Columbus Blue Jackets Fantasy Outlook

Sep 25, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Johnny Gaudreau (13) shoots the puck during the second period against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 25, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Johnny Gaudreau (13) shoots the puck during the second period against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
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I love fantasy hockey because it forces me to know more about every player and team in the league, and gives me a reason to watch games I probably wouldn’t otherwise care about. As a fan of the sport, it’s a way to be competitive and keep up on current news and trends. Today we’ll take a look at which Blue Jacket players really hold fantasy value, and which players you should steer away from.

Sep 25, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Johnny Gaudreau (13) shoots the puck during the second period against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 25, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Johnny Gaudreau (13) shoots the puck during the second period against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports /

We’ll start with the obvious here: Johnny Gaudreau. Gaudreau had a phenomenal 2021-22 season with the Calgary Flames, finishing second in the league with 115 points – and a whopping +64 rating while skating in all 82 games. Pointing out what may be obvious here: he won’t repeat that level of success this season. I think a reasonable expectation for Johnny, if healthy, is roughly a point per game pace, heavy on assists. The Blue Jackets don’t have the same kind of talent around him and he’ll need to adjust to his new surroundings. In short, don’t take him with your first round pick … but if you can nab him a little bit later, he should be worth it.

Patrik Laine may actually hold more fantasy value than Gaudreau – especially in leagues that lean more heavily on goal scoring. Laine’s career high is 44 goals and I think there’s a pretty decent chance he eclipses that this season. Only six players exceeded 44 goals last year, which points towards the kind of season we’re talking about here. He’s never played with a playmaker quite like Gaudreau, came to camp in better shape, and has looked great all preseason. If Laine is available in the middle rounds of your draft, snag him up. I think he’s being overlooked by a lot of people this year. I was able to snag him in the seventh round of one of my leagues.

Sep 25, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Patrik Laine (29) brings the puck up ice during the second period against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 25, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Patrik Laine (29) brings the puck up ice during the second period against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports /

When healthy, Zach Werenski is one of the game’s premier defensemen from a fantasy standpoint. He chips in assists, and is one of the top goal scoring defensemen in the league. He’s coming off of a career-low shooting percentage of 5.1%; if he can get back to his career average of around 7% and stay healthy, with this team’s offensive firepower he’s capable of being a top-10 scorer amongst NHL defensemen. He should be available well after that range in a lot of leagues, so like Laine, take a swing here if he’s around.

…use caution here, as none of these guys are going to move the needle too much for your fantasy team.

Elvis Merzlikins will be a consistent starter in the NHL – which is one of the qualities you look for when drafting a fantasy goaltender. Behind this team, though, Elvis will probably struggle to put up consistent numbers. That’s not a knock on him, this team is just young and still finding its way defensively. When he’s on, he can be an elite level goaltender, but bouts of inconsistency and the odd “soft goal”, make him a middle of the pack guy overall. He can be a good #2 fantasy option, but don’t bet your entire season on him leading the way.

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (90)Mandatory Credit: Gaelen Morse-USA TODAY Sports
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (90)Mandatory Credit: Gaelen Morse-USA TODAY Sports /

Jakub Voracek racks up assists like few other players in the league. In fact, he finished tied for 20th in the entire league last year (Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen), with 56 assists. It will be hard to see him replicate that production this year, as he’ll likely be on the team’s second line. But, he’s been the net-front presence on the power-play throughout training camp, which should boost his goal production from last season. If he’s your fifth or sixth winger, that’s probably fine – but don’t expect much more.

You may feel tempted to take a flyer on other players, including Yegor Chinakhov, Adam Boqvist, Jack Roslovic, Boone Jenner, Cole Sillinger, Gustav Nyquist or even rookie Kent Johnson. But, use caution here, as none of these guys are going to move the needle too much for your fantasy team. Boqvist has value as a #2 power play quarterback, but he’s been inconsistent and oft-injured throughout his career thus far. And, that unit is going to be really young and may not see a ton of ice time.

Columbus Blue Jackets center Cole Sillinger (34) Mandatory Credit: Gaelen Morse-USA TODAY Sports
Columbus Blue Jackets center Cole Sillinger (34) Mandatory Credit: Gaelen Morse-USA TODAY Sports /

If you want to gamble on upside, the best bet here in my opinion may be Sillinger, who could slide up the lineup and center that big Laine-Gaudreau tandem by season’s end. Even so, you can likely snag him via the waiver wire if he starts playing well. Chinakhov is sneaky and could bring value if his goal scoring carries over to the regular season, but I would be hesitant to jump on him just yet. In dynasty leagues, these guys or even Johnson could hold huge value. In all, this should be a higher scoring team this season … just don’t count on much help in that plus/minus category.

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