8 Breakout candidates who could make or break the Blue Jackets season

It will probably be another hard hockey season in Central Ohio. The Blue Jackets were already going to be up against the wall in a tough Metropolitan Division. The tragic death of their best player just last month, has made their odds even worse. But, if some of the young players can take a big step this season, they could show improvement.

I came up with a list of 8 players who could change this team's fate by playing up to greater potential this season. This is a list that doesn't include top prospects like Cayden Lindstrom or Denton Mateychuk. Today, we're focusing solely on guys that we know are going to play in the NHL this year.

The NHL roster is loaded with quality veterans like Boone Jenner, Zach Werenski, Sean Monahan, Erik Gudbranson, Ivan Provorov, Damon Severson, and Sean Kuraly, amongst others. But, outside of Werenski, none of these players are legitimate top of the lineup players.

They're all reliable and consistent. We know we can expect 20-30 goals out of Boone Jenner. Monahan is probably a safer bet to clear 30. Werenski may very well lead the team in scoring this season. But, asking for a lot more out of any of these guys is probably asking too much.

It's too late in the year to make a big free agent splash. There are probably not many teams throwing around top-line talent via trade, either. Instead, this team's improvements have to come from within. The talent they've accumulated at the top of the draft over the last few years has to take the reins and lead this team up the standings.

Who will that be? Let's start with the two most obvious players on the next page.

Kent Johnson

If you've paid attention to training camp and the preseason for the Blue Jackets, you've heard the hype. Kent Johnson has entered this season bigger, stronger, and with more poise than ever. This is great news for a guy whose 16-goal, 40-point (79 games) rookie season was followed up by the dreaded sophomore slump.

Last year, Johnson scored just 6 goals and 16 points in 42 games. He suffered a season-ending injury in garbage time late in February, which threw him into the off-season way ahead of schedule. Maybe the long break was just what he needed to regroup and get back to basics.

Outside of Fantilli, Johnson has the highest offensive ceiling in the organization. The two are obvious future line-mates at some point, with KJ's ability to slow the game down with his stickhandling and dish out passes being an obvious skillset to pair with Fantilli's size, speed and shot. If early preseason reports is any indication, Kent could be amongst the team leaders in scoring this season. Look at this pass:

Yegor Chinakhov

Speaking of speed and shooting... Eventually, Yegor Chinakhov is going to find his scoring niche in the NHL. It's only a matter of time. He has shown flashes of elite goal scoring potential throughout his three seasons in Columbus. Unfortunately, injuries and inconsistencies have plagued the early part of his career.

The hope here is that a new coaching staff and health (fingers crossed), will put Yegor into better situations to do what he does best. "Chinny" is one of the best skaters on the team, and with Patrik Laine gone, he's easily the best pure shooter here. But, he also doesn't get enough credit for how hard he works away from the puck. He should get consistent minutes because of that, and he has the talent to capitalize.

Putting it all together is the key, but if he does that;, he's going to be a really nice middle-six forward for this team. Thinking 25+ goals, 60+ points, and reliable on both sides of the puck. I won't say this year is make or break for him, but we have to expect more out of Yegor if this team is going to move forward.

Two more forwards could break out this season, but what will their roles be?

Cole Sillinger

The dreaded sophomore slump left many of us wondering if the Blue Jackets might have rushed Cole Sillinger to the NHL too quickly. Last season however, he put a lot of concerns to rest by re-establishing himself as a pesky, physical two-way center. Still, it feels like there's more to give here, and he could be due for a bigger role this year.

Sillinger is already playing like bottom-two line, shutdown center in the NHL. He was used in that role quite a bit last year, and did quite an effective job while also setting a career high with 32 points in 77 games played. His most impressive stat, however: might have been his -4 rating; which was tied for second best on the team (minimum 45 games). Not bad for a team that gave up 63 more goals than they scored.

He achieved that near-even rating while often playing against tougher opposition, averaging more than 16 minutes per night. Quietly, Cole had a really solid third season in the NHL. If his offensive game can take another step this season, we're looking at one of the best young two-way centers in hockey.

Dmitri Voronkov

I was wrong about Dmitri Voronkov. Quite wrong, in fact. But, to be fair, it's hard to gauge true potential on players like this. I thought Voronkov would come over and be a future fixture on the fourth line - the heir apparent to Sean Kuraly. Right away, it was evident that he's much, much better than that.

After a quick conditioning stint in the AHL to start his first year in North America, he made his NHL debut on October 26th last season. In his first game, he picked up an assist and 9 penalty minutes - including a fight. While I expected him to be a physical monster, what I did not expect was his offense coming along so quickly.

"Vronk" is a high IQ player, who makes up for his lack of foot speed by being a step ahead of the play on both sides of the puck. The only knock I can come up with is that he was too pass-friendly and needed to shoot more. Had he done that, I think he would have eclipsed 25 goals last season. If he can produce like that in a middle-six role (likely on the wing) this season, the Blue Jackets are in great shape.

Two more players could make a world of difference for the Blue Jackets this season. Let's look at two non-forwards who need to take a big step.

David Jiricek

It finally seems like the big prize in the Seth Jones deal is ready to make the jump full-time to the NHL this season. Honestly, whether David Jiricek is ready or not, it's probably time to see what he can do; and the club seems to agree with that notion, based on their preseason roster.

Jiricek has proven that he's too good for the American Hockey League over the last two seasons - averaging 0.68 points per game from the blue line. I would argue that he looked fine in his limited NHL minutes last season, and he deserved to be here all year. But, more seasoning is rarely a bad thing, and I'm interested to see how he does with a greater opportunity this year. He has all of the makings of a high-end two-way defenseman; size, a big shot, and the ability to lay a big hit when needed.

The biggest concern here is his foot speed and the occasional indecisive moment. Both of these things can be corrected by an improved defensive structure. I think the right coaching staff is in place in Columbus, to help put David into better positions overall. He may not break out in a big way this year, but I do think he's ready to contribute more. If he does break out - the Jackets will be much improved. He's exactly what they need.

Daniil Tarasov

It's now or never for Daniil Tarasov. For years, we've been told that he is the most talented goaltender in the system. Sometimes, we see flashes of that potential. But he's spent so much time on the IR that we have to wonder if he'll ever reach his full potential. Now 25 years old, he's entering what should be the prime of his career; but he hasn't played more than 28 games in any season - in any league - in five full years. In fact, he's only done that twice in his entire career.

If he can play this whole season as he did for a six-week period last year, he will become the team's starting goaltender. If not, I believe the team will walk away from his RFA contract next summer. Jet Greaves will no longer be AHL eligible next season, and it feels like the team is going to have to choose between Tarasov or Elvis Merzlikins, to pair with Greaves in 2025.

Tarasov does indeed have a high ceiling. If he stays healthy and plays like he did for the second half of last season, I'll go as far as saying that the Blue Jackets will contend for a playoff spot this year. That's how important the goaltending position is, and that's how good Daniil can be.

It goes without saying that all of these players likely won't pop this year. But, I do think that each of them are capable of at least playing in a larger role. And, for the Blue Jackets to truly be successful, these are the guys who have to lead the way. Until that happens, we'll continue to see them adding more and more young players to the system.

If I were placing bets, I feel confident enough that the first six guys on this list - all forwards (Fantilli, Johnson, Marchenko, Chinakhov, Sillinger and Voronkov) - are going to take on larger roles this year. But, the team's plight hinges on an improved defense corps, hopefully supplementing improved goaltending. So, the last two guys on this list may be the ones needed to step up the most.

We'll check back on this list at the end of the season. It will be interesting to see how each of these guys performed, and where the team sits in the standings.