The Columbus Blue Jackets opened up their preseason with a 4-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on Sunday night, led by goals from four different skaters: Brendan Gaunce, Luca Del Bel Belluz, Dmitri Voronkov, and Mathieu Olivier. It was nice to see the depth of the organization perform against some of the Blues’ top prospects and a few NHL starters, and they delivered.
Two players not mentioned below in my three takeaways who impressed me a lot were Jake Christiansen and, obviously, Voronkov, who had three points on the night (one goal, two assists). Voronkov looked quicker to pucks and more physical/in shape, while Christiansen looked more like a full-time NHLer on the top pairing Sunday. He played 23:54 of ice time, the most of any Blue Jacket, and was not afraid to skate up the ice with the puck and get pucks to the net, an area that makes a young defenseman like him perform, so he could very well see depth NHL minutes this season.
Related: Blue Jackets Open Preseason With 4-1 Win Over Blues
Now, here are my three takeaways from the win.
Depth in Cleveland Is Legit
One of the clearest and most important takeaways from this game was that the Blue Jackets’ organizational depth through the Cleveland Monsters is legit. Del Bel Belluz played top-line center on Sunday and cleaned up a net-front rebound off a shot from Christiansen in the second period, really showing off his willingness to get to the tough areas of the ice. He also added an assist on the Voronkov empty net goal.
After the game, Del Bel Belluz said, “Yeah, I definitely feel stronger on my feet and a little faster. I put in a lot of work this summer, and I feel good on the ice.”
Head coach Dean Evason also praised his progress, saying, “All young guys coming up, obviously, we want them to get stronger immediately, but it takes time. It takes time to mature and do the work in the summer, and he’s committed. We know he can play in the National Hockey League. We saw it last year. Not only is his skill set, but his intelligence level is also really high. He’s done the work, he’s stronger, he’s bigger. He’s going to give himself a great opportunity.”
He looked physically stronger in this game to me, but still played the same style, playing hard against the boards, and making plays from there with his great passing and playmaking. Time will tell if he sees NHL minutes this season, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he did. Either way, he is a great option for a depth forward who can come up from Cleveland as needed.
Del Bel Belluz also mentioned how much he enjoys playing alongside Voronkov: “He’s a lot of fun to play with. Just even on the bench, he’s a funny guy, and he’s a character. He’s always keeping it light. On the ice, he’s obviously a special player. His brain navigates around the ice really well and it’s very helpful when he’s always in the right spots. He’s an awesome player.”
Gaunce, who played on the third line and penalty-kill on Sunday, impressed me too with his speed and defensive game. He scored on a two-on-zero after a penalty kill expired, where Voronkov made a smart play waiting to pass up the ice after coming out of the box, and Gaunce eventually buried it five-hole on Blues goalie Joel Hofer.
He is another strong depth forward to have in the organization in case of injuries on the NHL squad.
Charlie Elick was not afraid to use his 6-foot-4, 205-pound size on Sunday, laying hits into the boards and stepping up on players all game. He saw ice time on the second pairing on Sunday, and it looks like he will be an important piece of the Monsters this season.
Other players who will likely be in Cleveland this season who also impressed me were Jack Williams and James Malatesta. Neither hit the scoresheet but contributed in other ways. Malatesta led the third line on Sunday, who were solid defensively, blocking plenty of shots and giving up little grade-A chances, while Williams looked strong on the fourth line with Oiva Keskinen and Roman Ahcan.
Chinakhov Showing He Wants to Be Here
In the midst of one of the biggest storylines heading into the 2025-26 season, Yegor Chinakhov came out and proved himself on Sunday with his effort. After reportedly requesting a trade out of Columbus earlier this offseason following a stretch of healthy scratches to end the 2024-25 season, Chinakhov appeared to want to be here. He was playing hard on the backcheck, driving pucks toward the paint, making good passes, and showing off his speed all game.
He played on the second line with Cole Sillinger at center and Olivier on the right wing, which was very impressive in the offensive zone. He especially seemed to click with Sillinger, who controlled the pace of play and looks to be a solid depth piece heading into this season, especially since he can play both center and wing.
After seeing this, it poses the question of whether Chinakhov will still be traded at some point this season. For the sake of the Blue Jackets’ success, it would be best if he stays, especially if he is at his best and healthy, largely due to his offensive potential.
He has also recently said “he loves the city and fans” and has worked things out with Evason and the coaching staff, so it appears things are moving towards him staying in Columbus.
Fedotov Looked Solid in Debut
The Blue Jackets’ newest addition, 6-foot-7 netminder Ivan Fedotov, who was acquired last week in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers, looked solid on Sunday. He was between the pipes for 40 minutes (first and second period) and stopped 14 of 15 shots. The lone goal he gave up was a tough one, where he was screened in front by many players, as an outside shot from Justin Carbonneau was deflected by Nikita Alexandrov for the goal.
After the game, Fedotov said, “So obviously it felt really good. Just like first game of preseason and like I said earlier, I don’t want to put a lot of pressure on myself. Just enjoy the process, have fun when I get out on the ice. That’s what I did tonight. Felt really good. The guys played well in front of me, played hard, and made a lot of great block shots. They got me, I got them.”
He also added, “It’s preseason, the first game, and everybody tries to push themselves as much as they can. It’s a good pace, good speed, everything. So, you just have to be ready, the game will come, and they will play aggressive in front of you, behind, everywhere.”
Related: Breaking Down the Blue Jackets’ Goaltending With the Fedotov Addition
One weakness that he’s currently been working on is playing the puck, which he has struggled with plenty in his short NHL career. He seemed to be making strides in that game on Sunday, making a couple of plays and passes, but definitely seemed a little awkward while doing it.
However, strength-wise, he appears to be able to move post-to-post well, saving a few shots in that manner on Sunday. He also showed off a solid glove and the ability to cover a huge portion of the net with his massive size and athleticism.
Evan Gardner finished out the game well, stopping all six shots in the third period to close out the win.
The Blue Jackets are back at it right away on Monday night, hosting the Buffalo Sabres at 7:00 PM ET, which will be live on FanDuel Sports Network.
