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Union and Blue Staff Discuss the Columbus Blue Jackets Preseason

By Lansing Murphy

COLUMBUS, OH - APRIL 19: Sonny Milano #22 of the Columbus Blue Jackets skates against the Washington Capitals in Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 19, 2018 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Sonny Milano
COLUMBUS, OH - APRIL 19: Sonny Milano #22 of the Columbus Blue Jackets skates against the Washington Capitals in Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 19, 2018 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Sonny Milano /
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Lansing Murphy

Columbus Blue Jackets
TAMPA, FL – JANUARY 13: A Blue Jackets fan celebrates an empty net goal to secure the victory during the third period of an NHL game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Columbus Blue Jackets on January 13, 2017, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. The Blue Jackets defeated the Lightning 3-1 on Martin St. Louis jersey retirement night. (Photo by Roy K. Miller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Basically Lansing minus the hat. And sweater. And glasses and beard. Ok, basically just the ice cold beverage in his hand.

What Jacket has surprised you the most so far?

Anthony Duclair for sure. The Duke has been a great surprise after two seasons of disappointment. He has treated this training camp like a do-or-die opportunity and it clearly shows.

He’s looked very fast and competes really hard in the corners. He has held his own in the defensive zone as well. Duclair at this point is a lock to make the team this year in my eyes.

Throw Adam Clendening in too as a player that has surprised me. The free agent signing has made a huge impact and has pushed his way into the final d-man conversation along with Scott Harrington, Dean Kukan and Gabriel Carlsson.

Conversely, who has been the most disappointing?

I haven’t pinned it down yet if it was his own play, or that other defenseman have just looked better but I was hoping to see more from Gabriel Carlsson. Its greedy to ask for three NHL defenseman in one single draft (2015) but the former first round pick hasn’t shown it yet.

After dealing with an injury last season I expected Carlsson to come into camp and really push for the final spot as a Jackets defenseman. Now, it looks like he will be heading to Cleveland for another season with the Monsters.

What are your predicted opening night lines and pairings?

It seems pretty apparent what the roster will look like minus the final defenseman slot. I give the slight nod to Kukan over Clendening for the 6th defenseman.

Panarin – Dubois – Atkinson

Foligno – Wennberg – Bjorkstrand

Jenner – Dubinsky – Anderson

Duclair – Nash – Milano

Jones – Werenski

Murray – Nutivaara

Kukan – Savard

Bobrovsky

Korpisalo

Next. Bettman Talks Outdoor Game for CBJ. dark

I think the team ends up carrying Clendening and Harrington for a bit on the roster pushing out another forward to Cleveland.

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