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.
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