The question was posed to the Buckeye State Hockey staff, what would you add to the Blue Jackets right now. Where are their weaknesses that need to be addressed? Do they need to add anything to a team that is succeeding this much? The staff gets down to business and answer the question on most fan’s minds.
Bert (@RockmanHalo):
The only real addition I see the Jackets needing is a potential back up goalie. While Bobrovsky is a big reason the Jackets have been #1 in points percentage, he’s not the ONLY reason. The Jackets’ drop off between starter and back up is my biggest problem right now. (Knock on wood) If Bob succumbs to some kind of long-term injury this season might fall apart as quick as it did last season, and that would be a shame since the Jackets have worked so hard to build an incredible first quarter of the season.
Jeremy (@307x):
I tend to agree with Bert. Back-up goalie is a sore sport for the organization, as it has been for McElhinney’s entire tenure with the team. He’s had his games where he’s played well, but isn’t a reliable option, especially in a (hopefully never going to happen) lengthy absence of Bobrovsky. I would also accept a depth RD with some mobility and puck skill to be used on the 3rd pairing in place of, or in rotation with, one of Nutivaara or Murray. Not that either of those two have really played their way into the press box, but if the team is serious about contending, it would help keep the pace up and give the team some needed insurance in case of injury.
Up front, I would not be opposed to adding a rental at the deadline to play LW or C, someone who can play middle six minutes or some special teams time in a pinch. CBJ have been blessed with depth and been relatively injury-plague free this season, but that could change in an instant, and plugging-and-playing AHLers consistently while maintaining success would be a tall task.
Mark (Artist formerly known as @RedditCBJ):
Because the Jackets appear to be firing on all cylinders I wouldn’t change anything right now. But if you are forcing me to make a change I would pick a new goal song.
Matt (@ZekeBud):
There are two things I can consider: one is an additional super-high end player. That’s not to take away from what Saad, Foligno, Werenski, and Bobrovsky are (or are becoming), rather to reiterate that great teams are full of great players. If one of the top options goes down, can the Jackets make up for that? Now I’ll admit, this “need” probably applies to every NHL team. In addition, it’s tricky to achieve in any circumstance, and risks the future if the price is too high, so maybe a move to get a top-end player can’t happen without upsetting franchise stability. The second item jumps off the first and I deem to be more realistic: depth in general. Right now, the CBJ have found success in part due to depth. But what happens if a decent-quality bottom-six forward like Josh Anderson goes down? What if the 3rd defensive pair is disrupted due to injury? Is the next man up (probably from Cleveland) able to replace him completely and maintain the solid “low” line/pair contributions? Maybe, depending how well Bjorkstrand and Milano can perform. However, if Columbus can find extra NHL-quality depth without breaking the bank (or mortgaging the future), that would help to reinforce a team that’s poised to make a run at the playoffs.
What do you think Jacket’s fans?
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