show up in the box score. A creative passer and responsible defender who helped lift the Jackets (then) league-worst power play might not be a luxury in the fantasy draft, but he is a luxury in Nationwide Arena.