The Columbus Blue Jackets start a five-game road trip when they play the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night. It will be yet another chance for several players to leave an impression.
Head coach Pascal Vincent recently admitted that there will be more individual evaluations than usual. It’s a necessary step because the Blue Jackets have to determine if these players will be a part of their future.
“We’re in the process of evaluating right now with our younger players,” Vincent said postgame Sunday. “We have five guys from Cleveland. This game (against the Winnipeg Jets) will be a good evaluation. When we look, we’re gonna take a close look at individuals more than the group per se and see what they can bring to this organization moving forward.”
For these five players and maybe others, these last 14 games will determine where players slot in the organization’s plans moving forward.
Early Returns
The five players who are getting playing time now as a result of injuries are Trey Fix-Wolansky, Brendan Gaunce, Carson Meyer, Mikael Pyyhtia and Jake Christiansen. Here are their early stats since their call ups.
- Fix-Wolansky: 0-0-0 in 5 games, -4.
- Gaunce: 1-0-1 in 4 games, even. Scored the only goal Sunday night against the Jets.
- Meyer: 0-0-0 in 4 games, even.
- Pyyhtia: 0-0-0 in 3 games, -3.
- Christiansen: 0-1-1 in 2 games, +1. Assisted on Gaunce’s goal Sunday night.
It’s a small sample size to be sure. Outside of Gaunce’s goal, there hasn’t been too much to take away from these performances. Evaluations will go beyond what the box score says. The Blue Jackets will need to determine what these players will bring in all aspects of the game.
Fix-Wolansky saw a little bit of power-play time on Sunday night on the second unit. He’s a proven scorer in the AHL. But at least so far in the NHL, he’s played in a lower role and isn’t asked to be the main driver of offense. Ultimately, he still has to show he can score in the NHL. He will have to play against some of the league’s best upcoming in the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights. It won’t be easy for him. His focus needs to be on getting better with each passing game even if he doesn’t hit the scoresheet.
The same goes for the other four players. Once some of the injured are ready to return, they’ll have to return to the Monsters since they were called up on an emergency basis.
Reasonable Expectations
Given their roles, expecting this group to light up the scoreboard every night is not reasonable. But seeing them create and get chances to score is reasonable. That’s the first thing this group needs to show in these games. Most of the offense has come from the top-six forwards of late.
If they’re not able to score, then they need to show their improvement away from the puck. They have to be able to play a responsible game. They need to demonstrate that they know where to go on the ice. They need to make the right reads and complete the simple plays. This is especially important against the top teams. One mistake and it will be in the back of their net.
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The other thing to look out for is their awareness. Are they making good line changes? Are they putting themselves in positions to help their linemates? Are they open to feedback on the bench? There are a lot of things these players will be evaluated for that the TV set won’t always show.
The bottom line is that these players know now is the time to stand out. It may not always result in goals and points. But this opportunity is giving management and the coaching staff an opportunity to see how far they’ve come and what they have to offer. That should be all the motivation they need to perform in these games even with the playoffs well out of reach.
