What we know about the Blue Jackets roster as we near opening night

After Monday's moves, the Blue Jackets are getting pretty close to having an opening night roster, but they're not quite there yet.
Columbus
trimmed nearly half of its training camp roster
on Monday afternoon, and there were very few surprises considering the decisions matched who had been split into the NHL group and the AHL practice group late last week.

Gone are Josh Dunne and Gavin Bayreuther, two players who saw action with Columbus last year, as well as such players under CBJ contracts as Carson Meyer, Tyler Angle, Tim Berni and Jake Christiansen. Those players will start in Cleveland with the Monsters (assuming Bayreuther gets through waivers), while all of the Cleveland-signed players on the roster as of Monday also were released from tryout offers and will report up I-71 as well.
When asked Monday whether he meets with every player on the roster who is cut to individually deliver the message, head coach Brad Larsen had a quick reply.
"Yep, every one of them," Larsen said.
What are those conversations like?
"Everybody is different," the head coach answered. "Everybody has different roles and different expectations. What I like to do is give them something to take away they can work on and give them a clear picture on how we see them. I've been in that position as a player, and you want to know where you stand and what they are going to be expecting from you. So that's my goal is to talk to every one of them and make sure they know it and when they come back, they know exactly what we want from them."
So, who is left? Columbus has 30 players in camp, but we seemingly know the fate of five of them -- Elvis Merzlikins and Joonas Korpisalo will start the season as the team's goalies, barring injury, while top goalie prospect Daniil Tarasov will eventually head down to join the Monsters as well.
In addition, forwards Max Domi and Trey Fix-Wolansky are yet to see contact drills this camp, so it seems fair to say both will fall short of the opening day roster because of injury (though Domi is practicing in a non-contact jersey and does seem to be well ahead of schedule after offseason shoulder surgery).
That leaves 25 skaters for 21 opening roster spots, with 18 able to take the ice in the
Oct. 14 opener against Arizona in Nationwide Arena
. So while we're getting close, we're not quite there.
For those wondering how things will shake out, here's who is left for the Blue Jackets in alphabetical order.
16 forwards: Emil Bemstrom, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Yegor Chinakhov, Justin Danforth, Liam Foudy, Gregory Hofmann, Boone Jenner, Sean Kuraly, Patrik Laine, Gustav Nyquist, Eric Robinson, Jack Roslovic, Cole Sillinger, Kevin Stenlund, Alexandre Texier, Jakub Voracek
9 defensemen: Jake Bean, Adam Boqvist, Gabriel Carlsson, Vladislav Gavrikov, Scott Harrington, Dean Kukan, Mikko Lehtonen, Andrew Peeke, Zach Werenski
So what happens next? Here's a few thoughts, but as usual, take them with a grain of salt.
Do Chinakhov and Sillinger make the team? This is the No. 1 question I get on social media these days, and my initial feeling is yes.
I could be wrong (it often happens!) but those two rookie first-round picks (Chinakhov, 20, was chosen 21st in the 2020 draft; Sillinger, 18, went 12th overall in 2021) have done a lot to state their case. And they seem to be being heard -- both have been placed throughout camp on lines with veteran players who will make the team, and both have been on the No. 2 CBJ power play when it has practiced in recent days.
Now, the preseason is about seeing players in certain spots and figuring out how they'll respond, so just because those two have been given good looks doesn't mean they're locks to be in. In fact, Larsen pointed out recently one reason to put them with veterans is to give them players on the ice to help them out and provide guidance at this early point in their careers in addition to seeing how they will fare.
But at the same time, they're certainly getting every chance they can to impress. It would be hard to expect them to be stars out of the gate, but it looks as though they can contribute and play at this level, both offensively and away from the puck as well.
One potential scenario -- Columbus could start each with the big club, play them for a certain number of contests just to see how their games stack up, then go from there. I wouldn't be surprised to see each get some time with Cleveland, too, this year if their games need some tuning up, which would also bring with it big, experience-building minutes in the AHL against veteran players.
