Five games into the season, the Columbus Blue Jackets have already lost Boone Jenner, Erik Gudbranson, Kent Johnson, and Dmitri Voronkov to injuries. Given the low expectations heading into the campaign, many are already writing the Blue Jackets off. But the team has a lot of young talent, and these injuries will give them their opportunity to step up.
Related: Blue Jackets’ Chinakhov Continues His Breakout Early in 2024-25
Here’s a look at three young Blue Jackets who will need to take advantage of their increased roles on the team.
David Jiricek
No player needs to prove himself more than David Jiricek. Last season was a rough one for the young defenseman. The 2022 sixth-overall pick played 43 NHL games with one goal and nine assists. He also spent a lot of time in the American Hockey League, playing 29 games with seven goals and 19 points. While many questioned what was best for his development, he was never consistent enough to hold an NHL job.
Jiricek came into 2024-25 looking for a much improved season. Unfortunately, after spending the bulk of training camp in the top four, he was scratched for the first four games after a poor preseason. While this was not the start he wanted, he continued to work hard and made his debut on Saturday, Oct. 19 against the Minnesota Wild.
He ended his first game with an assist and a plus-1 rating. While it wasn’t an impressive night for anyone in the 3-1 loss, he didn’t show the struggles that had plagued him in the preseason.
There's a new sign in the #CBJ locker room that says "THIS IS EARNED … NOT GIVEN."
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) October 19, 2024
David Jiricek pointed to it when discussing his chance to make his season debut tonight.
"I think I worked hard for the opportunity right now. This is earned, not given. That's my story right…
With Gudbranson out, Jiricek has the opportunity to grab a full-time role on the right side. He has all the physical tools needed to be an asset, but to succeed, he must fix the poor decision-making and costly turnovers. If he can do that and play with more consistency, he will soon establish himself as a top-four staple on defense.
Cole Sillinger
It’s hard to believe, but Cole Sillinger is already in his fourth season with the Blue Jackets. He showed great promise making the team as an 18-year-old and putting up 31 points in 2021-22. An unfortunate sophomore slump dampened expectations, but he responded well with a 32-point season in 2023-24. This season, he needs to take a big step forward. He has been getting added responsibility on both the power play and penalty kill, and he has even been bumped up to the top line to play with Sean Monahan and Kirill Marchenko.
He was solid as the third-line center last season, but he now has an opportunity to play with more skill around him, and with his excellent wrist shot, he could see a nice bump in production. Sillinger has been decent at carrying the puck, but playing with facilitators like Monahan and Marchenko will help take some pressure off him. If he can play at that higher level, this could be the season that he breaks the 20-goal mark, and a 20-25-45 stat line would be a great season for a player who is still only 21.
Adam Fantilli
If the Blue Jackets have any hope of making this season competitive, Adam Fantilli will have to step into the high-end producing role he was drafted to be. Fantilli was having a very promising rookie season before he went down with a calf laceration that stole the rest of the season from him. This season, he seems to be picking up right where he left off. He has been buzzing all around the ice and using his speed and body to create chances. He has two goals in five games and has been using his wrist shot that has a sneaky quick release that often catches goalies off-guard.
Blowing past defenders > blowing out candles! 🎂@FanaticsBook | #CBJ pic.twitter.com/QJP6wmTkJl
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) October 13, 2024
Also, having Yegor Chinakhov on his wing will create quite a dynamic duo. They are both speedsters who can create chances off the rush. Fantilli has excellent playmaking abilities as well, which should pair well with Chinakhov’s dangerous shot.
Fantilli finished the 2023-24 season with 12 goals and 27 points in 49 games, which had him on track for a 20-25-45 stat line if he had played all 82 games. If he can surpass that rate this season and finish with roughly 25 goals and 60 points, he will be pushing to take over first-line center responsibilities: an important step to becoming the superstar he is expected to be.
Making a Positive Out of a Negative
While it would be easy for the Jackets to get down about the bad luck they have had, it is still way too early in the season to start phoning it in. These guys are getting all of the opportunity in the world to make their marks on this team, and they need to take advantage of it. It is a shame that these injuries have taken out really good players. But if these young guys step up, the Blue Jackets can still have a productive and competitive season. Now, it is on the players to make the best of the opportunities they have been given.
