Meet the Blue Jackets: Inside the 2022-23 opening roster

Like all 32 NHL teams, the Blue Jackets had to get to 23 players on the active roster by Monday evening. And like all 32 NHL teams, Columbus had hard decisions to make.
"We had to make some tough calls on some guys, for all the right reasons," head coach Brad Larsen said. "Guys pushed in camp. That's that internal push that we talked about. Some guys raised their game, some guys stayed the same and didn't. We can only open up with so many players on the roster, and that's what we have to do."
In the end, tough decisions were made to send such young players as Kirill Marchenko, Carson Meyer, Emil Bemstrom and David Jiricek to Cleveland of the AHL to start the campaign, while longtime goaltender Joonas Korpisalo was placed on the injured/non-roster list as he continues rehabilitation from hip surgery.
Twenty-three players did make the cut
, though, and are preparing to begin the season Wednesday night in Carolina, with the home opener at Nationwide Arena two days later against Tampa Bay. There will be plenty of names that go in and out as the season goes by, but here's what to know about the 23 players who survived the initial roster moves to practice today with the Blue Jackets.

Boone Jenner (C)

Number: 38 | Age: 29 | 2021-22 stats (CBJ): 59 GP, 23-21-44
The captain missed the end of last season with a back injury and was held out of contract drills early this camp, but he's appeared good to go while playing the last two preseason games. Jenner had an excellent offensive season a year ago, battling at the net front to put in rebounds and score at a pace not seen since his 30-goal breakout campaign of 2015-16. He continues to be a heart-and-soul leader who will play in all situations, though Larsen will likely want to cut into Jenner's average of 20:08 minutes per game last year.

Gustav Nyquist (A)

Number: 14 | Age: 33 | 2021-22 stats (CBJ): 82 GP, 18-35-53
Nyquist returned to Nyquistian levels of consistent production a season ago after missing the 2021 campaign with a shoulder injury. The Swedish wing has averaged right around 50 points per 82 games in his career and was right on that mark a season ago in his first campaign as an assistant captain. A smart, dependable veteran, Nyquist will be expected to fill a middle-six role and also should see time on the team's power play and penalty kill.

Johnny Gaudreau

Number: 13 | Age: 29 | 2021-22 stats (CGY): 82 GP, 40-75-115
The Blue Jackets' game-changing acquisition this summer prompted plenty of chatter around the league, but the talk is over. Gaudreau will be counted to be a big piece of the puzzle as the first-line left wing and the straw that stirs the drink on the CBJ power play as it attempts to improve from a season ago. His ability to manipulate time and space, drive possession and make those around him better should be a treat to watch.

Patrik Laine

Number: 29 | Age: 24 | 2021-22 stats (CBJ): 56 GP, 26-30-56
Coming off his first-ever point-per-game campaign, Laine could be ticketed for even more production in 2022-23. He's expected to be on the opposite wing of Gaudreau on both the top line and No. 1 power play, and pairing one of the game's best passers with a shooter the caliber of Laine should be a recipe for success. The Finnish star also acknowledged his excitement about the addition of Gaudreau this summer and showed up in fantastic shape, then turned in excellent efforts throughout the preseason.

Jakub Voracek

Number: 93 | Age: 33 | 2021-22 stats (CBJ): 79 GP, 6-56-62
Voracek is coming off one of the weirdest statistical seasons in league history, as not only did he place second all-time in assists for a season in CBJ annals, his 56 helpers were the most ever for an NHL forward with less than 10 goals. The veteran Czech wing has said he wants more goal-scoring production this season, but his main role will be to be a distributor both at 5-on-5 and on the power play. His big personality also belies someone who has become a trusted leader in the room.

Jack Roslovic

Number: 96 | Age: 25 | 2021-22 stats (CBJ): 81 GP, 22-23-45
The Columbus kid has had consecutive career-best seasons, and Roslovic finished strong a season ago with 10 goals and 13 points in his last 10 games while on the top line. Larsen has now tasked Roslovic, who is entering his fifth full season in the league, with matching that level of play on both ends of the ice this season. Roslovic will be expected to be a top-six center and power-play option who drives play offensively this season.

