Bluejackets year in review

[yave1964]

PRESEASON OUTLOOK: The Jackets the year before had started slow but caught fire towards the end of the season under coach Todd Richards going 18-1-1 giving hope for the season. Experts everywhere were predicting playoffs as a virtual lock.

 

FINAL RECORD: 34-40-8 76 points, last in the division, 4th worst record in the league

 

STRANGE STAT OF THE YEAR: David Savard was a mean one on the road with 35 PIMs but only had 10 total PIMs all year at home. Dubinsky scored 30 points at home but a paltry 18 on the road. The biggest home/road split was Seth Jones who scored 3-22-25 at home but was a pathetic 0-6-6 and minus 17 away.

 

HIGH POINT: None. Oh they were hot at the end of the year again, winning 4 of the last 5 games to avoid having the worst record in the game.

 

LOW POINT: They opened the season with an agonizing 8 game losing streak being outscored during that stretch by a whopping 37-15. the firing at that point of Todd Richards was more of a mercy killing, and the Jackets brought in John Tortorella.Two weeks in and the season was over.

  The other low point was what happened with Ryan Johanssen. The talented center made enemies with the new coach by not buying into his system and was a healthy scratch several times before finally being traded to Nashville for Seth Jones.

 

WHAT WENT RIGHT: Start with Boone Jenner who established himself as a true power forward with 30 goals. Cam Atkinson (27-26-53) led the team in scoring and was dynamic at times. Brandon Saad who came over from Chicago potted 31 goals. Seth Jones was a power play assist magnet after coming over from Nashville. Brandon Dubinsky was sold as was fellow vet Scott Hartnell. Alexander Wennberg (8-32-40) began to tap into his enormous potential. Ryan Murray stayed healthy and was solid, playing all 82 games. Joonas Korpisalo was lights out at times filling in for the injured Bob the goalie. Youngsters Rychel, Milano and Bjorkstrand who are all top nine candidates for the coming year got a taste of life in the NHL.

 

WHAT WENT WRONG: The god awful start ruined the year almost before it began. Last years breakout player Nick Foligno fell to Earth with a resounding thud. Richards was fired. Johanssen was ran out by the new coach. Sergei Bobrovsky was limited to 37 games due to injuries and was pretty awful when he was in the lineup. Curtis Mcelhinney, the backup was injured a lot and wretched when he was healthy enough to play. David Clarkson continues his implosion, scoring 2 goals all year. Jack Johnson was ineffective then injured. Matt Calvert (11 goals in 73 games) slipped into irrelevancy.

 MVP: My vote goes to Boone Jenner who broke through as a studly power forward.

FREE AGENTS: Nobody really. Rene Bourque and Justin Falk are about it, the 13th forward and 7th defenseman.

 

TOP PROSPECTS:  Quite a few got their feet wet, Rychel, Milano and Bjorkstrand all hope to stick and all have good potential. Michael Chaput may make it replacing Bourque, Josh anderson has power forward written all over him. Dillan Heatherington and import michael Paliotta are hoping to crack the bottom of the defense. It is possible that Zach Werenski will make the jump from college to the NHL and be a blueline stud.

 

 OFFSEASON QUESTIONS: They have lots of kids who have established as 45-50 point guys, can any take the next step? Will Foligno bounce back? Is Wennberg a number one center? What about Bob? Do you keep him or see if there is a trade to be made? Same with Jack Johnson, trade him or hope he bounces back?

  Lots of Jackets took steps back last year, the hope is they find their level and the kids go up another gear.