Goaltenders: Elvis Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov
The Blue Jackets run it back with last year's tandem. The hope here is that the team's improvements elsewhere in the roster - combined with an almost all-new coaching staff, will help both of these guys make more saves.
One thing I think that is different this year: we will not see this team name a true #1 goaltender at any point. Dean Evason used a tandem approach in his tenure with the Minnesota Wild, rolling with the hot hand on any given night.
I think we will see a true split, with neither guy exceeding 45 starts this season. That is, unless one of them clearly stands out ahead of the other.
I believe Evason when he says that playing time will be dictated by performance. This will hold true with the skaters' ice time, but the goaltenders as well. Which means that if a certain you-know-who gets an attitude if he doesn't get the lion's share of the starts, he's going to have to play his way back into the job. Complaining to the media won't do it with this head coach.
If true, that approach will be refreshing. This team's goaltending hasn't been up to par for at least three seasons. Even middle of the pack goaltending will help this team win more hockey games, which we so desperately need to see.
With contracts and feelings set aside, an honest approach should help both guys compete harder. Competition can either make guys better, or make them worse. If they improve, great. If not, well, at least after this season we'll know where things stand with both of these guys. Assuming good health, anyway. Then, the team can make final decisions on their goaltending moving forward.
Let's start diving into the defense corps on the next page.