Using the chart below, select a starting lineup of notable players from throughout Columbus Blue Jackets history. I’ve seen this sort of thing done before in other places, so I thought it would be fun to pass some time this offseason. Here’s how it works:
Can I choose any players?
No. Just the ones on my list. You must choose one from each column.
Are all off these positions accurate? I think of some of these players in different roles.
I debated having general categories for wings and defensemen, but I thought it would make it a better challenge to distinguish between left and right wings and left and right defensemen. Some players have played on either side, so I had to move some from one to the other to balance things out. It was either that or including Adam Foote on the RD list. No one wants that.
How did you decide who made the cut? There are some players on here who weren’t that great.
I didn’t want to just pick the six best players at every position. That would be boring. I wanted to provide a balance of players from every era. I also wanted to include some fan favorites. Special consideration was given to players who played over 300 games for the Jackets or scored over 100 points.
Why did you leave off my favorite player?
That was intended to offend you, specifically.
Seriously, there were some tough choices. I hated to leave off Matt Calvert, Hall of Famer Sergei Fedorov, or my boy BJORKSTRAND.
What’s with the dollar amounts?
Each row is the “salary” assigned to those players. Your “cap” for this game is $21. You can spend less, but why would you? You can have one player of each dollar amount, or you can load up on some positions and skimp on others. Are you willing to do three $6 players and three $1 players?
I disagree with some of the values!
Feel free to debate that in the comments. Or just enjoy the flexibility of a player you like being cheaper than you think he should be.
What version of the players are we using? Current or what?
Let’s say their peak form as a Blue Jacket. Not anything they did before or after playing in Columbus.
| $$ | LW | C | RW | LD | RD | G |
| $6 | Artemi Panarin | Ryan Johansen | Cam Atkinson | Zach Werenski | Seth Jones | Sergei Bobrovsky |
| $5 | Rick Nash | Pierre-Luc Dubois | David Vyborny | Jack Johnson | David Savard | Ron Tugnutt |
| $4 | Geoff Sanderson | RJ Umberger | Boone Jenner | Ryan Murray | James Wisniewski | Steve Mason |
| $3 | Nick Foligno | Brandon Dubinsky | Josh Anderson | Rostislav Klesla | Markus Nutivaara | Pascal Leclaire |
| $2 | Scott Hartnell | Antoine Vermette | Vinny Prospal | Jan Hejda | Fedor Tyutin | Marc Denis |
| $1 | Jody Shelley | Espen Knutsen | Jared Boll | Marc Methot | Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre | Joonas Korpisalo |
Here are some possible lineups I came up with:
2019-20
LW: Nick Foligno ($3)
C: Pierre-Luc Dubois ($5)
RW: Josh Anderson ($3)
LD: Ryan Murray ($4)
RD: Markus Nutivaara ($3)
G: Joonas Korpisalo ($1)
Team Stinger (players who wore the original uniforms)
LW: Geoff Sanderson ($4)
C: Espen Knutsen ($1)
RW: David Vyborny ($5)
LD: Rostislav Klesla ($3)
RD: Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre ($1)
G: Ron Tugnutt ($5)
Bring the Pain
LW: Jody Shelley ($1) – 1025 PIM
C: Brandon Dubinsky ($3) – 448 PIM
RW: Jared Boll ($1) – 1195 PIM
LD: Rostislav Klesla ($3) – 508 PIM
RD: David Savard ($5) – 272 PIM
G: Sergei Bobrosky ($6) – Not a heavy hitter like those guys, but I could afford him and you’re gonna need a good goalie with how few goals that lineup would score
Team America
LW: Nick Foligno ($3)
C: Brandon Dubinsky ($3)
RW: Cam Atkinson ($6)
LD: Jack Johnson ($5)
RD: James Wisniewski ($3)
G: Uh, woops
Team Europe
LW: Artemi Panarin ($6)
C: Espen Knutsen ($1)
RW: Vinny Prospal ($2)
LD: Jan Hejda ($2)
RD: Markus Nutivaara ($3)
G: Joonas Korpisalo ($1)
All or Nothing
LW: Jody Shelley ($1)
C: Espen Knutsen ($1)
RW: Cam Atkinson ($6)
LD: Zach Werenski ($6)
RD: Seth Jones ($6)
G: Joonas Korpisalo ($1)
The Mediums
LW: Nick Foligno ($3)
C: Brandon Dubinsky ($3)
RW: Boone Jenner ($4)
LD: Ryan Murray ($4)
RD: Markus Nutivaara ($3)
G: Steve Mason ($4)
Alright, your turn. Share your rosters in the comments, and compare them to what others post. Which is the best possible lineup?