CBJ Building Blocks: Stenlund's shot stood out at NHL level

To put it mildly, when it comes to injuries, this was not the season the Blue Jackets had hoped for.
Columbus led the NHL in man-games lost to injuries when the campaign hit the coronavirus pause, and the continuous stream of players to injured reserve has been one of the constant themes of the season.
Yet as head coach John Tortorella has pointed out a number of times this season, there has been a silver lining to that cloud. As the season has gone on, the Blue Jackets have had to turn to players who might not have been expected to play key roles but have used the opportunity provided to show their stuff.

Many of those players now look like they could be important pieces for the Blue Jackets going forward. This week we'll profile those players and compile their highlights in our Building Blocks series.
These seven players are all in their first full seasons with the Blue Jackets and through their play have showed they could key parts of the franchise's future going forward.

Kevin Stenlund, Center/Wing, No. 11

Age:23
Stats:32 GP, 6-4-10, +2, 1.1 PS
Coming into the season: With excellent size and the ability to play in the middle of the ice, Stenlund has always been an intriguing prospect for the Blue Jackets since being taken in the second round of the 2015 draft. Last year was his first full season in North America, as he made his NHL debut with four games with the Blue Jackets, finishing without a point. He spent most of the year with AHL Cleveland, playing in 59 games and posting a 15-10-25 line.
Why he showed he's a building block:Stenlund's game has taken a step forward this year at the NHL level, as he stepped in through all the injuries and showed he has the game to play in the league.
His No. 1 attribute when it comes to offensive production is his shot, as Tortorella has pointed to it often when talking about Stenlund's skills including the reason he has earned quite a bit of power-play time this season. Three of his six goals have come on the man advantage this year.
He also showed he could be a force all over the ice this season if his game is fully functioning, as Stenlund has excellent size and can be a difficult player to play against in all 200 feet of the ice. Tortorella gave him the chance to play in the middle of the ice more often as the season went on, and there have been times Stenlund has been impressive in controlling the game in that role.
The biggest issue for the unassuming Swede is consistency, something he seems aware of as he tries to cement himself as an NHL player.
"My high has always been high, my best," he said of his abilities. "I just have to have less ups and downs. Even in games, I can disappear sometimes. That's what I still have to work on."
"Through this situation that the team has gone through, it's been a great view of what we have within our minor league team, within our depth," Tortorella said, "and Stens has put himself in a spot where look who he's playing with right now. He deserves to be there.
"My thing with him is I think we need to stay on top of him on being ready to play every shift. It's maybe a little bit of his personality, a laid-back guy. That's my job as a coach to make sure he's playing every shift."
What to expect going forward: Stenlund's game took a step forward from last year to this year as he looked more comfortable on NHL ice this time around, so the same thing could happen after the pause considering the experience he has gained this season. If Stenlund can come closer to bringing it every shift, he has the size and shot to be a pretty useful player at either center or wing. Working on his skating could also help; it's not the prettiest stride, and Tortorella has said Stenlund gets where he needs to be, but an extra half step could make Stenlund that much better.