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.

Adam Fantilli

This team's entire hopes and dreams probably hinges on Adam Fantilli's success. I'm pretty confident that he's a star in the making - the kind of star that is very capable of putting his team on his back and leading them to the top.

The only question here: how soon will that happen? Adam went through some growing pains last year while on the ice, before a season-ending laceration to his leg in January. Even with the struggles and missed time; he scored 12 goals and 27 points in 49 games, finishing 11th on the team in scoring.

Better yet, the underlying numbers here were really good, pointing to bigger and better things. As he learns to utilize his teammates and pick his spots better, Fantilli is well on his way to becoming the best center this franchise has ever had. When (not if) he pops, he'll be a dominant two-way center, capable of putting up 100 points in this league. If he can do that this year, we're in for a real treat. Early preseason indications: he just might.

Kirill Marchenko

One could argue that Kirill Marchenko is already a star on this team. I wouldn't debate that point. In two seasons with the Jackets, he's scored 44 goals and 67 points in 123 games. Last year, he led the team with 23 goals.

He has the size, shot, and work ethic of a top line forward. In fact, I think he's the only young winger in the organization who has consistently shown top line potential on a nightly basis.

His off-ice personality screams "star" as well. Marchenko has a contagious smile and doesn't take himself too seriously; even when critiquing his own game during a slump. I don't see 100+ point potential here like Fantilli, but I do think Kirill can be a 40-goal, 70-80 point player in this league. And, I think he's the closest to breaking out. I would mash the "over" on 30 goals for him this season.

These two aren't the only ones on the verge of breaking out offensively. Let's move on to the next names on my list.

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.