This season certainly has not gone the way the Blue Jackets organization had envisioned or the front office said it would. Another high-lottery pick is staring them in the face as they sit 29th in the league, yet the season is not a total loss. There have been storylines that have popped up some of which may have traction some may not. What has gone right for Columbus is young players, more importantly, young core players have been developing nicely.
Adam Fantilli who will miss eight weeks due to injury has 27 points good for fourth on the team and 12 goals. Dmitri Voronkov also has 12 goals and has been one of the best players on the ice for the Blue Jackets this season. Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko have both been consistent, the player who has taken the biggest step forward this season is Yegor Chinakhov. Chinakhov has seen his all-around game flourish on both ends of the ice.
Kirill Marchenko has become a more rounded player as well. Last season the young forward had a franchise record 21 goals for a Blue Jackets rookie. This season Marchenko has picked up where he left off but has added a few new wrinkles to his game, he is playing much better defensively and he is assisting on more goals.
Cole Sillinger is having a nice bounce-back season after a massive sophomore slump. Sillinger has played well all over the ice and looks more like the player who had rookie success than the player he was last season.
For a hockey team out of the playoff race but in the mix for the top pick in the draft, the Blue Jackets still have a lot to play for the second half of the season. The young players should be allowed the freedom to just go play their game. By now they know the system Pascal Vincent has them in. It should be time to just play hockey.
There were flashes of that in the first half, but the young players were still learning the system and developing. While still developing they must finish strong. The organization should avoid tanking the rest of the season as that could send the wrong message to the players they are teaching how to play the game the right way.
