The Columbus Blue Jackets have once again tried out Patrik Laine as a center during the preseason, and it’s an experiment that’s worth continuing into the regular season. It’s safe to say that nobody in the organization knows Laine better than new head coach Pascal Vincent, who was with the Winnipeg Jets organization when the Finnish forward entered the league. If Vincent and Laine both believe that this is something that can work, it’ll be massively beneficial to the organization if they’re right.
Increased Flexibility for Laine
The Blue Jackets organization has quite a few players who can play center, and many of them are already on the NHL roster. Kent Johnson, Cole Sillinger, Alex Texier and, of course, the newest prospect, Adam Fantilli, can all slot into the lineup down the middle.
With that said, a team can truly never have too many centers. If Laine can also play in the middle, it allows for increased flexibility for Vincent when it comes to line combinations and special teams. It’ll also allow other players to move around the lineup. For example, Boone Jenner has spent most of his career as a center, but some of his best offensive seasons came as a winger. Sillinger has struggled recently, and having the option to play on the wing could relieve some responsibility and allow him to find his game once again.
Another benefit to Laine playing center is his size makes it a much easier transition for him. His big frame will help him with his defensive responsibilities, and if he plays in front of the net more often, it’ll allow for very effective screens in front. There are going to be questions about whether or not playing center will essentially waste his strong shot, but that shouldn’t be much of a concern, as he’ll still find ways to put the puck in the back of the net while also embracing his playmaking ability, which is very underrated by many. It’ll allow him to also play with some more of the skilled wingers on the roster, such as a pure goal scorer like Kirill Marchenko as well as Johnny Gaudreau at the same time.
The Long-Term Benefits for Laine
Assuming that this experiment works, there are benefits for both the team and the player. First off, for Laine, it’s not a secret that a top-six center typically gets paid much more than a winger in the same role. He has three more seasons on his current contract, so this is certainly a very long-term benefit for him. But if he plays the position until then, it’ll make a strong case for him to get paid like a center when the time comes.
For the organization, center has been a position of need for years at this point. They thought that Fantilli was the answer, and he certainly may be. But if they can have Laine also fill that role, then it leads to an embarrassment of riches. It’ll take pressure off some of the younger players like the aforementioned Johnson and Sillinger to play down the middle and allow them to adapt to the NHL as a winger before making the move back to the middle later on.
Related: Blue Jackets News & Rumors: Roster Set & Preseason Takeaways
If playing Laine at center continues to work well, there’s no reason to move away from it. He impressed in his few opportunities in the position last season and continued to do so this preseason. The lack of a true number-one center has held the team back pretty much since the organization’s inception. Now, the Blue Jackets are on the verge of possibly having two of them on their roster. If Fantilli lives up to expectations and Laine can continue to produce as he did in the preseason, center will no longer be a major position of need in Columbus.
