Columbus Blue Jackets Case Study

It has been a disastrous beginning for the Columbus Blue Jackets, who started the season without a win through their first seven games before dismissing Head Coach Todd Richards in favor of John Tortorella. Changes to the personnel also happened, as the team shifted bodies around in order to try and get out from under their predicament.
That said, General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen made a significant number of moves this offseason, including one major trade that shook up the foundation of the franchise. There are a number of newly drafted prospects that entered the prospect pool, and their addition resulted in a shift in the depth chart.
The Blue Jackets still boast one of the strongest systems in the NHL, and a number of these new faces are

Among them, Sonny Milano is the most talented, and also the most risky. Milano is a supremely talented player with the puck, but will need to correct some deficiencies away from the puck. While it’s undecided what forward position he will play moving forward, there’s almost no doubt that Milano will be a big part of the World Junior Championships playing for the United States.
Already in the NHL, William “Wild Bill” Karlsson is quickly becoming a fan favorite, who has showcased above average skating ability and a penchant for tenacious forechecking. His NHL point totals will never be gaudy, but he’s the type of player than can chip in here and there while being a reliable option at both ends of the ice.
Built from a similar mold, Columbus boasts a number of two-way centers lining up in Lake Erie – Alex Broadhurst, Michael Chaput, Lukas Sedlak, and T.J. Tynan. In particular, Broadhurst and Tynan offer a more offensive look, while Chaput and Sedlak project as capable bottom-six penalty killers. It’s possible that one player from his group separates himself from the pack, but it’s unlikely that this group would make a long-term impact in the

The best of the bunch is Michael Paliotta, who was acquired with Brandon Saad in this summer’s blockbuster trade. Paliotta is fresh off being named Hockey East’s Best Defensive Defenseman as captain of the Vermont Catamounts.
From there, the club has a number of two-way defensemen that are going to compete for playing time and hope to catch the eye of the big club when the need arises. Dillon Heatherington figures to be the first name considered, largely due to his draft pedigree and consistent, four-year career with Swift Current of the WHL. Austin Madaisky added a surprisingly effective offensive game last year, and could be a key underrated returnee this year. The largest defenseman in the system is Oleg Yevenko, who at 6’7”, 230 pounds is an advanced-level prospect who has plenty of room for growth this year.
With one player in each of the CHL’s three leagues, the Blue Jackets boast an underrated group in Blake Siebenaler, Sam Ruopp, and Oliver LeBlanc. Siebenaler has one of the OHL’s hardest shots, and is soaking up all the icetime he can handle playing for the Niagara Ice Dogs. Ruopp is back in Prince George as team captain, and is a big reason why the team is over .500 for the first time in over two calendar years. Making a similar impact for his team is Olivier LeBlanc, who has been an assist machine for Cape Breton and could potentially be a part of Canada’s WJC