What to do With Jack Roslovic?
With the Jackets trailing late in the second period last night and needing to find some offense to get back into the game, one player was noticeably absent from the rotation of lines. Jack Roslovic did not see the ice in the third period as the Jackets attempted to make a comeback. His continued struggles are becoming a concern.
When you look through the Blue Jackets’ lineup, you’ll find that they’re seriously lacking depth and productivity at the center position. They’re in really good shape for scoring wingers. They’ve accumulated a deep defense corps, even if they are incredibly young and mostly offensive-minded. But down the middle, it’s tough.
Which is exactly why they need Jack Roslovic to be on top of his game. So far this season, that has not happened. Through 21 games, he has scored just one goal and 8 points, with just 31 shots on goal and a -7 rating. It’s not that he’s been unlucky or even just invisible; he’s been obviously struggling on both sides of the puck.
Jack’s struggles earned him a healthy scratch just three weeks ago – in favor of Brendan Gaunce. Now, this isn’t a knock on Gaunce, he’s a solid two-way guy who does a lot of the little things that coaches love. But he’s a 28 year old former 1st round pick, who hasn’t yet carved out a full-time role in the NHL. That he was in the lineup ahead of Roslovic, highlights how bad Jack’s play has been. Efforts like this one are a real head scratcher:
A look at Nelson's goal 👀🥅 pic.twitter.com/jPMMNgAY1v
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) November 13, 2022
He doesn’t need to be Patrice Bergeron defensively, but he has to put in more effort than that. He takes one step, coasts back and crosses sticks with the attacking player … it’s just not good enough.
For a team needing any kind of help they can get down the middle, the opportunity abounds for a player like Roslovic. We even talked before the season about him potentially playing between Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine on the top line. He certainly has the skill, but he hasn’t yet shown any kind of consistency, which has cost him not only the chance to win that spot – but also hold down his own job.
When he’s on his game, he can be dynamic. He scored 10 goals in the final 10 games last season, thrusting himself back into the spotlight and earning a two year contract extension with the team. He was moving his feet, showing off his hands, and found his scoring touch in a big way.
But when you look at the whole picture, last season? Aside from those final 10 games, he scored just 12 goals and 32 points in 71 games. From that perspective, he was a bottom-six producer on a team that had a relatively good year offensively. To top that off, he often looks disinterested and carefree on the ice – two tendencies that drive coaches insane. You can play that way if you produce big numbers, but when you’re struggling, it stands out.
This latest benching was the result of a long shift at the end of the second period last night. After being pinned into the defensive zone for the entire shift, Roslovic broke out of the zone in a limited 2-on-1 with Kent Johnson.
With both players dead tired, Jack skated the puck up the right wing. Just before gaining the red line, he did a spin-o-rama and flung a backhand pass blindly across the ice. His pass was well in front of Johnson, who was coasting to the bench on fumes; and went for icing. This forced a defensive zone faceoff with a group of players who had been on the ice for nearly 2 minutes. Rightly, Jack did not see another shift for the rest of the game.
At this point in time, this team simply does not have a suitable replacement for him in the lineup. The center depth around him is captain Boone Jenner, who’s spent most of his career on the left wing; then 19 year old Cole Sillinger (going through his own struggles), and role player Sean Kuraly. After those guys? Well, they would have to lean on another 19 year old (Kent Johnson), who has exclusively played wing over at least the last two seasons – or recall Brendan Gaunce again.
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There are no other NHL ready prospects. We don’t have anyone coming off of IR that can take this spot. In this regard, healthy scratching Jack is not going to help the team. But, it’s worth noting that when he was left out of the lineup, he came back looking quicker and more engaged. In that regard, it did make sense.
What you can’t have is a veteran player around the lineup who isn’t putting in a consistent effort. We can no longer look at Jack as a developing player – he’s going to be 26 in January. He’s in the prime of his career, and you can’t keep putting him on the ice when he isn’t giving 100% effort for the team. This kills the developmental progress you make with the younger players.
Ultimately, it’s hard to see this relationship continuing beyond his contract that expires after next year. My gut tells me that the team may be looking to make a move sooner than that, to not only give Jack a change of scenery, but also to improve their depth up the middle. They need someone who can kill penalties better than this … where was he going here?
Crosby is batting the puck out of mid-air.
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 7, 2022
Malkin is breaking ankles (in a good way).
The Penguins are scoring on the power play. pic.twitter.com/N7xJwJCoHY
The problem with trying to deal him now? Most importantly, they need centers, and would have to see one coming the other way. Secondly, his value is extremely low, even with a fairly palatable $4m AAV. You would be hoping to sell him based off of his finish last year, but not a lot of teams are going to be buying that. Maybe you can go to a team facing injury troubles, who might want a guy like this to fill the gap. That’s possible.
But again, you need centers to win in this league. They’re really in a tough spot right now. The best outcome for both sides would be Roslovic rediscovering his confidence and playing with the swagger that he finished last season with. They need him, and he needs to step up and show he’s an NHL center, once and for all.
Next. Kirill Marchenko Has Arrived. dark