Yegor Chinakhov

Number: 59 | Age: 21 | 2021-22 stats (CBJ): 62 GP, 7-7-14
The Jackets' (surprising, to some) first-round pick in the 2020 draft aced the KHL as a rookie that season, winning a title and being named the league's top rookie with Avangard Omsk, then came over and showed promise a season ago. His goal-scoring ability largely comes from an elite shot, and he's admitted to being more comfortable this year in his second season in North America. With improved pace to his game, Chinakhov excelled in preseason and could be a breakout candidate as a middle-six winger and power-play sniper.

Cole Sillinger

Number: 34 | Age: 19 | 2021-22 stats (CBJ): 79 GP, 16-15-31
Sillinger was a unicorn in the NHL a season ago, the only player from the 2021 draft to stick all year as he spent the entire campaign as the youngest player in the league at 18 years old. He wasn't perfect, but his accomplishments were pretty impressive given his age, and if camp is any indication he'll be able to fill up the net even more this year now that he knows the different ways he can get his shot off. He'll man the middle up and down the lineup and likely earn power-play time, where that shot can really blossom.

Justin Danforth

Number: 17 | Age: 29 | 2021-22 stats (CBJ): 45 GP, 10-4-14
Danforth took the long way to the NHL and not only made his debut a season ago but stuck thanks to his dogged effort (which impressed even Sidney Crosby) and a knack for scoring in front of the net. He looks even better and more comfortable coming into this season and cemented a bottom-six role for himself in camp. Danforth can play both center and wing -- he'll start on the latter -- and can also be an effective special teams player.

Eric Robinson

Number: 50 | Age: 27 | 2021-22 stats (CBJ): 67 GP, 10-17-27
Robinson's likely never going to be an elite scorer, but he's shown he can be a pretty good producer for a bottom-six forward after setting career highs in all three major scoring categories a season ago. A fast, positionally sound wing with the ability to drive play, Robinson paired with Sean Kuraly a season ago to form an identity fourth line and an effective PK unit, roles he's expected to again fill this season.

Sean Kuraly

Number: 7 | Age: 29 | 2021-22 stats (CBJ): 77 GP, 14-16-30
Much like Robinson, Kuraly set career highs in offensive production a season ago as the team's fourth line wasn't just out there for defense. The Dublin native had built a reputation as a speedy, aggressive grinder in five years in Boston and delivered that to the Jackets a year ago, impressing Larsen with his ability to play up and down the lineup with dependable effort. He'll again be a key piece of the puzzle as a bottom-six center and penalty killer.

Mathieu Olivier

Number: 24 | Age: 25 | 2021-22 stats (NSH): 10 GP, 0-1-1
Acquired via trade with Nashville at the NHL draft, Olivier was brought in to bring some size and physical play -- and not be afraid to drop the gloves every once in a while, as well, when the situation calls for it. Larsen believes the bottom-six winger can fit in well with Robinson and Kuraly and potentially bring some offense to the table with his ability to get to the net and stay there.

Liam Foudy

Number: 19 | Age: 22 | 2021-22 stats (AHL): 29 GP, 7-12-19
It feels like Foudy has been around a while, but the 2018 first-round pick has been a full-time pro for just two seasons -- the pandemic-shortened 2021 campaign and last year's season in which a shoulder injury cost him half the season. Foudy appears set to begin this year as a healthy scratch and missed some time in camp before being cleared for contact, but there's still plenty of time for him to become the speedy, competitive, penalty-killing middle-six forward he projected as when tearing up the OHL.

Kent Johnson

Number: 91 | Age: 19 | 2021-22 stats (NCAA): 32 GP, 8-29-37
There were two big questions in camp for Johnson -- would he play center (his natural position) or wing (where he played in college)? And would the skilled forward make the team in his first full pro season? The first-round pick played both spots in camp, giving him versatility going forward, and the answer to the latter question was yes. After a big summer in the weight room, Johnson's pace and competitiveness were up compared to his late-season cameo a year ago, and he looked more comfortable at the NHL level. He is expected to start as a scratch, but Larsen said he won't be sitting long whether that means he's playing here or in Cleveland.

Zach Werenski (A)

Number: 8 | Age: 25 | 2021-22 stats (CBJ): 68 GP, 11-37-48
With his six-year contract extension kicking in this season, Werenski is the team's undisputed No. 1 defenseman and will be used in all situations. Coming off his second All-Star season -- in which he placed seventh in the NHL in average time on ice -- Werenski is one of the core pieces for the franchise, and he says he learned a lot from his first season as the top dog on the blue line. Get used to seeing him, as he'll again play more minutes than anyone on the team.

