The Columbus Blue Jackets finished the Buffalo Prospects Challenge on a high note Monday. After splitting their first two games against the Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins, the Blue Jackets defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-1. Erie Otters’ center Pano Fimis led the way with two goals.
After a tough opener against the Sabres, the Blue Jackets settled in and played much better in their final two games. Although they got into some penalty trouble, they were able to find a way to keep the games in range before securing their wins.
This Prospects Challenge is the prelude to main Training Camp which starts on Wednesday at Nationwide Arena. The first time the team will hit the ice is on Thursday. We’ll see on Wednesday who from the Prospects Challenge roster gets an invite to main camp.
I was in Buffalo on Friday and Saturday and then watched Monday’s game against Ottawa online. Here are my three takeaways from the weekend that was.
Mateychuk & Brindley
The two best players on the Blue Jackets’ roster for this challenge were Denton Mateychuk and Gavin Brindley. Each has a legitimate case to make the opening-night roster.
Mateychuk didn’t play in the game Friday against the Sabres. With their game Saturday starting at 3:30 P.M. after a 7 P.M. start, it made no sense to play him in both games.
Mateychuk wore the C for the Blue Jackets and showed why. He picked back up right where he left off from the seven-game series against the Hershey Bears.
Mateychuk’s offensive instincts and vision are off the charts good for someone his age. The play Saturday in overtime when he was on the wall demonstrated the creativity he has. With multiple defenders on him, Mateychuk was able to find Luca Del Bel Belluz coming down the slot for the overtime winner.
Mateychuk was consistently one of the best players on the ice in the two games. His poise allows him to make good decisions with the puck. He also operated as the quarterback of the power play.
The one thing that was worth noting is that teams circled Mateychuk as a threat and tried hitting him as much as possible. As close as he is to being NHL ready, that is the one area in which there is a question. He will be looked at as a potential target for hits, slashes and the like. How ready will he be for the physical side of the NHL?
Mateychuk has worn the C in multiple places. This past weekend was the first time he’s worn it for the Blue Jackets in any capacity.
“It’s an honor,” Mateychuk said. “I’ve been dreaming of putting on an NHL jersey since I was a little kid and I think to have the C on there, it’s just a bonus. (I) try to be the best person I can be all the time off the ice, on the ice and just try to lead.”
Expect to see plenty of Mateychuk in the preseason as the Blue Jackets determine where he’ll start the season. With Jack Johnson and Jordan Harris now in the fold, Mateychuk’s NHL roster spot is not locked in. But he’s really close and will be one of the camp storylines to follow.
As for Brindley, he showed off his speed and awareness. He was in the right place at the right time for a couple of goals over the weekend.
The one area of Brindley’s game that came up was trying to force plays that weren’t there. He plays and thinks the game at pace. Sometimes that leads to poor decision making with the puck.
And like Mateychuk, teams are going to target the smaller Brindley in the physical game. He took a couple of big hits. To his credit, he shook it off and continued to play his game.
With the Blue Jackets’ roster still in some flux, Brindley has an opportunity in the preseason to potentially make the opening-night roster. His spot is far from guaranteed though, especially given the signing of James van Riemsdyk and potentially others as camp goes on. His opportunity will be there if he has a strong preseason and shows he can handle the physical demands the NHL presents.
Aggression Everywhere
Perhaps the biggest on-ice takeaway for me in the games I saw was just how aggressive the Blue Jackets were all over the ice. They presented a strong forecheck at every opportunity.
This seems to be where the Blue Jackets are going under new head coach Dean Evason. Every time the opponent had the puck in their own end, a Blue Jacket forechecker was already tracking them down.
Prospect tournaments generally give a first-impression look at what the team and their AHL affiliate might be doing once their season gets going. Head coach Trent Vogelhuber admitted the systems are completely changing organization wide even from last year.
“Systematically, there’s changes all over the ice,” Vogelhuber said. “There are from the way we played in Cleveland last year and the way that they started in Columbus. Every coach comes in and puts their personality stamp on the way they want things done. And Dean is a huge personality that’s all about family which is just great because that’s how I like to do things as well. He’s brought us right in and we’ve been a part of it from early on and we’ve started building the systems.”
Evason is already on record as saying that his teams are going to be the hardest working on the ice. Given the level of aggression we saw in Buffalo, it seems that the process has started in making sure that becomes their reality in 2024-25.
Togetherness Prioritized
By being at the Buffalo Prospects Challenge, the Blue Jackets were able to gather as a team. One of the things they are prioritizing given the circumstances is togetherness and being there for each other at every turn.
The players are noticing how much of a priority that is. From everyday interactions to just being around their teammates, the players agree this is going to help them through some expected difficult times.
“I think it just pulls everyone in the hockey world closer together and especially the guys in Columbus,” Brindley said. “I’ve been there for a little bit now and just seeing all the guys and the interactions and it is just good to see everyone and have everyone’s company and be around the locker room. It’s been very tough but I think it’s hopefully forming the guys together. This is how you push forward.”
“It’s huge that everyone’s staying close,” Mateychuk said. “It’s a terrible thing and you have to keep moving forward. We’re all here to play hockey. Guys just try and keep it at that when it’s at the rink. I think that’s good they’re going out there and they’re playing their hearts out.”
“Obviously it’s been a tough couple of weeks,” James Malatesta said. “(In) times like these, you try to lean on each other. We’re just trying to get through it the best we can.”
“I think the one thing especially here that they established early was trying to be the tightest team,” Del Bel Belluz said. “We spent a lot of time away from the rink together and I think that’s a huge thing in hockey. Tight groups go a long way and it’s a really main important factor.”
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Seeing the celebration on Saturday after Del Bel Belluz scored the overtime winner put the togetherness into perspective. The team was able to find a moment of happiness and comfort when everyone could use it.
This togetherness will be an organizational thing. As GM Don Waddell said, there will be some dark days even as time passes on. But it’s their job to stay on top of things and manage them as they come up.
At least for one weekend, the Blue Jackets were able to come together and play hockey. That’s the first step in the long process of pushing forward. Now the real journey begins starting Wednesday.