Denton Mateychuk has made a big difference for the Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets have been red hot for the last month or so of the NHL season. Currently on a 5-game win streak (longest in the NHL), they have stomped their way into the wild card conversation in the Eastern Conference. One reason they've improved: rookie defenseman Denton Mateychuk has been a big difference maker.

The Jackets gave themselves an early Christmas present, calling their top defense prospect up on December 22nd. At the time, Mateychuk was leading the American Hockey League in scoring, with 9 goals and 25 points in 27 games played with the Cleveland Monsters.

I was pretty optimistic that he could stick in the NHL, but talked about the learning curve a little bit. He has run into obstacles (mistakes) here and there, with the occasional mis-read or mistake off the puck. I can't say the same with the puck on his stick, though. He's been really good and consistent there.

The thing that has impressed me the most about his game however, is that you don't see him making those same mistakes over and over. He's quickly learning at the NHL level, and has made adjustments when he needs to. Now, 10 games into his career, he's rapidly established himself as a player who cannot be sent back to the AHL. He's been too good.

Denton is currently playing on the second defense pair, averaging just over 18 minutes per game alongside Ivan Provorov. His offensive numbers may not jump off the page, but what he has done here is help solidify the game from an overall standpoint. While Mateychuk and Provorov may seem like an odd fit, they have worked well together and been the perfect compliment for each other.

The offense will come, but the defense is already there?

This has been the surprising part for me. I figured he would quickly fit in from an offensive perspective, as a puck mover and distributor. Instead, while he works to get himself up to pace in that game; he's proven to be more than solid defensively. To the point where our own Mike Stump pointed out his xGF rating last night:

Rather than Provorov's game allowing Mateychuk to settle in, I think it's happened the other way around. Denton's reliability has opened up Ivan's game even more, and as a result, the Blue Jackets are 10-2-0 since the two were first paired together. For the first time in years, the team has two very reliable defense pairings that they can roll out in all situations. It has made the game a lot easier for the team as a whole.

Denton Mateychuk has given the Blue Jackets with exactly what they needed: a top-four defenseman who can eat up minutes in all situations. Not bad for a guy who has only ten NHL games under his belt. Sorry, Cleveland. He won't be coming back.