CBJ Today: A few notes of news

Each weekday this season, BlueJackets.com will post CBJ Today, a look at news, notes, analysis and fun stuff from around the Blue Jackets world. It's everything you need to know if you're a fan going into the day.

Grigorenko Sits

When the Blue Jackets signed Mikhail Grigorenko, it seemed like it had the potential to be a solid under-the-radar move. A first-round pick in 2012, Grigorenko had been putting up big points numbers in the KHL, and on a one-year deal, it seemed like he might be a nice addition of offense to the lineup.
It just hasn't consistently worked out that way, though. The 26-year-old Russian forward started the year on the team's top line but has a 2-5-7 line in 18 games; he also hasn't played since Feb. 23, which has to be enormously frustrating for someone who dedicated himself for a return to the NHL this past offseason.
When asked Tuesday what Grigorenko would have to show to get back in the lineup, head coach John Tortorella said he was more a victim of the situation than anything else with the organization trying to bring along such young players as Emil Bemstrom, Alexandre Texier and Eric Robinson.
"I don't think Grigor has played poorly," Tortorella said. "It's been a little bit of a juggling act here too for me where I have kids that, as I've always said, I have to look at the short term and long term with the kids, a Bemmer, a Tex and players like that, a Robby. Would Grigor take one of those guys out? I fight with that as far as developing a kid vs. a Grigorenko.
"If I'm going to put a more veteran guy in, in my mind right now, in place of a kid to gain some experience and grow, it's gotta be a little bit of maybe not a home run, but it has to be a triple in the way he plays. … In my mind, the kids are going to get that opportunity. The younger players in my mind right now probably get that opportunity because I also have to keep my eye on the ball as far as the future of the organization."
Shortly after Tortorella spoke, it was reported Grigorenko had been placed on waivers by the Blue Jackets, a move that could give the team some flexibility if he were to have to be moved to the taxi squad. With a player like Gus Nyquist practicing more as he recovers from injury and some young talent also playing at the AHL level (albeit banged up right now), it simply appears to be tough for Tortorella to find the minutes for Grigorenko right now.

Take Your Best Shot

On Monday,
I wrote a little bit about the mentality
of a shootout from a goalie's perspective, but on Tuesday, Tortorella opened up more about his thought process about picking players to go in the skills competition.
He said he has his list going into each game, and it's based on a combination of what he knows about a certain player's shootout history as well as how each skater is playing in that game. He also noted that while the Jackets have done some more shootouts recently in practice, that doesn't mean a whole ton.
"I have a pretty good idea who I'm selecting," said Tortorella, whose team fell in a shootout Sunday to Dallas to drop to 1-3 this year in such events. "Doing them after practice is apples and oranges as far as come game time. We try to do our research. We do have the information as far as what the guys have done in the past. I also try to get involved in how the player is playing that particular game. It's been tough for us. We just haven't found our way. But we have information, we have thoughts about how we go about it. It's not going to be judged based on having fun after practice."
Why not? Because it's hard to simulate the pressure of going at the end of a 65-minute hockey game in practice. To Tortorella, it's a whole different animal doing it in front of the whole world than it is doing it in an empty barn.
"It's crazy when I see some guys, some really good offensive players kind of freeze up sometimes in those situations," Tortorella said. "Over my career, I've had top players tell me, 'I'm not going.' I'd say, 'Yes, you are.' They said, 'No, I'm not.' Those are conversations I've had with players on the bench. That's why you can't simulate it in practice because guys get nervous."
Now that's a conversation I'd be interested in hearing.

Elsewhere...

A few notes on non-CBJ games right quick.
- In Russia, the second round of the playoffs begins today, and four CBJ prospects remain alive - forwards Kirill Marchenko (2018 second-round pick), Dmitri Voronkov (2019 fourth-round pick) and Yegor Chinakhov (2020 first-round pick) as well as goalie Daniil Tarasov (2017 third-round pick). Marchenko's SKA team will take on Dynamo Moscow in Western Conference play, while in the East, Voronkov's Ak Bars Kazan squad plays Tarasov's Salavat Yulaev Ufa team. In addition, Chinakhov and Avangard Omsk face Metallurg Magnitogorsk. All are seven-game series. Good luck to the CBJ picks. - And I mentioned yesterday that the No. 3 Ohio State women's hockey team would began the NCAA tournament last night against Boston College, and the Buckeyes dominated the quarterfinal matchup, outshooting the Eagles by a 48-13 margin on the way to a 3-1 win behind goals. Jenna Buglioni, Brooke Bink and Gabby Rosenthal scored. It's the team's second-ever Frozen Four bid and second in four years, and the Buckeyes can reach the national title game with a win Thursday over second-ranked Wisconsin. It's great to have high-level women's hockey in the capital city.