It’s officially game week, and the 23-man Blue Jackets roster is now here.
Things certainly went down to the wire, with preseason injuries suffered by captain Boone Jenner and fellow forwards Dmitri Voronkov and Gavin Brindley unfortunately complicating things. General manager Don Waddell was active in the final days before rosters were due, signing wing Kevin Labanc to a one-year deal and claiming forward Zach Aston-Reese on waivers.
Those veterans were the final pieces of the puzzle for the opening roster, which includes 13 forwards, eight defensemen and two goaltenders. Eleven were first-round picks at some point in their careers, while they range from 19 years old (Adam Fantilli) to 37 (Jack Johnson). Ten were born in the United States, while six hail from Canada, four from Russia and one each from Finland, Czechia and Latvia.
So what can Blue Jackets fans expect from that diverse collection of talent on the squad? Meet the Blue Jackets with profiles of each player below.
Forwards (13)
27 Zach Aston-Reese (6-1, 200, age 30): Columbus claimed the wing on waivers today to add another body that can play in the bottom six. Aston-Reese led college hockey in scoring as a senior at Northeastern, but his NHL game has been that as a responsible player who can add scoring when the opportunity arises. Aston-Reese has played in 310 games over seven NHL seasons with Pittsburgh, Anaheim, Toronto and Detroit, notching 42 goals, 80 points and a plus-33 rating.
59 Yegor Chinakhov (6-1, 204, age 23): The Russian wing has steadily built his game in his first three seasons in the NHL, posting career highs of 16 goals and 29 points a season ago. The 2020 first-round pick could be in line for a breakout, as he’s learned the NHL game the past few years and has excellent tools, including elite top-end speed and one of the hardest wrist shots in the NHL. Chinakhov should play top-six minutes and score plenty of goals if he can stay healthy, as he’s been limited by injuries to 83 games the past two campaigns.
19 Adam Fantilli (6-2, 194, age 19): The No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 draft is one of the top building blocks for the CBJ future, and the future could be now. The University of Michigan product had a solid first season in the NHL, posting 12 goals and 27 points in 49 games before suffering a season-ending injury, and looks primed to do even more now that he’s in year two. Fantill is big, isn’t afraid to play with an edge and can put the puck in the net at a high level. He should center the second line and improve upon his numbers from a year ago.
18 Dylan Gambrell (6-0, 190, age 28): Added as a free agent this offseason, Gambrell had a solid camp and showed he’s ready to resume his NHL career after spending all of last season in the AHL. A veteran of 233 NHL games over six seasons with San Jose and Ottawa, where he notched 17 goals and 40 points, he’s been a center most of his life but will likely play wing for the Blue Jackets in a bottom-six role. A high scorer in college at Denver, his game now is all about playing responsibly and being in the right spots.
91 Kent Johnson (6-0, 178, age 21): Johnson was drafted fifth overall in the 2021 draft with the promise of being a creative, high-scoring forward, and he showed it when he had one of the best rookie seasons in franchise history (16 goals, 40 points) two seasons ago. Last year was not much fun, though, as he had 6-10-16 in 42 games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. Rather than sulk, though, Johnson attacked his rehab, hit the gym hard and has noticeably added weight. He looked more confident in camp and filled up the scoresheet in the preseason, leading many to believe he’s ready for a big season on the wing.
7 Sean Kuraly (6-2, 215, age 31): The Central Ohio native needs little introduction, as Kuraly enters year four with the Blue Jackets as one of the more popular players on the team. An alternate captain, Kuraly is expected to center the fourth line and bring a high level of effort on a night-in, night-out basis. That’s not to say he can’t add offense, though, as Kuraly has 34 tallies in his three seasons with the Blue Jackets, including a 9-9-18 mark in 62 games a campaign ago.
