2016 Pool Projections: Columbus

The Columbus Blue Jackets enter the 2016 season as one of the more interesting teams to watch.  The All-Star Game last season really put Columbus on the household name map, giving better light to the likes of Ryan Johansen and Nick Foligno, while Sergei Bobrovsky was good again last season, when he was healthy and you could argue that the team didn't have a complete compliment of players last season, so they should have more to give.

The Jackets have been active in the off-season, taking advantage of a cap-strapped team in Chicago, wheeling away forward Brandon Saad in a pretty big deal and adding a grinder like Gregory Campbell through free agency.

Once you add defenseman Ryan Murray back into the fold, coming back from injury, these Jackets have some real potential in their hands.

Okay, so this team should be good, when you put all of these pieces together, but will they be the sort of players that will work best for your hockey pool team?

Player	Pos	15/16 Proj	Rookie
Sergei Bobrovsky	G	80
Ryan Johansen	F	75
Nick Foligno	F	65
Scott Hartnell	F	60
Brandon Saad	F	50
Cam Atkinson	F	45
Brandon Dubinsky	F	45
Ryan Murray	D	45
Jack Johnson	D	40
David Savard	D	40
Matt Calvert	F	35
Kevin Connauton	D	35
Boone Jenner	F	35
Kerby Rychel	F	30	Y
David Clarkson	F	25
Fedor Tyutin	D	20
William Karlsson	F	20	Y
Curtis McElhinney	G	15
Alexander Wennberg	F	15
Cody Goloubef	D	15
Rene Bourque	F	10
Gregory Campbell	F	10
Dalton Prout	D	10
Jared Boll	F	5
Michael Chaput	F	5
Justin Falk	D	5

Table last updated on August 15th

Most Intriguing or Breakout Player

I would say that the most intriguing player is the one coming back from injury, as Ryan Murray has all kinds of upside, being the 2nd overall pick in the 2012 Entry Draft and with the way defensemen seem to mature these days, he should be coming around about now, mostly in that physical maturity sense.

A couple of knee injuries and an ankle injury in the 2015 season, may have him destined for the Injury Prone List, if that sort of thing continues this year, but if he is to have a healthy year, the sky should be the limit for this kid.  At age 21, there are some high hopes and his projection shows just that, as he should lead all Columbus defenders in scoring this year.

First Round Picks

Back-to-back good years for Sergei Bobrovsky keeps his 1st round worthiness intact for the coming year and the upside that Ryan Johansen has already shown in his young career, has now vaulted him into the conversation as well.  The young talent across the league will make the first few rounds of the draft very interesting and the Blue Jackets have more than enough potential to participate in these rounds.

Other Pool Worthy Forwards

The Jackets will have lots of depth in the forward ranks, so it will be up to you to decide where to take them appropriately.  Nick Foligno, Scott Hartnell, Brandon Saad, Cam Atkinson, Brandon Dubinsky... these guys should be able to give the Jackets adequate scoring through the year and there are enough of them, that the team doesn't need them to all fire at the same time, as long as their scoring in a consistent manner as a group.

Other Pool Worthy Defense

Their blueline is going out to prove everyone that they are an underrated bunch of guys, some of which could fly under the radar, when your pool draft goes.  Jack Johnson, David Savard and Kevin Connauton don't exactly sound like your prototypical 2-3-4 defenders in the NHL, but their numbers should suggest otherwise.  The most interesting may be Savard, who hit 36 points last season and the team around him has certainly improved.

Goaltending Situation

Behind Bobrovsky, the Jackets will go back to Curtis McElhinney, who has proven to be a very valuable asset to this team.  The 32-year old keeper has done well, when called upon, including an extended stint as the team's number one, when Bob was hurt, in the January through to March.  You can't expect another long stretch there, but if you're looking for a goalie late on, there are much worse options than the well-traveled veteran.

Possible Entries Into the Rookie Race

The early suggestions say that Kerby Rychel and/or William Karlsson could get an extended stay with the club, but the team's depth will make it difficult for them to crack the lineup, as full-time mainstays.  Another contender for the list, just to keep an eye on, would be Oliver Bjorkstrand, who had an excellent World Junior tournament last Winter.

Team To Pick From Late?

Actually, they are.  The Jackets should have some reasonable scoring up front, which would make them a favourite for the thicker rounds, but when it gets thin, a Boone Jenner pick or even a cagey veteran like David Clarkson, may indeed prove to be a good pick-up late on in the draft, if they're still kicking around.  The Jackets won't be short on points, if all goes according to plan.

Unsigned Players and Salary Cap

The only players that the Jackets haven't signed yet are the players they sent off to pasture, as unrestricted free agents.  They won't have the same sort of drama with Ryan Johansen, that they did last season.  Johansen held out, but came back to the fold, just in time for the start of the year, not missing a beat without training camp.

The Jackets have been well-managed this off-season, as they have filled up the better part of their roster with the savvy veterans and they have a few roster spots left for the young legs and plenty of cap space to work with through the year or a whole bunch of space to use at the deadline.  My early count shows that they have 20 players on their projected roster, before the rookies jump in, leaving them $6 million to play with between the roster spots and mid-season acquisitions.