I have to admit, this post came out of a friend asking me a question while at the Carolina game on Friday.
“How many people,” he asked, “Are still on the team from the opening day roster?”
I had a rough idea, but aside from “seems like damned few”, I had no real idea. So I decided it was worth taking a look – and I found a few other interesting numbers you might like to check out.
352: The current number of games lost to injury this season. By the end of the regular season, it will be the equivalent of having four roster players totally absent + the other nagging injuries around the room.
48.2% – The Blue Jackets‘ current chances of “winning” the first overall pick in the draft lottery.
10 – The number of players from the opening night roster who are no longer on the ice. Of that number, five have been traded or lost to waivers (Jeff Carter, Grant Clitsome, Kris Russell, Antoine Vermette, Samuel Pahlsson), one demoted (Matt Calvert), and the rest lost to injury. (Radek Martinek, Fedor Tyutin, Derek MacKenzie). Special mention also goes to James Wisniewski, who was not available for the opening games, of course, but now is down due to his concussion, and you could make an argument for Kristian Huselius, given his season long residency of the IR.
36 – The number of players who have dressed for the Jackets for at least one game this season. Rick Nash and Vinny Prospal are the team’s remaining iron men, having dressed for every game, while Alexander Joudrey spent the least time in Columbus, being called up for a single game.
5 – Most goals by a Blue Jackets defenseman this season (three way tie between Nikita Nikitin, Wiz, and Tyutin)
60% – How many games this season James Wisniewski actually appeared. (Note – this will drop to 54.9% if he does not return from his concussion before the end of the season.)
24 – James Wisniewski’s current point production (5G, 19A). Had he been healthy for a full season, he was on pace for….
34 – 7 G, 27A. It’s also worth nothing that this would have timed him for 2nd place in franchise history for single season points by a D-man with 08-09 Tyutin, 09-10 Stralman, and 06-07 Ron Hainsey.
45 – The best season, points wise, by a Jackets defenseman in their history, held by Jaroslav Spacek in the 2002-03 season.
9 – Points for Jack Johnson in a CBJ uniform this season (3G, 6A). That’s a 69.2 points per game scoring pace.
56 – Number of points he’d have this season if he’d kept that pace over a full season.
42 – J.M.F.J’s current career high.
$13,129,166 – Money coming off the books from current RFAs/UFAs and the end of the Duvie Westcott buyout this season.
$1,762,500 – Minimum dollars needed to retain Derek MacKenzie, Derek Dorsett, and Nikita Nikitin.
$1,500,000 – Minimum dollars needed to retain Jared Boll and Ryan Russell.