62 Kevin Labanc (5-11, 185, age 28): Signed Saturday after leading the NHL with six preseason goals while on a tryout deal with New Jersey, Labanc could be a solid pickup given his career numbers and will slot right in on the wing in a middle-six role for Columbus. An eight-year NHL veteran with San Jose, he posted 82 goals and 225 points in 478 career games with the Sharks, including a career-high 17 goals and 56 points in 2018-19. Labanc didn’t fit under a new regime a year ago, finishing with 2-7-9 in 46 games with the Sharks, but this could be the fresh start he needs.
86 Kirill Marchenko (6-3, 195, age 24): Marchy Madness returns, as the ever-smiling Marchenko is one of just two players in team history to begin his NHL career with consecutive 20-goal seasons. Could 30 be on tap this year? The Russian wing is expected to begin the campaign on the top line, and he’ll have every opportunity to score plenty of goals. Marchenko was streaky a year ago, but if he can even things out, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see his scoring total continue to climb. After 21 goals and just four assists as a rookie, he had a 23-19-42 line last season.
23 Sean Monahan (6-2, 202, age 29): The team’s biggest acquisition in the free agent market, Monahan has spoken already about how he’s found a home in Columbus after inking a five-year deal. He’ll be expected to serve as a top-six center and will begin the season on the top line, a spot befitting one of the more consistent players in the NHL, as his 26-goal, 59-point season a year ago between Winnipeg and Montreal is right in line with his career averages. Monahan is also a veteran leader and one of the league’s top faceoff men.
24 Mathieu Olivier (6-1, 222, age 27): One of the NHL’s toughest customers is back in Columbus for year three, and his hope is to continue to add to his game. Olivier has led the Jackets in fighting majors the past two seasons, but he also has some touch and a hard shot, allowing him to total 10 goals and 27 points in his tenure in union blue. A fourth-line wing, Olivier is expected to use his physicality and energy to give the Jackets a jolt.
82 Mikael Pyyhtia (6-0, 166, age 22): Perhaps a surprise entrant to some on the roster to begin the season, Pyyhtia made his NHL debut a year ago with two assists in 17 games. A fourth-round draft pick in 2020, he is a responsible player with a well-rounded game, but his offensive skill bears watching – he was one of the top goal scorers in Finland’s Liiga three years ago and boasts a sneaky good shot. Pyyhtia is expected to fill a bottom-six role, but the team thinks he could surprise with his scoring.
4 Cole Sillinger (6-1, 199, age 21): Already a veteran of more than 200 NHL games over the past three seasons, Sillinger played his best hockey at the end of last year, bouncing back from a tough sophomore campaign to post 13 goals and 32 points. He seems primed to take another step this year, as well, after a solid preseason. An NHL legacy, Sillinger has always thought the game well, and his defensive play took a major step a year ago; will the offense follow this year?
21 James van Riemsdyk (6-3, 208, age 35): Signed on the eve of training camp to add a scorer and a veteran to the mix, the man known as JVR has played in more than 1,000 NHL games over 15 seasons with Philadelphia, Toronto and Boston. He was more than a bit player a year ago with the Bruins, scoring 11 goals and improving his playmaking to post 27 assists in 71 games. A middle-six winger who can play the netfront on the power play, van Riemsdyk should add offense and leadership.
Defensemen (8)
2 Jake Christiansen (6-0, 193, age 25): Signed as an undrafted free agent out of the WHL in 2020, Christiansen has paid his dues in the organization, and he’s just one of two AHL defensemen to score double digits in goals each of the past three campaigns. An All-Star last year in Cleveland, he has excellent offensive instincts and has worked on his defensive game over the years, but it hasn’t yet translated to the NHL, where he has a goal and six assists in 44 career games. It feels like Christiansen has been on the bubble for a while, but there are many who think he can stick in the NHL.
44 Erik Gudbranson (6-5, 222, age 32): After a transition year after being signed as a free agent in the summer of 2022, Gudbranson put together a solid season a year ago (6-20-26 in 76 games) and should be a mainstay on the right side of the defense. He’s added some to his offensive game over the years, but his bread and butter is being a defensive defenseman with some snarl when the situation calls for it. Entering year 14 in the NHL, Gudbranson is a steady performer and an alternate captain who has brought a lot to the locker room.
