Being forgotten isn’t the worst thing in the world, you can go about your business and pleasantly surprise people along the way. Cody Goloubef seems to always be the odd man out when discussions are had about the Blue Jackets defensemen. He is solid as they come and can contribute offensively when given the chance. Is Goloubef going to continue to be a depth defenseman or is this the year he finally secures a role on the team?
The Eye Test
Goloubef has been bit by the injury bug during his time with the team and, because of that, he has lost ground to other defensemen. He isn’t a flashy player that will immediately jump back into the lineup when available. He was a part of a constant rotation of players that just couldn’t get their footing in the league. When on the ice, Goloubef always looks like the type of player that coaches want on their team. Calm, patient and one hell of a slap shot, Goloubef could be a valuable weapon on a offensively minded third pairing. Entering camp he will be the seventh defensemen, what do the numbers say about him?
The Stats
This is one of the cases where the eye test doesn’t necessarily match the stats. I would expect his abrupt seasons and low ice time to give him great rate stats. Possession wise that is the case but offensively he falls a little short. You can definitely rely on him on the third pair and could even slot him as high as the second pair as well. The expectations of him becoming a big offensive contributor probably won’t ever come to frutition which is a shame considering his optics.
Relative to his teammates, he was a little below the team overall in CF%, which is slightly troubling. His saving grace though was contemplating the impact of injuries and lack of consistent teammates. The year before that in 2014-15, when he was on a more consistent pairing, his relative numbers were up and were much more favorable. Which player are the Blue Jackets going to get this year – the player that is firmly a third pair player or the player who had flashes of potential only two years ago?
The Grade
When facing low expectations it becomes much easier to break past them. Cody Goloubef this past year didn’t reinvent the wheel but he also didn’t flounder when given a chance. In the last year of his contract he will need to step up and be a key player or he won’t be on this team come next season. It is a harsh fact for a player that hasn’t made as big of an impact as expected.
Grade: C+
(stats provided by corsica.hockey)
(chart provided by OwnThePuck)
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