Several players are battling for the two spots on the third defensive pair
The top four of the defense should pretty much be set, as there was one combination of four players that looked dominant last year, and the analytics back that up and then some.
So there are three main players battling for those two spots at the moment: Dante Fabbro, Jake Christiansen, and Erik Gudbranson.
It's hard for me to pick two of those guys to consistently start over any particular one, and that may even be the case in training camp and beyond, as those three may rotate with each other until one pair sticks out.
Dante Fabbro seems like perhaps the least likely to be scratched, although a big drop-off in production last year doesn't do him any favors. However, he's proven that he can be more than capable on the third pair in the past, and I'm expecting him to be able to hold his own in a consistent role.
Then it gets a little tricky. The Blue Jackets decided to bring back Erik Gudbranson on a one-year deal, and I don't think they did it to give him an exclusive seat in the press box.
He has struggled mightily at even strength, but provides undeniable value on the penalty kill, and physicality and experience that go beyond the analytics. However, he and Fabbro are both right-handed, which isn't a dealbreaker, but it's not ideal.
Jake Christiansen is a lefty, so he would naturally slot in with either of those other two guys. He may be the least exciting of the three, but he's proven to be very consistent and plays a safe game that avoids risk.
There is, however, one more player that could surprisingly be in the mix (although it won't be a surprise if you've read a couple other articles here), with that being Guillaume Richard.
At just 23 years old, Richard is a much more exciting option than the three veterans, and he has shown tremendous growth over the last year that could boost him to an NHL spot if it can continue.
He played on the top pair in his first full season of professional hockey with the Cleveland Monsters (after playing 14 games at the end of the season prior), and excelled in a shutdown role while providing more offense than you might expect.
He completely earned the trust of now-Blue Jackets coach Trent Vogelhuber, and it's hard not to think that there will be some conversation about his potential if he has a good camp.
With the penalty kill struggling yet again last year, it definitely wouldn't hurt to put a big, defense-first blueliner in the lineup to help the team when down a man, something I'm not as confident in with Fabbro, and even less with Christiansen.
Richard is also left-handed, so he would naturally slot in alongside Fabbro or Gudbranson just like Christiansen would. There's also the added bonus of getting a young player some NHL experience, which never hurts.
Regardless, it should be a fun battle where the youngster tries to unseat one or two of the veterans. Even if he is returned to the Monsters, though, settling on the third pair still won't be an easy task for the Blue Jackets coaching staff.
The final group we're looking at is another situation where a younger (or two) is trying to break his way into a room somewhat crowded with depth.
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