Marko Dano and Kerby Rychel are gone, leaving Alexander Wennberg as the last Blue Jacket from the first round of the 2013 draft. The changes have been flashy (Brandon Saad netted in the Dano trade), and seemingly contentious (Rychel potentially asking out), both directing attention away from the highest 2013 CBJ pick. Perhaps this shouldn’t be surprising, given Wennberg’s apparent penchant for being a player of omission: he doesn’t take penalties and he doesn’t take shots.
Thankfully for Columbus fans, there is still plenty outright positive to highlight with the young Swede, and Wennberg has rightly claimed a very high spot on this list. Last year, we watched Wennberg take a big leap forward, finishing the year with 8 goals and 40 points, both double the output from his rookie season. Wennberg finished first on the Blue Jackets in assists (32), and fourth on the club in total points. In addition to all the scoring totals, Wennberg finished the year break-even in CF%, a solid showing relative to team (via Hockey-Reference).
Digging a little further on those points: it’s worth remembering that 40 points is an impressive accomplishment in the NHL. Last year’s total put Wennberg 136th among all forwards (via Hockey-Reference). On average, teams only get about 4-5 players of that scoring caliber, meaning the 22-year-old forward is already a serious second line point producer. The same exercise in points per game also reflects kindly on Wennberg, his 0.58 good for 117th among all forwards with at least 40 games last year (via Hockey-Reference).
The caveat to the scoring: much of that scoring comes from Wennberg’s assist total, which serves as a double-edged sword for Columbus. On the one hand, it’s hard to find fault in an effective setup man. Wennberg finished 26th in first assists per time on ice among NHL forwards with 750+ minutes played (via Hockey Analysis), and 3rd in first assists per time on ice on the powerplay (NHL forwards with 100+ minutes, via Hockey Analysis).
On the other hand? The team believes Alex Wennberg needs to shoot. This past March, the Columbus Dispatch offered insight into the CBJ’s demands. “Wenny drives me crazy because he’s so talented and he relies on the pass first,” Tortorella told Todd Jones of the Dispatch. “It’s not a pass first league. It’s a shoot-first league if you want to generate offense.” Aaron Portzline shared another feature on Wennberg’s shooting deficiencies a few weeks later.
Wennberg’s performance lends support to Tortorella’s view, with the forward below a 4th line showing in goal-scoring ability (via HERO at Own the Puck). It’s a balance, to be sure. Does an insistence on shooting change the player’s mindset?
Future Outlook
Merely staying steady from last year would result in another impressive season for Alexander Wennberg. The hope for the Blue Jackets: that the Swede continues his progression and evolves into a more well-rounded player. Can Wennberg pull the trigger with more frequency? Will he continue to drive play the right direction?
If Wennberg makes another leap, the Jackets will be beneficiaries, with a newly minted first line center (and Pierre-Luc Dubois rising through the organization). If he stays about the same, it’s still a solid showing for a young, cheap player (albeit, up for free agency over the summer – but only as an RFA). After all, a second line scorer doesn’t just happen all the time.
Age: 22
Position: Center
Shoots: Left
Height / Weight: 6’ 2’’ / 198 lbs
2015-16 Team: Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)
Likely 2016-17 Destination: 1st or 2nd line center role with Columbus (NHL)
(Bio data from Elite Prospects. Stats from sources cited in-text.)
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
