The Blue Jackets will most likely start the season with 13 forwards, which means they'll have 2 to re-assign before Monday's roster deadline.
This one is pretty easy to work out, based on the lines we've seen running in practice. Barring any new acquisitions, Dylan Gambrell seems to be in line to start the season as the fourth line left wing for the Blue Jackets.
That's how they've been lining up for the last several days. Gambrell (28) is a veteran of 233 NHL games, and really all the team needs here is some energy and physicality alongside Sean Kuraly and Mathieu Olivier. He'll bring both, along with enough experience to be a replacement level player.
The 13th forward job is up for grabs until Justin Danforth eventually debuts. Mikael Pyyhtia, Gavin Brindley, and Owen Sillinger are jockeying for that role in the intermediate. This should be a pretty easy decision because this isn't going to be a player who plays every night.
For development's sake, Pyyhtia and Brindley should both play heavy minutes in the AHL. Neither of them have to go through waivers, and neither of them are going to benefit from sitting in the press box in Columbus. They should be sent to Cleveland for starring roles this year.
Your 13th forward? Owen Sillinger. He can be an energy guy at practice and jump into games as needed. Keeping him around for the time being doesn't change anything in this team's long-term plans.
Finally, I'm starting to wonder if we're about to see a big shift in goal. Elvis Merzlikins will occupy the starting job - at least until he proves he cannot. He's paid accordingly, and let's give credit where it's due: he's been pretty good this fall. Hopefully, for all involved, he has a bounce back season this year.
But the backup role could go the other way. Jet Greaves has vastly outplayed Daniil Tarasov in the preseason games. Could the team actually move on from Tarasov at this point?
He'll require waivers to be sent down, and I'm almost certain he would be claimed. Teams are always looking for goaltending, and I feel like there's still enough buzz about his perceived potential, that someone would take a shot. But, for the first time, I wonder if that doesn't matter to the Blue Jackets? Or, could they simply ship him off via trade to the highest bidder?
There is a new management regime here, which won't be as dedicated to keeping a guy around because they've drafted and spent so much time trying to develop him. At some point, Greaves is going to burst onto the NHL scene. I just wonder if that might not be happening right before our eyes. He can still be sent to the AHL without clearing waivers, so maybe I've read too far into it. We'll see.
It will be interesting to see where the chips fall over the next 5 days for this team. There have been some real surprising efforts - good and bad - at training camp this year.