Adam Boqvist

Number: 27 | Age: 22 | 2021-22 stats (CBJ): 52 GP, 11-11-22
The Blue Jackets have a ton of young defensemen on the team and in the pipeline, but none might match the offensive upside of Boqvist, whose 11 goals last year tied him for sixth all-time in a season in the CBJ record book. The key for the Swede will be improving in the defensive zone, and he thinks he's done so after an offseason in which he both got stronger and leaner. He's starting on the top pair with Werenski, and it's easy to imagine those two dominating possession once they get the puck this year.

Vladislav Gavrikov

Number: 4 | Age: 26 | 2021-22 stats (CBJ): 80 GP, 5-28-33
The ebullient Russian has found a home on the left side of the Columbus blue line and enters his fourth season with the Jackets regarded as one of the top defensive defensemen on the squad. While he did set a career high in points a year ago, the key to Gavrikov's game is how he closes down opponents in the defensive zone. He'll be counted on to play the hard minutes at 5-on-5 and the penalty kill.

Andrew Peeke

Number: 2 | Age: 24 | 2021-22 stats (CBJ): 82 GP, 2-13-15
The second-round pick of the team in the 2016 draft had a breakout season a year ago, going from a spare part in 2021 to someone who played the most minutes alongside Werenski on the top pair of any CBJ defenseman a year ago at 5-on-5. Peeke leaned into what the Blue Jackets expect his game to be, dedicating himself to clearing creases, blocking shots and being difficult to play against. The hope is he and Gavrikov will be a tough pair to opponents to break down in the defensive zone.

Erik Gudbranson

Number: 44 | Age: 30 | 2021-22 stats (CGY): 78 GP, 6-11-17
The Blue Jackets knew they needed to get better defensively and add some toughness after last season, and Gudbranson was someone they targeted in free agency to check both boxes after a solid year in Calgary. The 11-year veteran adds size, physical play and leadership to what was one of the youngest blue lines in the league a year ago; while he won't light up the scoreboard, he's expected to be a responsible defender, play hard minutes and stick up for teammates when the need arises.

Jake Bean

Number: 22 | Age: 24 | 2021-22 stats (CBJ): 67 GP, 7-18-25
Bean was one of the young defensemen brought in to help fill the hole last summer when Seth Jones was traded, and he showcased a two-way game last year while also spending time on the right side of Werenski. The left-shot defenseman has moved back to his natural side this year and looks set to begin the year with Gudbranson on the third pair. He has some scoring touch and is a savvy player.

Nick Blankenburg

Number: 77 | Age: 24 | 2021-22 stats (NCAA): 38 GP, 14-15-29
Signed along with Johnson near the end of last season out of Michigan, Blankenburg quickly became a fan favorite in Columbus, in part because his 5-9 stature makes him unique among NHL defensemen. He scored and played a two-way game in college, but Blankenburg's calling cards are his intangibles -- his poise, positioning, fearlessness and dedication to the team. He looks set to begin the year as the seventh defenseman, but the coaches already have a lot of trust in him despite playing just seven NHL games.

Elvis Merzlikins

Number: 90 | Age: 28 | 2021-22 stats (CBJ): 59 GP, 27-23-7/3.22 GAA/.907 SV%
Blue Jackets fans know plenty about Elvis by now, as the fourth-year Latvian netminder continues to be one of the most popular players in town for both his ability and his personality. A season ago, he was the No. 1 goalie for the whole campaign for the first time in his career, and while there were bumps in the road, he finished strong and had a great offseason. The starter in net entering the season, Merzlikins might be the most important player on a team that has high hopes.

Daniil Tarasov

Number: 40 | Age: 23 | 2021-22 stats (CBJ): 4 GP, 0-2-0/2.40 GAA/.937 SV%
Tarasov is on his first NHL opening day roster after making his debut a season ago, and he likely would have played more than just four games had he not suffered a hip injury that ended his season Jan. 1. Size is a major advantage for the massive 6-5 Russian, whose positioning and ability to take up a lot of net belie the fact he's played just 21 games on North American ice in his pro career. The talent is certainly there, and Tarasov has impressed in all his stops thus far.