We’re only 3 games into an 82 game season but that’s not too early too jump conclusions, right?
Ok, it is. But that doesn’t stop all of us from having reactions to what happened over the last week, in combination with the struggles of last season and the drama over the off-season. Here I’ll serve a sample of some hot takes (some from me, and some from the other writers), provide some context, then evaluate how likely each is to be true at the end of the season, on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being most likely).
Jack Roslovic should be off the roster by the trade deadline
The evidence so far: The hometown forward is in the last year of his contract before hitting unrestricted free agency in the summer, which usually makes a player ripe for a trade. With the acquisition of Adam Fantilli and the Patrik Laine-at-center experiment, Roslovic isn’t a need at that position.
Score: 8/10
I have no doubt that Roslovic is on the shopping block. There’s no future for him here, and if you can get something in return, you do it. My only concern is that his trade value is declining by the game. He has been moved from center to wing and relegated to fourth line duty. He earned a healthy scratch after just one game, and when he came back to the lineup he had another bad performance, in another embarrassing Columbus defeat. At 5v5, the team is allowing 101.41 shot attempts against per 60 minutes of 5v5 play. The only other forward to come anywhere near that is Eric Robinson, who was demoted to the AHL after just one game. Chances are, ownership will have to retain salary to move Roslovic, and the return will be minimal. Still, it could be worth it to open up room for a younger forward with more upside.
The Blue Jackets could trade for Conor Garland
The evidence so far: The winger wants out of Vancouver, and is in the third year of a 5 year deal with a $4.95M cap hit. Per Ellliotte Friedman, the Canucks would like to take an expiring contract in return. Jeff Marek speculated on his radio show that Columbus could be a fit as a trade partner.
Score: 1/10
I just can’t see this happening. Garland doesn’t fill a position of need, isn’t an outstanding player (career high of 52 points; only exceeded 20 goals once), and is making more than any of the players the Jackets are looking to move (Roslovic, Peeke, Boqvist). Adding a veteran winger would block someone like Yegor Chinakhov from rejoining the lineup. The Jackets will certainly be sellers this season, but it will be for picks and prospects.
David Jiricek is already the best defenseman the roster
The evidence so far: Through two games, the 19 year-old, second year rookie is leading Jackets defenders in allowing the fewest shot attempts, unblocked shot attempts, shots on goal, and expected goals against at 5v5 when he’s on ice. Not bad for a kid who didn’t make the roster out of camp.
Score: 6/10
I don’t think Jiricek is the best defenseman on the roster, but I think he’s clearly a top 4 D for this team, and will continue to play well enough to remain there when Zach Werenski returns from injury in a week or so. Through just 2 games, Jiricek leads the Columbus blue line in 5v5 minutes per game, at 16:58. His actual goals allowed is poor, but impacted by an 86.67 on-ice save percentage. That should even out in time. In the meanwhile, Jiricek scored his first NHL goal on Saturday, and that should be a big boost to his confidence going forward.
Brad Larsen ruined Cole Sillinger
The evidence for: When Dale brought this up in the writers’ chat, Burkus reminded us of his first Cannon article, where he argued that Sillinger starting out in the NHL as an 18 year old was a bad idea. But then he had a great rookie season and Burkus walked it back, before returning to his original sentiment this summer after Sillinger’s disastrous sophomore campaign. Sillinger was a minor surprise to have made the NHL roster out of camp this summer, and is -1 with just 1 assist through 3 games, with an average ice time of 14:32.
Score: 5/10
I don’t believe that Sillinger is ruined, but I don’t think he has been handled correctly. He should have gone to Cleveland sooner last season, but injuries and a lack of center depth required him to stay here longer. I have said that I feel (in hindsight) that his rookie season wasn’t as good as it looked, but the second season wasn’t as bad as it looked, either. He has had bad puck luck, and it has ruined his confidence. Is it better for him to regain that as a first line center in Cleveland, or a third line center in Columbus? The experiment of him as a top 6 winger only lasted through the first game.
Pascal Vincent is over his head
The evidence for: The team is on last year’s pace, at 1-2-0 through the first 3 games. The two losses featured a strong start before sleepwalking through the second and third periods. The win had an even better start, but the Jackets still had to hold on to withstand massive pressure from the Rangers in the final period. It’s the same inconsistency from night to night and period to period that we saw under Brad Larsen. The power play leaves a lot to be desired as well.
Score: 4/10
I had my concerns about putting this season in the hands of an unproven NHL coach, but it’s too early to cast judgment on him. He was put into a difficult position, taking over just days before the start of camp. It’s going to take time for him to get his system in place, and to get the players comfortable with it. I don’t have faith that he’s the right guy for this franchise in the long term, but in the short term I’m looking for progress from this team over this season.
Elvis is back
The evidence for: After a dreadful 7-18-2 season in 2022-23, featuring a .876 save percentage and 4.23 GAA, Elvis Merzlikins started this season with a 1-1-0 record, .950 save percentage, and 1.84 GAA. He has only played 5 periods, as he left Saturday’s game in the second intermission with some sort of illness. Still, the fact that he played so well against a good New York Rangers team while not 100% says a lot.
Score: 2/10
It has been too many years of declining play for me to put much stock in 98 minutes of ice time for Elvis. I’m glad to see him play well, but I want to see him sustain this over several months. Hopefully he recovers quickly and can pick up where he left off.
How would you grade these early reactions? Any others you have that you want to share? Let’s debate those in the comments.