Columbus Blue Jackets Propelled to Top of Metro by Balanced Scoring

The Columbus Blue Jackets are getting scoring contributions from the roster top to bottom.

This Columbus Blue Jackets team isn’t just the Artemi Panarin show any more when it comes to putting points on the score sheet. Panarin still leads the team in scoring like he did in the 2017-2018 campaign but this year he is getting far more help from the lineup.

Panarin’s 18 points in 18 games still are tops for the Jackets squad but his fellow line-mates Cam Atkinson and Pierre-Luc Dubois aren’t far behind with 14 and 13 points respectively. The top line is looking and producing like a top line which is great news.

But the secondary and tertiary scoring is what is helping propel the Jackets to the top of the Metropolitan Division. Including the top line, the Jackets boast 12 players scoring at a half point per game pace or better. Last year, the Columbus Blue Jackets only had five players average a half point per game.

There are 11 Jackets with nine points or more. That includes players on every single current line formation regularly used and every defensive pair that is deployed. Six players have five or more goals as well.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Artemi Panarin 18 GP 18 points

Cam Atkinson 17 GP 14 points

Pierre-Luc Dubois 18 GP 13 points

Nick Foligno 18 GP 11 points

Zach Werenski 18 GP 11 points

Anthony Duclair 18 GP 10 points

Josh Anderson 18 GP 9 points

Seth Jones 11 GP 9 points

Markus Nutivaara 18 GP 9 points

Ryan Murray 18 GP 9 points

Alexander Wennberg 18 GP 9 points

Brandon Dubinsky 8 GP 4 points

That level of scoring throughout a lineup allows Coach Tortorella to not have to rely on one line to win games. It also allows him to quickly bench players he believes aren’t checking hard enough, like he did to Anthony Duclair against the Dallas Stars. Duclair is one of the 12 players averaging more than a half point per game with 10 points in 18 games.

The depth scoring is fantastic for the team and there is still some scoring to be found from Oliver Bjorkstrand and perhaps Sonny Milano if he get’s another chance, which I think he will. Plenty of options for Torts and Co. moving forward.