The Blue Jackets have one of the most dynamic groups of young players in the entire NHL, talented difference makers who are becoming more integral pieces of the team’s equation on the ice by the day.
They are making just as big of an impact off of it, too.
“They’re leaders in our room now,” alternate captain Zach Werenski said. “I think that’s exciting for us as older guys, and it’s exciting for them as well.”
Indeed, it is a big step in the process for such players as Adam Fantilli, Kent Johnson and Cole Sillinger – not to mention the slightly older Kirill Marchenko and Dmitri Voronkov, and last year’s rookie standout, Denton Mateychuk. They’re clearly talented players, all coming off the best seasons of their pro careers and eager to provide even more from a production standpoint this upcoming season.
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And as Werenski noted, they’ve also started to find their stature more in the team’s locker room as they’ve settled into their NHL careers. It’s a process, of course, but one those youngsters are appreciative to be a part of.
“When the older guys are actually taking what you say and listening to it even if it might not be the brightest idea at the time (and) they’ll have the conversation with you, which means a lot to younger guys,” Fantilli said. “To be able to collaborate on certain stuff and then go out and on the ice and try to execute it, it means a lot.”
Indeed, it could be a potentially odd mix, with the Blue Jackets having an established group of veterans – some homegrown like Werenski and captain Boone Jenner, others more traveled like Erik Gudbranson and Sean Monahan – who have been around the block a time or two.
Gone are the truly archaic days of young players being seen and not heard, but it’s still a mix of personalities and levels of experience that have to work out the right way from a chemistry standpoint, as in any workplace.
Veteran players must strike the balance of helping players get acclimated to everything the NHL can throw at you while still setting and upholding high standards, and those early in their career may not want to step on any toes when they’re still on the green side. As time has gone by for this group, it’s fair to say things have meshed well.
“I think when you’re a rookie or a young guy, you don’t want to come in too hot,” Johnson said. “You want to be respectful and you have a lot to learn, but slowly I think it’s just talking more and more. I feel pretty comfortable and respected in the room where I can share my opinions on stuff with guys like Z even, even though they’re obviously older. So yeah, it’s pretty cool.”
Of course, it also helps when the players have the maturity levels, work ethic and skill sets to merit respect quickly. For example, Werenski has consistently raved about Fantilli’s approach to training when the two work out together in the summer, and returns on how all of the players approached their offseason training have been strong.
On the ice, Fantilli, Johnson, Sillinger and Mateychuk were each taken in the first top 12 picks of the NHL draft – and all have shown plenty of ability in their initial years in the NHL – while Marchenko and Voronkov have been impact players right away since arriving from Russia. Werenski noted at the team’s Monday media day that he’s been impressed with the way they don’t just play the game but think about it.
“Now we understand them, we understand what makes them tick,” the alternate captain said. “I understand KJ more on the power play. I understand as a leader being harder on guys or when to pull back maybe, but I also think it gives them more of a voice, which is exciting. I feel like when guys can really be themselves and really say what’s on their mind and what they’re thinking, whether it’s power play or what they see on breakouts, I think that just gets our team going in the right direction even quicker.
“We have a lot of bright hockey minds in our room, and I think a lot of those bright hockey minds are the young guys. It’s all just being on the same page and everyone having a voice and trusting each other. I feel we have that right now.”
To Jenner, it’s about players being the best version of themselves. One of his roles as the team captain is to help manage the personalities in the locker room, and coaches are often fond of saying the best teams are player-driven rather than responding only to messages from the staff.
Jenner said he has embraced that role.
“First and foremost, I think you want everyone to be themself in the locker room and have that comfortability where they can be their true self and express what they want,” the captain said. “That’s part of learning and growing in this league. Obviously you’re trying to find your way on the ice, but they bring so much more in the locker room, too. They were much more vocal last year as opposed to years prior, and it’s awesome to see.
“They’ll continue to grow in that area and bring different things to us as far as in the room and that leadership aspect. It’s their second, third, fourth years now where they can take that step. Absolutely, we encourage it.”
As the Blue Jackets continue to move forward, the next generation of CBJ players will take on bigger roles, and that’s a process that’s started with the current crop of Blue Jackets and the culture that’s been established.
“We have such good leadership in the locker room,” Sillinger said. “Good leaders understand that anyone can lead, and if someone has an opinion on something, everyone goes about their days. We’re just so close, and all of us young guys feel comfortable in talking if that’s what it needs to be. We’re also comfortable going about our business and leading that way, too.
“Within our group as a whole, we’re just very close-knit. Everyone’s comfortable in their own skin.”
