Summer Spotlight: Peeke has become a big part of the CBJ defense

Number:2

Birth date:March 17, 1998 (age 25)

Birthplace:Parkland, Fla.

Height, Weight:6-3, 210

2022-23 Stats: 80 GP, 6-7-13

Contract:Signed through 2025-26 season (Three years remaining until UFA status)

Just about everyone who put on a Blue Jackets sweater went through tough times during the 2022-23 season, but it would be hard to imagine anyone had more trying times than Andrew Peeke.

The defenseman was coming off a breakout 2021-22 campaign in which he spent much of the season on the top pair with Zach Werenski and looked to be blossoming into a physical, shutdown defender.

But while Peeke bumped up his offensive production a season ago, tripling his goal total, the rest of the year was a struggle. He placed last in the NHL in plus-minus, was left to search for chemistry with a bevy of partners because of trades and injuries (he skated more than 100 minutes at 5-on-5 with an astounding five different partners), and was even left out of the lineup as a healthy scratch at midseason.

At the time, head coach Brad Larsen made sure to compliment Peeke's effort level but said the fourth-year defenseman simply needed to make some improvements to his game.

"It's never a lack of effort," Larsen said. "Peeker tries. He tries hard. He works. He competes in practice. He blocks shots. He does all of those intangibles that you want. It's stuff with the puck and making some better decisions that are right in front of him."

As the Blue Jackets lost defenders to injury left and right, the dependable Peeke was left to try to hold up the wall as the deluge came in. He still ate minutes, averaging 21:15 per night, and blocked 197 shots to set a CBJ record and place third in the NHL, but it was still a frustrating campaign for Peeke as the Jackets defense went through its ups and downs.

Top Moment of 2022-23

Peeke had one game-winning goal on the season, and it didn't take him long to get it. In the Blue Jackets' seventh game of the year, Peeke got on the board with what would go down as the winner in a 5-1 triumph at the New York Rangers. Columbus was already up 1-0 early in the second when Peeke entered the zone on the right wing, took a pass from Jack Roslovic and cut to the outside around Artemi Panarin. From there, he was open in the right circle and let go a quick shot that got past goalie Jaroslav Halak. Peeke ended up plus-2 in the big road victory.

Peeke's Top Highlights

Andrew Peeke's top plays of 2022-23](https://www.nhl.com/video/c-18467767)

Stat to Know

Peeke scored two goals in the 2021-22 season and they were both empty-netters, meaning he went the entire campaign without beating a goalie despite playing in all 82 games. In fact, before his tally against the Rangers, he hadn't scored an NHL goal against a goalie since his first career tally in February 2020 at New Jersey. That goal against the Rangers snapped a 109-game streak without a non-empty-net goal, and ironically enough, Peeke made it a two-game goal streak when he not only tallied against the Rangers but added one the next game vs. Connor Ingram and the Arizona Coyotes.

2023-24 Expectations

Peeke has established himself as an NHL regular the past two seasons, but the Blue Jackets look like they'll have a battle on the right side with the addition of Damon Severson and the development of such players as such young right-shot defensemen Adam Boqvist, Nick Blankenburg and David Jiricek. While there are a lot of options on the right side (including veteran Erik Gudbranson), it seems likely that Peeke will play a ton of games and be counted on to be a rugged defensive defenseman when the time calls for it.

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