And for anyone wondering if this will be a merit-based decision, take a look at what Larsen said after the Jackets' 5-1 loss in Detroit on Saturday night.
The head coach admitted he was disappointed by a rather lackluster effort in the setback, emphasizing he and the staff had made it clear that play in the preseason games would matter.
"Some guys are trying to push for jobs, and they're not helping themselves," Larsen went on to say. "I'm not disappointed (for them) -- it's in their hands. Guys will pass them. It's quite simple. The players are going to decide. Ask them if they're disappointed. I don't know. You might have some guys that are shocked on opening night. That's what it will come down to. We have some kids that are pushing. I think everybody sees it. I'm not going to be mad, yelling and throwing stuff. It will be, guys will get rewarded if they're playing well."
The fifth line:For the past few days, the Blue Jackets have practiced with 12 forwards in white or blue jerseys, but four of the forwards named above have been in red -- Danforth, Hofmann, Bemstrom and Stenlund.
So if you're looking to see which players are most likely on the bubble, it might make sense to start there, considering the blue and white shirts are the normal practice togs (red, over the past few years, has belonged to those out of the top 12 in camp).
Bemstrom, never having played in the AHL, has had some good moments in a CBJ jersey but hasn't produced as much offensively as hoped the past two seasons after he dominated the Swedish league two years ago. He had a great showing Monday night, though, notching a goal, leading the Jackets with six shots on goal and playing on a dominant line with Chinakhov and Roslovic.
Hofmann and Danforth are both 28-year-olds who signed one-way deals after starring overseas the past few seasons, and both bring something to the table (Hofmann some speed and a really good shot, Danforth some grit and playmaking verve). Stenlund, meanwhile, can play both center and wing and has a great shot, but inconsistencies have plagued his game in recent years.
No matter what happens, some tough decisions will be made in the coming days.
Four seem set defensively: Just from reading the tea leaves in practice, the Blue Jackets might have a pretty good sense who the top four defensemen will be to start the season -- Werenski, Gavrikov and new acquisitions Boqvist and Bean.
Those four have pretty much played together exclusively throughout practices and games, and all are key pieces of the puzzle here. Werenski is the unquestioned No. 1, Gavrikov has earned the team's respect for his gritty play, and Boqvist and Bean are both young, puck-moving defensemen and former first-round picks who have gotten their feet wet in the last two NHL seasons with Chicago and Carolina, respectively.
That would leave five players left battling for two lineup spots and one or two reserve roles.
"We have lots of opportunity in the back end," Larsen said. "We've said this. I think I've beaten that to death, but there's guys we have to look at -- different combos, different sides even, left shots on the right side. … We have to find some chemistry here, and this is why I said it'll probably stretch into the season at some point."
The Blue Jackets have played Peeke in four of five preseason games to get a look at the big former second-round pick, and it would help a lot of he's ready for a full-time role simply because he's one of just two right-shot defensemen on the roster along with Boqvist. He's looked noticeably more physical this year and is in great shape; his 2019-20 season was quite encouraging as well. But last year was a struggle, and he needs a bounceback season.
This summer, he said he worked on his explosiveness in skating and feels like he's in a good spot, with improvements to his game that will help him on the ice going forward.
"Last season wasn't necessarily ideal in terms of how I hoped it would go, but you have to learn from that," he said. "Going into my third year, you hear the term experience, and you gain experience as a defenseman from being in the pro ranks for two years now. Going into my third year, I'm really excited for what is ahead."
Larsen acknowledged having another right-shot defenseman in the lineup would be great "in a perfect world," but that won't just gift Peeke a spot on the team. Kukan, Harrington, Carlsson and Lehtonen (who they've been cautious with after a lower-body injury in the preseason opener) all are in the mix and bring different things to the table, and it seems like it's hard to separate the bottom of the lineup defensively.
Someone will have to do it, though, and soon. We're now just nine days away from the opener against Arizona, and the answers will come soon enough.
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