Look for a full NHL roster from the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight against the Penguins.
Please, no more injuries. Thats all the Columbus Blue Jackets want out of the final true tune up before the season starts next week. Sure, the team will travel to Chicago for the eighth and final game of the preseason Saturday, but this will be the final game where the team rosters a full NHL squad.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are doing the same thing with their roster as this is their final preseason game before their opener Thursday against the Washington Capitals.
The Penguins are bringing in Jake Guentzel, Carl Hagelin, Evgeni Malkin, Patric Hornqvist, Phil Kessel, and Sidney Crosby just to name a few of the top line guys.
The Pens d-corps is all traveling to Columbus as well except for Jack Johnson. Seems like Jack really didn’t like Columbus or he won’t be a top six defenseman for the Pens.
The Jackets are icing what looks to be the opening night roster of forwards tonight agains the Penguins.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Artemi Panarin – Pierre-Luc Dubois – Cam Atkinson
Nick Foligno – Alexander Wennberg – Oliver Bjorkstrand
Boone Jenner – Brandon Dubinsky – Josh Anderson
Sonny Milano – Riley Nash – Anthony Duclair
The forth line could be the best fourth line in the NHL based on what we’ve seen from Duclair this preseason. Nash has shown that he can be a great two way center and Milano’s scoring rates are scary good.
The third line will be punishing. A great defensive line that will pound you physically and can still score some goals.
Defensively the pairs will be a slightly different with the injuries to Seth Jones and Ryan Murray but there is good news. Zach Werenski will suit up for the first time this preseason after a long recovery from shoulder surgery. Z will be partnered with Markus Nutivaara as the top pair.
Gabriel Carlsson, Scott Harrington, and Adam Clendening will all play tonight as the staff continues to evaluate the blueline.
Keep your eyes on the fourth line tonight as well as Carlsson, Harrington, and Clendening. These guys all still have a ton to prove and are fighting for the final spots on the roster. The puck drops at 7pm at Nationwide Arena in the last home game of the preseason.