It was a hot start to the season for Bean, with one goal and one assist in the first two games, but the rest quickly became forgettable. With 3 points in his first 6 games, he only managed to add 10 more in the remaining 66 games. He played mostly third-pair minutes at even strength and also filled in on the penalty kill.
Bean isn’t a bad defenseman, but he lacks any standout skills. He’s a decent puck mover, but not good enough to rack up points. He’s not bad at actual defense, but he’s not good enough to provide a reliable consistency. At 26 years old and at $2.8m+, where does that leave him?
Enter new GM Don Waddell. The last time these two were part of the same organization, Bean was traded to Columbus. It seems that Waddell wasn’t impressed with Bean then, and with little having changed in his game since then, it’s hard to imagine that feeling changing.
Jake Bean is a replaceable third-pair defenseman. One guy who could replace him is fellow RFA Jake Christiansen. The “other” Jake has been very successful in the AHL, but has yet to see full-time NHL duty. Christiansen could at least provide a similar level of play for $2m less. The Jackets aren’t in cap trouble, but I’m sure an extra $2m could be put to good use somewhere.
2023-24 Stats
Games: 72
Goals: 4
Assists: 9
Points: 13
Plus/Minus: -10
PIM: 32
5v5 Corsi%: 47.19
5v5 Fenwick%: 46.86
Off Zone Start %: 42.86
Contract
Bean is set to be an RFA this summer. His qualifying offer will be $2.8m. However, it would not be surprising if the Blue Jackets chose not to qualify him.
High Point
On 2 separate occasions, once on February 21st and again on April 1st, Bean ended the game with a +3.
Low Point
Bean had a -3 in 3 different games over the course of the season. He is also prone to own goals, which have happened to him on more than one occasion.
Report Card
C
Meh.