22 Jordan Harris (5-11, 189, age 24): Acquired this summer in the trade that sent Patrik Laine to Montreal, Harris became a regular the past two seasons in Montreal, posting a career line of 8-24-32 in 131 NHL games with the Habs. Skating is a big part of his game, and Harris sees himself as a two-way defender who can hold his own defensively while adding some offense when the opportunity arises. When Harris was acquired, he spoke of feeling as though he has more to give at the NHL level, and he could get the chance here. Versatility will also help, as he’s a left-shot defenseman who can also play the right side.
55 David Jiricek (6-4, 207, age 20): All the tools are certainly there for Jiricek, from excellent size and reach to a booming shot. The next step for the 2022 first-round pick will be adapting his game to the NHL – he loves to be aggressive and shut plays down before they happen, but there’s a time and place for that at the top level. He’s also still just 20 years old, and a ton of potential remains for the Czech blueliner who has a goal and 10 assists in 47 NHL games to his credit over the past two seasons.
3 Jack Johnson (6-1, 227, age 37): What’s old is new again, as Johnson has returned to the Blue Jackets after a seven-year stay from 2012-18. Once a minutes eater for the team, he’s now a third-pair defender and penalty kill specialist, but the 19-year NHL veteran should add steadiness and leadership to the room. Since leaving Columbus, Johnson won a Stanley Cup in Colorado in 2022 and was a key part of the Avs a season ago, posting three goals, 16 points and a plus-15 rating in 80 games
9 Ivan Provorov (6-1, 220, age 27): Provorov enters year two with the Blue Jackets expected to be a solid blueliner who can play well in all three zones. His debut season with the Blue Jackets featured five goals and 32 points while playing in all 82 games, and Provorov is a versatile player who can help on both the power play and penalty kill. He may also play on the right side as the Blue Jackets try to stabilize things there at the start of the campaign.
78 Damon Severson (6-2, 202, age 30): A big addition in free agency a year ago, Severson acknowledged there was a transition period to the start of his CBJ tenure after spending his entire career in New Jersey. That could portend bigger things for him this season now that he’s comfortable in Columbus, and Severson is a great skater who can add offense from the back end. The right-shot defenseman posted nine goals and 28 points in 67 games in his debut season in Columbus and could do more this year.
8 Zach Werenski (6-2, 219, age 27): Werenski is a CBJ mainstay, serving as an alternate captain and the driver of things from the back end for the Blue Jackets. He’s coming off the most productive campaign in his eight-year career, as his 57 points tied the franchise record for defensemen. Werenski has also solidified himself as a respected leader in the Blue Jackets room, as the two-time All-Star is one of the best offensive defensemen in the league and a franchise player. Simply put, he’s fun to watch, a true blue Blue Jacket, and he’ll again be the top CBJ blueliner while playing in every situation.
Goaltenders (2)
90 Elvis Merzlikins (6-3, 184, age 30): It’s year six in Columbus for Merzlikins, who improved his numbers a year ago as he tries to get back to the level that made him the fifth-place finisher in the Vezina voting as a rookie in 2020. There’s certainly talent there, but consistency has been the biggest issue the past few seasons for Merzlikins, who was 13-17-8 with a 3.45 GAA and .897 save percentage last year. He was excellent in his preseason appearances and hopes to continue to build his game.
40 Daniil Tarasov (6-5, 201, age 25): The Blue Jackets have long thought the massive Russian has the tools to be a top NHL netminder if he could just stay healthy, and he showed it a year ago when he posted a .933 save percentage in his last 13 appearances. In all, Tarasov was 8-11-3 with a 3.18 GAA and .908 save percentage, and his game improved as he gained comfort and confidence in the cage after missing the start of the season with injury. He and Merzlikins will battle for time in the early going with the hope their experience can make them a solid duo.
