Columbus Blue Jackets 2023-2024 Season Preview: Justin Danforth

The 2022-2023 season was over just as it was getting underway for Justin Danforth. The gritty winger suffered a season ending injury just 6 games into the season, costing him valuable playing time. Many players are pushing for playing time this upcoming season; with competition mounting, will Justin Danforth have a role on the 2023-2024 CBJ squad?

RW Justin Danforth

5’9”, 185 lbs

2022-2023 stats: 6GP, 2G, 1A, 3PTS, -3, 4 PIMs

Acquired: Signed as a Free Agent, May 2021

Contract: $0.975m AAV through 2023-2024

Role: Fourth line winger

Justin Danforth is a guy that fans like to cheer for. He was never drafted and had to work his way into the NHL through nearly every other professional league (most recently the KHL). He brings the energy and hustle every night and is a player that most fans appreciate for his hard work. His 2022-2023 season looked as though it was going to be a solid one. He began the year with a lot of energy and looked decent offensively, scoring 3 points in 6 games. But it was short-lived, as he suffered a season ending injury before the end of the first month of the season.

Danforth has his work cut out for him in 2023-2024. He will be competing with 17 other forwards for 12 active spots. He will need to lean on his work ethic and experience to solidify a spot in the lineup. Should he make the lineup, he will be a fixture on the 4th line. However, I suspect he will be going back-and-forth between playing on the 4th line and being a healthy scratch due to all the players pushing for ice time.

One bold prediction: Danforth will score 15 goals this season but won’t play in more than 60 games. Danforth is the type of player that a coach loves because he works hard and does everything that is asked of him. I suspect new head coach Mike Babcock will put Danforth in various situations and will lean on him when other players struggle. His speed and tenacity will help him score his goals. However, even if healthy all year, I doubt he plays in all 82 games. There are too many players pushing for ice time and he will likely be a healthy scratch in a number of games, which is why I say he only plays in 60-ish games.

Three keys to success:

1. Bring the energy. The CBJ started 2022-2023 with an 0-3 record and things looked bleak. But the CBJ won the next 2 games thanks in part to the effort of Danforth. He really brought some energy and electricity to the team after the disastrous opening week. His speed was on full display in game #5, with a pretty goal against Nashville. He will need to bring that energy all season if he expects to stay in the lineup.
2. Stay Healthy. Danforth missed almost all the 2022-2023 season with an injury. Health is the key to him finding a rhythm and finding a spot in the lineup.
3. It’s not all about offense. While Danforth is a forward and forwards are often looked upon to score, Danforth may solidify his position with his defensive play. Danforth is a solid penalty killer and fore-checker. He won’t be looked upon to score a lot of goals, so if he can be a good penalty killer, then he may just help improve the CBJ penalty kill.

Justin Danforth will be a role player for the upcoming season. He is 30 years old and will be a good mentor to all the young talent. Unless Danforth has a spectacular season, it is difficult to imagine him returning to the Blue Jackets after this season. Once the 2023-2024 season is over, he will be 31 years old and will be an unrestricted free agent. For an organization that has a lot of good, young talent that will be playing over the next few seasons, it is hard to imagine Danforth making the team past this season.